PM from C. Western Europe: 12th SS Panzer Division claims to have halted Allied break-through...

HW 1/2996

1944 June 24

PM from C.

Western Europe: 12th SS Panzer Division claims to have halted Allied break-through in Caen area, June 23, request for GAF fighter protection; manning return for 12th SS Panzer Division as at June 18 totalling some 20,000 men; 2nd Parachute Corps and 84th Corps considered on June 23 that if Allies advanced to coast near Coutances it would be impossible for 84th Corps to hold Northern Front, reinforcements called for; battle report for June 22 from 84th and 86th Army Corps' areas of 7th Army; series of measures and counter-measures ordered by various naval authorities in connection with supply traffic to and ultimate closing of Cherbourg harbour, June 21-23; Cherbourg harbour to close, June 23, all sea supplies to cease; ration strength of von Schlieben's battle group given as 25,000 on June 21, ammunition and weapons requirements for battle group; von Schlieben protests that ration strength of 21,000 is irrevelant because majority were raw recruits incapable of resistance and many officers had been lost, requests reinforcement by at least one battle experienced battalion, June 22; 7th Army situation report for June 23, Allied penetration east of River Orne, heavy Allied shipping concentrations north of Caen; Berlin decides to release 50 French railwaymen prisoners of war in recognition of heroic deeds of French railwaymen in face of Allied air attacks, released men would be transferred to work on French railways, all German authorities urged to maximise propaganda value of this event; first evidence on June 18 that 89th Infantry Division was preparing to move from Scandinavia to 15th Army area in northern France, C notes for PM that our agents had reported the move of a division from Norway.

Southern Europe: in reply to a question from Berlin on June 2, C-in-C South-west informs Berlin on June 5 that gas masks for Allied troops in his area were mainly carried in the baggage trains; Berlin orders 715th Division to be re-formed and 65th Division to be rested and refitted, June 20; 14th Corps to withdraw overnight June 23/24 to a line south of Siena; Allied radio reports indicated that 10 brigades of Garibaldi guerrillas were operating in northern Italy, Germans suffering increase in cable sabotage from guerrillas owing to completely inadequate measures of reprisal and protection, June 22; GAF photo-reconnaissance results for Elba, June 23.

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