18 May 1943 Part 2

18 May 1943 Agenda for divisional operations officers conference at Valognes Annex 152

Construction: searchlight siting, good on the islands; use drainage ditches for weapons; anti-tank ditches around batteries; clear fields of fire around resistance nests; remove dead ground through flanking fire, since mortars alone without observation are insufficient. Build rock galleries for flanking positions: the answer to objections is “Start”. Dig heavy weapons in as deeply as possible; do not site weapons too high, and always provide flanking fire. Camouflage command posts with stones, construction-site appearance, overhead covering of entrances, stone patterns and castle-tower disguises; divisional command post “Fichte”. Beware enemy observation. Use an embrasured emplacement for the 7.5-cm anti-tank gun instead of a gun garage, standard design 625. Twin-embrasure bunker on the canal approved. Battery 9/945 is too close to the village; check everywhere. At the maritime station, a field of fire of approximately two hundred metres suffices, but account for the Fort du Roule battery. Increase use of medium mortars.

T-314 Roll 1604, T314_R1604_English_Translation.docx. 18 May 1943 | Source PDF pages 495–497. Selected island-related text; document or report date governs placement.