14 October 1942 Part 3

14 October 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-west to west, light to weak breeze, slightly gusty; during the night south-west to west, moderate to fresh breeze, gusts to strong wind; cloudy, visibility 10 nautical miles; slight sea, slight westerly swell.

0100, Malo: Teletype received from Sea Commandant Normandy: “2345, several parachute flares in grid BF 3528.” Sea Commandant Channel Islands reports white flares, red star clusters and searchlights lighting up. Remark: I infer from these reports that enemy aircraft are searching for the convoy now under way between Le Havre and Cherbourg.

0215, Malo: V 209/10 sailed for Lézardrieux. 0215: Torne’s anti-aircraft battalion reports observing an engagement to the north. 0217: Observation passed to 3rd Security Division. 0220: Enquiry to Sea Commandant Channel Islands, who still knows nothing of an engagement. 0225: Enquiry to Sea Commandant Normandy, who reports a naval engagement in progress off Cherbourg. Remark: I consequently have no doubt that the convoy with Sperrbrecher 12 has been attacked; I pass this to 3rd Security Division.

0315: Urgent radio message received: engagement in grid 3552 and Sperrbrecher 12 on fire; rescue boats requested. 0335: Urgent radio message from UJ 1407: the pair is engaged with enemy motor torpedo boats. Remark: 3rd Security Division’s teletype positions for UJ 1407/01 and M 254 show that the engagement took place between Alderney and Guernsey on route Herz. I see this as further confirmation that the enemy operation against the convoy was planned.

0340: I order V 714/08 at Guernsey to immediate readiness. 0405: Urgent radio message that an air-sea rescue launch and an aircraft-support boat have sailed from Cherbourg for grid 3552. Sea Commandant Normandy simultaneously telephones about their departure. I agree with him that V 713/02 should also sail and inform Commander Security West by telephone. 0425, Cherbourg: V 713/02 sailed to search the casualty site.

0430: Urgent radio message from T 4 reporting Sperrbrecher 12 sunk, commander of 3rd Torpedo-boat Flotilla dead, and intention to proceed to Malo with four torpedo boats. Arrangements made and ambulances ordered. A later urgent radio message gives speed 12 knots. Remark: I arrange with Harbour Commandant Malo for hospital ship Huxter to sail to the roadstead at 0600 and the lock to be held open from 0700. I inform T 4 by radio, expecting her arrival about 0800.

0435: V 209/10 abandon their Lézardrieux passage on receipt of T 4’s urgent radio message and return to Malo roadstead. 0730, Malo: V 209/10 back in the roadstead. 0805, Cherbourg: V 713/02 returned after unsuccessful search. 0810: Having had berths cleared for the torpedo boats—the Harbour Commandant had not arranged this—I wait for the boats in the lock. T 4 and T 10, the latter damaged, enter. The other two boats go alongside the hospital ship and enter later. The ambulances are ready. T 4’s commander has no further special requests. I pass on the order to report a short account of the action to Commander Security West as soon as possible.

0855, Malo: Alert 1 cancelled. 0915, Cherbourg: UJ 1405/16 arrived from Le Havre at the Convoy Control Office’s disposal. 0915, Malo: I leave for Caen for a shipyard discussion concerning V 204/03.

Requests: (1) night troop convoy from Malo, Holland for Jersey and La France for Guernsey [destinations as printed here; reversed in the situation return below]; (2) bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney, also Spinel and Dorsch. I issue orders assigning V 710/24 to (1) and V 713/02 with V 212/13 to (2), protected by UJ 1405/16. Remark: Precisely after last night’s attack, I consider this a favourable opportunity to carry out the bridge convoy, since I do not expect another attack so soon.

0945, Malo: M 4430 and seven lobster boats sailed into the sea area off Malo for the navigation course. 1230, Malo: M 4605/04/02/01 sailed for another SSG sweep of the Malo–Granville route.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Situation for 14 October: (1) V 713/02 sailed from Cherbourg in the morning to search for survivors, then ready at Cherbourg for bridge convoy, together with (2); (2) V 212/13 and UJ 1405/16 ready at Cherbourg for bridge convoy; (3) V 209/10 returned to Malo under radio message 0455/11, ready; (4) V 714/08 ready at Guernsey; (5) night troop convoy of 14/15 October from Malo, La France for Jersey and Holland for Guernsey; (6) M 4604/05/02/01 repeated SSG sweeps Malo–Granville and return; (7) M 4612/443 [number incomplete as printed] ready at Malo; (8) UJ 1407/01 released to 3rd Security Division. Escorted tonnage: 1,200 GRT.

Intentions for 15 October: (1) V 713/02/212/13 and UJ 1405/16 ready for bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) V 209/10 ready at Malo; (3) V 710/24 complete night troop convoy of 14/15 October Malo–Guernsey, ready; (4) M 4605/04/02/01 route sweep with SSG; (5) M 4612/4430 independently Malo–Granville, then combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey; (6) V 714/08 ready at Guernsey.

(7) M 4611 non-operational at Malo. 1400, Malo: M 4430 and seven lobster boats returned. 1920, Granville: M 4605/04/02/01 arrived; no mines swept. 2042: Alert 1 ordered. 2100, Malo: V 710/24 sailed with night troop convoy for Jersey–Guernsey. 1930, Malo [entered after the foregoing times]: I returned from Caen and reported to the commander of 3rd Security Division, who had meanwhile arrived.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0551–0554, original pages 23–25. Scans 0551 and 0552 duplicate original page 23 and are included once.