31 January 1942 Part 1

31 January 1942 St Malo convoy diary

06:30: the weather had become so bad that I cancelled H 23’s departure with over 600 men for Guernsey. Wind reached force 9–10, gusting to 11, with corresponding seas; the division responsible for the soldiers demanded cancellation. 10:00: all today’s intentions were impracticable; reported to the 3rd Security Division. That division’s teletype G 1565 provided three submarine chasers to escort two steamers from Cherbourg to Guernsey/Jersey. Detailed intentions required contact with the Chief of the 14th Submarine Chaser Flotilla, who could not be reached all day. 15:00: weather-dependent intentions and the current situation were issued.

Situation: V 208/V 212/M 4005 at Malo; V 213/V 206 at Jersey; M 4000/M 4006/M 4007 at Cherbourg; M 4003/M 4010 anchored off Morlaix; V 205 under boiler cleaning. Corrected escorted tonnage for 30 January: 9,076 gross registered tons.

Weather-dependent intention for 1 February: V 206/V 213 at 07:00 from Jersey to Guernsey with Hubbastone, Comptoir 66 and Point a Pietre, then immediately to Jakob with Holland; at 15:20 from Jakob with Claus Wilhelm and Holland for Granville and Robert Muller 8 for Malo. M 4000/M 4006/M 4007 at Cherbourg for the night convoy of 31 January/1 February to Alderney and back. V 208/V 212/M 4005 at 09:00 from Malo with Kurland and Morland, towed by M 4008, B 113/5 S with two barges for Jersey and H 23 for Jersey. V 205 under boiler cleaning.

20:45: a report stated that V 206/V 213 and steamer Robert Müller 8 were lying in the lock. Discussion with both commanders established that, after a slight improvement in the weather, they had decided to sail for St Malo with Robert Müller 8 and five vessels destined for Granville, although they had reported that morning that they would not sail because of weather. The SSD teletypes from the harbour commandant and V 206’s commander arrived later than the boats. Unaware of this convoy, I had based the 1 February intentions on reported positions; these now required alteration, preventing completion of all requested convoys.

Revised situation 31 January: V 208/V 212/M 4005 at Malo; V 206/V 213 from Jersey with Adolph le Prince, Favorit, Diamant, Mazagan and Tourane for Granville, and Robert Muller 8 for Malo; M 4000/M 4006/M 4007 at Cherbourg; M 4003/M 4010 off Morlaix; V 205 under boiler cleaning; M 4008 ready at Malo. Escorted tonnage on 31 January: 3,395 gross registered tons.

Revised intention for 1 February: M 4000/M 4006/M 4007 at Cherbourg for the night convoy of 31 January/1 February; V 208/V 212/M 4005 from Malo at 09:00 with Kurland and Morland, towed by M 4008, for Guernsey, together with B 113/5 S, two barges and H 23 for Jersey; V 205 boiler cleaning; V 206/V 213 under repair at Malo for sea and engine damage. Supplement: the vessels to be towed remained behind because they were only partly seaworthy; two convoys were formed, M 4008/M 4005 with Kurland for Guernsey and V 208/V 212 for Jersey with H 23 and Nordplein.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scan 0238, original pages 12–13.