Good morning everyone
Busy weekend and tomorrow the permission is granted for a site visit we have been waiting for and I will share some photos of this on Monday, those following on our social media channels I will post some "my view nows". Today I will be tackling some armoury cleaning, there are over 35 guns that need stripping and cleaning, trust me I am missing the volunteer help! Hopefully, we can continue soon when the COVID situation gets better.
Have a fantastic day!
thanks
Phil
Occupation Focus
Above (top) is the German Batterie Ludendorff February 1945, it is situated in Fields close to St Ouen's Church and Scout hall. The Observation position was built on St Ouen's Mill and some of the ammunition shelters were been modified as nuclear monitoring stations for the cold war. There were three Anti-Aircraft weapons (3.7c, Flak 37) and three 21 cm Mörser 18 guns in open emplacements. Some of the emplacements can still be seen today. The Batterie was manned by 130 soldiers.
As always, much more information on the blue link Batterie Ludendorff 2./HKAR 1265 3 x 21cm Morser 18 howitzers 11 mile range
80 years ago today in Jersey 16th January 1941
Today would be the 200th day of the Islands Occupation with 1,574 days remaining.
German troop-carrying plane, a Junkers Ju 52, crashed off St Catherine's breakwater into the sea with no survivors. In the evening British planes pass over the Island with islanders noticing an increase of German searchlights. Snowfall reported as well as icy pavements.
Below a look at the Town Hall with German Flag in 1941
Further afield
16th January 1941
RAF Action
Germany Wilhelmshaven
96 aircraft; most crews reported good bombing results. 1 Whitley lost. Wilhelmshaven reports much damage and many fires. Among buildings destroyed or damaged were: the head post office, the main police station, an army barracks, a naval technical school, the main dock offices, 7 large commercial premises and 2 hospitals. At least 22 fire-fighting teams were called in from towns in a radius of 120 km; the men of these teams had to travel in open vehicles over icy roads and then had to fight fires in freezing temperatures. 21 people were killed and 34 injured. The diarist says: 'The year of 1941 would bring many more heavy raids but none causing such heavy damage as this one.'
V for Victory
This week, Victor de Laveleye, former Belgian Minister of Justice and director of the BBC’s Belgian French-language broadcasts, suggested during a broadcast that Belgians use a V for victory as a rallying emblem. In this broadcast, de Laveleye commented
“I am proposing to you as a rallying emblem the letter V because V is the first letter of the words 'Victoire' in French and 'Vrijheid' in Flemish. The Victory which will give us back our freedom, the Victory of our good friends the English. Their word for Victory also begins with V. As the occupier, by seeing this sign, always the same, infinitely repeated, would understand that he is surrounded, encircled by an immense crowd of citizens eagerly awaiting his first moment of weakness, watching for his first failure.”
Shortly thereafter, V’s began appearing on walls throughout Belgium, the Netherlands, and Northern France. This is the origin of the V for victory campaign
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
CIOS Archive & Publications (become a member here)
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
