9 November 1942 Part 4

9 November 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: South-east, light to gentle breeze; cloudy; visibility ten nautical miles, morning haze, local fog; glassy to very smooth sea, slight north-west swell.

0400, Malo: V 207/08 sailed to shadow Huxter to Jersey. 0800, Jersey: M 4600/02/04/05/06 sailed on equipment passage with SSG to Guernsey. 0845, Malo: Alert Level I cancelled.

Requests: (1) shadow Huxter Malo–Jersey and back; (2) bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (3) combined convoy Granville–Jersey–Guernsey on 10 November; (4) night troop convoy Malo–Jersey–Guernsey. Orders: (1) V 207/08; (2) UJ 1411/02 and V 212/22 [as printed; elsewhere V 712/22], protected by V 711 and V 729; (3) V 209/10, to proceed Guernsey–Granville; (4) V 212 and M 4611.

1040, Jersey: V 207/08 arrived with Huxter from Malo. 1140, Jersey: V 207/08 sailed with Huxter for Malo. 1230, Guernsey: V 209/10 sailed for Malo [destination as printed].

The following was sent to 3rd Security Division. Correction to situation for 8 November: items 1–2, UJ 1411/02, V 712/22 and V 711/29 sailed in the evening with bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney but returned on Commander Security West’s order owing to danger from motor torpedo boats.

Situation for 9 November: (1) UJ 1411/02 and V 712/22 evening bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney; (2) V 711/29 protection for item 1; (3) V 212 and M 4611 night troop convoy of 9/10 November from Malo, La France for Jersey, Minotaure, RO 21 and Kurland for Guernsey; (4) V 213 minor repairs at Malo; (5) V 207/08 shadow Huxter Malo–Jersey and back; (6) V 209/10 Guernsey–Malo passage; (7) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla route sweeping with SSG Jersey–Guernsey; (8) C group of 44th Minesweeping Flotilla at Malo for navigation course. Escorted tonnage: 6,200 GRT.

Intentions for 10 November: (1) UJ 1411/02 and V 712/22 complete bridge convoy Cherbourg–Alderney, evening return with bridge undercarriage; (2) V 711/29 patrol off Alderney after bridge convoy enters, until daylight, then enter Alderney; (3) V 212 and M 4611 complete night troop convoy of 9/10 November Malo–Jersey–Guernsey, evening return convoy; (4) V 207/08/09/10/13 ready at Malo, minor repairs; (5) C group of 46th Minesweeping Flotilla continue task of 9 November; (6) C group of 44th Minesweeping Flotilla at Malo for navigation course.

1430, Guernsey: M 4600/01/02/04/05/06 arrived from route sweeping Jersey–Guernsey. 1545, Malo: Through Naval Signals Officer Cherbourg, by war-priority teletype, I send a most-immediate radio order to V 209/10, on their way to Malo, to proceed to Granville for a newly requested convoy. Transmission is delayed; the boats receive it only at 1704. 1630, Malo: V 207/08 with Huxter on the roads. 1650, Malo roads: V 209/10 arrived from Guernsey. Since the radio order has not yet arrived, I order them through MSS Malo to proceed to Granville. 1700, Malo: V 209/10 sailed for Granville. 1705, Malo: V 207/08 entered with Huxter from Jersey. 1920, Granville: V 209/10 arrived from Malo. 1930, Malo: Alert Level I ordered. 2100, Malo: V 212 and M 4611 sailed with La France for Jersey, Minotaure, Kurland and RO 21 for Guernsey.

2320: Detection signals from OZ Cherbourg report enemy targets seven to eight nautical miles north to north-east of Cherbourg, moving to and fro at high speed on changing courses. I order cancellation of the bridge convoy. In this case I do not assume that agents in Cherbourg have reported the convoy’s sailing to the enemy. Rather, the extremely favourable weather and lack of moonlight lead the enemy to seek to disrupt the convoy traffic they can confidently expect from Cherbourg.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0606–0607, original pages 15–16.