19 February 1942 Part 1

19 February 1942 St Malo convoy diary

03:20: V 206/V 205 departed St Malo with the flotilla chief, A 2, Security West’s flag lieutenant and Cherbourg’s Naval Signals Officer. During the passage to Guernsey, charts were used to discuss necessary naval signal stations and improvements to St Malo entrance lighting for the night convoys planned from 1 March. At 10:00 M 4006 docked at St Malo for bottom inspection; she would subsequently return to her flotilla under escort.

14:00, St Peter Port: V 206/V 205 secured. We drove to Jerbourg House in the island’s south-east. Its flat roof, suitable for a signal station, commanded an excellent harbour view. Workmen of a naval artillery detachment housed there could easily be accommodated elsewhere. Shipboard resources could fit out the signal station, and its personnel could be housed without difficulty. We then visited the direction-finding installation in the island’s south-west. [The 19 March review corrects “signal” in the accommodation sentence to “signal personnel”.]

16:30, St Peter Port: the flotilla chief, adjutant and A 2 of Security West met the division commander, Generalmajor Müller; the diary types “309. Division”. Oberstleutnant von Unger, its Ia, also attended. We discussed convoy questions, particularly whether troop transports could be concentrated on two weekdays in each direction and run at night. The figures for leave personnel, men on detached duty and returning personnel seemed high. The harbour commandant later established that January traffic from Guernsey to the mainland had carried 4,253 leave personnel and men on detached duty, despite a leave ban from 4–23 January. Exact figures would be established for future months.

Situation: V 208/V 213 ready Cherbourg. V 205/V 206 left St Malo at 09:11 for the Guernsey inspection voyage [situation-list time differs from the narrative’s 03:20]. M 4007/M 4008 ready Guernsey, then Point 27 at 02:30 under Gkdos 197/42 and onward Cherbourg. V 1705/M 4000 ready St Malo, then Point 28 at 00:30. V 212/M 4005 Guernsey–Jersey without convoy, departing Jersey 13:00 with Robert Müller 8 for St Malo. M 4006 ready St Malo. Escorted tonnage: 786 GRT.

Intention for 20 February: V 208/V 213 ready Cherbourg for the Alderney return night convoy. V 205/V 206 inspection Guernsey–Alderney–Jersey. M 4007/M 4008 after the special task to Cherbourg, then Elfriede for Guernsey and H 13 for St Malo. V 1705/M 4000 after the special task towards Guernsey, then Nestor, Comptoir 66, Comptoir 51, Maas and Hubbastone to St Malo. V 212/M 4005 without convoy to Granville, then Ad. le Prince, Holland and Saigon for Jersey, Claus Wilhelm and Tourane for Guernsey. M 4006 repairs St Malo.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0263–0264.