20 November 1942 Part 4

20 November 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: North to north-east force 3–4, sea 1–2, visibility five nautical miles.

0020, Jersey: FK 01 returned. 0025, Alderney: V 712/22 sailed with Midsland for Guernsey. 0130, Jersey: V 711/29 took La France into convoy. 0200: Through A I, Commander Security West, I receive news of the firing on the FK boats. 0215: Through Naval Signals Officer by urgent teletype I report new possibilities of overtaking for the torpedo boats proceeding to Malo, and a correction to the ship-reporting service. 0230, Guernsey: T 23/Kondor and M 85 sailed for Malo. 0315, Guernsey: V 712/22 arrived with Midsland from Alderney. 0600, Malo: V 711/29 arrived with Minotaure, RO 21 and La France from Jersey–Guernsey. 0630, Malo roads: T 23/Kondor and M 85 anchored from Guernsey.

Tasks: (1) combined convoy Malo–Jersey; (2) route sweeping with SSG Granville–Jersey; (3) onward convoy Leesee Jersey–Cherbourg; (4) night troop convoy La France Malo–Jersey, Minotaure to Guernsey; (5) night troop convoy Karel Guernsey–Alderney; (6) Antonius and Weber Cherbourg–Alderney; (7) Schwalbe, Tinda, Iris and two HS-boats Alderney–Cherbourg; (8) R 104 Guernsey–Cherbourg; (9) convoy steamer Nordfels westward from Malo on 21 November. Orders: (1) M 4605/04/02; (2) M 4600/01/06; (3) V 207/12/13, proceeding independently Malo–Jersey; (4) V 711/29; (5) V 712/22; (6–7) V 209/10; (8) R 104 to join V 712/22 Guernsey–Alderney and V 209/10 Alderney–Cherbourg; (9) UJ 1405/01/06, which brought Leesee from the west to Jersey, ordered by 3rd Security Division to go to Malo.

0800, Malo: M 4605/04/02 sailed with Oost-Vlandern, Corona, Helena, two tugs and four barges for Jersey. 0815, Malo: V 207/12/13 sailed for Jersey. 0830, Îles Chausey: M 4600/01/06 proceeded with SSG equipment to Malo. 1230, St Aubin’s Bay roads: V 207/12/13 anchored. 1310, Jersey: UJ 1405/01/06 sailed for Malo.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Special occurrence: On torpedo boats’ passage west from Cherbourg, HS-boats encountered were taken for enemy vessels and fired on. Correction to situation for 19 November: T 23 and Condor entered Guernsey after firing on HS-boats; item 7, M 4605/04/02 passage Jersey–Malo.

Situation for 20 November, items 1–5: (1) V 712/22 complete night troop convoy of 19/20 November Alderney–Guernsey, later night troop convoy of 20/21 November Karel Guernsey–Alderney with R 104; (2) V 711/29 complete night troop convoy of 19/20 November Guernsey–Jersey–Malo, later night troop convoy of 20/21 November La France to Jersey, Minotaure to Guernsey; (3) V 207/12/13 independently Malo–Jersey, then with Leesee Jersey–Cherbourg; (4) V 208 fitting out at Malo; (5) V 209/10 Cherbourg–Alderney with Antonius and Weber.

Situation, continued, items 6–9: (6) M 4605/04/02 combined convoy Malo–Jersey; (7) M 4600/01/06 route sweeping with SSG Îles Chausey–Malo; (8) UJ 1405/01/06 independently Jersey–Malo; (9) T 23, Condor and M 85 passage Guernsey–Malo, later onward west. Escorted tonnage: 6,700 GRT.

Intentions for 21 November: (1) V 209/10 and two HS-boats with Schwalbe, Tinda, Iris, Gerfried, Derfflinger and R 104 Alderney–Cherbourg; (2) V 712/22 night troop convoy of 21/22 November Karel Alderney–Guernsey; (3) V 207/12/13 Cherbourg–Guernsey with Balidar and barge, then independently to Malo; (4) V 208 fitting out at Malo; (5) V 711/29 complete night troop convoy of 20/21 November Malo–Guernsey, evening return convoy; (6) M 4605/04/02 ready at Guernsey; (7) M 4600/01/06 rest at Malo; (8) UJ 1405/01/06 with Nordfels Malo–Brest.

1400, Jersey: M 4605/04/02 arrived with convoy from Malo. 1510, Jersey: V 207/12/13 sailed with Leesee for Cherbourg. 1630, Malo: UJ 1405/01/06 arrived from Jersey. 1645, Malo: M 4600/01/06 arrived from Îles Chausey. 1730, Guernsey: V 711/12 [as printed; V 712/22 in other entries] sailed with Karel and R 104 for Alderney. 1730, Malo: T 23, Condor and M 85 sailed west. 1900, Malo: V 711/29 sailed with convoy for Jersey–Guernsey. 2000, Cherbourg: V 209/10 sailed with convoy for Alderney. 2050, Alderney: V 712/22 arrived with Karel and R 104 from Guernsey. 2115, Cherbourg: V 207/12/13 arrived with Leesee from Jersey. 2300, Alderney: V 209/10 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg. 2330: Urgent teletype received reporting S-boats’ departure west from Cherbourg. 2330, Jersey: V 711/29 released La France and continued with remaining convoy to Guernsey. Signed for the commander, Wunderlich.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0628–0629, original pages 10–12.