14 October 1943 Part 4

14 October 1943 Guernsey artillery fire plans and observation

Editorial note: Extract from the report dated 17 October 1943 on the Commander-in-Chief’s tour of 13–16 October (Roll 1558 scan 1068, Operations No. 5213/43 secret). Placed here under the inspection date. Imported from the supplied English translation; its uncertain readings are retained.

Artillery regimental commander Lieutenant Colonel Pedell described which batteries were available in the defence sector and explained artillery preparations for its defence. The Commander-in-Chief criticised the failure to include antiaircraft artillery in the fire plan and ordered immediate correction.

Concentrations of fire have been prepared in front of individual points vulnerable to landing and can be triggered by alarm signals. The Commander-in-Chief’s question whether these concentrations had been tested and brought sufficiently close to the coast was answered affirmatively.

The Commander-in-Chief criticised describing these concentrations as “harassing fire”. The batteries could fire under observation, thus delivering destructive fire or observed barrage fire. For the heavy mortar battalions, so-called “landing fire lanes” had been prepared: unobserved fire moving back in steps of 400 metres within the lanes and then placed on the beach. The Commander-in-Chief questioned the effectiveness of this new concept.

To illuminate the foreground, the antiaircraft artillery plans to fire illuminating shells to establish light points in front of the individual sectors. Asked whether batteries could be employed mobile, the artillery regimental commander answered affirmatively for the light batteries. Asked whether forward observers were deployed, he answered yes, from eight batteries; there were also observers at the ranging stations around the island. The Commander-in-Chief stressed that a permanent observer system must always exist, not only during an alert.

2. Position of 1st Battery, Antiaircraft Battalion 292. Firing position developed as a permanent fortification, with personnel and ammunition bunkers and a cabled telephone network. The antiaircraft commander explained, using plans, the concentrations of fire and the batteries’ coverage against ground and sea targets.

The Commander-in-Chief stressed: the division or regimental commander orders the artillery point of main effort. Antiaircraft artillery must also participate in the defence. The antiaircraft commander decides case by case whether air targets take priority. Principle: be able to concentrate as many batteries as possible anywhere, with corresponding preparations and communications.

T-312 Roll 1558, scans 1070–1071. Extract from T-312_Roll_1558_Master_English_Translation.docx.