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30 June German high-level conference in Paris decides to invade - Operation "Grüner Pfeil (Green Arrow)" but Luftwaffe landing on Guernsey forestalls need for any aggressive military operation and instead a small German force arrives peacefully at Guernsey by air.1 July Jersey also occupied by a token German force.2 July Alderney occupied by a token German force.3 July Sark occupied by a token German force.
Air ReconnaissanceOn 20 June Berlin had sent the following signal to German Naval Group West: Occupation of the British Channel Islands is urgent and important. Carry out local reconnaissance and execution there of.Before making any major amphibious or aerial assault on the Channel Islands it was only natural that air reconnaissance would have to take place. This had in fact been going on since about 18 June, first by aircraft of Luftflotte 2 (Luftflotte=Air Fleet) then later by aircraft of Luftflotte 3 which took over responsibility to support Operation Grüner Pfeil from 25 June. The earlier recce flights had shown no visible signs of occu-pied artillery emplacements, no aircraft on the airfields and little sea traffic. However, later sorties had seemed to suggest that there was considerable activity at the main ports, with transport ships and motor vehicles busy at the quays - but were they evacuating civilians and moving produce, or were they reinforcing the garrison and bringing in more arms and ammunition? The general conclusion reached by Admiral Karlgeorg Schuster - the senior German naval Commander in France - in conjunction with Vizeadmiral Eugen Lindau was that the garrison had beed reduced by evacuation; there were still some troops, probably with coastal artillery support, but clearly weak AA defences. (Vizeadmiral Eugen Lindau was Flag Officer Northern France, responsible for the planning and execution of the invasion of the Islands.) In addition, protective minefields had probably been laid in certain sea areas. Therefore it would be prudent to send in small-scale raids by armed reconnaissance aircraft, to get the troops on the ground to show their hand and expose their positions. Both Schuster and Lindau realised that their heads would roll if anything went wrong in this the first German assault on British soil and, although the British Army was in no position to retaliate after the debacle in France and the RAF was undoubt-edly too preoccupied defending mainland Britain to play a major role, the Royal Navy, despite its other commitments, could wreak havoc on any invasion force the Germans might launch. This then was the reason why the raids took place on the 28th and, although there was only minimal Opposition (light machine gun fire from the ship in St Peter Port), in their opinion, further armed air reconnaissance would be necessary before a full-scale landing was attempted.
The InvasionThe original proposal had called for a force of some six battalions to be used - three for Jersey, two for Guernsey and one for Alderney. They would only be lightly equipped because difficulties were foreseen in manhandling any heavy weapons or equipment from ship to shore and then getting it off the beaches. The assault force would also contain a suitable naval ground element, a Marinestosstruppabteilung (Naval assault detachment - the Kriegsmarine equivalent of the Royal Marines) and two engineer companies. Due to the shortage of suitable amphibious craft, the assault would have to take place over two days - Alderney and Guernsey being the objectives for Day 1, then Jersey on Day 2. The amphibious landings would be preceded by naval Operations to clear gaps through the sea minefields and softening-up air raids on land targets, whilst the actual assault would be supported by Ju87 Stuka dive-bombers which had wreaked such havoc during the Blitzkrieg in France. The Luftwaffe would also clearly play a major role, protecting the convoys, whilst the Kriegsmarines main task would be to prevent interference from the Royal Navy. After hearing the results of the raids on the 28th and the lack of reaction from the Islands defences, it was agreed that the assault force should be scaled down to just one battalion for Guernsey, one for Jersey and a single infantry Company for Alderney. The troops would mainly come from 216 I.D. which was now stationed in the Cherbourg area, supported by the Kriegsmarine Abteilung Gotenhafen (Naval Assault Group Gotenhafen - henceforth referred to as Gotenhafen) and Luftwaffe light anti-aircraft guns, which would have to be withdrawn from the Cherbourg area. The Luftwaffe would also supply constant air cover.
OKH, Genst.d.H, Op.Abt.IIa, Nr.190/41, geh.Kdos.Ch., vom 18.2.1941, Abwehrbereitschaft der Kanalinsel1.) Die Kanal-Insel sind z.Zt. wie folgt besetzt:a) Guernsey:1 M.G.Batl.1 Pi.Kp.1 Pak.Kp.1 Btl.Stab mit 2 Schützen.Kp.1/2 M.G.Kp.4 Gesch. 7,5cm (frz.) F.K.4 Gesch. 15,5 cm (frz.) K.1 Marinebatterie (4 Gesch. 22cm)b) Jersey:1 Inf.Batl1 Zug Pak1 Inf.Pi. Zug1 Abt. Stab mit einer leichten Batterie4 Gesch. 7,5 cm (frz.) F.K.4 Gesch. 15,5 cm (frz.) K.1 Marinebatterie (3 Gesch. 15cm)c) Sark:1 Inf. Zugd) Alderney:1 Marinebatterie (3 Gesch. 17 cm)2.) Damit ist auf Jersey, Sark und Alderney die vorgesehene Endgliederung stärkenmässig erreicht.3.) Die vorgesehne Endbesetzung von Guernsey ist folgende:1 Inf.Batl. mit Pak.Zug1 Pi.Zug1 leichte Batterie4 Gesch. 7,5 cm (frz.) F.K.4 Gesch. 15,5 cm (frz.) K.1 Marinebatterie (4 Gesch. 22cm)
Ob.West H.Gru.Kdo.A, Abt.T, Ia Nr.197/41, geh.K.Ch.vom 24.4.1941(...) Die Kanalinseln Guernsey (mit Sark) und Jersey gehören zum Abschnitt 319.I.D.,Insel Alderney zum Abschnitt 216. (später 83.) I.D. (...)