18 October 1942 Part 3

18 October 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: West, moderate breeze, freshening; cloudy, visibility 12–15 nautical miles; slight sea, medium-height and medium-length north-west swell.

0530, Alderney: V 713/02 sailed with Spinel for Guernsey. 0900, Guernsey: V 713/02 arrived with Spinel from Alderney. 0950, Malo: Alert readiness cancelled. 1030, Jersey: V 714/08 continued with Kochelsee and Tourane for Guernsey.

Tasks: (1) onward Kochelsee and Tourane convoy Jersey–Guernsey; (2) night troop convoy Spinel, Guernsey–Alderney; (3) Spinel and Antonius, Alderney–Cherbourg; (4) SSG route check Jersey–Granville on 19 October. Orders: V 714/08 for (1); V 713/02 for (2) and (3); M 4605/04/02/01 for (4). 1320, Malo: M 4605/04/02/01 sailed for Jersey.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Corrections to 17 October: Item 1 only as far as Alderney; item 4 entered Jersey because of weather. Situation for 18 October: (1) V 713/02 Spinel convoy Alderney–Guernsey; (2) V 212/13 ready at Cherbourg; (3) V 210/07/09 and UJ 1411/02 ready at Malo; (4) V 714/08 Kochelsee and Tourane convoy Jersey–Guernsey, ready; (5) V 710/24 ready at Guernsey; (6) M 4605/04/02/01 independently Malo–Jersey; (7) M 4612 fitting out at Malo. Escorted tonnage: 1,500 GRT.

Intentions for 19 October: (1) V 713/02 night troop convoy of 18/19 October Spinel, Guernsey–Alderney, then Spinel and Antonius convoy Alderney–Cherbourg, ready for bridge convoy; (2) V 212/13 ready at Cherbourg for bridge convoy; (3) V 210/07/09 and UJ 1411/02 fitting out at Malo; (4) V 710/24/14/08 ready at Guernsey; (5) M 4605/04/02/01 repeated SSG route sweeps Jersey–Granville, entering Jersey that evening; (6) M 4612 ready at Malo.

1630, Malo: M 1201/05 and M 4013/14 sailed for Brest on an equipment passage [Gerätemarsch]. 1640, Guernsey: V 714/08 arrived with convoy from Jersey. 1940, Jersey: M 4605/04/02/01 arrived from Malo. 2400, Malo: Increased alert readiness ordered.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0565–0566, original pages 4–5.