21 March 1942 Part 1

21 March 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Weather: NE light to weak breeze, visibility 2–5 nautical miles, calm to slight sea. After visibility improves, the convoys intended for 20 March can be carried out. V 210/V 208 bring six tugs and eleven barges from Guernsey to St Malo. V 206/V 211 escort Holland with troops overnight from Guernsey to St Malo. Night passages with five or more ships, in darkness and hazy weather, place considerable demands on the patrol boats’ commanders and crews. Cable-layer Olwe arrives St Malo from Brest escorted by V 207 and two boats of the 7th Patrol Flotilla.

Corrections to 20 March: point 4, ready Guernsey owing to fog; point 5, Cherbourg–Guernsey with Livadia, Schwalbe and Claus Wilhelm, then to Alderney; point 7, ready Guernsey owing to fog; point 9, Brest–St Malo. Corrected escorted tonnage 6,854 GRT.

Situation: V 213 condenser repair Brest; V 212 dock St Malo, undocking towards evening; V 210/V 208 Guernsey–St Malo with six tugs and eleven barges; V 206/V 211 night convoy Guernsey–St Malo with Holland, then ready; V 204/V 209 Alderney–Cherbourg with Gerfried; V 205 dock Cherbourg; V 207 Brest–St Malo. Escorted tonnage: 4,134 GRT.

Intention for 22 March: V 213 repair Brest; V 212/V 211 St Malo–working area with Olwe, available throughout her work; V 210/V 208 ready St Malo; V 207/V 206 St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey night troop convoy; V 204/V 209 ready Cherbourg; V 205 dock Cherbourg.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0287.