23 August 1943 Part 5

23 August 1943 Channel Islands permanent construction progress during July 1943

Date note: Cover 23 August 1943; report status 1 August 1943.

[Scan 0964.jpg] Army High Command/Army General Staff/General of Engineers and Fortifications attached to Chief of Army General Staff[earlier heading: Commander-in-Chief Army], BranchL (IIW), Channel IslandsA. No. 1328/43 secret command matter. 23 August 1943. Four copies; copy 3. To Armed Forces High Command/Operations Staff/Operations, with one additional copy (copies 1 and 2).

References: 1. Armed Forces High Command/Operations Staff/BranchL (IOp) no. 441760/41 secret chiefs’ matter, 20 October 1941; 2. Army High Command/Army General Staff/General of Engineers and Fortifications (LIIW) no. 6075/42 secret, 15 October 1942.

Subject: Fortification of the English Channel Islands. Three enclosures. Enclosed, in accordance with reference 1, item 5, is a report on the state of permanent fortification of the Channel Islands as at 1 August 1943. A new construction map of Guernsey as at 1 August 1943 is enclosed.

By order: [signature unclear]. After dispatch: Adjutant to Chief of Army General Staff (copy 3), with request to forward to Operations Branch (II). By order: [signature unclear]. Receipt: Chief of Army General Staff 24 August 1943; Operations Branch 25 August 1943, no. 8612/43.

[Scan 0962.jpg] Report on permanent construction progress on the Channel Islands (position 1 August 1943). 1. For details of construction status and progress during July, see attached table.

2. The shortage of cement and reinforcing steel that has existed for months could not be remedied in the reporting month either. Lack of cement had a very adverse effect on permanent-construction concrete work, so that a considerable number of structures could not be concreted. Concrete output: Guernsey 11,104 m³; Jersey 10,813 m³; Alderney 4,662 m³; total 26,579 m³. Additional anti-tank walls etc.on all three islands 1,504 m³; overall 28,083 m³.

3. Rock-tunnel construction output increased from 11,382 m³ in the previous month to 14,291 m³ of usable rock excavation in July.

4. A slight increase in supply was achieved. Total construction-material throughput in July 22,588 tonnes, compared with 18,881 tonnes in the previous month.

5. Mines laid as at 1 August 1943: Guernsey 24,200; Jersey 16,090; Sark 2,582; Alderney 5,910.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 0962.jpg, 0964.jpg.