12 January 1943 Part 2

12 January 1943 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South force 8–9, sea 6–7, visibility 3–5 nautical miles. Pending tasks cannot be completed owing to rough to high seas. 1125, Jersey, near Demie de Pas: alleged mine drop by British aircraft. Naval Commandant Channel Islands closed St Helier roads and harbour.

Remark: after receiving the closure notice, the Convoy Control Office learned through enquiries that two enemy aircraft had flown over the south-eastern part of the island and, after being fired on by shore anti-aircraft guns, turned south-west approximately at Demie de Pas. An Obergefreiter at an anti-aircraft position reportedly claimed to have seen two objects dropped and their impacts in the water. Thus, at most, only the south-eastern approach to Jersey could be endangered by mines, by no means “St Helier harbour and roads” as stated in Naval Commandant Channel Islands' closure order. Several days later I learned that the aircraft were reportedly at 800 metres at the time of the alleged drop, which, in my view, ruled out from the outset that the objects allegedly dropped could have been mines. It would have been useful to communicate this decisive fact immediately. The closure of St Helier's entrance, and consequent employment of three to six minesweepers over several days, therefore subsequently proved unnecessary. [This assessment is the diary writer's; it is not an independently established finding.]

When weather improves, I intend to use M 4604/05/07, lying in St Helier, to check the south-eastern entrance, which newer reports indicate is the only entrance at risk.

Report to 3rd Security Division. Correction to 11 January: item 3 cancelled owing to weather; item 4 only independent Malo–Cherbourg passage owing to weather. Escorted tonnage: 950 GRT. Situation for 12 January: no convoys owing to weather. (1) V 210/09/08 ready at Cherbourg; (2) V 213 degaussing at Cherbourg; (3) V 711/22, V 207/12, C Group of 46th Minesweeper Flotilla and M 4612 ready at Malo; (4) M 4604/05/07 ready at Jersey; (5) V 703/04 ready at Alderney. Escorted tonnage: none. Intentions for 13 January: V 209/08/13 dockyard passage east; otherwise unchanged. Signed on behalf, Wunderlich.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0695, original pages 22–23.