12 October 1942 Part 3

12 October 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-west to south, weak to moderate breeze, later freshening to fresh breeze; overcast, light precipitation; visibility 8–10 nautical miles; calm to slight sea, slight westerly swell.

0120, Jersey: V 710/24 released La France and continued with Minotaure and Holland for Guernsey. 0270 [sic], Alderney: V 713/02 sailed with Spinel for Guernsey. 0300, Guernsey: V 710/24 arrived with remaining convoy from Malo. 0400, Cherbourg: UJ 1407/01 sailed with Hydra and Schwalbe for Alderney. 0545, Guernsey: V 713/02 arrived with Spinel from Alderney. 0650, Alderney: UJ 1407/01 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg. All convoys were completed without special incidents. 0840, Malo: Alert 1 ended.

Requests: (1) H 49, Jersey–Malo; (2) night troop convoy RO 21, Minotaure and Holland from Guernsey, La France and Sperber from Jersey, to Malo; (3) night troop convoy Spinel, Guernsey–Alderney; (4) Spinel, Alderney–Cherbourg; (5) Weber, Alderney–Cherbourg. As the weather is improving, the bridge convoy is expected shortly. I am therefore again assembling two pairs of patrol boats and the subchaser pair at Cherbourg. Orders: V 714/08 for (1), first independently Guernsey–Jersey; V 710/24 for (2); V 713/02 for (3) and (4); UJ 1407/01 for (5).

1045, Malo: V 210 and M 4612 arrived from Cherbourg. V 210’s commander reports that at 0215 the pair were fired on by a land battery on Alderney.

Remark: The pair’s passage had been reported and communicated several times—as an intention by radio and in the night shipping movements by teletype. I request Sea Commandant Channel Islands to investigate the circumstances.

1100, Guernsey: V 714/08 sailed without convoy for Jersey. 1420, Malo: Received 3rd Security Division secret orders 3315 and 3316 concerning provision of heavily armed boats at St Aubin’s Bay roadstead or off Lézardrieux on the morning of 14 October, to provide anti-aircraft protection for a protected vessel. The location is to be decided on the evening of 13 October. I report by teletype that V 209/10/714/08 will be available for this task from 2000 on 13 October. 1420, Jersey: V 714/08 arrived from Guernsey.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Situation for 12 October: (1) V 713/02 night troop convoy of 11/12 October Spinel, Alderney–Guernsey, later night troop convoy of 12/13 October Spinel, Guernsey–Alderney; (2) UJ 1407/01 morning Hydra and Schwalbe convoy Cherbourg–Alderney, evening Weber convoy Alderney–Cherbourg; (3) V 210 and M 4612 complete Cherbourg–Malo passage, ready; (4) V 714/08 independently Guernsey–Jersey, then Sperber and H 49, Jersey–Malo; (5) V 213/12 ready at Cherbourg; (6) V 710/24 finish night troop convoy of 11/12 October Malo–Jersey–Guernsey, ready; (7) M 4604/05/02 ready at Guernsey; (8) V 209 and M 4601 ready at Malo; (9) M 4611 minor repairs at Malo. Escorted tonnage: 4,500 GRT.

Intentions for 13 October: (1) V 713/02 Alderney–Cherbourg with Spinel, then ready for bridge convoy; (2) UJ 1407/01 and V 213/12 ready at Cherbourg for bridge convoy; (3) V 710/24 night troop convoy of 12/13 October from Guernsey with Minotaure, RO 21 and Holland, from Jersey with La France, to Malo, then ready; (4) V 714/08 Rob. Müller 8 convoy Malo–Guernsey; (5) V 210/09 and M 4611/12/01 ready at Malo; (6) M 4605/04/02 convoy Guernsey–Malo.

1845, Jersey: V 714/08 sailed with H 49 for Malo. 1930, Alderney: UJ 1407/01 sailed with Dorothea Weber for Cherbourg. 2000, Guernsey: V 713/02 sailed with Spinel for Alderney. 2145, Cherbourg: UJ 1407/01 arrived with Weber from Alderney. 2330, Malo: V 714/08 arrived with H 49. The patrol-boat pair is ordered to remain in the roadstead for a special task. 2350: Urgent teletype from 3rd Security Division concerning Sperrbrecher 21 and 162’s passage Cherbourg–Lézardrieux. Their stated positions rule out any possibility of encountering them.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0547–0549, original pages 19–21.