6 December 1942 Part 2

6 December 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: Rainy, occasionally hazy; south-west force 4–5, overcast; sea 3, visibility 5–8 nautical miles.

0000, Guernsey: V 212/09 sailed with night troop convoy for Jersey–Malo. 0145, Jersey: V 212/09 took Holland into convoy for Malo. 0630, Malo: V 212/09 arrived with convoy from Guernsey. 0750, Malo: M 4600/02/05/06 sailed for route sweeping Malo–Granville.

Requests: (1) night troop convoy from Malo, Holland to Jersey and Minotaure to Guernsey; (2) Spinel and Gerfried Cherbourg–Alderney; (3) Hydra, Weber and Schwalbe Alderney–Cherbourg. Assigned with corresponding orders: (1) V 212/09; (2–3) V 711/22. I also ordered V 207/13 Guernsey–Malo for a change of commanding officers, consequent on the detachment of V 205’s commanding officer. C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla was ordered to sweep Malo–Granville with SSG. 0915, Malo: M 4600/02/05/06 returned owing to weather.

0945, Guernsey: V 207/13 sailed for Malo. Remark: the boats used the passage to sweep the route with their newly fitted SDG (P), depth setting 8 metres. The commanding officers were instructed that an 8-metre setting was of little use, since it reliably detected mines only down to 5.5 metres. I ordered that in future the SDG be operated at a depth setting of 25 metres on such route-checking passages. [Equipment abbreviation retained.]

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Corrections to 5 December: item 2, add tug Balidar; item 3, subsequent independent passage Alderney–Guernsey; item 5, returned after sailing owing to weather; escorted tonnage for 5 December, reduce by 1,000 GRT. Situation for 6 December: (1) V 212/09 complete night troop convoy of 5/6 December Guernsey–Jersey–Malo, then night troop convoy of 6/7 December from Malo, Holland and Rob. Müller 8 to Jersey, Minotaure to Guernsey; (2) V 703/04 immediate readiness at Cherbourg for T 4/10, then rest; (3) M 4611/12 rest at Cherbourg; (4) V 711/22 evening Spinel and Gerfried Cherbourg–Alderney; (5) V 207/13 immediate readiness at Guernsey for T 4/10’s passage, then independently to Malo; (6) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla returned after sailing for route checking; (7) V 208 and M 4601/06 repairs at Malo. Escorted tonnage: 3,150 GRT.

Intentions for 7 December: (1) V 212/09 complete night troop convoy of 6/7 December Malo–Jersey–Guernsey, then return convoy to Malo; (2) V 703/04 independently Cherbourg–Alderney in evening, then night troop convoy of 7/8 December Alderney–Guernsey with Karel; (3) M 4611/12 fitting out at Cherbourg; (4) V 207/13 ready at Malo; (5) V 711/22 early convoy Hydra Alderney–Cherbourg; (6) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla route sweeping Malo–Ida 8; (7) V 208 and M 4601/06 repairs at Malo.

1600, Malo: V 213/07 arrived from Guernsey. 1800, Malo: V 212/09 sailed with Holland and Rob. Müller 8 for Jersey, Minotaure for Guernsey. 2030, Cherbourg: V 711/22 sailed with Spinel and Gerfried for Alderney. 2030, Jersey: V 212/09 released Holland and R. Müller 8 for St Helier and continued with Minotaure to Guernsey. 2330, Alderney: V 711/22 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg. 2345, Guernsey: V 212/09 arrived with Minotaure from Malo. Signed Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0648–0649, original pages 11–13.