8 May 1944 Part 4

8 May 1944 Part 4 Sinking of Bison on the Granville to Guernsey convoy route

Date note: 8 May 1944.

Seventh Army Headquarters. Ia No. 641/44 Secret.

Army headquarters, 8 May 1944. Ia daily reports.

I. Report to Commander in Chief West

1. Enemy. On 7 May, reconnaissance over Normandy and western Brittany. About 19:00, bombing by 35 Marauders of La Pernelle height, northeast of Valognes; 40 bombs dropped. One rangefinder and one 3.7 cm anti-aircraft gun damaged; one 5 cm anti-tank gun put out of action; six men wounded. About 20:00, some 80 aircraft attacked the marshalling yard and Jumo works at Le Mans. Jumo works considerably damaged and partly burnt out; only slight damage to the marshalling yard.

Night of 7–8 May: reconnaissance over the Orne estuary and Cotentin. Some 370 aircraft flew through over the Orne estuary, and about 100 over the XXV Army Corps area. Bombing of Nantes airport with about 50 high-explosive bombs. At Bouguenais air base, the airfield, ammunition depot and fuel depot were hit.

About 02:00, our convoy from Granville to Guernsey was attacked by enemy motor torpedo boats. French steamer Bison sunk. Cargo: artillery ammunition, artificial fertiliser and fuel.

2. Fifteen trains of the 91st Infantry Division have arrived so far.

3. Nineteen trains of II Parachute Corps and 5th Parachute Division have arrived.

4. Dumet island (275th Infantry Division) inspected; no special findings.

II. Further reports

1. LXXXIV Army Corps Headquarters. The following were moved:

Eastern Battalion 441: headquarters to Amfreville (12 km northeast of Caen); 1st Company to Sallenelles (northeast of Amfreville); 2nd to Bréville (east of Amfreville); 3rd to Le Bas de Bréville; 4th to Bavent (southwest of Amfreville).

Headquarters, Engineer Battalion 243, to Donville (4 km northeast of Granville); 2nd Company of that battalion to Quéron–Jullouville (southeast of Granville).

2nd Company, Fast Battalion 513, to Saussey (4 km south of Coutances); 2nd Company, Fast Battalion 515, to Courcy (2 km east of Coutances).

2nd Company, Georgian Infantry Battalion 797, to Saint-Lô-d’Ourville; 3rd Company to Barneville.

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2. XXV Army Corps Headquarters. Moved: 14th Company, Grenadier Regiment 896 (265th Infantry Division), to Pouldreuzic (20 km southwest of Quimper); 3rd Company, Grenadier Regiment 943 (353rd Infantry Division), to Crozon; 10th Company, Fortress Cadre Regiment XXV, to Bénodet.

3. LXXIV Army Corps Headquarters. Moved: II Battalion, Grenadier Regiment 897 (266th Infantry Division), a corps reserve, for labour service. Headquarters to Étables; 5th Company to Plouha; 6th to Plouézec; 7th to 1.3 km northeast of Pordic; 8th to Saint-Quay-Portrieux. [Handwritten: by relief.]

Special-Purpose Divisional Command 136 to Château Saint-Jean (9 km east of Guingamp).

III Battalion, Grenadier Regiment 897, to resistance nest 39 (southwest of Lézardrieux); 9th Company to Plourivo (4 km west of Paimpol); 10th to W 29 (Paimpol); 11th to W 46 (Île à Bois); 12th to B 25 (2 km east of Paimpol).

4. 21st Panzer Division: nothing special to report.

[Signature indistinct; a few small locality/unit readings are softened in the original.]

German Seventh Army Headquarters (AOK 7), NARA T-312 Roll 1565. Roll 1565 Jersey and Channel Islands English translations.docx, reference 30. Scan extracts: img056_08_16613_18586.jpg, img056_09_18586_20534.jpg. Extract filenames identify the original image strip, section number and horizontal pixel boundaries; these are not archival frame numbers.