15 July 1942 Part 1

15 July 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Fresh W–NW breeze, visibility 10–15 nautical miles, calm to moderate sea. 02:15 Alderney: V 713/729 enter with night troop convoy from Guernsey. 02:36 St Malo: war radio message from V 209 reports several enemy motor torpedo boats detected in square 3543. 05:00 Jersey: M 4601/4604/4605 sail alone for Granville. 05:10 Alderney: V 209/204 return from position. 05:30 St Malo: a war teletype sent at 04:00 by V 713’s commander at Alderney reports: entered Alderney with convoy and V 729 at 02:15; fired upon by motor torpedo boats before the entrance; V 729 hit, one wounded; Claus Wilhelm hit. Harbour commandant’s addition: no wounded aboard Claus Wilhelm; Harbour Commandant Anton G 79. Remark: only this teletype makes clear the possible connection between V 209’s radio message and the arrival of V 713/729. 05:30: V 713 radios that V 729 is not operationally ready. I try unsuccessfully to contact Harbour Commandant Alderney, particularly to establish whether V 729 can proceed. 07:00: I commission Sea Transport Officer Cherbourg to make further enquiries. 07:30: I telephone the duty staff officer at Commander Security West with the information so far available.

08:30 Guernsey: V 203/206 arrive with troop convoy from St Malo. Remark: the convoy was very slow because H 2, already known as a slow steamer, now makes only about four to five knots. I inform the sea-transport chief that I reject her for future troop transport and also give written reasons. During short nights troop transports must not be carried in such slow steamers and thereby endangered. H 2’s further declining speed is due to her great age, a new inexperienced crew, and propeller damage existing for weeks. 08:45 Granville: M 4601/4604/4605 arrive at the roadstead with convoy from Jersey [“with convoy” as typed, despite the 05:00 alone-passage entry]. 09:35 St Malo: Sea Transport Officer Cherbourg reports very poor communications with Alderney. I telephone Security West that V 729 can nevertheless be assumed capable of proceeding. 09:40 Guernsey: V 203/206 sail with Kochelsee for St Malo. 09:40 Granville: M 4601/4604/4605 sail with convoy for Guernsey.

10:00 St Malo: Sea Transport Officer Cherbourg supplies details after speaking to Harbour Commandant Alderney. I send a secret war teletype to Security West, copied to 3rd Security Division: concerning V 713/729 and Claus Wilhelm’s troop convoy at 02:15, three enemy gunboats attacked before Alderney harbour entrance and fired our recognition signal. V 713 opened fire and observed hits. V 209/204 saw the engagement but did not fire because of the danger to our boats. V 713 was unhit and fully combat-ready. V 729 had above-water hits of 3–4 cm calibre, one wounded, and could proceed. Claus Wilhelm was hit, with no wounded. Since V 209 observed only two gunboats withdrawing, destruction of one enemy boat is possible. Further report will follow after speaking to the commander after noon. Remark: why V 209/204 did not pursue destruction of the enemy gunboats more energetically remains unclear. Presumably they immediately withdrew at high speed after being hit; only V 209’s commander can explain. [These are the contemporary report’s claims and conjectures.]

10:15 St Malo: I order Alderney by war teletype to search for wreckage and possible survivors of the English gunboat and report. Since V 209/204 have abandoned their reported intention to sail at 09:00 with convoy to Cherbourg for unknown reasons, I radio through Cherbourg ordering them to leave immediately with V 713/729 and the convoy. 10:45 Alderney: V 209/204 and V 713/729 sail with convoy for Cherbourg. St Malo: for tonight’s requested troop convoy to Jersey I arrange M 1204/1205 with the chief of 12th Minesweeping Flotilla. 12:10: Harbour Commandant Alderney reports by telephone through Cherbourg that he cannot search for wreckage, having only two harbour-protection boats without radio available. Island lookouts are instructed to increase vigilance. V 206/202 receive orders for the 7th Army commander-in-chief’s inspection trip on 16–17 July. Army High Command 7 has requested fighter escort.

Situation reported to the Division: special event, V 713/729 engaged three enemy gunboats off Alderney. V 204/209 at Bremse overnight, then Alderney–Cherbourg with Spindel, Weber and Meteor, followed by convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; V 713/729 finish Claus Wilhelm troop convoy Guernsey–Alderney, then Alderney–Cherbourg with item 1; V 711/724 ready Guernsey; V 203/206 finish H 2, Schokland and Holland to Guernsey, then Kochelsee and Chantilli to St Malo; M 4601/4604/4605 Jersey–Granville with Comptoir 66, Rabat, Tourane, Guynemer and two barges, then Gabès to Jersey, Pointe à Pitre and Saigon to Guernsey; V 202/M 4611 ready St Malo; M 1204/1205 ready for Ad. le Prince, Holstein and Karel St Malo–Jersey overnight. Escorted tonnage 7,000 GRT.

Intentions for 16 July: V 204/209 at Caruso then Carmen overnight, then Cherbourg; V 713/729 resting Cherbourg; V 711/724 ready Guernsey; V 202/206 St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey with the 7th Army commander-in-chief, flotilla chief and three accompanying officers; M 4601/4604/4605 ready Guernsey; V 203 ready St Malo; M 1204/1205 finish Ad. le Prince, Holstein and Karel to Jersey, return immediately to St Malo, then revert to 12th Minesweeping Flotilla chief’s disposal. 14:00 Cherbourg: V 209/204 and V 713/729 arrive from Alderney. 16:00: V 209/204 sail with convoy for Alderney. 16:15 Guernsey: M 4605/4601/4604 arrive with convoy from Granville/Jersey. 16:30 St Malo Roads: V 203/206 arrive with convoy from Guernsey. 19:15 Alderney: V 209/204 arrive with convoy from Cherbourg. 22:15 St Malo: M 1204/1205 sail with troop convoy for Jersey. 23:00 Alderney: V 209/204 sail for Caruso/Carmen.

21:30 [entered after 23:00]: telephone discussion with the duty staff officer at Security West. V 713’s war radio report has now also reached Security West and the Division: 15 July, 01:55, three gunboats attacked convoy about three nautical miles NNE of Alderney entrance. V 713 undamaged. V 729 one wounded, 16 hits [last digit overtyped and uncertain] of 3.7 cm calibre, 100 light hits, ship’s boat damaged. Motor vessel Claus Wilhelm six impacts of 3.7 cm calibre. Second approach at 02:15, after anchoring just before the mole, repulsed by V 713; gunboat apparently damaged. Gunboat fired valid recognition signal. I therefore omit the additional report promised in my 10:00 teletype. [The initial 02:15 account and this later two-stage account are retained separately.]

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0408–0409.