20 January 1943 Part 1

20–23 January 1943 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

20–23 January: no special events. Weather not entered for this grouped period.

Construction, M.A.A. 604: Battery Mirus — construction generally as in the previous week. L.B.K. equipment operational. Concrete work hindered by shortage of cement. Battery Strassburg — shuttering of the new control post almost complete; all preparations for pouring being made.

Battery Steinbruch — reinforcement of gun 1’s accommodation bunker complete, allowing pouring to begin at any time. Excavation for gun 2’s accommodation bunker almost complete. Armoured cupolas are in position at the main control post, but pouring cannot proceed because sealing compound for the cupolas is lacking. Excavation for the machinery bunker has begun. Engineers and battery personnel are making good progress on the brick service barrack.

M.A.A. 605, Organisation Todt: control-post shuttering being stripped. Turrets 1–4: no change from last week. Work on the machinery bunker and excavation of ammunition replenishment bunker I suspended. Bunker II: further stripping of shuttering. Accommodation bunker 2: preparations for pouring; bunker 4: no change from last week. Battery’s own work: road improvements, restoration of storm-damaged barracks, and transfer of ammunition into the gun bunkers.

Signed Steinbach.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37997, scan 0588–0589.