23 December 1941 Part 2

23 December 1941 Army Group D requests withdrawal of island troops to strengthen mainland defence

[Scan 1070.jpg] Operations Branch (IIa). 23 December 1941. Telephone call from Army Group D, 23 December, 17:30; operations officer Lieutenant-Colonel (GS) Zimmermann. Army Group D requests permission to transfer one light artillery battalion, one anti-tank company and one infantry battalion of 319th Infantry Division from Jersey to the mainland, and to take Alderney’s infantry garrison from Guernsey’s present garrison.

Reason: after releasing divisions earmarked for the East, Commander-in-Chief West, while fully appreciating the threat to the Channel Islands, no longer considers their present garrison strength justified relative to the forces remaining for the rest of coastal defence. A division is urgently needed as a reserve behind coastal-defence forces in the Rennes–Laval area for possible employment in Brittany or Normandy. 337th Division, previously intended for this, is unavailable because First Army urgently needs it for instructional duties (company commanders’ school, engineer school, etc.). Since no other formation is available, Commander-in-Chief West intends withdrawing a division from coastal defence, probably on Fifteenth Army’s left wing. The above 319th Division forces are to fill part of the resulting gap. Commander-in-Chief West requests Army High Command’s approval as rapidly as possible, since overall planning for Western reorganisation depends on it.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1070.jpg.