27 June 1944 Part 4

27 June 1944 Part 4 Convoy takes refuge in Jersey after a naval engagement

Date note: 27 June 1944.

Teletype. Secret. Flash precedence. Seventh Army to Army Group B. Ia daily report, 27 June 1944.

1. Situation. Under cover of strong artillery brought forward and heavy naval artillery reaching far into the rear, the enemy assembled east of Tilly and on 25 June launched a breakthrough attack southeastwards. By 27 June some elements had crossed the Caen–Villers-Bocage road near Mondrainville. Heavy fighting to contain the breakthrough is continuing. Observed preparations on both sides of the Orne suggest that the attack, aiming to take Caen, will expand across the entire sector as far as the Bois de Bavent.

Preparations for attack have also been identified west of the Vire. Elements of the American 90th Infantry Division have been identified southwest of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte; a large-scale attack between the Vire and the Cotentin west coast is therefore to be expected when further enemy forces become available from Cherbourg.

The enemy’s overwhelming air superiority, increased further by numerous forward airfields; naval artillery which we have so far been unable to silence; and increasing artillery harassing fire continually reduce our infantry’s fighting strength, slow the arrival of new formations and seriously disrupt supply in every field. In LXXXIV Army Corps, supply difficulties have consequently required a reduction in the bread ration. Our fighter defence cannot inflict serious losses on the vastly superior enemy air force.

2. Details.

(a) LXXXVI Army Corps. Strong enemy air activity; naval artillery harassing fire on the Gonneville–Grangues area. Enemy landings at La Brèche and shipping concentrations engaged by our artillery. Several enemy reconnaissance thrusts in and west of Bois de Bavent; another patrol with radio equipment and eighteen men captured.

(b) XXXXVII Panzer Corps. Numerous artillery and mortar concentrations on the right-hand sector. Enemy ammunition dump northwest of Briquessard set alight. Three enemy fighters shot down. Lively enemy fighter-bomber activity.

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(c) II Parachute Corps. Lively patrol activity on both sides. Enemy harassing fire on roads and artillery positions. Our artillery successfully engaged enemy positions and concentrations opposite the left flank. Lively enemy fighter-bomber activity in the afternoon.

(d) LXXXIV Army Corps. Right-hand sector: nothing special to report. No reports received from the left-hand sector.

(e) Group von Schlieben. No longer in contact with the fortress garrison in Cherbourg town. No new reports from Group Keil on the Jobourg peninsula.

(f) LXXIV Army Corps. At 02:30, naval engagement between our convoy travelling from Saint-Malo to Guernsey and enemy gunboats 10 km southwest of Saint Helier. The convoy entered Jersey with minor damage. Enemy sea and aerial reconnaissance over the Perros–Île de Batz sea area. At 14:00, three fighter-bombers attacked the Luftwaffe long-range search station at Cap Fréhel; equipment undamaged. Slight fighter-bomber activity throughout the corps area; flights at night supplying resistance groups [source term: terrorists].

(g) I SS Panzer Corps and XXV Army Corps: reports not yet received.

3. Changes of command posts. I SS Panzer Corps: Clinchamps, 12 km south of Caen. 21st Panzer Division: Saint-André, 7 km south of Caen.

Seventh Army Headquarters, Ia No. 1902/44 Secret. Signed Pemsel. Certified correct: [signature indistinct], Major, General Staff. After dispatch: Senior Quartermaster; Ic; Air Force Liaison Officer; Ia/war diary; O1; Achilles 2.

German Seventh Army Headquarters (AOK 7), NARA T-312 Roll 1565. Roll 1565 Jersey and Channel Islands English translations.docx, reference 63. Scan extracts: img113_01_0_2111.jpg, img113_02_2111_4154.jpg. Extract filenames identify the original image strip, section number and horizontal pixel boundaries; these are not archival frame numbers.