1 October 1943 Part 3

1 October 1943 Channel Islands coastal artillery in the defensive capability assessment

Editorial note: State of readiness as at 1 October 1943. The extract belongs to the defensive capability report dated 10 October 1943 (scan 1033).

c. 319th Infantry Division, coastal front on the Channel Islands approximately 120 km. Three-regiment division with strong coastal artillery; additionally one machine-gun battalion, two mobile battalions and one tank battalion. Artillery: four light battalions, plus one coastal artillery regiment with sixteen heavy batteries, plus ninety-six heavy antiaircraft guns. Heavy weapons: one infantry-gun platoon per regiment, plus numerous static weapons. Antitank defence: one antitank company per regiment and per mobile battalion, plus seventy-five static antitank guns and seventy antilanding guns suitable for engaging tanks. Training standard: good, uneven owing to age-group exchange and transfers.

[Continuation, page 4.] Final assessment, 319th Infantry Division: fully suitable for major combat on the islands.

T-312 Roll 1558, scans 1035–1036. Extract from T-312_Roll_1558_Master_English_Translation.docx.