3 April 1942

3 April 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Weather: S light to weak breeze, very calm to calm sea, clear visibility. Stier is not ready for sea, so the St Malo–Granville–Jersey escort is ordered with V 211/12. V 209 reports a boiler feed-water pipe leak; repairs at Jersey take two days. V 207 has meanwhile been repaired sufficiently with onboard resources to return with V 212 to St Malo for thorough restoration. General Eberth’s return from Guernsey is advanced from 06:00 to 05:00: the text says that locking in on arrival at St Malo is still impossible and also impossible at 09:30 owing to excessively high spring-tide water. [The wording is internally unclear; these morning times also differ from the previous day’s afternoon intention.]

10:00–14:30: meeting on island transport and convoy matters, chaired by Colonel Pialla [name as read] of Higher Command 60; separate report to follow. Owing to V 209’s failure I substitute V 208 for the night troop convoy. Correction to 2 April, item 8: did not sail because of weather.

Situation: V 213 Brest–Cherbourg, then to St Malo after convoy duties, replacing Stier [phrase abbreviated]; V 212/11 complete troop convoy, 07:10 St Malo–Granville without convoy, from there at 09:50 Rheinland, St Antonius, Saigon, Pondicherry, Tourane, Georges, Guynemer, tank lighter Ch 3, Gabes, H 16, H 24, H V 86 and H 238 to Jersey [names and identifiers as read]; V 212/07 Jersey–St Malo without convoy at 13:30; V 211, later V 213, protect Olwe; V 209 unready Jersey; V 204/06 Alderney–Guernsey without convoy, thence the General aboard V 204 to St Malo; V 206/08 overnight St Malo–Jersey with Maas, then R 45 and Henke for Guernsey; V 204 ready St Malo; V 212 return St Malo and boiler cleaning; V 210 coaling and replenishing; V 1510/704 Cherbourg–Alderney with Sperber, Normand and SF 108, then Normand and SF 108 to Guernsey. Escorted tonnage 12,531 GRT.

Intentions for 4 April: V 211/13 protect Olwe, required fourteen days; V 206/08 after releasing Maas at Jersey continue the troop convoy to Guernsey and remain ready; V 1510/704 return by day Guernsey–Cherbourg without convoy; V 209 repair Jersey; V 207 repair St Malo; V 204/10 ready St Malo; V 212 boiler cleaning St Malo.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0303–0304.