30 June 1942 Part 5

30 June 1942 3rd Security Division review of St Malo diary, 1–15 May

Secret. 3rd Security Division, B.Nr. G 3274 AII/Bö, 30 June 1942, to Commander Security West in two copies; information copy to Convoy Office St Malo. Subject: St Malo war diary, 1–15 May 1942. No prior correspondence; one enclosure. One copy of the diary is submitted.

On page 8: the improper direction of St Malo lock traffic repeatedly gives cause for complaint. Convoys can run to plan only if the lockkeeper proves equal to the task. Repeated failures of sensible allocation and execution suggest this is not the case. On page 11: complete and timely notification of the convoy office remains essential to orderly Channel Islands convoy traffic; otherwise it cannot bear responsibility for smooth execution. Harbour commandants must again be reminded.

On page 15: the view that a situation report and reasons must accompany increased alert orders before decisions can be made is not shared. Such an order itself gives the generally understood warning of expected exceptional enemy activity, whether air attack or attempted landing.

On page 20, 23:30: the decision to sail with patrol boats V 203/11, assigned to pilot Sperrbrecher 171, should first have been communicated to the division. Given the nature of the task, it seemed more appropriate for the flotilla chief and convoy-office head to remain at his office, maintaining an overview and intervening in case of enemy action or unexpected events. On page 22: the brave conduct of V 204/05 in the action against enemy destroyers on 15 May has already been discussed in detail when the action report was submitted. Signed for the commander [signature not securely read].

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0344–0345.