23 October 1943 Part 12

23 October 1943 Channel Islands permanent construction progress during September 1943

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

[Scan 0969.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. 1861/43 secret command matter. 23 October 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. Two 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 October 1943.

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: 24 October 1943, nos. 3864/43 and 11121/43.

[Scan 0970.jpg] Report on permanent construction progress on the Channel Islands (position 1 October 1943). 1. Details of construction status and progress during September are shown in the attached table.

2. Although more labour was withdrawn for construction elsewhere, the highest concrete output yet achieved in fortifying the Channel Islands was attained during the reporting month: 40,881 m³, against 32,125 m³ in the preceding month. In permanent construction, 48 installations became operational and 28 were completed in structural shell during September.

Concrete output: Guernsey 13,417 m³; Jersey 14,706 m³; Alderney 3,643 m³; total 31,766 m³. Additional anti-tank walls etc.on all three islands 9,115 m³; overall 40,881 m³.

3. Rock-tunnel construction achieved 14,218 m³ of usable excavation, an output described as equal to the preceding month[as written].

4. Total construction-material throughput in September 20,522 tonnes, compared with 18,266 tonnes in August.

5. A total 3,777 new mines were laid during the reporting month. Total laid as at 1 October 1943: Guernsey 31,008; Jersey 19,413; Sark 2,582; Alderney 6,010.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 0969.jpg, 0970.jpg.