3 October 1943 Part 4

3 October 1943 Fortress engineer reorganization and Cotentin construction

Secret. Following withdrawal of Fortress Engineer Staff 19 and Section Groups I/14 and II/14 from the Channel Islands, and II/11 from 709th Division, assignments are: Fortress Engineer Staff 11 to corps, moving to Saint-Lô; Section Group III/11 to 716th Division; I/11 to 709th; II/19 to 319th. They act as advisers and staff officers on permanent fortification, their boundaries coinciding with corps/divisional boundaries.

For special work, Staff 11 receives Construction Engineer Battalion 59, three companies; one company from Construction Engineer Battalion 150; and one company each from Fortress Engineer Staffs 9 and 17: six companies altogether, arriving early/mid-October. Strengthen the east coast from the Vire estuary through Saint-Vaast by building additional permanent infantry strongpoints according to Fortress Engineer Commander XIX’s plan. Staff 11 and 709th Division are to complete detailed planning promptly and submit it to corps. Completion deadline: early February 1944.

The already planned work in 709th Division continues independently. Within Cotentin-East Coastal Defence Group, its main effort now shifts to Barfleur subgroup.

T-314 Roll 1604, T314_R1604_English_Translation.docx. 3 October 1943 | Source PDF pages 1016–1017. Selected island-related text; document or report date governs placement.