21 February 1942 Part 1

21 February 1942 St Malo convoy diary

10:00, St Helier: drove to Gorey. Its bay offered a good alternative anchorage for smaller vessels and convoy boats. Entry at high water was straightforward; small vessels could dry out on the sand by the mole. A high protective wall sheltered them. Continued to St Catherine’s mole, built in 1847 and in excellent condition. It enclosed a south-west-facing roadstead with an uneven bottom, offering good berths at the mole in favourable weather. Neither bay had cranes; these alternative harbours were therefore unsuitable for troop transports.

The boats of the 40th Minesweeping Flotilla and V 1705 assembled at St Malo to sail for Brest with a convoy on the evening of 22 February under wireless order 1173.

15:30: visited Plemont and Corbière lighthouse. Plemont’s existing signal station had a good view northwards, but a restricted view westwards towards the main inter-island convoy route. Corbière lighthouse was a more suitable signal position, although it could not communicate visually with St Helier harbour, whose entrance already had a signal post.

20:45: V 206/V 205 departed St Helier for Granville. Darkness made departure difficult because the light on Demi de Pas lighthouse could be seen for only a few hundred metres; strengthening was required. Granville’s light, ordered by teletype at midday, was initially unlit and had to be requested by a star signal. The order had reached Granville only at 21:30. Approaching Granville was not particularly difficult, but entry, possible only from one hour before to one hour after high water, was difficult even by day because of the lock’s position, and especially at night.

Correction to 20 February: M 4007/M 4008 remained at Guernsey. Situation 21 February: V 208/V 213 night convoy Cherbourg–Alderney and back. V 205/V 206 from Jersey at 20:00 to Granville, possibly with convoy [list time differs from narrative]. M 4007/M 4008 Guernsey–Jersey with H 13, continuing at 14:00 with H 13, Nordplein, B 113 S and two barges to St Malo. V 1705 ready St Malo. V 212/M 4005 from Guernsey at 06:00 with Diamant and Mazagan for Jersey, RO 8 and Favorit for Granville, Karel for St Malo. M 4000/M 4006 departed St Malo 10:30 with Holstein and Gunivers with a lighter for Jersey, Kurland for Guernsey, then returned St Malo. V 207/V 210 coaling and replenishing provisions at St Malo, sailing 23:00 for the division’s special task G 2905. V 211 boiler cleaning. Escorted tonnage: 8,425 GRT.

Intention for 22 February: V 208/V 213 Cherbourg–Alderney return night convoy. V 205/V 206 from Granville about 11:30 with Hubbastone for Jersey and Holland for Guernsey, carrying troops. M 4007/M 4008, V 1705, M 4005 and M 4000/M 4006 ready St Malo, departing for Brest during the night of 22/23 February; V 212 ready St Malo. V 207/V 210, after task G 2905, to return towards St Malo at 13:00, with tug B 125 S and Siebel ferry 110 if weather permits. V 211 boiler cleaning.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0265–0266.