30 December 1943

30 December 1943 Organization and training of Eastern and Turk units

Secret. Forward Seventh Army’s order on organization and training of Eastern units for implementation, with the following corps additions.

A. Transfer of “specialists,” auxiliary volunteers. Revised establishments are intended to release men as specialist auxiliaries for German divisions being made mobile as army intervention reserves. Corps must provide 195 drivers or men suitable for driver training and 375 horse attendants or drivers from box or saddle, 570 men in all. Draw first on the surplus of the three Turk battalions and then the Eastern battalions. The enclosure distributes contributions among battalions. Do not send men already employed as drivers or suitable to become NCOs. Prefer older men for horse-driving duties. Tell all transferred indigenous soldiers that specialist employment with German formations is a distinction.

The General of Eastern Troops will first select specialists from replacements arriving at Coëtquidan. Credit these against the corps total and reduce battalion contributions accordingly. Corps will notify final numbers immediately when known. Prepare transfers to leave within forty-eight hours.

Each Eastern battalion details a replacement collection party of one officer, one NCO and one interpreter, ready from 1 January. Give it a statement of establishment, actual strength, shortages and replacement claims, plus destination station and the number to be sent as specialists. Only limited replacements can be provided for these transfers: the average remaining shortage is thirty-four men per battalion. Send departing men with rifles, clothing, marching rations and personnel papers. Submit loading stations and transport requests directly to the Seventh Army transport officer. 319th Division, in direct agreement with 346th Division, sends its men to Dinan as weather and shipping permit, handing over most there and forwarding twenty-nine to 266th Division at Guingamp. After the handover, its collecting officer contacts corps for orders to collect replacements for Eastern Battalion 643 from Coëtquidan.

B. Corps additions to the battalion establishment. The former platoon establishment 143 is also present in the heavy company. Comparison with the new establishment 151a produces a small additional requirement, which can be covered by personnel released when the rifle companies’ 8.2 cm mortar groups are reorganized. The previous group uses three NCOs and eighteen men; three light mortar teams require one NCO and nine men. The resulting savings are larger than stated in the army enclosure. Revised German and indigenous establishment totals are set out in the reproduced table.

Because of its special tasks on the Cotentin west coast, Turk Battalion 797 receives an additional squad per platoon, giving twelve rifle squads per company. The increase is nine NCOs and seventy-two men. Its revised total is 875. Reduce the light machine gun reserve accordingly. Retain its surplus heavy machine guns as static weapons for these tasks. 709th Division submits a deployment chart indicating which surplus guns could be surrendered if necessary.

716th Division is to assess whether Eastern Battalion 439 should retain its mounted platoon, convert it to bicycles or dissolve it. Request bicycles from corps if conversion is chosen. The same mortar establishment considerations apply to Eastern battalions: the rifle company mortar group still contains three NCOs and eighteen men although three light mortars need only one NCO and nine men.

716th Division forms Personnel Battery 582, currently with Eastern Battalion 630, and temporarily attaches it to a divisional Eastern battalion, at the latest when Battalion 630 departs. Report additional personnel and equipment requirements under establishment 433(f), as well as surplus vehicles and horses and whether these suffice to make the battery mobile. Gun allocation follows separately. Increase German cadre personnel where necessary under the army instructions.

Use surplus horses, vehicles, weapons and equipment from Turk battalions first to fill divisional Eastern battalion shortages. 319th and 709th Divisions then send any remainder to 716th, including, for example, eight medium mortars from Battalion 823. Report surplus, distribution and remaining shortages. Corps reserves authority to redistribute. Use the condition reports of 1 December as the basis.

C. Regimental incorporation. Proposed: 716th Division, Regiment 736 comprises I–III/736 plus 642, and Regiment 726 comprises I–III/726 plus 439. 709th Division, Regiment 739 comprises II and III/739 plus 795; Regiment 729 comprises I–III/729 plus 649; 797 is attached rather than incorporated. 319th Division, Regiment 582 comprises I–III/582 plus 643; Regiment 583 comprises I and III/583 plus 823. Divisions submit comments.

D. Deadlines. Finish reorganization by 15 January. Surplus personnel and equipment are scarcely expected after reorganization, but a nil return is required by 9 January. By 14 January report completion insofar as personnel and equipment permit, including incorporation or attachment of Eastern battalions. By 10 January, 716th, 709th and 319th Divisions submit a comprehensive written review with the equipment position and the requested comments on mounted platoons, Battery 582 and incorporation. Also report collection and arrival of replacements and departure of specialists. The reverse on scan 1309 repeats text showing through the paper; scan 1310 is the detailed battalion contribution schedule.

Translation note: Detailed establishment rows and individual transfer allocations are partly illegible; the original tables accompany the translated provisions. The classifications are those used by the German command.

Original source image | Source PDF page 1305 | Entry dated 30 December 1943

Original source image | Source PDF page 1306 | Entry dated 30 December 1943

Original source image | Source PDF page 1310 | Entry dated 30 December 1943

T-314 Roll 1604, T314_R1604_English_Translation.docx. 30 December 1943 | Source PDF pages 1303–1310. Selected island-related text; document or report date governs placement.