18 January 1943 Part 4

18 January 1943 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-east force 2–3, cloudy/overcast, visibility 5–8 nautical miles, sea 2. The opening records 0100 beside Guernsey without a clear corresponding event; 0250, Malo roads: V 711/22 arrived with convoy from Guernsey.

Tasks: (1) Meteor and Corona Guernsey–Malo; (2) from Jersey, Nordplein to Granville, Guynemer with Naphta II and Gueppe 64 with two barges to Malo; (3) Balidar [name as read], Gerfried and Spinell Cherbourg–Alderney, as item 3 of 17 January. Assigned: (1) M 4612/04/05/07; (2) M 4600/01/06; (3) V 424 and M 4047. 0810, Cherbourg: UJ 1401/02 arrived from Malo. 0815, Malo: four Hummer boats sailed to roads with WO course. 1100, Guernsey: M 4612/04/05/07 sailed with Meteor and Corona for Malo. 1140, Jersey: M 4600/01/06 sailed with convoy for Granville–Malo. 1245, Malo: four Hummer boats returned from roads with WO course.

1330, remark: no decision has yet been made about the suspected mined grids BF 2699, 2698 and 3577 [see 13 January, 1350]. I requested instructions from 3rd Security Division by teletype: “Naval Commandant Channel Islands reports closure of the above grids, and as a precaution adjoining grids BF 2698 and 3577 [repetition in source], following Luftwaffe detections. These provide no information on aircraft altitude but have no blind sector and can detect down to water level, so no conclusion can be drawn as to whether the aircraft were minelayers. As passing east of BF 3577 is difficult, instructions are requested whether this grid, closed only as a precaution, may be used. Route checking by C Group, 46th Minesweeper Flotilla is unsuitable owing to excessive water depth.” 3rd Security Division consequently permitted passage through BF 3577. The other grids were not yet finally reopened.

1330, report to 3rd Security Division. Corrections to 17 January: item 4 cancelled by 3rd Security Division; item 7 four vessels added to combined convoy; tonnage 600 GRT more. Situation for 18 January: (1) V 212/10 complete night troop convoy of 17/18 January Jersey–Malo; (2) complete night troop convoy of 17/18 January Guernsey–Malo [boats omitted in typed list]; (3) UJ 1401/02 complete Malo–Cherbourg passage; (4) V 424 and M 4047 evening convoy Cherbourg–Alderney with Balidar, Gerfried and Spinell; (5) V 206/11 fitting out at Malo; (6) V 207 aKB at Cherbourg; (7) M 4600/01/06 combined convoy Jersey–Granville–Malo; (8) M 4612/04/05/07 convoy Corona and Meteor Guernsey–Malo; (9) V 723/24 complete Brest–Guernsey passage, evening dockyard passage to Cherbourg. Escorted tonnage: 3,200 GRT.

Intentions for 19 January: (1) V 212/10 night troop convoy of 19/20 January Malo–Guernsey; (2) V 711/22 night troop convoy of 19/20 January Malo–Jersey; (3) V 206/11 shadow Hüxter Malo–Jersey and return; (4) V 424/M 4047 return Alderney–Cherbourg, then item 5; (5) UJ 1401/02, V 704/424 and M 4047 evening Nordvard convoy Cherbourg–Malo; (6) V 724/23 complete Guernsey–Cherbourg passage; (7) C Group of 46th Minesweeper Flotilla and M 4612 rest at Malo.

1455, Malo: secret-command order received for six boats of 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla to proceed Cherbourg–Brest, instructing the Convoy Control Office to ensure unobstructed passage through the Channel Islands area. Remark: no night troop convoys are scheduled tonight, so no encounters with torpedo boats are possible. 1500, Granville: M 4600/01/06 detached Nordplein, continuing to Malo with remaining convoy. 1740, Malo: torpedo boats' passage postponed 24 hours. 1815, Guernsey: V 724/23 arrived from Brest at the Convoy Control Office's disposal. Allowing for the current, they were ordered only to escort coaster Irene Guernsey–Alderney at 0330 on 19 January, then proceed independently to Cherbourg. 1830, Malo: M 4612/04/05/07 arrived with convoy from Guernsey; M 4600/01/06 arrived with convoy from Jersey–Granville. 2100, Cherbourg: V 424/M 4047 sailed with convoy for Alderney. Signed Wunderlich.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0713–0714, original pages 5–7.