19 January 1943

19 January 1943 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-east to south force 4–5, cloudy to overcast, rain in places, sea 3, visibility 5–8 nautical miles. 0000, Alderney: V 424/M 4047 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg. 0330, Guernsey: V 724/23 sailed with Irene for Alderney. 0400, Malo: V 206/11 sailed with Hüxter for Jersey. 0530, Alderney: V 424/M 4047 sailed for Cherbourg. 0730, Cherbourg: V 424/M 4047 arrived from Alderney. 0745, Alderney: V 724/23 detached Irene and proceeded to Cherbourg.

0815 [Granville appears in place column without a corresponding movement]: tasks and convoy requests: (1) night troop convoy H 49 and Rob. Müller 8 Malo–Guernsey; (2) night troop convoy RO 21 and La France Malo–Jersey; (3) shadow Hüxter Malo–Jersey and return; (4) tankers Flensburg, Udotee and Sunderwitt and coaster Schwalbe Cherbourg–Guernsey; (5) Nordvard convoy Cherbourg–Brest under 3rd Security Division's order; (6) six boats of 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla Cherbourg–Brest.

Remark: the instructions of 18 January, 1455 apply to the torpedo boats' passage. Night troop convoys are therefore scheduled late enough to prevent encounters in the Channel Islands area. V 724/23's Cherbourg–Guernsey convoy is likewise to depart only after the torpedo boats and Nordvard convoy. The torpedo boats may overtake Nordvard's convoy; I drew attention to this by war teletype. Assigned: (1) V 210/12; (2) V 711/22; (3) V 206/11; (4) V 724/23; (5) UJ 1401/02, V 424 and M 4047; (6) under 3rd Security Division's order.

0845, Jersey: V 206/11 arrived with Hüxter from Malo. 1010, Cherbourg: V 724/23 arrived from Alderney. 1100, Jersey: FK 01/07 took Comptoir 51 and 66 into convoy for Guernsey. 1220, Jersey: FK 23/31 sailed for Granville–Malo. 1500, Jersey: V 206/11 sailed with Hüxter for Malo.

Report to 3rd Security Division. Correction to 18 January, item 9: only as far as Guernsey. Situation for 19 January: (1) V 212/10 night troop convoy at 2300 with H 49 and Rob. Müller 8 Malo–Guernsey; (2) V 711/22 night troop convoy at 2330 with RO 21 and La France Malo–Jersey; (3) V 206/11 shadow Hüxter Malo–Jersey and return; (4) V 424/M 4047 return Alderney–Cherbourg, then item 5; (5) UJ 1401/02, V 424 and M 4047 evening Nordvard convoy Cherbourg–Malo; (6) V 724/23 early night troop convoy Irene Guernsey–Alderney, then independently Alderney–Cherbourg, later at 2200 with Flensburg, Udotee, Sunderwitt and Schwalbe Cherbourg–Guernsey; (7) C Group of 46th Minesweeper Flotilla and M 4612 fitting out at Malo; (8) V 704 still aKB at Cherbourg until 2400 on 20 January. Escorted tonnage: 10,700 GRT.

Intentions for 20 January: (1) V 212/10 complete night troop convoy of 19/20 January Malo–Guernsey, evening return convoy; (2) V 711/22 complete night troop convoy of 19/20 January Malo–Jersey, evening return convoy; (3) V 206/11 ready at Malo; (4) V 424, M 4047 and UJ 1401/02 complete Nordvard convoy Cherbourg–Malo, evening Malo–Brest; (5) V 724/23 complete night convoy Cherbourg–Guernsey, evening night troop convoy Schwalbe Guernsey–Alderney; (6) C Group of 46th Minesweeper Flotilla and M 4612 rest at Malo; (7) M 4602 with four Hummer boats in Malo roads available to WO course.

1630, Guernsey: FK 01/07 arrived with convoy. 1630, Granville: FK 23/31 arrived from Jersey. 1645, Granville: FK 23/31 continued to Malo. 1930, Cherbourg: six boats of 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla sailed west through the Channel Islands. 2000, Malo: Nordvard convoy again postponed 24 hours. 2030, Malo: V 206/11 arrived with Hüxter. 2105, Malo: FK 23/31 arrived from Granville. 2200, Cherbourg: V 724/23 sailed with convoy for Guernsey. 2300, Malo: V 210/12 sailed with night troop convoy for Guernsey. 2330, Malo: V 711/22 sailed with night troop convoy for Jersey. Signed Wunderlich.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0714–0715, original pages 7–9.