7 August 1942 Part 1

St Malo Convoy Control Office 7 August 1942

Weather: by day N to NE, light to moderate breeze; at night W to SW, light to moderate breeze; cloudy. Visibility initially up to 10 nautical miles; fog along the coast. Sea very calm to calm.

0000 — Guernsey. T 10/14 departed for St Malo.

0200 — Lézardrieux. T 4 departed for St Malo.

0245 — Guernsey. V 209/11 departed with a convoy for St Malo. [The destination is written “Malo”; the 0520 entry instead records arrival at Alderney. Both readings are retained.]

0400 — Guernsey. V 712/08 arrived with a convoy from Alderney.

0415 — St Malo. T 4 arrived without a convoy from Lézardrieux.

0515 — St Malo. T 10/14 arrived without a convoy from Guernsey.

0520 — Alderney. V 209/11 arrived with a convoy from Guernsey and immediately continued without a convoy to Cherbourg.

0600 — St Malo. I travel to Caen for a shipyard conference concerning V 204.

0655 — Cherbourg. V 209/11 arrived without a convoy from Alderney.

The following escort requests have been received:

1. Day convoy for Nordfels, Corona and Chiemsee from Guernsey to St Malo.

2. Day convoy Alderney–Cherbourg.

3. Day convoy Cherbourg–Alderney–Guernsey.

I assign: for item 1, M 4611/01; for item 2, V 712/08, which will proceed without a convoy from Guernsey to Alderney for this purpose; for item 3, V 209/11.

The following situation and intentions were reported to the 3rd Security Division:

A. Situation on 7 August 1942

1. V 712/08: Guernsey–Alderney without a convoy, then possibly escort Alderney–Cherbourg; readiness.

2. V 711/24 and V 213/08: readiness at St Malo.

3. V 209/11: night troop convoy of 6/7 August with Rob. Müller 8, Guernsey–Alderney; then without a convoy Alderney–Cherbourg. Later Cherbourg–Alderney–Guernsey with a convoy.

4. M 4605/04: readiness at Morlaix for the passage of Gironde 1 to Lézardrieux–Guernsey.

5. M 4611/01: Guernsey–St Malo with Corona, Chiemsee and Nordfels.

6. T 10/14: departure from St Malo westward.

Tonnage escorted: 2,600 gross register tons.

B. Intentions for 8 August 1942

1. V 712/08: readiness at Cherbourg.

2. V 213/08 and M 4611/01: readiness at St Malo.

3. V 711/24: St Malo–Lézardrieux; there, together with two submarine chasers, escort convoy 3308 Lézardrieux–Cherbourg.

4. V 209/11: night troop convoy of 8/9 August, Guernsey–St Malo with La France.

5. M 4605/04: night passage of 8/9 August, Morlaix–Lézardrieux with Gironde.

1515 — Guernsey. V 712/08 departed without a convoy for Alderney.

A teletype message from the 3rd Security Division reports that Gironde 1 is to leave Morlaix 24 hours later, that is, during the night leading into 9 August. M 4605/04 has been informed by radio by the 3rd Security Division.

1740 — Alderney. V 712/08 arrived without a convoy from Guernsey.

1845 — Alderney. V 712/08 departed with a convoy for Cherbourg.

According to the 3rd Security Division, convoy 3308 has begun its eastward passage from Brest.

1930 — Guernsey. M 4611/01 departed with a convoy for St Malo.

2100 — Cherbourg. V 209/11 departed with a convoy for Alderney.

2130 — Cherbourg. V 712/08 arrived with a convoy from Alderney.

2130 — St Malo. The commanding officer, Rear Admiral Ruge, arrived and embarked aboard T 10.

2215 — St Malo. T 10/14 left the roadstead westward.

2355 — Alderney. V 209/11 released the convoy to enter harbour and continued to Guernsey.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0441, original page 11, continuing on scan 0443, original page 12. Scan 0442 is a repeat of 0441.