7 May 1942

7 May 1942 St Malo convoy diary

St Malo. Light wind, very calm sea, visibility ten nautical miles, hazy. V 203/02, having completed their yard period, continue from Dunkirk; return to Cherbourg expected on 9 May. Convoys carried out as planned. 09:15: Commander Security West, Admiral Ruge, wishes to inspect the Siebel ferries. I order V 204/05 to leave for Jersey at 13:00 and, after the ferries complete their task, escort them back to St Malo, leaving Jersey at 21:00. Arrangements made for locking in tonight. The St Malo–Guernsey night convoy of 7/8 May is cancelled because H 13 will not be ready until 8 May.

12:00: the radio receiving installation in the convoy office is completed and brought into use. No transmitter is attached. Remark: with this receiver I hope to overcome the still poor landline communications, at least for movements of the 2nd Patrol Flotilla’s boats, and ensure their monitoring and control. [F.T.-Empfangsanlage means a radio receiving installation, not a teleprinter.]

Correction to 6 May, item 4: Cherbourg–Alderney only Gerfried, Lena and Claus; corrected tonnage 3,400 GRT. Situation: V 210/12 ready St Malo for eastward passage; V 208/09 ready St Malo, replenish coal and stores; V 207/06 protect Olwe; V 1510/213 leave Alderney at 01:00 with Lena, Gerfried, Dorsch, Dorothea Weber, Heinrich and Antonius for Cherbourg, then ready; V 204/05 anchor off St Malo at 03:30, then to Jersey without convoy; V 211 unready St Malo; V 202/03 ready Calais for westward passage. Tonnage 1,400 GRT.

Intentions for 8 May: V 210/12 eastward from St Malo after meeting V 202/03 at Le Havre; V 208/09 ready St Malo for night convoy 8/9 May; V 207/06 protect Olwe; V 1510/213 ready Cherbourg for Alderney convoy and return; V 204/05 night Jersey–St Malo with two Siebel ferries; V 211 unready St Malo; V 202/03 westward passage.

Remark: Guernsey again fails to report every departure as ordered, leaving gaps in convoy supervision. I request proper reporting from the harbour commandant by teletype. An Alderney teletype issued at 00:05 on 7 May reaches me only at 09:00, reporting the 01:00 Alderney–Cherbourg convoy with 150 leave personnel. The delay meant that the convoy office knew nothing of the convoy at sea. Carrying 150 leave personnel also contravenes orders. At 15:00 I ask Sea Commandant Normandy whether exceptional permission has been given for this otherwise prohibited carriage of leave personnel.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0339.