24 July 1941 Part 4

24 July 1941 Responsibility for field and permanent construction on the Channel Islands

[Scan 1161.jpg] Commander-in-Chief West, Army Group D headquarters, Ia/General of Engineers, no. 180/41, top secret. Headquarters, 24 July 1941. Second of twelve copies. Subject: responsibility for work relating to construction on the Channel Islands.

To Fifteenth Army, with additional copy for Higher Command LX; Naval Group Commander West; Air Fleet Command 3, with additional copy for Air District Command Western France; Commanding Admiral in France, with additional copy for Naval Commander Channel Coast. For information: Inspector of National Fortifications attached to Commander-in-Chief West; Army High Command, Army General Staff, Operations Branch IIa; General of Engineers and Fortresses at Army High Command. [Operations receipt stamp, 29 July 1941.]

On the basis of the following orders: 1) Army High Command/Operations Branch IIa no. 1101/41, top secret, 13 June 1941; 2) the same no. 1175/41, 18 June 1941; 3) Army High Command/General of Engineers and Fortresses, I I no. 722/41, 17 June 1941; 4) the same no. 767/41, 27 June 1941; 5) Commander-in-Chief West/Army Group A (D), Ia/General of Engineers, Engineer I no. 144/41, 22 June 1941; 6) the same no. 164/41, 4 July 1941, the following is established to avoid any doubts concerning responsibility for handling the tactical and technical requirements of construction on the Channel Islands.

Under references 1, 5 and 6, Higher Command LX, as the permanently assigned tactical authority, is charged with: a) arranging troop deployment and execution of field construction of all defensive works on the Channel Islands through the 319th and 83rd Divisions, as the current local tactical authorities. For this purpose, under references 5 and 6 and the telegram to Naval Group Commander West and Air Fleet Command 3, Higher Command LX has at its disposal the Inspector of National Fortifications attached to Commander-in-Chief West with subordinate construction forces, one naval officer and one Luftwaffe officer.

[Scan 1162.jpg] b) Direct responsibility for reconnaissance and preparations for later permanent construction. The specialist officers named in the last paragraph of 1a are likewise available for naval, Luftwaffe and engineer construction matters. At a date it is to propose, Higher Command LX submits to Fifteenth Army a tactical reconnaissance report and the reports and initial requests on urgent and later preparations in each specialist field, first submitted to Higher Command LX by those officers, together with Higher Command LX’s opinion.

Fifteenth Army is requested to forward these reports and requests, together or separately, with its opinion to Commander-in-Chief West within ten days of receipt. To expedite handling by the competent higher armed-service authorities of their requests concerning preparations, the specialist officers submit two copies directly to Commander-in-Chief West in addition to their submissions to Higher Command LX. For Commander-in-Chief West and Army Group headquarters, the Chief of the General Staff. [Signature and handwritten processing notes partly illegible.]

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1161.jpg, 1162.jpg.