26 July 1942 Part 2

26 July 1942 — St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: south-west, light to moderate breeze; rain; visibility 8–11 nautical miles; very smooth to smooth sea.

01:45, St Malo — Urgent radio message from the 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla: two boats were returning to Le Havre. 01:45, Guernsey — V 203/02 arrived with the Alderney convoy. The intended continuation with RO 21 to Jersey was cancelled because RO 21 first had to discharge cargo. 04:00, St Malo — V 206/11 arrived with a convoy “from Guernsey” [as printed; the preceding departure entry gives Jersey]. 04:10 — Urgent message from V 712: four unidentified vessels sighted in grid BF 3529. 04:15 — Urgent message reporting four enemy destroyers off Cherbourg. Comment: the second message had no signature, so it was unclear whether both came from the V 712 pair and whether the second clarified the first.

05:00, St Malo — V 208/13 arrived with a convoy from Guernsey. 05:00, Cherbourg — V 712/08 returned from Position Carmen. 05:30, St Malo — Two boats of the 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla arrived. 06:45 — Supplement to the urgent message of 04:15 from V 712/08: engagement with four British gunboats; enemy turned away after being fired upon; no losses. Comment: it remained unclear whether the reported four destroyers were real, whether gunboats were screened by destroyers, or whether the repeatedly sighted vessels were the same four gunboats.

Convoy requests: (1) night troop convoy RO 8 and Georgi with Oceanie attached, Guernsey–Alderney; (2) RO 21 daytime Guernsey–Jersey, then night troop convoy to St Malo; (3) shadow hospital ship Hüxter on 27 July, St Malo–Guernsey–Jersey–St Malo. Orders issued to (1) V 203/02, which had remained at Guernsey; (2) M 4601/11; (3) V 206/11.

Order for 27 July: (1) V 206/11 to lie in the lock at 04:30. (2) Sail to shadow hospital ship Hüxter to Guernsey, V 206/11 leading and Hüxter following within sight. (3) On the morning of 28 July shadow Hüxter to Jersey, Hüxter leading and V 206/11 following within sight; report departure. (4) From Guernsey anchor in St Aubin’s Bay Roads and start the voyage to St Malo at 13:00, Hüxter leading and V 206/11 following within sight. (5) If unexpectedly separated, try to remain together; otherwise proceed independently to the ordered destinations. (6) Observe the practice firing shown on the attached sketch. (7) V 711 to provide its First Watch Officer as Hüxter’s navigation adviser and arrange timely embarkation. [“St Aubin’s Bay” is the handwritten destination correction; no sketch is present in this entry.]

Report to the 3rd Security Division: correction to 25 July, item 3 — V 203/02 took RO 21 only as far as Guernsey. Special occurrence: V 712/08 engaged four British gunboats; only slight damage.

Situation for 26 July: (1) V 712/08 at position during 25/26 July [typed date erroneous; position name overwritten], then Cherbourg readiness. (2) V 711/24 St Malo dock. (3) V 203/02 completing the Alderney–Guernsey convoy with RO 21 and Georgi, then night troop convoy 26/27 July RO 8, Georgi and Oceanie Guernsey–Alderney. (4) V 213/08 completing Minotaure Guernsey–St Malo, then readiness. (5) V 206/11 completing Ad. le Prince Jersey–St Malo, then readiness. (6) M 4605/04 St Malo readiness. (7) M 4611/01 daytime RO 21 and Bordsee Guernsey–Jersey, then night troop convoy 26/27 July RO 21 and Bordsee Jersey–St Malo. Escorted tonnage: 10,900 GRT.

Intentions for 27 July: (1) V 712/08 Cherbourg readiness. (2) V 711/24 St Malo dock. (3) V 203/02 completing the night troop convoy, then daytime Alderney–Cherbourg with Oceanie and others. (4) V 213/08 St Malo readiness. (5) V 206/11 shadowing hospital ship Hüxter St Malo–Guernsey. (6) M 4605/04 unescorted St Malo–Granville, then daytime Granville–Jersey–Guernsey. (7) M 4611/01 completing the night convoy, then combined St Malo–Jersey convoy and return.

13:00, Guernsey — M 4611/01 sailed with a convoy “for Guernsey” [as printed]. 16:10, Jersey — M 4611/01 arrived with the convoy from Guernsey. 16:15, St Malo — Telephone conversation with the duty officer of the Commander of Security Forces West about three fast attack boats’ Cherbourg–Guernsey voyage, of which nothing was yet known here; teletype promised. 19:15 — Teletype received: boats to sail from Cherbourg at 03:30 on 27 July and enter Guernsey at daylight. 19:30 — Messages to Harbour Commandant Guernsey about arrival and berth; to the 2nd Fast Attack Boat Flotilla that Position Carmen would be occupied because of their departure, with no other encounters expected; and to V 712/08 about occupying Carmen and possible encounter with three fast attack boats.

22:20, Jersey — M 4611/01 sailed with a convoy for St Malo. 23:00, Cherbourg — V 712/08 sailed for position. 23:00, Guernsey — V 203/02 sailed with a convoy for Alderney. Its commander left Cherbourg-bound Oceanie at Guernsey, presumably because the very slow tug impeded the troop convoy.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0422–0423 (original pages 20–22).