The Road to Liberation - 9th January 1941

Good morning everyone

Welcome to the weekend, lots of little maintenance jobs to do today. Due to COVID restrictions, I have to do this solo, but as soon as they are relaxed anyone looking to help is more than welcome :0)

Thank you for all the support and have a great day!

thanks

Phil

Above (top) is the German Strongpoint Le Grouin. Is found between St Brelade's Bay and Ouaisne Bay. There is: One 680 Casemate Bunker One Type 631 bunker for a Pak K36(t) 30cm Searchlight Point Open Gun positions Multiple MG positions Multiple shelters Remains / Traces of Trenches and Foxholes

Today would be the 193rd day of the Islands Occupation with 1,581 days remaining.
 

"Second-crop potatoes being bought by the States for seed. Captain Sowden, of the ss. Normand, arrested by the Germans in Granville for refusing to carry munitions, and is placed on parole. ."

Leslie Sinel

Civilian working at the Evening Post

On 9 January 1941 German submarine U-105 sank British ship Bassano 300 miles south of Iceland at 1814 hours; 1 was killed and 56 survived.

135 RAF aircraft sent to bomb synthetic-oil plants at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Only 56 aircraft reported bombing the designated targets. Gelsenkirchen reports bombs in the city and in the surrounding towns of Buer, Horst and Hessler. One person was killed in Gelsenkirchen. 1 bomber lost.

Test pilot H. A. "Sam" Brown performed the Avro Lancaster prototype's maiden flight at RAF Ringway, Cheshire.

The January book recommendation is "A Hero Among Millions."

A touching story by a son of a quiet hero/ survivor of World War II who happened to be the commander of Squadron 34 who operated in the Channel Island waters.

Exploring bunkers
  Always get permission from the owner
 Take a torch, a spare and one more for luck
 Don't go alone & tell someone where you will be and for how long
 You will get dirty as most are often full of rubbish and may have been used as a public toilet
 Anything you find still belongs to the person that owns the property
  Unexploded ordnance is still found in Jersey if you see or find anything that looks like ordnance please call the bomb disposal officer on 01534 612 61

Sources of Information
 German Documents are housed at The National Archived in Washington or Archive in Kew UK
 T-78 Roll 317: OKH Coastal and Channel Defenses Files 1940-44 -

T-78 Roll 318: OKH Coastal and Channel Defenses Files 1941-43

T-315 Roll 1639: 216th Security Division War Diary

(Kriegstagebuch), Belgium, France & Russia 1939-42 

T-1022 Roll 2423: Various War Diaries (Kriegstagebucher), Channel Islands 1941-44

Atlantic Wall Coastal Battery Lists: Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, & France 1944-45 

T-312 Roll 1559: 7th Army War Diary (Kriegstagebuch), France 1941-43 & T-312 Roll 1558

T-315 Roll 1643: 216th Security Division War Diary

(Kriegstagebuch), Belgium, France & Russia 1939-41 

T-311 Roll 16: Army Group D War Diary (Kriegstagebuch), Western Front Aug-Nov 1944 
 Operation Green Arrow - Occupation of the Channel Islands MOD 584
 Allied Technical Intelligence Reports 1942-45
 German Preparations for Invasion of the United Kingdom 1941-42
 B-833, 319th Infantry Division (1941-45)
 German Seacoast Defenses, European Theatre - prepared by the Artillery Evaluation Board

BBC News & Archives

The Britannica
 Jersey Occupied by Michael Ginns - ISBN 978-1-905095-29-2
 Operation Nestegg Plans
 Operation Hardtack Plans
 Operation Basalt Plans
 RAF Photos care of The National Collection of Aerial Photography

The National Archive of Newspapers
 Bundesarchiv - Multiple Photos - and Files
 A Map of slave labour camps. Kindly Provided by Emilio Pérez
 Photo's and information provided by fans
 Onsite visits & internet research
 After the Battle Multiple Magazines

The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book, 1939-1945
 Jersey Heritage Archive

CIOS Archive & Publications (become a member here)

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

American Battle Monuments Commission

 If we have used any photos or information which you believe to posted without permission, please contact us at info@jerseywartours.com and we will resolve asap.

Jersey War Tours is Registered with the Jersey Financial Services Commission as a Non-Profit Organisation - NPO1207

Jargon Help

 Widerstandsnest (WN) = Resistance Nest (RN)
 A small pocket of resistance, these would be made up of small groups of up to 10 men with light weapons. They would man Anti-tank weapons, an observation post or a field gun.
 Stützpunkt St.P = Strongpoint (STP)
 Next level up from an RN and consisted of several RN's. STP areas would have a combination of weapons and different branches of the military used. Examples of this can be found with Strongpoint Greve de Lecq and Strongpoint Corbiere
 Einsatzstellung = Operational Position or Action Post
 Smaller MG type position generally it was only maned during an alert
 Feldwache = Field Watch
 Early resistance nest

Jägerstand

Jäger Casemate was a special design and name for bunkers designed to hold a 10.5cm field gun