France: German withdrawal northern end Cabourg-Mezidon area; formations west of Trun-Argentan...

HW 1/3181

1944 Aug 21

France: German withdrawal northern end Cabourg-Mezidon area; formations west of Trun-Argentan line fighting through to east, all army formations weakened by continuous fighting and fighter-bomber activity; gap between 1st SS Panzer and 86th Corps in areasouth-east of Mezidon; 3rd Air Fleet refusal to CinC West to provide 5,000 tons transport space, Aug 19; Allied air superiority increasing daily according to 3rd Flak Corps, situation intolerable, Aug 19; Hitler's orders, Aug 19, Switzerland to be kept surrounded, line Cot d'Or-Lyons-Aix les Bains to be held, Bordeaux to be held except under heavy pressure, 1st Army to stop west of Seine, forces to be brought up speedily; boundaries between 1st Army and 5th Panzer Army to run northeast from Chartres passing west of Paris; 26th and 27th SS Panzer Divisions to be brought up to 1st Army south of Paris and incorporated in Panzer Lehr and 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Divisions; bulk of Panzer units likely to be sent into area east of Evreux on both sides of Seine; 15th Panzer Grenadier Division being brought up to CinC West; 21st Panzer and 85th Divisions withdrawing behind River Vie; Toulon situation serious, Aug 20; CinC German Navy ordered Bordeaux to be held until last submarine at war readiness expected to be Sept 5; demolition of Marseilles port ordered.

Naval Headlines: Trutz Group of U-boats in formed of sighting of Allied convoy JW 59; Naval Chief Command Baltic Operations orders to prevent Soviet attempts to salvage U 250 sunk in Gulf of Finland; Prinz Eugen en route from Gdynia to Libau; all ammunition stored in Gdynia transferred to supply ships or to Swinemuende [Swinemünde] by Aug 20; Vice Admiral Schirlitz appointed Fortress Commandant La Rochelle; in Biscay area last possible voyage of all ships, to end in fortress area, all flotilla staffs to be brought in; Navy Ministry in Paris attacked by terrorists during night Aug 18-19; naval authorities Channel Islands request spare parts for armament and radio equipment to be dropped by parachute or transported by U-boat, Aug 19; demolition of harbours of Port de Bouc, Port St Louis, Port Vendres, Sete and Marseilles, Aug 20; Captain U-boats Mediterranean ordered back to homeland with Operations Staff; operations using special weapons, including human torpedoes planned; Admiral Aegean anticipates acts of hostility by Jews and Communists and increased danger to supply traffic following speech by Prime Minister of Bulgaria on change of policy and possible withdrawal from war, Aug 18; Japanese report five submarine attacks in waters between Formosa and Luzon, Aug 18 and 19; Japanese 27th Base Force, Wewak area reported self sufficiency but requested one year's medical supplies for 2,000 men, Aug 18.

Coversheet not included.

sx946

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