3 June 1941

3 June 1941 Additional details in Commander in Chief West’s island readiness report

Editorial note: Supplement to the Higher Command report of 2 June 1941 already in the master. Repeated garrison lists are omitted. Differences in ammunition figures, antiaircraft provision, battery equipment and requests are retained as stated by this source; they do not establish additional deployments.

Editorial note: Other copies or associated sheets are cited together; repeated text is counted once.

[Scan 1220.jpg] Commander-in-Chief West, Army Group A headquarters, Branch T, Ia no. 250/41, top secret, commanders-only. Headquarters, 3 June 1941. Convey only by officer. References: 1) telephone inquiry, Army High Command/Operations Branch, Captain Giese; 2) Ia no. 109/41, top secret, commanders-only, 10 March 1941; 3) Ia no. 197/41, top secret, commanders-only, 24 April 1941. Subject: defensive readiness of the Channel Islands. Three annexes. To Army High Command/Operations Branch, first and second copies. The enclosed maps are submitted in response to reference 1. Annex 1 shows artillery defence and infantry coastal protection in outline; annexes 2 and 3 give details of deployed forces.

[Scan 1222.jpg] 2) Artillery. a) Jersey: one battery of captured French 7.5 cm guns, deployed by platoons as close-defence guns at St Helier harbour and on the island’s west coast; one battery of captured French 15.5 cm guns, shortly to be concentrated at the northwestern corner, with position construction and installation of steel platforms under way, meanwhile still deployed by platoons at the southwestern and northwestern corners; one naval 15 cm battery in the southwest, also ready to fire although position construction continues; one Czech light field-howitzer battery as the counterattack reserve’s battery, with observation and firing positions surveyed and being prepared.

[Scans 1222–1223.jpg] b) Guernsey: one battery of captured French 7.5 cm guns, deployed by platoons as close-defence guns at St Peter Port and in the west; one battery of captured French 15 cm guns [as stated in this section], concentrated in position in the northwest, with construction of its permanent position and steel platforms under way; one naval 22 cm battery at the southeastern corner, provisionally ready to fire, with gun platforms completed but panoramic sights, naval-target telescopes and one bearing pillar lacking, requested through naval channels; one light field-howitzer battery as the counterattack reserve’s battery.

V. Armoured forces and antitank defence. 1) The four captured French tanks assigned to Jersey will be loaded at Granville on 4 June, after training there, and ready for action on the island from that evening. 2) Jersey: the available antitank platoon is employed in St Helier harbour defence. Guernsey: the antitank company of Machine-Gun Battalion 16 has one platoon assigned to harbour protection and two to the mobile reserve.

VI. Stocks. 1) Ammunition. Artillery: French 7.5 cm, four allocations, 4,000 rounds present; Czech 10.5 cm, one and a half allocations, 1,500 rounds present, and two and a half allocations, 2,100 rounds en route; French 15.5 cm, one and two-thirds allocations, 1,000 rounds present, and two and one-third allocations, 1,400 rounds requested. [Figures reproduced as stated.] Infantry: one allocation; Machine-Gun Battalion 16 has two. A second allocation will be sent during this week; third and fourth allocations have been requested.

VII. Army antiaircraft forces: none remain. One Luftwaffe light antiaircraft battery is divided between the two islands.

4) The cadres intended for the four captured-gun batteries, each one officer, two NCOs and fifteen men, which arrived on 28 May, remain insufficient. A substantial increase in cadre personnel is needed, particularly for use of the long-baseline fire-control method. Signals equipment is still insufficient. 5) Antiaircraft protection: one antiaircraft company each for Guernsey and Jersey would be desirable, although the overall situation probably requires postponement of this demand.

[Scans 1224–1225.jpg] 6) Shipping space for communication with the islands is tight, although the Navy has provided a further motor boat of 180 tons. A small fast motor boat for the Commander of the British Channel Islands and his superior authorities would be desirable. 7) Three aircraft each for Guernsey and Jersey appear desirable for reconnaissance and transmission of orders.

Commander-in-Chief West, Army Group A headquarters, Branch T, for the Chief of the General Staff, signed Zimmermann. After dispatch: Sixteenth Army, Branch T, for information, third copy; Ia draft, fourth copy.

German Army High Command records, T-78 Roll 317. Supplied English translation T78_Roll_317_English_Translation.docx. Source images: 1220.jpg, 1221.jpg, 1222.jpg, 1223.jpg, 1224.jpg, 1225.jpg, 1227.jpg, 1228.jpg, 1229.jpg, 1230.jpg, 1231.jpg, 1232.jpg.