9 October 1943 Part 5

9 October 1943 Guernsey radio links headquarters bunkers and fortress telephones

Inspection of the decimetre-wave equipment: all sets are installed in a purpose-built bunker. The Lucifer sets operate satisfactorily on only two channels instead of three. An engineer from Pintsch installed and tested the equipment and handed it over to Signals Battalion 319. Although suitable battalion personnel attended the tests, training at the F.N.S. or with the manufacturer is necessary on both the Lucifer and Elster sets; otherwise reliable communications with this equipment cannot be assured.

Inspection of the divisional command post and the strongpoints occupied by Grenadier Regiment 583: three bunkers for the division are ready for occupation. One is fitted out as a signals bunker and contains the fortress telephone exchange and the transmitters of the divisional radio stations in working order. The receivers are in the divisional headquarters bunker, from which the transmitters are controlled.

The engineer staff is also building a house near the divisional headquarters bunkers to accommodate the headquarters. The artillery commander, regimental staffs and some artillery battalion and infantry battalion staffs are accommodated in houses near their bunkers. The installation of fortress telephone equipment therefore does not replace the authorised unit and fixed equipment at these headquarters.

In the northern sector of the island, developed with permanent fortifications, 85% of the fortress telephones have been installed. According to Fortress Signals Staff 1, the Ringstände [open observation positions] associated with standard works 539, 626, 648, 514, 691 and 692 have only terminals for connecting field telephones for outside observers. A strongpoint usually contains five such works. As the regiment occupies five strongpoints, 25 field telephones from unit equipment must be installed there. A static infantry regiment is authorised only 21 field telephones.

The southern sector has only reinforced field fortifications and uses unit and fixed equipment. Permanent construction thus releases only about 30 field telephones from the two infantry regiments employed in coastal defence on Guernsey. However, the divisional signals commander is replacing field telephones at supply and other offices, such as the station command and shipping control office, with captured British sets, so that the 319th Infantry Division can hand over about 100 field telephones.

Editorial note: F.N.S. is retained without an uncertain expansion. The construction and telephone percentages in this passage concern Guernsey.

Original source image 00107.jpg — T-312 Roll 1563. Guernsey radio links headquarters bunkers and fortress telephones.

Original source image 00108.jpg — T-312 Roll 1563. Guernsey radio links headquarters bunkers and fortress telephones.

German Seventh Army records, NARA T-312 Roll 1563. T312_R1563_Jersey_and_Channel_Islands_English_Translation.docx. File 41703/36 • Scans 00107–00108 • Translation. Local scan references identify the supplied image filenames, not substituted microfilm frame numbers.