9 July 1942

9 July 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Light SW breeze veering SE, precipitation, visibility three to five nautical miles, calm sea. 03:30 Jersey: V 209/206 release convoy to enter and begin return to St Malo. 04:00 Alderney: V 711/724 arrive with convoy. 06:25 Cherbourg: V 202/208 return from patrol position. 07:00 St Malo: V 209/206 enter. Night convoys and patrol occupation completed without special events. For Jersey’s requested night troop convoy I order V 203/204 to proceed alone from Guernsey to Jersey. M 1205, newly arrived at Cherbourg, is ordered to join V 711/724’s convoy task to Guernsey and await further orders there. V 713/729 receive the St Malo–Guernsey troop convoy during night 9/10 July. V 209/206 receive the orders needed for Granville’s Jersey–Guernsey convoy on 10 July. Following the Division’s teletype about transferring tugs from Cherbourg to St Malo, I ask Harbour Commandant Cherbourg to attach them to the ordered V 711/724/M 1205 convoy. The Division reports that several vessels for St Malo and the Channel Islands will arrive at Cherbourg on 10 July.

Corrected tonnage for 8 July: 6,310 GRT. Situation for 9 July: V 202/208 at Brummer overnight, then ready Cherbourg; V 711/724 finish Georgi troop convoy Guernsey–Alderney, then Guernsey–Cherbourg [as typed] with convoy not yet known, returning to Alderney for Georgi troop convoy to Guernsey overnight with M 1205; V 206/209 finish Ad. le Prince and Claus Wilhelm convoy to Jersey, then alone to St Malo and ready; V 203/204 ready Guernsey, then alone to Jersey for Ad. le Prince troop convoy to St Malo overnight; V 713/729 ready St Malo for RO 45, RO 8, Minotaure and Holstein troop convoy to Guernsey; M 4601/4604/4605 ready St Malo. Escorted tonnage 6,650 GRT.

Intentions for 10 July: V 202/208 at Brummer overnight, then ready Cherbourg; V 711/724/M 1205 finish Georgi convoy to Guernsey, then ready; V 206/M 4611 ready St Malo, then alone to Granville for Nestor and Rabat to Jersey, continuing with Bordsee and Comptoir 51 to Guernsey; V 203/204 finish Ad. le Prince convoy, then ready; V 713/729 finish RO 45, RO 8, Minotaure and Holstein convoy to Guernsey, then ready; M 4611/4601 [hand-amended first number; M 4601/4611 in movement entry] at St Malo Roads overnight at the Division’s disposal; M 4605/4604 ready St Malo.

16:00 Alderney: V 711/724 sail with convoy for Cherbourg. 18:25 Cherbourg: they arrive. 20:00: V 711/724/M 1205 sail with convoy for Alderney. 20:00 Guernsey: V 203/204 sail alone for Jersey. 21:30 St Malo: M 4601/4611 anchor at the roadstead at the Division’s disposal. 22:30: V 713/729 sail with troop convoy for Guernsey. 22:35 Jersey: V 203/204 take over troop convoy for St Malo. 23:00 Alderney: V 711/724/M 1205 release convoy and begin the troop-convoy passage to Guernsey. Signed Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0402–0403.