27 February 1943 Part 1

27 February 1943 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind 45°, 3 m/sec. S 65 and S 85 entered St Peter Port after a successful operation against the enemy, bringing eleven prisoners. At 08:30 Alert State I was lifted by order of the 319th Infantry Division.

Mirus battery: Organisation Todt workers had still not returned. Approximately thirty men of a mining company began draining the gun bunkers. The battery’s own labour service continued. Shuttering for the first 7.5-cm gun position was complete; pouring was to begin during the following week if cement could be obtained. Work continued on the second emplacement, requiring blasting [the typed construction verb is unclear in context]. Two Tobruk positions, at the fire-control post and No. 1 gun, were complete. Work continued on the mess barrack. Drainage of the construction area, soakaways and drainage pipes were complete; wiring and road construction continued.

Strasbourg battery: after the fire-control post had been poured by battery personnel following the withdrawal of Organisation Todt labour, it awaited internal fitting-out. That work could not yet begin while Organisation Todt remained absent. Work already begun by battery personnel continued. Splinter-proof and aircraft-gun-proof covers for the ammunition recesses at guns 1–3 were completed; work on No. 4 gun was to begin during the following week. The splinter-protected lowering of the ammunition supply tracks continued.

Steinbruch battery: new construction slowly resumed as Organisation Todt partially returned to work. Construction of the mess barrack was continued in part by battery personnel.

Naval Artillery Battalion 605 — West battery: no change from the preceding week was recorded in either Organisation Todt work or work by battery personnel.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37997, scans 0602–0603.