16 March 1941

16 March 1941 Briefing on projected island garrisons from mid-April

[Scan 1236.jpg] Operations Branch IIa no. 394/41, top secret, 16 March 1941. Commanders only; convey only by officer. First of three copies. Briefing note on the defensive readiness of the Channel Islands, according to Army Group D headquarters, Ia no. 109/41, top secret, of 10 March 1941.

I. From mid-April the island garrisons will be organized as follows: one commander of the Channel Islands on Jersey. 1) Guernsey: Army, one infantry battalion with antitank platoon, one engineer company, one antitank company, one artillery battalion headquarters, one light field-howitzer battery, one battery of French 7.5 cm field guns and one battery of French 15 cm guns; Navy, four 22 cm naval guns. Island commander: infantry battalion commander. 2) Sark: one infantry platoon supplied from Guernsey.

3) Jersey: Army, one infantry battalion with antitank platoon, one antitank battalion less one company, one light field-howitzer battery, one battery of French 7.5 cm field guns, one battery of French 15 cm guns; Navy, three 15 cm naval guns. Island commander: infantry battalion commander. 4) Alderney: three 17 cm naval guns. Local protection of the island is provided from the Cherbourg fortress area.

[Scan 1237.jpg] II. Antiaircraft artillery is unavailable. Air Fleet 3 is evacuating Jersey airfield. III. Delivery of reinforcements: crossing equipment for one reinforced battalion is ready, but the possibility of delivery is doubtful because there is no naval escort and only small vessels. IV. Other measures: a) artillery preparations, fire plans, cooperation with naval artillery and so forth, are being made by a special staff; b) review and expansion of the communications network on the islands and to the mainland; c) frequent alarm exercises; d) installation of searchlights is being examined. Distribution: Chief of the Army General Staff, Chief of Operations Branch, IIa; handwritten addition, Armed Forces High Command [other routing words unclear].

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1236.jpg, 1237.jpg.