22 June 1941 Part 3

22 June 1941 Engineer command and construction forces for the Channel Islands

[Scan 1191.jpg] Commander-in-Chief West, Army Group A headquarters (Branch T), Ia/General of Engineers no. 144/41, top secret. Headquarters, 22 June 1941. Seventh of fifteen copies. References: 1) Commander-in-Chief West, Ia no. 254/41, top secret, commanders-only, of 16 June 1941; 2) Army High Command/General of Engineers and Fortresses, I I no. 722/41, top secret [reference line partially obscured]. Subject: protection of the Channel Islands. To Sixteenth Army (T), with additional copy for Higher Command LX; Naval Group Commander West; Commanding Admiral in France. For information: Inspector of Western Fortifications; Army High Command/Operations Branch and General of Engineers and Fortresses. Received 27 June.

1) Army High Command has made the Inspector of Western Fortifications with staff available to carry out the tasks under Commander-in-Chief West/Army Group A (T) Ia no. 254/41, top secret, commanders-only. 2) Beyond reference 1, Army High Command will supply and directly subordinate to the Inspector these construction troops: Fortress Engineer Staff 19, immediately; Fortress Engineer Staff 14, Fortress Construction Battalion 152 and Construction Battalion 158, from 1 July.

3) With reference to the telephone conversation between the chiefs of staff of Commander-in-Chief West and Sixteenth Army (T), the Inspector and his construction forces are made available to Higher Command LX for the following tasks arising from tactical requirements under reference 1: a) rapid provision of field shelters for the island garrisons, splinter-proof against air attack and artillery fire from naval and land forces, and close obstacles to repel enemy landings; b) reconnaissance, preparations and execution of later permanent construction on the Channel Islands.

[Scan 1192.jpg] The strongest possible forces of combat troops of all arms are to be made available for task a, insofar as they are not directly required for current tactical security and training for their combat tasks. 4) Administrative and judicial attachment of the construction forces under paragraph 2 is to be ordered in detail by Higher Command LX. 5) Under reference 2, the Army fortress engineer offices and construction troops employed throughout the Commanding Admiral in France’s area remain subordinate to the Inspector of Western Fortifications for unit administration.

6) In view of the Inspector’s tasks under paragraphs 3 and 5 and in the Maginot fortifications, Paris is designated as his office location. The Inspector himself remains in Higher Command LX’s area as long as planning and work on the islands require it. For Commander-in-Chief West and Army Group A (T) headquarters, the Chief of the General Staff [signature unclear].

[Scan 1193.jpg] Distribution: Sixteenth Army (T), with additional copies for Higher Command LX, three copies; Naval Group Commander West, one; Commanding Admiral in France, one; Inspector of Western Fortifications, one. For information: Army High Command/Operations Branch, one; General of Engineers and Fortresses, one. Internal: Army Group A (T), Ia, General of Engineers, Staff Artillery Officer, Naval Liaison Officer, Luftwaffe Liaison Officer, Air Liaison Officer and draft, one each. Total fifteen copies.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1191.jpg, 1192.jpg, 1193.jpg.