1 June 1942 Part 1

1 June 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Secret. War Diary of Convoy Office St Malo, 1–15 June 1942; Fregattenkapitän Dr Diederichs, chief of the 2nd Patrol Flotilla. St Malo: weak westerly winds, very calm to calm sea, visibility 8–10 nautical miles, locally three. Scheduled night convoys and patrol stations carried out. Ferries 108/110 leave with a barge convoy via Jersey to Guernsey. Only ferry 110’s starboard engine is working on departure; its commander considers the port-engine fault temporary.

For the night troop convoys requested by Guernsey and Jersey, V 703/726 are ordered to take Minotaure from Guernsey to Jersey, collect Holland and Maas, then proceed to St Malo. V 207 is unready for boiler cleaning and necessary repairs; the boat enters dock for bottom cleaning during the downtime. V 206/213 have Alderney–Cherbourg convoys during the coming night, so no occupation of Carmen/Caruso is intended.

Situation reported to 3rd Security Division: V 703/726 continuing Minotaure night convoy to Guernsey, then ready for return via Jersey; V 202/209 ready St Malo; V 203 ready with minor repairs; V 204/208 replenishing stores; V 206/211 at Mikado during night 31 May/1 June, then ready Cherbourg; V 206/213 day convoy Cherbourg–Alderney with Sperber, Schwalbe and Antonius; MS 1201/1206 St Malo Roads overnight for the division; ferries 110/108 day convoy St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey as intended for 26 May, with Sable d’Or additionally for Jersey; V 207 unready; V 211 degaussing Cherbourg. Escorted tonnage 6,420 GRT. [The overlapping assignments and vessel designations are those in the source.]

Intentions for 2 June: V 703/726 Guernsey–Jersey–St Malo with Holland and Maas; V 202/203 ready St Malo, minor repairs; V 204/209 at St Malo Roads night 1/2 June, then ready and magnetic-range run; V 208 replenishing; V 206/213 night Alderney–Cherbourg convoy, vessels not yet known; V 211 ready Cherbourg; ferries 108/110 ready Guernsey. 19:30: the ferries report to the flotilla after completing their task. [The following short phrase is indistinct.] As the weather promises to persist, I again assign them as escorts for the 2 June Guernsey–St Malo convoy, one tug and one lighter, and issue orders.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0364–0366.