25 October 1942 Part 6

25 October 1942 Army demands more concrete protection for island weapons

Date note: The October letter discusses expected completion by 31 December. It does not prove the eight Jersey turret emplacements were already completed in October.

Seventh Army Headquarters, Ia/Army Engineer Commander No. 717/42, secret command matter. Army headquarters, 25 October 1942. Four copies; copy 3. Filed Ia 4740/42.

Reference: LXXXIV Corps Ia/Staff Officer for Engineers No. 2283/42, secret command matter, 16 October 1942.

Subject: Construction progress report for fortification of the Channel Islands. To LXXXIV Corps.

The progress report shows a strikingly small number of emplacements with embrasure turrets, combat emplacements for Czech 4.7 cm antitank guns, casemates for 10.5 cm guns, and artillery observation posts completed by 31 December 1942 on the Channel Islands. The only exception is the eight turret emplacements on Jersey.

The Führer demands that some weapons, especially artillery, be placed under concrete so that they can operate continuously during heavy air attacks and artillery bombardment. Priority on the islands must therefore be given to placing selected batteries under concrete protection, deliberately foregoing all-round fire, while all other batteries receive the necessary antiaircraft protection; and to providing an appropriate number of machine guns, antitank guns, anti-landing guns and artillery observers with permanent concrete structures.

Although the Channel Islands have a special construction plan ordered before the new Führer order for the Channel and Atlantic coasts, the principles established for those coasts and in the Führer’s conference of 29 September 1942 are also binding for the islands.

Reference is made to Seventh Army Ia/Staff Officer for Artillery/Army Signals Commander/Army Engineer Commander/Pi.2 I.4 No. 684/42 and Ia No. 4633/42, secret command matters, of 20 October 1942.

For Army headquarters, Chief of the General Staff: draft signed Sixt. Certified: lieutenant and adjutant [signature]. After transmission: Ia/war diary.

Translator’s note: the report is dated October but explicitly refers to 31 December 1942. The wording appears to concern anticipated completions by that date; it should not be read as proof that all eight Jersey emplacements were already complete in October.

German Seventh Army records, T-312 Roll 1548. T312 Roll 1548 English translation REVIEWED EDITION 4.docx. Local source scans: 0741.jpg.