11 October 1941 Part 2

11 October 1941 Mainland batteries to protect waters between the Channel Islands and France

Date note: Cover 11 October 1941; enclosed request 6 October 1941.

[Scan 1091.jpg] Secret command matter. General of Artillery attached to Commander-in-Chief Army (Ia), no. 1124/41, second submission. Headquarters, 11 October 1941. Four copies; copy 1. Subject: Defence of Channel Islands. One enclosure. To Operations Branch; information Organisation Branch and Quartermaster-General. Received 11 October 1941, no. 38041/41.

In response to the attached Army Group D request, the following are proposed: 1. Employment of Railway Battery 726 (Theodor Bruno), currently at Pillau, as already requested under General of Artillery Ia no. 1124/41 of 11 October 1941. 2. Formation of a 20.3 cm railway battery, range 36 km, in accordance with the reduced establishment proposed to Organisation Branch under no. 3590/41 secret of 11 October 1941 for railway batteries with two guns in fixed employment. 3. Formation of an Army coastal battery with six 15.5 cm K416(f) guns. So far as known here, guns of longer range for these batteries are currently unavailable. By order: Rupp[signature reading uncertain]. Handwritten: regarding 2, preparations for formation are already being made by Artillery Commander 141; 23 October. [Other marginal routing words partly unclear.]

[Scan 1092.jpg] Secret command matter. Army Group Command D, Ia/Artillery no. 227/41. Headquarters, 6 October 1941. Four copies; copy 1. Subject: Defence of Channel Islands. To Army High Command/Army General Staff/General of Artillery.

In the Navy’s view, enemy warships may under certain circumstances penetrate between the mainland and Channel Islands. Such targets in this area can be engaged from the islands by only weak artillery elements, since most calibres suitable for sea targets must fire toward the open sea, in the opposite direction. Moreover, range limitations alone prevent control of the sea between mainland and islands from the islands.

Army Group Command therefore requests three batteries for mainland employment. They should have a range of about 25 km, one battery greater if possible. Employment conditions call for one “very heavy flat-trajectory” battery and two “very heavy flat-trajectory (railway gun)” batteries. Weakening our artillery defence on the Channel Coast, in Artillery Commander 141’s area, to undertake this task appears unacceptable: three batteries have already had to be withdrawn for other indispensable tasks, and under certain circumstances further detachments from Artillery Commander 141 to other coastal-front sectors may be necessary. For Army Group Command, the Chief of General Staff, acting: [signature]. Certified correct copy: [signature], Lieutenant-Colonel.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1091.jpg, 1092.jpg.