24 February 1944

24–26 February 1944 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

No special occurrences.

Construction, Naval Artillery Battalion 604. Batterie Mirus: the position for the 7.69-cm gun [calibre as typed] at No. 1 gun, the infantry position at No. 2 gun and the searchlight garage at Langenberg were completed. Searchlight B was moved to a new position. Camouflage continued at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 guns. Wire obstacles at No. 1 gun were repaired. Work continued on splinter-protection trenches beside the service barrack, the new anti-aircraft position Essen and preparations for the Würzburg equipment. Krupp reinforced the armour at No. 3 gun.

Batterie Steinbruch: the basic iron frames for gun camouflage were completed and the necessary mesh work begun. Reinforcement work continued at searchlight positions A and B, earth banking at anti-aircraft position 4, and battery wire obstacles. The gardening firm carried out earth banking and levelling.

Batterie Strassburg: excavation continued for the bunker for the second 7.5-cm gun, as did shuttering for generating-set bunker A. Battery paths were repaired and demolition of the Brown House prepared. Once the shuttering at generating-set bunker A was complete, further work would have to stop for lack of cement. The camouflage firm continued its work.

Batterie Lothringen: general camouflage; preparations to demolish the old fire-control post; further development of the new fire-control post; fitting alarm lights to the battery's wire obstacles. The Naval Artillery Arsenal worked on the fire-control post's ventilation.

Naval Artillery Battalion 605, Batterie Annes: Organisation Todt continued earth banking and drainage excavation at accommodation bunker I. Pipes were partly laid and the drainage ditch partly refilled. The electrical cable from the machinery bunker to the fire-control post was exposed again; several damaged places were repaired and the cable laid in a new trench. The camouflage detachment brought topsoil to the fire-control post and Nos. 2 and 3 guns.

The battery continued excavation at searchlight Bruno. Eighty metres of railway rail and four trolley axles for running the searchlights into their shelters were released on the island and transported to the battery. The telephone and alarm cable from No. 1 gun to accommodation bunker I was laid and connected. Excavation continued on the communication trench from the fire-control accommodation bunker to the fire-control post, and work continued on the mortar and KwK positions. A wall was built at the service barrack to screen it from enemy observation. Levelling and camouflage continued.

Batterie Elsass: continued wire obstacles and development of air-raid shelters; preparations for a reserve fire-control post. Artillery command post: Organisation Todt worked on drainage, insulation and earth banking, installed electric lighting and fitted bunker beds. Naval radar: splinter protection continued. Naval Artillery Battalion 605 headquarters: infantry-defence installations developed.

Roll 2422, scans 0795–0796, original pages 17–18.