31 October 1942 Part 11

31 October 1942 Island readiness instructions for the turn of the month

Date note: Army-level instruction supplementing the naval diaries’ local readiness entries. An alert is not evidence of an attack.

Urgent signal, Seventh Army Ia to LXXXIV and XXV Army Corps; for information SS Panzer Corps. 31 October 1942. Secret command matter.

Night 31 October/1 November: light to moderate winds along the entire coast, with correspondingly slight seas. Again a very dark night; visibility worsens towards morning with widespread haze and fog. Enemy air incursions possible everywhere, particularly during the first half of the night. Weather and visibility favour raids and enemy operations.

Corps headquarters will order increased defensive readiness for defence areas and islands according to threat and tides.

Seventh Army Ia No. 4817/42 [final digit corrected by hand], secret command matter. Certified transmission, Beiskauf [signature reading uncertain], captain and duty officer. After dispatch: Chief Quartermaster, Ic, Ia/war diary.

German Seventh Army records, T-312 Roll 1548. T312 Roll 1548 English translation REVIEWED EDITION 4.docx. Local source scans: 0846.jpg.