20 May 1942 Part 1

20 May 1942 St Malo convoy diary

St Malo. Calm to slight sea; light to gentle easterly breeze; visibility 5–6 nautical miles. 01:30–05:10: heightened alert because of an alleged British landing at Cap Fréhel. It later emerges that only about twenty lights had been seen, probably fishermen’s. The planned night convoys proceed as arranged.

09:45: divisional teletype reports V 706/11 arriving for St Malo–Lorient escort. Convoy 3259, H 8 S and Muz, will arrive only on the morning of 21 May. V 704/12 cannot yet sail because V 704 remains unready. 13:30: V 706/11 enter and receive orders to sail at 09:00 on 21 May, possibly with V 704/12, and take over convoy 3259 near J 2. V 704/12 have special divisional orders.

Situation: V 208/09 Guernsey–Alderney night troop convoy RO 8, Alderney–Cherbourg with Gerfried, Heinrich and Claus, Cherbourg–Guernsey with Livadia, H 8 S and Muz 111; V 207/02 ready Cherbourg; V 203/06/13 unready St Malo, V 213 ready to sail from 18:00; V 204/05 Cherbourg, V 204 with item 1 convoy to Guernsey [corrected destination], V 205 unready; V 211/1510 unescorted St Malo–Granville, then Hubbastone, Nestor and Pointe à Pitre to Jersey, then St Malo for night troop convoy 20/21 May with Maas, Holland, Karel, Schokland and Minotaure as far as Jersey; V 704/12 ready St Malo, V 704 unready; V 706/11 ready St Malo for convoy 3259. Tonnage 10,700 GRT.

Intentions for 21 May: V 204/08/09 Guernsey–St Malo with H 8 S and Muz 111; V 207/02 ready Cherbourg; V 203/06 unready St Malo; V 205 Cherbourg unready; V 211/1510 Jersey–Guernsey with Karel, Schokland and Minotaure, then ready; V 704/11 leave St Malo at 09:00 for task under divisional G 8671, initially with V 706/12; V 706/12 leave St Malo at 09:00 for convoy 3259 from J 2 to Brest. [Pair numbers change in the original.]

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0351–0352.