16 January 1943 Part 4

16 January 1943 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South to south-west force 4–5, sea 2–3, visibility 5–9 nautical miles, overcast, rain in places in evening. 0035, Cherbourg: V 206/11 arrived from Le Havre, contrary to radio and Morse orders to proceed to Alderney, collect the coasters there and bring them to Cherbourg that same night. The pair commander reported that continuing to Alderney would have meant an adverse current for at least half the Cherbourg–Alderney leg, followed by another adverse current towards St Malo after delivering the convoy at Cherbourg. He could then not fulfil the flotilla commander's order, issued on departure from Le Havre, to reach Malo on 16 January. Remark: his decision not to carry out the later radio and Morse order because it would prevent completion of an earlier order was incorrect and has been criticised. The later order superseded the earlier one and should have been executed. V 206's commanding officer was instructed accordingly.

0130, Guernsey: V 711/22 sailed with La France, Rob. Müller 8 and RO 45 for Malo. 0410, Cherbourg: V 206/11 sailed for Malo. Tasks and convoy requests: (1) night troop convoy Malo–Jersey, RO 21 and La France; (2) night troop convoy Rob. Müller 8 Malo–Guernsey; (3) night troop convoy Tinda Guernsey–Alderney; (4) Lena, Schwalbe, Weber, Claus Wilhelm, Franka and Hydra Alderney–Cherbourg; (5) check south-eastern entrance to St Helier. Combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey postponed 24 hours to avoid overcrowding Aubin Bay roads at night. Assigned: (1) V 210/12; (2) V 711/22; (3–4) V 207/424; (5) M 4600/01/06.

0845, Jersey: M 4601/06 sailed to roads to check route. 0930, Malo: V 711/22 arrived with night troop convoy from Guernsey. 0930, Jersey: Paul et Janine, Kochelsee and Spes Salutis sailed for Malo. 1000, Jersey: Bizon, Nordplein, Rheinland and Comptoir 66 sailed for Granville. 1145, Jersey: M 4601/06 returned from roads. 1230, Malo: V 206/11 arrived from Cherbourg. 1310, Jersey: Nordplein sailed again [no intervening return is explained in this entry]; M 4600/01/06 sailed to roads to check south-eastern entrance.

Report to 3rd Security Division. Correction to 15 January, item 3: add “then independently to Malo”. Situation for 16 January: (1) V 212/10 night troop convoy of 16/17 January Malo–Jersey with RO 21 and La France; (2) M 4600/01/06 check Jersey south-eastern entrance with SSG; (3) M 4612/04/05/07/02 fitting out at Malo; (4) V 711/22 night troop convoy of 15/16 January Guernsey–Malo with RO 45, Rob. Müller 8 and La France, then night troop convoy of 16/17 January Malo–Guernsey with Robert Müller 8; (5) V 207/424 with Tinda Guernsey–Alderney; (6) M 4047 ready at Cherbourg; (7) V 206/11 complete Le Havre–Cherbourg–Malo passage, then rest; (8) V 704 aKB at Cherbourg owing to sea damage and collision [abbreviation retained]. Escorted tonnage: 8,650 GRT.

Intentions for 17 January: (1) V 212/10 complete night troop convoy of 16/17 January, evening return convoy to Malo; (2) M 4600/01/06 check Jersey roads with SSG; (3) M 4612/04/05/07 independently Malo–Granville, then combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey; (4) V 711/22 complete night troop convoy of 16/17 January Malo–Guernsey, evening return convoy; (5) night convoy Alderney–Cherbourg with six coasters; (6) M 4047 at Cherbourg ready for convoys with V 424; (7) V 206/11 ready at Malo.

1535, Granville: Bizon, Rheinland and Comptoir 66 arrived from Jersey. 1600, Malo: Paul et Janine, Kochelsee and Spes Salutis arrived from Jersey. 1700, Guernsey: V 207/424 sailed with night troop convoy Tinda for Alderney. 1700, Jersey: M 4600/01/06 returned from searching roads. Remark: commander of C Group, 46th Minesweeper Flotilla reported checking St Helier's south-eastern approach five times with SSG and western approach three times with KERG FL, without success. Only now, unfortunately after several days' searching with three or six minesweepers, has it emerged that the reported drop was from 600 metres. In the writer's assessment this rules out a mine drop and the unnecessary employment of the boats could have been avoided. [The 12 January retrospective remark gives 800 metres; both source figures retained.] 3rd Security Division ordered the search stopped.

1745, Malo: V 711/22 sailed with Rob. Müller 8 for Guernsey. 1800, Malo: V 210/12 sailed with RO 21 and La France for Jersey. 2045, Alderney: V 207/424 arrived with Tinda from Guernsey. 2215, Jersey: V 210/12 arrived with RO 21 and La France from Malo. 2350, Guernsey: V 711/22 arrived with Rob. Müller 8 from Malo.

Signed Wunderlich [signature on scan 0713, original page 4].

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0710–0712, folder, cover and original pages 2–3. File Ch 25473. War diary of St Malo Convoy Control Office, opened 16 January and closed 31 January 1943; chief Lieutenant Commander Wunderlich, acting Chief of 2nd Patrol Boat Flotilla. Scan 0711 left is blank apart from show-through of the cover. Later forwarding marks appear on the title page.