14 October 1943 Part 8

14 October 1943 Mirus naval battery inspection

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.

Mirus Battery firing position. A modern battery of four 30.5 cm Russian guns, range 51 km, with permanent fortifications fully completed apart from small details. Camouflage of individual guns is not yet complete but is in progress. Here too, the excellent camouflage of the concrete circular gun emplacements by the process mentioned above was striking. The gun drill demonstrated made a very good impression.

The battery, built with an enormous expenditure of concrete, has a separate underground accommodation block for each gun with all modern facilities: washing and shower rooms, its own machinery for lighting, operating power and ventilation, etc.

The Commander-in-Chief was completely satisfied with the battery’s construction and condition. Regarding the island’s fortification, he acknowledged that much had been accomplished since the previous year. Much remained to be done for passive antitank defence in the second line. He ordered further antitank obstacles, rolling frames, but especially the well-proven rail obstacles.

The camouflage method mentioned in this passage is described earlier in scan 1075: wire mesh, wire hoops and wood wool soaked in cement, forming a firm surface which takes sprayed paint well.

T-312 Roll 1558, scans 1075–1076. Extract from T-312_Roll_1558_Master_English_Translation.docx.