16 June 1941

16 June 1941 Formation, personnel cadres and towing equipment for island coastal batteries

[Scan 1184.jpg] Army High Command, Army General Staff, Organization Branch I no. 1982/41, top secret. Headquarters, 16 June 1941. Fifteen copies. Reference: Operations Branch IIa no. 1101/41, top secret, commanders-only, of 13 June 1941. Subject: protection of the Channel Islands. To Commander-in-Chief West, first copy; Sixteenth Army (T), second; Artillery Commander 141, third. For information: Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army, fourth; its General Army Office, fifth.

1) The batteries envisaged under the reference for artillery reinforcement of the Channel Islands will be provided with personnel and equipment by the Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army, except for personnel to be supplied by Sixteenth Army (T) under paragraph 2, and delivered to that army from 1 July. Two coastal artillery battalion headquarters will also be formed so that advance parties can depart for Sixteenth Army (T) from 1 July.

2) Sixteenth Army (T) is to fill the coastal batteries provided under paragraph 1 with cadres from coastal and railway artillery deployed along the Channel coast, as specified in the annex. It reports the coastal and railway batteries selected to supply these cadres directly to Army High Command/Organization Branch I and Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army/General Army Office. Replacement of cadres from coastal batteries is governed by Organization Branch I no. 1704/41, top secret, of 25 May 1941, paragraph 5. Replacements for transfers from railway batteries are to be requested through replacement channels.

[Scan 1185.jpg] 3) The Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army will supply Sixteenth Army (T) with towing vehicles: one tractor with driver for one 15 cm gun battery on Alderney, three tractors with drivers for the battalion headquarters on Guernsey, and two for the battalion headquarters on Jersey.

4) For the four captured-gun batteries already deployed on the Channel Islands, two 7.5 cm and two 15 cm batteries [as printed], Commander-in-Chief West is to apply to Organization Branch I for the personnel establishment to be fixed above the existing strength of one officer, two NCOs and fifteen men, keeping the increase as small as possible. Commander-in-Chief West must then bring the batteries up to the new establishment. 5) The Chief of Army Armaments and Commander of the Replacement Army will agree delivery details for the new battalion headquarters and batteries directly with Sixteenth Army (T). One annex. By order [signature unclear]. After dispatch: Operations Branch, sixth; Quartermaster-General, seventh; General of Artillery, eighth; Army Personnel Office, ninth–eleventh; reserve copies, twelfth–fourteenth; draft, fifteenth.

[Scan 1186.jpg] Annex: strength of personnel cadres to be supplied by Sixteenth Army (T) for Channel Islands coastal artillery. a) Per 22 cm or 15 cm gun battery: NCOs, one for the aiming circle, one signals-detachment leader, two gun commanders, one for ammunition handling; men, one calculator, four telephonists, two radio operators, sixteen gunners and two ammunition gunners. b) Per 21 cm mortar battery: NCOs, one for the aiming circle, two gun commanders, one ammunition NCO; men, one calculator, four telephonists, two radio operators and eighteen gunners.

Original source image 1186.jpg — T-78 Roll 317. Formation, personnel cadres and towing equipment for island coastal batteries.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1184.jpg, 1185.jpg, 1186.jpg.