9 December 1942 Part 2

9 December 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-south-west force 3–4, cloudy, later overcast, occasionally hazy; sea 3–4.

0300, Guernsey: M 4611/12 arrived from Cherbourg. 0500, Guernsey: V 703/04 and V 208 sailed with Karel for Alderney. 0800, Alderney: V 703/04 and V 208 arrived with Karel from Guernsey.

Requests: (1) onward escort steamer Nordvard Malo–Cherbourg; (2) Maas and Claus Wilhelm from Guernsey for Granville, Gueppe 58 to Jersey, there joined by Pointe à Pitre and Tourane; (3) night troop convoy Rob. Müller 8 and Nestor Jersey–Guernsey; (4) return convoy R. Müller 8 Guernsey–Jersey; (5) night troop convoy Karel Alderney–Guernsey; (6) night troop convoy from Malo, Holland to Jersey, Minotaure and RO 45 to Guernsey; (7) Tinda and Franka Cherbourg–Alderney; (8) Gerfried Alderney–Cherbourg. Orders: (1) UJ 1401/02/14 and V 210/12; submarine chasers available to 2nd Security Division from Cherbourg; (2–4) V 207 and M 4611/12; (5) V 703/04; (6) V 213/09; (7–8) V 711/22, joined by V 208 on the return convoy Alderney–Cherbourg.

0900, Malo roads: V 213/10 went into the roads for equipment trials. 0945, Malo roads: UJ 1401/02/14 anchored with Nordvard from Lorient. 1100, Guernsey: V 207 and M 4611/12 sailed with convoy for Jersey–Granville.

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Corrections to 8 December: item 3, after escorting Karel Alderney–Guernsey, ready at Guernsey; item 4, M 4607 had not arrived, so M 4611/12 independently Cherbourg–Guernsey. Situation for 9 December: (1) V 703/04 and V 208 early convoy Karel Guernsey–Alderney; (2) V 711/22 ready at Cherbourg; (3) V 207 and M 4611/12 with Maas, Claus Wilhelm and Gueppe 58 Guernsey–Granville, joined at Jersey by Tourane and Pointe à Pitre, then independently Granville–Jersey, then night troop convoy of 9/10 December Rob. Müller 8 and Nestor Jersey–Guernsey; (4) V 210/13 equipment trials in Malo Bay by day, then item 5; (5) UJ 1401/02/14 and V 210/12 at 2200 with Nordvard, convoy 3354, Malo–Cherbourg; (6) V 213/09 night troop convoy of 9/10 December from Malo with Holland to Jersey, Minotaure and RO 45 to Guernsey; (7) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla fitting out at Malo. Escorted tonnage: 12,500 GRT.

Intentions for 10 December: (1) V 703/04 early convoy Karel Alderney–Guernsey; (2) V 711/22 early convoy of two coastal motor vessels Cherbourg–Alderney, evening return with V 208 and convoy; (3) V 207 and M 4611/12 early convoy Rob. Müller 8 Guernsey–Jersey, then independently Malo; (4) V 213/09 complete night troop convoy of 9/10 December Malo–Jersey–Guernsey, evening return convoy to Malo; (5) UJ 1401/02/14 and V 210/12 complete convoy 3354 Malo–Cherbourg, then submarine chasers available to 2nd Security Division, V 210/12 coaling; (6) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla ready at Malo.

1430, Jersey: V 207 and M 4611/12 released Gueppe 58 and took Tourane and Pointe à Pitre into convoy for Granville. 1815, Malo: I reported by radio through Naval Signals Officer Cherbourg possible encounters between the Nordvard convoy and V 703/04 or V 711/22. 1830, Malo: UJ 1401/02/14 and V 210/12 sailed with Nordvard for Cherbourg.

1845, Granville: V 207 signalled Harbour Commandant Granville by semaphore that it had found the damaged FK 06/13 at Les Ardentes and taken them in tow. FK 06 sank during towing. Crew, passengers, baggage and weapons were recovered and brought aboard; FK 13 was towed in. 1930, Granville: V 207 arrived with convoy. M 4611/12 returned independently to Jersey for the Rob. Müller 8 convoy.

Remark: the FK boats grounded at Les Ardentes owing to poor navigation, inadequate navigational equipment — compasses not adjusted for four years, deviation up to 40 degrees — poor visibility and weather. FK 06 became leaky and sank while being towed off. FK 13’s propeller and rudder were bent. V 207’s commanding officer’s decision to release the other boats to carry out the night convoy and to enter Granville with the rescued crew, weapons and baggage was appropriate and is approved. Recovery of the weapons as well as the crew and baggage deserves recognition: the work was careful, swift and showed good seamanship. Inadequate navigational equipment, and the failure to inspect and maintain the material requirements for reliable navigation, with no compass adjustment, led in this case to the loss of a vessel. [Assessment reproduced from the St Malo diary; compare the Channel Islands command’s separate investigation.]

1945, Malo: V 213/09 sailed with night troop convoy for Jersey–Guernsey. 2200, Jersey: M 4611/12 took Rob. Müller 8 into convoy for Guernsey; Nestor remained behind owing to weather. Signed Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0651–0652, original pages 16–19.