25 May 1942

25 May 1942 divisional review of the St Malo April diary

Secret. 3rd Security Division, G 2599 AIV/Le., to Commander Security West, two copies; information copy to Convoy Office St Malo. Submits one copy of the diary for 16–30 April 1942, with comments. Signed Hans Hartmann.

On the remarks of 19 April, page 5: Channel Islands convoy arrival and departure reports must also be sent by radio under the warship reporting regulations; the patrol boats employed there are not considered locally confined for this purpose. Such reports are especially important because wire communications remain inadequate. Difficulties include: a shore station on the coastal wavelength exists only at Cherbourg, MNO Cherbourg; Guernsey, Jersey and St Malo have only harbour-commandant stations on the harbour-protection wavelength. The two-hour advance radio-report deadline can generally be met only before leaving the first harbour, not after brief calls. Shore reports on the harbour-protection wavelength are delayed by retransmission on the coastal wavelength. There are tactical objections even to shore transmission: radio traffic direction-found to the islands points to expected shipping movements. Dummy radio messages from island stations are desirable to conceal this traffic. Island transmissions become unnecessary once a reliable, uncongested teletype link exists to MNO Cherbourg, which can then radio the arrival and departure reports. Improving that connection therefore has priority.

On 22 April at 10:00, page 7: the submarine chasers were made available because route closure prevented their continuing to Lorient. On 23 April at 02:45, page 8: failures such as Harbour Commandant Jersey’s report that the convoy had been held back, when it actually sailed, can have the gravest consequences. Sea Commandant Normandy has received an extract of the diary.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0329–0330.