18 December 1942 Part 3

18 December 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-west force 3–4, sea 3, light precipitation, good visibility.

0030, Guernsey: V 210/12 arrived from Malo with Minotaure and Rob. Müller 8. 0120, Malo: M 4613/07 arrived from Granville–Jersey [first place partly overwritten]. 0145, Guernsey: V 703/04 sailed with Karel for Alderney. 0515, Alderney: V 703/04 arrived from Guernsey. 0530, Alderney: V 703/04/11/22 sailed with Spinel and Tobru for Cherbourg. 0530, Malo: V 209/13 sailed with hospital ship Hüxter for Jersey [209 printed; subsequent entries give 208]. 0630, Malo: M 4604/05 sailed with Letoorn, Corona and Eken for Jersey [ship names as read]. 0830, Cherbourg: V 703/04/11/22 arrived with convoy from Alderney.

Today's tasks: (1) Cherbourg–Alderney convoy; (2) night troop convoy Karel Alderney–Guernsey; (3) combined convoy Guernsey–Jersey–Granville; (4) combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey; (5) night troop convoy Minotaure and Rob. Müller 8 Guernsey–Malo, collecting La France from Jersey; (6) shadow hospital ship Hüxter Malo–Jersey; (7) combined convoy Malo–Jersey–Guernsey. Assigned: (1–2) V 711/22; (3) M 4611/06, though these take over the convoy only off Jersey; I order their independent passage to Granville to be available there for (4); (4) the same boats; (5) V 210/12; (6) V 209/13; (7) M 4604/05. I propose V 210/12 for the escort requested for General von Behlendorff, commanding 84th Corps, on 19–23 December; 84th Corps, Naval Commander Brittany and 3rd Security Division are informed.

0930, Guernsey: M 4611/06 sailed independently for Granville. 1000, Jersey: FK 25/27 sailed for Granville. 1030, Jersey: V 208/13 arrived with hospital ship Hüxter from Malo. 1210, off Jersey: M 4611/06 took Gabes into convoy. 1330, Jersey: M 4604/05 sailed with Schokland, Volodine and Irène for Guernsey.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Correction to 17 December: item 5 cancelled owing to weather; item 8 independent Jersey–Malo passage. Reduce escorted tonnage by 1,600 GRT. Situation for 18 December: (1) V 703/04 completed night troop convoy of 17/18 December Guernsey–Alderney–Cherbourg, then MES check; (2) M 4604/05 combined convoy Malo–Jersey–Guernsey; (3) M 4602/00/12/01/07/13 ready at Malo; (4) V 208/13 shadow Hüxter Malo–Jersey; (5) M 4606/11 independently Guernsey–Jersey, then with Gabes to Granville, later combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey; (6) V 210/12 night troop convoy of 18/19 December from Guernsey with Minotaure and Rob. Müller 8, collecting RO 45 and La France from Jersey, to Malo [RO 45 subsequently listed as sailing from Guernsey]; (7) V 711/22 completed night troop convoy Cherbourg–Alderney and return; later independently Cherbourg–Alderney, then night troop convoy Alderney–Guernsey with Karel; (8) V 209 repairs at Malo. Escorted tonnage: 14,000 GRT.

Intentions for 19 December: (1) V 703/04 with convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) M 4604/05 ready at Guernsey; (3) M 4602/00/12/01/07/13 ready at Malo; (4) V 208/13 shadow Hüxter Jersey–Malo; (5) M 4611/06 combined convoy Guernsey–Jersey–Granville–Malo; (6) V 210/12 independently Malo–Granville, then special task Granville–Guernsey; (7) V 711/22 with Karel Guernsey–Alderney; (8) V 209 repairs at Malo.

1400, Granville: FK 25/27 arrived from Jersey. 1515, Granville: M 4606/11 sailed with combined convoy for Jersey–Guernsey. 1705, Malo: KR radio message concerning possible encounter of convoys V 210/12 and M 4606/11. 1750, Guernsey: V 210/12 sailed with Minotaure, R. Müller 8 and RO 45 for Malo via Jersey. 1850, Malo: cancellation received for V 711/22's independent Cherbourg–Alderney passage and subsequent Karel convoy Alderney–Guernsey because Karel was not ready; postponed to next tide [handwritten addition]. 1930, off Jersey: M 4606/11 released part of the convoy and continued with the remainder to Guernsey. 1930, off Jersey: V 210/12 took La France into convoy for Malo. 1945, Cherbourg: UJ 1401/02/14 sailed with Ronwyn for Jersey under orders of 3rd Security Division. 2300, Guernsey: M 4606/11 arrived with convoy from Granville–Jersey. Signed Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0665, original pages 6–7.