8 June 1942 Part 1

8 June 1942 St Malo convoy diary

St Malo: northerly gentle breeze, visibility 15 nautical miles, calm sea. Intended convoys and patrol stations completed. Ferries 108/110 remain Guernsey because seas are rising. St Malo Roads will not be occupied because locking out is impossible before 01:00. 05:50: V 206/211 leave Carmen [as recorded] for Cherbourg. Steamer RO 21 has arrived Cherbourg for Channel Islands service, according to 2nd Security Division; an escort can only be provided the next day. Convoy task 3274, intended to start 8 June and involve St Malo Convoy Office from 9 June, is postponed 24 hours under divisional message G 9809.

Remark: V 208 is unavailable because its commander, Leutnant zur See Lorey, is ill. Numerous watch-officer detachments leave no replacement commander available. One can be released for V 208 only after V 203 enters port.

Situation: V 703/726 complete Minotaure and Maas troop convoy Guernsey–Jersey–St Malo, then ready; V 202/204 ready St Malo for Holland and Ad. le Prince troop convoy via Jersey to Guernsey; V 206/211 overnight Mikado, then day Cherbourg–Alderney convoy; V 203/209 finish Antonius convoy and are ready Guernsey for RO 8 to Alderney overnight; ferries 108/110 Guernsey–St Malo with a tug and three barges, then ready; V 208/213 ready St Malo; V 205 eastward. Tonnage 3,090 GRT.

Intentions for 9 June: V 213/703 at St Malo Roads overnight, then Robert Müller, Karel and Saigon convoy via Jersey to Guernsey; V 202/204 complete troop convoy Jersey–Guernsey with RO 45 and Holland; V 206/211 night Alderney–Cherbourg convoy, vessels not yet known, preventing occupation of Mikimaus; V 203/209 RO 8 troop convoy Guernsey–Alderney; V 208/213 and ferries ready St Malo [V 213 also assigned above]; V 205 eastward. 19:00: ferries and convoy arrive Jersey. 21:30: V 203/209 leave Guernsey with RO 8 and Antonius for Alderney. 20:30: V 206/211 and convoy leave Cherbourg for Alderney. 22:30: V 202/204 leave St Malo with Holland and Ad. le Prince via Jersey, continuing with RO 45 to Guernsey.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0370.