8 April 1942 Part 2

8 April 1942 Third Security Division reviews first half March convoy diary

Secret. Third Security Division, G 1868 AIV/Br., 8 April 1942. To Commander of Security West, copy St Malo Convoy Control Office. Subject: diary 1–15 March; no previous correspondence; one enclosure. Submits one copy of the diary.

Comments: in the 2 March entry, avoid “Gustav” in place of Guernsey. For 7 March, it is unclear which convoy entered Jersey only at daybreak; the meaning of “Pr.” is unknown. The second paragraph of 8 March is not understandable. For 13 March, use the geographical name Alderney instead of “Anton”; “with T” presumably means “with troops”. The division had ordered three patrol boats and the Siebel ferry held ready to protect Sperrbrecher 2, anchored in St Malo roadstead on 15 March.

Additional instruction to St Malo: the narrative preceding the daily situation sometimes contradicts it, apparently because the situation was sent before the narrated events became known. To provide a clear account, the diary must record events in the order in which they became known to the convoy office. A situation report must be corrected or supplemented when later found wrong, or when points such as convoy composition had remained open. Since situation reports are included in the diary, their corrections must also be included. Signed Hans Hartmann. [Scan 0280 repeats the first-page comments underneath the later covering memorandum; scan 0281 gives the complete first page and 0282 the substantive second page. Counted once.]

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0280–0282.