28 February 1942

February 1942 Alderney reinforcement island construction and sea communications

Editorial note: Monthly report or annex; placed at the end of the reporting month because no single document date is supplied. Dates within the text retain their original meaning.

The remainder of Infantry Regiment 584 was transferred to Alderney early in the month. Permanent fortification of the Channel Islands continued under Fortress Construction Commander XIV. Fortress Engineer Staff 11, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Bernhardt, and its subordinate fortress-engineer sector groups were assigned to the work. Additional organisational cadres were formed for new infantry, artillery, engineer, signals, supply and administrative units.

The report records repeated inspections and conferences on island reinforcement, shipping links, coastal artillery and construction. The corps commander inspected the reserve on 10 February, conferred with Luftgau Command Western France and the divisional commanders, and received officers newly assigned to the sector. From 24 to 28 February the chief of staff and operations officer joined an Army Group staff tour through Brittany. On 28 February the chief of staff of Fifteenth Army, Major-General Ziegler, travelled through the sector from Granville via Cherbourg to Saint-Lô. Colonel General Behlendorff was placed on the retired list at the end of February. Personnel and intelligence matters followed in annexes.

Supply was adequate, although bad weather made shipping to the islands irregular. The corps again requested a suitable vessel and escort to establish regular Guernsey–Alderney traffic, as well as a hospital ship for the islands. Passenger and official traffic was prepared for transfer from Granville to Saint-Malo on 1 March, together with the front-collection office. Temporary depots were established at Granville to accelerate unloading. Bread ration complaints led to a four-week increase for replacement personnel in training. Clothing, horses and equipment for outgoing formations were also organised.

French civilian attitudes remained reserved and generally correct, without reported demonstrations or sabotage. Events in the Far East affected opinion on the islands, although the surviving report characterises the overall mood as essentially unchanged. Co-operation with military and civil authorities remained good. Page 0260 contains a related archival sheet with no additional substantive narrative.

T-314 Roll 1603, T314_Roll_1603_English_Translation.docx. Source PDF pages 0193–0195 | Higher Command XXXXIII Army Corps activity report for February 1942; Source PDF pages 0258–0260 | Annexes to the February activity report