20 March 1942

20 March 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Weather: W moderate breeze, visibility 2–5 nautical miles; sea amended to very calm to calm. Poor visibility prevents the convoys being carried out as intended; those sailing suffer considerable delays.

Situation: V 213 condenser repair Brest; V 212 docked St Malo; V 210/V 206 St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey with RO 8 and Robert Müller 8 for Jersey and Nordplein for Guernsey; V 210/V 208 Guernsey–Alderney with Holstein, changing boats when V 210/V 206 reach Guernsey; V 204/V 209 ready Cherbourg, night convoy not yet known; V 208/V 211 Jersey–Guernsey with Holland and Holstein carrying troops; V 206/V 211 Guernsey–St Malo overnight with Holland and troops, after changing boats; V 205 dock Cherbourg; V 207 Brest. Escorted tonnage initially 3,404 GRT; corrected on 21 March to 6,854 GRT.

Intention for 21 March, subject to fog: V 213 repair Brest; V 212 dock St Malo; V 210/V 208 Alderney–Guernsey without convoy, then Guernsey–Jersey–St Malo with six tugs and one barge, attaching tug Gourry from Jersey. V 204/V 209 ready Cherbourg, weather permitting Cherbourg–Guernsey with B 125 S and oil barge Progress, Guernsey–Cherbourg with B 115 S, returning on 22 March. V 206/V 211 ready St Malo, possibly night convoy; V 205 dock Cherbourg; V 207 Brest–St Malo. [Deleted duplicate lines are not treated as additional orders.]

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0286–0287.