18 August 1942 Part 3

18 August 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: [Opening wind description partly unclear.] Clouding over from west to east; visibility 10–15 nautical miles; very calm to calm sea.

0145, off Jersey: V 206/11 take over La France and continue to St Malo.

0500, St Malo: V 206/11 anchor with the convoy in the roadstead. Convoy tasks are: (1) combined convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) night troop convoy RO 21, Alderney–Guernsey; (3) convoy Maas, St Malo–Granville; (4) combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey; (5) night troop convoy St Malo–Jersey, RO 45; (6) night troop convoy Jersey–Guernsey with Meteor and Klaus Wilhelm. I issue orders allocating V 707/04 to tasks 1 and, afterwards, 2; M 4605/04 to tasks 3 and 4; V 206/09 to tasks 5 and, afterwards, 6.

0900, St Malo: The ordered departure of M 4605/04 is delayed by over two hours through failure by the lock personnel and the addition of steamer Maas to the convoy without the Convoy Control Office’s knowledge.

Remark: Despite all reports about inadequate supervision at the lock, and intervention by other offices, disruptions and failures continue to occur and—as today—upset the entire convoy programme. M 4605/04 were to proceed to Granville with the ebb stream; now they encounter an adverse stream. The resulting change in speed makes it doubtful whether the convoy will reach Guernsey as planned.

It should surely be possible to provide the necessary organisation and supervision during the limited lock-opening periods. If the heavily employed boats are punctual, the desk-bound gentlemen must be punctual too.

1045, St Malo: M 4605/04 sail with Maas for Guernsey [destination as recorded; the next entry records the call at Granville].

1315: A report from Granville states that transport vessels have sailed without a convoy. Only Helma is waiting for escort.

1345, Granville: M 4605/04 release Maas and proceed with Helma to Guernsey.

Situation for 18 August sent to the 3rd Security Division: (1) V 213/08/UJ 1411/04: at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division. (2) V 206/11: finish the night troop convoy of 17/18 August from Guernsey with Minotaure and from Jersey with La France to St Malo. V 211: St Malo, ready. (3) V 206/09: night convoy of 18/19 August from St Malo with Meteor and Klaus Wilhelm to Jersey, and with RO 45 to Guernsey. (4) M 4611/01: St Malo, ready. (5) V 707/04: Cherbourg–Alderney with a combined convoy; later, night troop convoy of 18/19 August Alderney–Guernsey with RO 21 and Georgi. (6) M 4605/04: St Malo–Granville with Maas, then Granville–Jersey–Guernsey with a combined convoy; ready. (7) V 210/12: degaussing at Rotterdam. Escorted tonnage: 11,800 GRT.

Intentions for 19 August: (1) V 213/08/UJ 1411/04: at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division. (2) V 206/09: finish the night passage St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey; later, night troop convoy of 19/20 August with RO 21, Guernsey–St Malo. (3) V 211/M 4611/01: St Malo, ready. (4) V 707/04: Guernsey–Alderney–Cherbourg with any convoy that may be required. (5) M 4605/04: Guernsey, ready. (6) V 210/12: passage from Rotterdam farther west.

1400: A secret-command teleprinter message from BSW concerns mine checks in the Channel Islands area and asks when the 46th Minesweeping Flotilla can be spared. I reply by teleprinter, referring to Gkdos 2595:

(1) The Convoy Control Office currently has only three boats of the 2nd Patrol Boat Flotilla at St Malo, two boats of the 7th Patrol Boat Flotilla at Cherbourg, and four boats of the 46th Minesweeping Flotilla at St Malo, the latter only for the inner bay as far as Guernsey. With these, the daily average escorted tonnage in August is approximately 8,800 GRT.

(2) In agreement with the commander of the 46th Minesweeping Flotilla, I propose that, within their duties here, the flotilla’s boats when without a convoy should also check routes in the area “Ida one–nine–eleven–five–point 332–Ida 2” [route wording retained as read].

Remark: Escort requirements averaging 8,800 GRT daily in August do not permit the release of the 46th Minesweeping Flotilla while four boats remain with the 2nd Security Division. It is, however, possible to use these boats from here to check sections of routes, keeping the inner island routes in the specified area under observation for ground mines.

1620, Jersey: M 4605/04 release part of the convoy to enter harbour and continue to Guernsey.

1830, Cherbourg: V 707/04 sail with a convoy for Alderney.

2050, Alderney: V 707/04 arrive with the convoy from Cherbourg.

2110, St Malo: A teleprinter message from the commander of the 5th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla gives sailing intentions.

2200: Through M.N.O. Cherbourg I notify the 5th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla of movements in island traffic during the night of 18/19 August.

2230: A teleprinter message from Sea Commander, Normandy reports the sailing of four motor torpedo boats.

2245: V 206/09 sail with the night troop convoy for Jersey–Guernsey. Signed on behalf: Wunderlich.

Reading note: The initial task list and the later situation report assign RO 45, Meteor and Klaus Wilhelm differently along the route. Each statement is retained as recorded.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0458 left-hand page (page 4, from 18 August), right-hand page (page 5), and scan 0459 left-hand page (page 6, through the signature preceding 19 August).