21 June 1942 Part 1

21 June 1942 St Malo convoy diary

St Malo: light ENE breeze, calm sea, visibility five nautical miles. 02:45: V 211/213 report by radio that both boats are able to sail apart from their shot-through MES [degaussing equipment]; one dead and twenty-three wounded have been disembarked at Alderney. 06:30: the flotilla doctor embarked in V 211 reports from Cherbourg on the wounded’s transfer and condition. One seriously wounded man is in immediate danger of death; a later report states that he died. 07:45: I order V 211/213 to Cherbourg after daylight. V 213’s teletype indicates the probable shooting-down of one fighter [German claim].

08:00: V 208/209, on St Malo Roads, are ordered to proceed alone to Alderney and carry out during night 21/22 June the convoy task cancelled because of the air attack. I decide to drive to Cherbourg to visit the wounded and speak with the commanders. A car breakdown delays my arrival until 14:30, but I can still speak at the station with lightly wounded men being transported to Paris. 09:00 St Malo: V 208/209 sail alone for Alderney. 10:30: Harbour Commandant Alderney reports that V 211/213 left Alderney at 10:00 with Georgi for Cherbourg. As V 208/209’s planned escort of Georgi to Guernsey is therefore unnecessary, and a Jersey–St Malo night troop convoy has meanwhile been requested, I order V 208/209 to Jersey.

14:00: Harbour Commandant Granville requests an escort for 13:00 on 22 June. It has meanwhile emerged that no Jersey–St Malo night troop convoy exists; Sea Transport Office Jersey is responsible for the erroneous request. I therefore give V 208/209 the necessary orders for the Granville convoy.

Correction to 20 June, item 3: Alderney–Guernsey convoy not carried out because of the preceding air attack and damage to the boats. Situation for 21 June: V 203/207 at the 2nd Security Division’s disposal for convoy 3274; V 202 ready Guernsey; V 211/213 Alderney–Cherbourg with Georgi, then out of operational readiness at Cherbourg; V 208/209 at St Malo Roads overnight, then alone St Malo–Jersey and ready for Holland night troop convoy Jersey–St Malo [the false request is corrected above and on 22 June]; M 4601/4605/4606 night troop convoy St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey with Ad. le Prince to Jersey [handwritten correction], Minotaure, Rob. Müller 8 and Saigon to Guernsey; V 206 resting St Malo. Tonnage 2,775 GRT.

Intentions for 22 June: V 203/207 at the 2nd Security Division’s disposal; V 202 ready Guernsey; V 211/213 out of operational readiness at Cherbourg; V 208/209 finish Holland night troop convoy Jersey–St Malo, then ready; M 4601/4605/4606 finish night troop convoy to Jersey and Guernsey, then ready Guernsey; V 206 resting St Malo; St Malo Roads unoccupied for lack of boats.

Remark: capable boats available to the convoy office are very scarce. The six boats of the 46th Minesweeping Flotilla are suitable only for less important convoys because of light armament, some lacking radio and, above all, low speed. Caruso/Carmen patrol positions must consequently remain unoccupied, at least until V 203/207 return.

Lessons from discussion with the commanders of V 211/213 at Cherbourg: (1) Enemy aircraft, securely identified as Spitfire fighters, attacked once in two groups of four. (2) They fired continuously with machine guns and 2-cm weapons from considerable range, rather than in bursts. (3) Machine-gun bullets had steel cores and soft-metal jackets. (4) Solid 2-cm steel projectiles sometimes had very great penetrating power; explosive shells were also used. (5) Bomb release by Spitfires was securely established for the first time [the diary’s assessment]. (6) V 213’s motorboat was set on fire but quickly extinguished. A hit on the anchor windlass’s auxiliary steam line temporarily enveloped the boat in a steam cloud that prevented visibility.

(7) Both crews performed equally well. Despite heavy casualties on V 211, anti-aircraft fire remained uninterrupted. One gunner hit by seven through-shots continued throughout the attack. (8) Flotilla doctor Oberassistenzarzt Dr Lampp, embarked in V 211, cared for the wounded with foresight and tireless medical and personal assistance, accompanied them during transfer on the air-sea rescue boats and participated in operations at Cherbourg hospital. (9) Special recognition is due to Alderney’s preparations before the boats arrived: doctors from the Army, Navy, Luftwaffe and Organisation Todt, with several nurses, waited at the landing place so comprehensive treatment could begin immediately. 20:00: I return from Cherbourg. Signed Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0384–0385.