5 October 1942 Part 3

5 October 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-east, light to weak breeze; overcast with isolated light rain; visibility 2–5 nautical miles, patches of fog; very smooth sea.

0130, Jersey: V 707/209 took La France into the convoy for Malo. At the Minquiers north buoy V 209 suffered engine damage. In dense fog, with her radio unserviceable, she lost the convoy. After repairs she could not find it again and, believing it to be proceeding to Malo, went there herself.

Remark: V 209 could report neither her position nor her engine casualty by radio. The convoy leader consequently did not know where his accompanying boat had gone. After anchoring the convoy safely, he searched for V 209 during the night and the following morning. Frequent reports of propeller noises in the K.d.B. [abbreviation retained] could not have concerned friendly boats, unless mistaken. V 707 returned with the convoy to Jersey because of fog.

0420, Alderney: V 713/02 arrived with Spinel from Guernsey. 0445, Cherbourg: UJ 1407/01 and V 210 arrived from Ouistreham. 0445, Granville: V 710/24 sailed with Rheinland for Jersey. 0515, Alderney: V 713/02 sailed with Spinel for Cherbourg. 0745, Cherbourg: V 713/02 arrived with Spinel from Alderney. 0845, Jersey: V 710/24 arrived with Rheinland and immediately continued to Cherbourg under the previous day’s bridge-convoy orders. 0945, Malo roadstead: V 209 anchored without convoy.

1000, Malo: Bridge convoy ready. To take advantage of favourable weather, which the naval weather service considered likely to last, I decided to sail that evening. Orders went to the offices concerned; requested Commander Security West to place 5th E-boat Flotilla in readiness. Departure 2100. 1115, St Aubin’s Bay roadstead: V 707 anchored with the night troop convoy.

Remark: Because the telephone connection to Jersey was continually overloaded, the arrival of V 710/24 with Rheinland was not reported until 1100. Assuming that the patrol boats could no longer reach Cherbourg in time, and that the Jersey convoy required reinforcement beyond V 707 alone, I ordered V 710/24 by radio message 1218/17 to return to St Aubin’s Bay for that convoy.

Requests: (1) second bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) completion of the night troop convoy, Minotaure, Holland and La France, Jersey–Malo. For (1), I assign V 713/02 and V 710/24, with protection by UJ 1407/01, under 775804; V 710/24 being unavailable, V 210 and M 4612 replace them. For (2), V 707/10/24.

Situation for 5 October: (1) V 713/02 early Spinel convoy Alderney–Cherbourg, evening second bridge convoy; (2) V 210 and UJ 1407/01 complete Ouistreham–Cherbourg passage, then bridge convoy as in (1); (3) M 4612 ready at Cherbourg, then bridge convoy as in (1); (4) V 213, M 4430 and seven lobster boats ready at Malo; (5) V 707/209 continue 4/5 October Guernsey–Jersey–Malo convoy: V 707 at Jersey roadstead because of fog, V 209 alone to Malo following engine damage; (6) V 710/24 complete night 4/5 October Granville–Jersey convoy; later, on 5/6 October, with V 707, Minotaure, Holland, RO 8 and La France, Jersey–Malo; (7) M 4605/04 degaussing-loop test at Malo; (8) M 4611/01/02 control firing area off Paimpol, evening Lézardrieux–Malo with V 714/08; (9) V 714/08 at the disposal of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla commander off Paimpol. 5,500 GRT.

Intentions for 6 October: (1) V 713/02 finish second bridge convoy, ready at Alderney; (2) V 210 and M 4612 finish second bridge convoy, then Alderney–Malo; (3) UJ 1407/01 patrol off Alderney after bridge convoy until daylight, then Guernsey; (4) seven lobster boats ready at Malo; (5) V 710/24/07 complete 5/6 October Jersey–Malo convoy; evening V 707/24 with Planet, Malo–Lézardrieux; (6) V 209 minor repairs at Malo; (7) M 4605/04 independently Malo–Granville, then combined convoy Granville–Jersey; (8) V 213 and M 4430 combined convoy Malo–Jersey; (9) M 4611/01/02 and V 714/08 ready at Malo.

2030, Cherbourg: V 713/02/210, M 4612 and protecting UJ 1407/01 sailed with the second bridge convoy for Alderney. 2100, Jersey: V 707/10/24 sailed with night troop convoy for Malo. 2245: Received V 713’s radio message 2220/63: “V 210, anchor immediately by the bridge!”

Remark: This was unclear, particularly as Sea Commandant ordered Alert 1 at 2300. Enquiry established that fog was the reason. The marked increase in radio traffic gave no indication that the convoy was endangered. The convoy leader should have included his position in the message to V 210, to enable the control office and other offices to make decisions. It subsequently emerged that the convoy had anchored only a few nautical miles off Cherbourg. Sea Commandant Normandy knew this from the positions reported; I received the information only on requesting it, by teletype at 0905 [the following morning].

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0536–0538, original pages 8–10.