31 October 1942 Part 2

31 October 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: Light easterly to northerly winds; overcast to cloudy, still isolated rain; visibility 8–10 nautical miles; patches of morning fog; glassy to very smooth sea.

0400, Jersey: UJ 1411/02 arrived from Malo with La France. 0400, Malo: Bridge convoy postponed again to the following day because a bridge engineer expressed concern about lowering the bridge in the prevailing wind direction [handwritten amendment: postponed to tomorrow].

Remark: This message, sent by WT, did not reach me owing to negligence by the watchkeeper. Only at 0730 did the Harbour Protection Flotilla inform me that the convoy had not sailed. Consequently the immediate readiness of the four boats of 15th Patrol-boat Flotilla was cancelled late.

0430, Cherbourg: V 711/29 sailed with Iris, Midsland and yacht Ventosa for Alderney. 0615, Guernsey: V 714/08 arrived from Malo with H 49, Minotaure and Holland. 0800, Alderney: V 711/29 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg.

Requests: (1) following cancellation of bridge convoy, Iris, Midsland and yacht Ventosa Cherbourg–Alderney, returning with Karel and Antonius; (2) night troop convoy of 31 October/1 November Georgi and Janus, Alderney–Malo; (3) night troop convoy of 31 October/1 November, Minotaure and Holland from Guernsey, La France from Jersey, to Malo. Orders: (1) V 711/29; (2) V 713/02, proceeding independently Cherbourg–Alderney for this purpose; (3) V 207/08.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Correction to situation for 30 October: item 3, Schokland omitted because of engine damage; escorted tonnage 1,100 GRT less.

Situation for 31 October: (1) V 713/02/212/13 at Cherbourg ready for bridge convoy; (2) V 711/29 morning convoy Midsland, Iris and Ventosa Cherbourg–Alderney, evening return convoy Karel and Antonius; (3) V 714/08 complete night troop convoy of 30/31 October Malo–Jersey–Guernsey, then ready; (4) UJ 1411/02 complete night troop convoy of 30/31 October Malo–Jersey, then ready; (5) M 4611/12 complete Cherbourg–Malo passage, then ready; (6) M 4605/04/02/01 ready at Guernsey; (7) V 210 S-equipment repair at Malo; (8) M 4600/06 ready at Malo; (9) V 207/08 night troop convoy of 31 October/1 November, Minotaure, Holland and Rob. Müller 8 from Guernsey, La France from Jersey, to Malo. Escorted tonnage: 5,000 GRT.

Intentions for 1 November: (1) V 713/02/213/12 bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney if weather favourable, otherwise night troop convoy of 31 October/1 November Alderney–Malo.

Intentions continued: item 1, with Georgi and Lena [as printed here; Janus in the request above], after independent passage Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) V 711/29 complete convoy Alderney–Cherbourg, then northern protection for item 1; (3) V 714/08 Guernsey to point Marz 334, then Ronwyn from 334 to Jersey; (4) UJ 1411/02 ready at Jersey; (5) M 4611/12/00/06/05/04/02/01 at Malo, available for mine-warfare training course; (6) V 207/08 complete night troop convoy Guernsey–Jersey–Malo; (7) V 210 S-equipment repair at Malo.

1900, Cherbourg: V 713/02 sailed for Alderney. 1900, Malo: War-priority radio message received about E-boats’ passage south of Alderney, having sailed Cherbourg at 1815. For the intentions known up to that point no encounters are possible. 1915, Malo: WT received stating that night troop convoy Alderney–Malo will sail only at 0430.

Remark: Naval Commandant Alderney has requested this convoy for days. Although informed in the morning that V 713/02 intended to sail from Alderney at 2200 so that the troop convoy could proceed in darkness, Naval Commandant Alderney has not got the men on leave ready at the notified time. I therefore send a most-immediate WT to V 713/02 ordering them to take the convoy only as far as Guernsey and then proceed independently to Malo.

2015, Guernsey: V 207/08 sailed with Minotaure and Holland for Jersey–Malo. 2120, Alderney: V 713/02 arrived from Cherbourg. 2135, Jersey: V 207/08 took La France into convoy and continued to St Malo. 2250, Alderney: V 711/29 sailed with Karel and Antonius for Cherbourg. 2315, Malo: Radio message received about E-boats’ return to Cherbourg, north of Guernsey at about 2330.

Remark: There is now a possibility of the E-boats overtaking V 711/29’s convoy. A radio report of this possibility through Naval Signals Officer Cherbourg on the E-boat wavelength would no longer arrive in time and is therefore omitted, especially as the convoy knows of the E-boats’ return through the radio message on KLW [abbreviation retained].

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0585–0587, original pages 23–25.