4 November 1944 Part 18

4 November 1944 Order for air supply to the islands

Secret command matter. Annex to Naval High Command West diary for 4 November 1944. Copy. Naval High Command West, reference secret command 5115/44 F I. Headquarters, 4 November 1944. Teletype, highest urgency.

To: (1) Commander-in-Chief West, Operations; (2) Commander-in-Chief West, Senior Quartermaster; (3) Luftwaffe Command West, Operations Staff; (4) Luftwaffe Command West, Senior Quartermaster; (5) Luftwaffe Command West, Air Transport Commander; (6) Zellhausen base commander, Lieutenant Captain (Engineering) Brettschneider. For information: (7) Naval High Command, Naval War Staff Operations Division; (8) Naval High Command, Admiral Quartermaster; (9) Naval Liaison Officer with Commander-in-Chief West, Commander König. Internal: Quartermaster a.

Reference: Commander-in-Chief West/Senior Quartermaster 06726/44 secret command matter of 3 November. Order for air supply of the Channel Islands and encircled sea fortresses.

On Commander-in-Chief West’s instructions supply is now organised as follows: 1. By 1100 each day, Commander-in-Chief West/Senior Quartermaster determines the transport aircraft to be employed the coming night for the encircled fortresses and Channel Islands, and the principal supply effort.

2. Within this allocation Naval High Command West determines destinations and the number of aircraft for individual fortresses according to urgency, and, regarding weather and enemy situation, in agreement with Luftwaffe Command West/Air Transport Commander.

3. Fortress requests received by naval radio, with urgency specified, are registered and examined by Naval High Command West. Army requests go to Commander-in-Chief West/Senior Quartermaster; Luftwaffe requests to Luftwaffe Command West/Senior Quartermaster. Naval requests are processed by Naval High Command West itself. [Continued.]

All three offices arrange provision and delivery of goods to Zellhausen air base.

4. By Commander-in-Chief West’s order, each of the three services will post one transport officer and one storekeeper with auxiliary personnel to Zellhausen. They are responsible for proper storage, packing and loading and keep stock records for their goods. Commander-in-Chief West will appoint a responsible base commander to whom all three services’ personnel at the air base concerned with administration and loading transport aircraft will be subordinated.

5. Total requests, fulfilled and unfulfilled requests, losses, and requests impossible to fulfil and therefore cancelled are recorded by Naval High Command West. Cross-checks are maintained by Senior Quartermaster West for Army requests, Luftwaffe Command West/Senior Quartermaster for Luftwaffe requests, and the base commander for stock receipts, issues and material losses at Zellhausen.

Naval High Command West is ordered to report daily by 1800 to Commander-in-Chief West: (a) supply flights completed the preceding night, with loading lists; (b) intended operations for the coming night, with loading lists. Zellhausen base commander supplies the supporting information to Naval High Command West by radio or teletype by 1600.

6. Luftwaffe Command West/Air Transport Commander is requested to coordinate operations with Naval High Command West by 1200 daily, based on weather, enemy situation and its wishes concerning priority to particular fortresses, then issue the operational order to Zellhausen base commander, copied to Naval High Command West.

7. The order applies correspondingly to mail sent to Zellhausen. The three services are responsible for bringing their mail to Zellhausen airfield; the base commander is responsible for its transport from there to the fortresses.

8. Radio traffic concerning supplies with the fortresses and Channel Islands passes through Naval High Command West by naval radio.

9. Effective 6 November at 1200.

Addition for Commander-in-Chief West, Operations, only: Senior Quartermaster West has agreed. Naval High Command West, secret command 5115/44 F I.

T-1022 Roll 4008; PG 37614 | Frame 0469; PG 37614 | Frame 0470; original page 2. Extract from T1022_R4008_English_Translation.docx.