8 March 1943

8 March 1943 Alarm Stage I Telephone record Annex 79

21:45: Major von Moser, Seventh Army duty officer, to Lieutenant Count Hoyos, corps duty officer: on Commander-in-Chief West's orders, Alarm Stage I applies to every Seventh Army formation, including reserves. In reply to Captain Dellschau's question: no fuel consumption.

Count Hoyos relays the alarm to I/100th Panzer Regiment at 21:50, Artillery Regiment 621 at 21:57, Corps Signals Battalion 460 at 21:58 and Reconnaissance Squadron 84 at 22:05. At 21:55 Dellschau holds a conference call with the 319th Division (Lieutenant Götz), 709th (Lieutenant Pieper) and 716th (Captain Langsfeld). He informs Corps Headquarters at 22:00, Fast Battalion 2 at 22:05 and Fast Battalion 11 at 22:12.

22:15: Army call, for the corps commander and chief of staff only. Agent reports state that the British Home Fleet left port on the night of Friday/Saturday for an unknown destination, reportedly taking numerous transports and assault boats. Other agents report operations against submarine bases. Naval Group West reports that at 13:41 on 8 March the British home radio station broadcast a codeword in a one-way transmission to all naval forces in home waters. These reports gain significance in connection with today's air raid on Rennes. Supplement to the alarm: call up auxiliary forces and combat-roll personnel.

22:20 Dellschau briefs the chief of staff; 22:22 the corps commander. The commander orders divisional commanders informed that intelligence reports indicate an operation on a larger scale may be expected. At 22:25 Count Hoyos alarms Fast Battalion 17 and passes the auxiliary-personnel instruction to units already alerted.

22:27–22:33 Dellschau briefs the three divisions by conference call: call up auxiliaries and combat-roll personnel; tell divisional commanders that a large operation may be expected, with the information releasable down to regimental commander. Further calls: 22:30 Reserve Cyclist Regiment 30, Captain of Cavalry Sponsel; 22:37 Combat Group 389, Lieutenant Engler; 22:40 Artillery Commander 118, Lieutenant Hagedorn; 22:43 Motor Transport Company; 22:45–22:48 Field Commands 722 and 916. Field Command 723 has already been informed by the 716th Division.

T-314 Roll 1604, T314_R1604_English_Translation.docx. 8 March 1943 | Source PDF pages 270–271. Selected island-related text; document or report date governs placement.