France: CinC West empowered by Hitler to put in defence all available fighter forces...

HW 1/3174

1944 Aug 16

France: CinC West empowered by Hitler to put in defence all available fighter forces and war material of all branches of Armed Forces, Waffen SS, Party and Civil authorities between Seine and Loire, Aug 8; CinC West's orders following 47 Corps' failure including bringing up 1st Army and 81st Corps, 6th Parachute Division, 338th Division and any forces available from 1st Parachute Army, Aug 9; 250 recruits with 10 days' battle training to be sent to 2nd Parachute Corps; orders from Army Group B for Panzer Group Eberbach for dispersal and deployment of tanks, assault guns, anti-tank guns and assault tanks by 5th Panzer Army; 81st Army Corps report 116th Panzer Division badly mauled; report from Chartres, Brou occupied by Allies, Aug 14; Panzer Group north west of Alencon hard pressed, decline in fighting strength and ammunition; 21st Panzer Division report withdrawal main defence line, Aug 15; 1st SS Panzer Division report Ecouche in Allied hands; 1st SS Panzer Corps withdrawn to line covering Falaise; 2nd SS Panzer Corps withdrawn to line westwards from Condé sur Noireau; from Aug 15 only 2nd Panzer Division and 1st SS Panzer Division subordinated to 47th Panzer Corps, 9th Panzer Division subordinated to 1st SS Panzer Division, 708th Infantry Division remained with 7th Army, Panzer Lehr and 116th Panzer Divisions under command of Panzer Group Eberbach; GOC 3rd Flak Corps for CinC, reports situation both sides Falaise extremely serious, troops weakened, not far from collapse, requests ammunition, Aug 15; situation report late Aug 15, heavy fighting for Chartres, first attack repulsed, Allies bringing up more forces; GAF report from Normandy, withdrawal of line area Falaise to Domfront, Allies attempting encirclement of main body German forces, advancing with two armoured divisions against Chartres-Dreux line; Director General Weiss of Einsatzgruppe West Organisation Todt authorised by Military Commander France to take all possible measures within limits if law necessary for rapid provision of manpower for development of Somme-Marne-Saone-Jura positions, Aug 13; Organisation Todt asked by Military Commander France to provide military escort for move of former French Labour Service from construction of Mediterranean fortifications to new area of employment; CinC West Army Group D warns of probable Allied intention of landings near and to west of Marseilles, forces withdrawn from Marseilles landfront to be replaced again; 19th Army questioning possibility of bringing tanks across Rhone because of destruction of bridges.

Naval Headlines: U-boats operating in Atlantic and Channel to go to Norway instead of returning to Western France; demolition and blocking of Nantes reported completed as planned; violent attacks by terrorists in Brest area, Aug 14, counter-measures in progress; all foreign crews of ships, ferries and tugs in St Nazaire replaced by Germans, Aug 15; Allied landings reported at Issambres and Fréjus since Aug 15, island of Port Cros reported in Allied hands, bridgehead established at St Raphael and from St Tropez to Le Lavandou; demolitions at Nice and Cannes, decision requested regarding sinking of blockships and hospital ships in Marseilles harbour; intention to operate German and Italian MAS boats against Allied landing fleet; Japanese Chief of Staff Combined Fleets request arrangements for transfer of fuel from Singapore to Manila.

Japanese ambassador, Berlin: German munitions production, Aug 16.

Coversheet not included.

sx928

Public Record(s)

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