13 June 1941 Part 3

13 June 1941 General of Artillery proposal for immediate island reinforcement

[Scan 1195.jpg] Army General Staff, General of Artillery, Ia no. 729/41, top secret. Headquarters, 13 June 1941. First of five copies. Reference: new Armed Forces High Command requirement. Subject: Channel Islands. Briefing note.

1) Inquiry to the General Army Office established that the following equipment can immediately be made ready for employment: twelve French 22 cm guns, range 22 kilometres; twelve 15 cm guns 18, range 24.8 kilometres; eighteen 21 cm mortars 18, range 16.7 kilometres. If these ranges do not fully meet requirements, recourse must be made to the Field Army’s 21 cm or 24 cm guns, all currently assigned to Barbarossa. Ranges: 21 cm gun, 29.9 kilometres; heavy Czech 24 cm gun, 31.5 kilometres; K 3, 37.5 kilometres. The General of Artillery considers withdrawal of these guns from the Field Army currently unacceptable.

2) Discussion with Naval High Command shows that only from August can it employ one battery of the heaviest guns with longer range. 3) The Field Army can provide personnel for these batteries: from Army coastal artillery on the Channel coast, twelve cadres each of two NCOs and fifteen men; from railway artillery remaining on the Channel coast, eight cadres each of four NCOs and fifteen men. Total fifty-six NCOs and 300 men. The General Army Office stated on inquiry that it will be able to provide the additional personnel required to man the batteries.

[Scan 1196.jpg] 4) In accordance with Armed Forces High Command’s requirement, the General of Artillery therefore proposes as an immediate solution: a) formation by the Commander of the Replacement Army, using officers and cadre personnel from his area, of three batteries each of four French 22 cm guns, three batteries each of four 15 cm guns 18, and six batteries each of three 21 cm mortars 18; b) expedited delivery to Granville as the embarkation port for the islands; c) dispatch of advance parties for detailed reconnaissance and preparations; d) delivery to Granville of cadres from Artillery Commander 141’s coastal and railway artillery for preparatory work and to fill out the cadre units; e) withdrawal of one regimental headquarters from Artillery Commander 141 and entrusting it with preparation and execution of island employment.

5) Following a brief discussion with the Naval War Staff, the initially available batteries are proposed for distribution as follows: Alderney, one 15 cm gun battery; Guernsey, two 22 cm gun batteries, two 15 cm gun batteries and three 21 cm mortar batteries; Jersey, one 22 cm gun battery and three 21 cm mortar batteries.

This is a provisional solution intended to achieve substantial immediate reinforcement with available resources. The islands’ final armament within the planned fortress-style construction can be proposed after detailed reconnaissance and once the types of guns available from new production or the Field Army are known. In timing, new production will probably yield 21 cm guns 39 for one battery in July. By order [signature unclear]. Distribution: Operations Branch and Organization Branch; for information General of Engineers and Fortresses and General Army Office/Inspectorate 4.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1195.jpg, 1196.jpg.