30 June 1944 Part 5

30 June 1944 Part 5 Enemy destroyers and motor torpedo boats around the islands

Date note: 30 June 1944.

Secret. Teletype. Seventh Army Headquarters, Ia, to Army Group B Headquarters; information to Panzer Group West and Achilles II. Ia daily report, 30 June 1944.

1. Situation. After tenacious fighting forward against stubborn resistance, the enemy penetration area was narrowed northeastwards to the line Hill 112, 1 km northeast of Esquay–Tourmauville crossroads–northern edge of Gavrus. Following enemy land and naval artillery drumfire of unprecedented intensity, I SS Panzer Corps, with II SS Panzer Corps under command, temporarily went over to the defensive on the line reached during the afternoon. After reorganising, replenishing and assembling again, the attack towards Cheux is to continue during the night.

All concentrated enemy attacks in II Parachute Corps’ sector, chiefly on both sides of the Moon-sur-Elle–Saint-Lô road and supported by superior artillery, were repulsed. Tanks reaching the main line of resistance were destroyed with close-combat weapons. Since morning Battle Group Keil has fought heroically against vastly superior forces advancing westwards and inflicted heavy losses.

2. Details.

(a) Panzer Group West: to follow.

(b) II Parachute Corps: to follow.

(c) LXXXIV Army Corps. Lively patrol activity on both sides; less enemy harassing fire and fighter-bomber activity than yesterday. According to an intercepted radio message, the enemy intends to attack between the Prairies Marécageuses de Gorges and Le Plessis. Several enemy patrol thrusts between Baupte and Saint-Lô-d’Ourville repulsed.

(d) Group Keil. Situation at Jobourg currently unknown. Despite the loss of the last battery, a new defensive line is being built 1 km east of Danneville to 1 km west of Marquetot.

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The heroic defensive struggle continues to the last with the forces still available. All radio and detection equipment is being blown up. No longer in contact with the remaining elements in Cherbourg town.

During the fighting for Cherbourg since 6 June 1944, 709th Infantry Division, together with attached Luftwaffe and naval units, achieved the following successes: 837 prisoners taken; 57 aircraft, eight transport gliders, 65 tanks and thirteen armoured vehicles destroyed; five guns, fourteen anti-tank guns and 68 vehicles and motor vehicles destroyed; one destroyer, one torpedo boat and five landing craft sunk; one minesweeper, one landing craft and numerous small landing craft damaged.

(e) LXXIV Army Corps. Numerous enemy destroyers and motor torpedo boats throughout the night in the Norman island area [Channel Islands]. Enemy warships and aircraft monitoring Brittany’s north coast.

(f) XXV Army Corps: no new reports.

3. Air situation. Slight enemy flying behind the front. Bombs dropped on railway installations at Chartres and west of Châteaudun. Supplement: on 28 June III Flak Corps destroyed sixteen aircraft on the ground at an enemy airfield northeast of Caen and shot down seven while taking off.

4. Command post of II SS Panzer Corps: 1 km northwest of Le Fresne.

Seventh Army Headquarters, Ia No. 2000/44 Secret. Signed Pemsel. Certified correct: [signature indistinct], Major, General Staff. After dispatch: Ic; Senior Quartermaster; Air Force Liaison Officer, two copies; Ia/war diary; O1.

German Seventh Army Headquarters (AOK 7), NARA T-312 Roll 1565. Roll 1565 Jersey and Channel Islands English translations.docx, reference 69. Scan extracts: img120_05_8057_10050.jpg, img120_06_10050_12036.jpg. Extract filenames identify the original image strip, section number and horizontal pixel boundaries; these are not archival frame numbers.