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Hitler as the balance of power began to shift after the failure of the Wehrmacht before Moscow became concerned that the British might retake the Islands. He liked the idea of occupying at least a small part of Britain. He thus ordered a massive construction campaign to build defensive fotifications. It was a massive effort, so large in fact that it delayed the much more important project of building the Atlantic Wall. German Army engineering and building units landed on Jersey (1942). It was the beginning of a massive constructions program that turned the island into a Super Fortress. The construction was undertaken by the Organisation Todt which used both German soldiers and about slave workers fromm occupied countries, mostly Russians and French. We have seen varying estimates as to the precise number of workers. The Channel Islands became among the most heavily fortified islands of World War II. Perhaps the only exception is Iwo Jima in the Pacific. There was even an underground military hospital to be built. The most heavily fortified island was Alderney, presumably because it was the closest to the French mainland. Hitler personally decreed that 10 percent of the steel and concrete devoted to the construction of the Atlantic be used for the Channel Islands. He was concerned with the propaganda value he saw in holding British territory. Devoting such huge quantities of scarce materials on islands of no real strategic value , however, was pure lunacy. The ennormous effort to fortify the islands made little military sence and would have been more useful as part of the Atantic Wall along the French coast. The Germans set up a concentration camp on Alderney--Lager Sylt. This was for the slave labor building the fortifications. The German authorities treated the slave laborers brutally and ged them poorly. A few managed to escape from the Germans. Not only was this difficult, but there was no way off the island. A few were taken in, but the islanders were not in a position to help as on such a small island, the Germans were likely to catch islanders sheltering escappes. And this would mean arrest and depotation to a concentration camp.
Hitler as the balance of power began to shift after the failure of the Wehrmacht before Moscow became concerned that the British might retake the Islands. He liked the idea of occupying at least a small part of Britain. He thus ordered a massive construction campaign to build defensive fotifications. It was a massive effort, so large in fact that it delayed the much more important project of building the Atlantic Wall. Hitler personally decreed that 10 percent of the steel and concrete devoted to the construction of the Atlantic be used for the Channel Islands. He was concerned with the propaganda value he saw in holding British territory. Hitler issued a Supreme Command (OKW) Directive for " ... the build-up and defence of the English Channel Islands ... account must be taken of the possibility that the English may at any time carry out isolated attacks as the result of pressure from their Eastern allies anf for political and propaganda reasons; in particular they may attempt to recapture the Channel Islands, which are of considerable importance for our escort traffic."
German Army engineering and building units landed on Jersey (1942). It was the beginning of a massive constructions program that turned the island into a Super Fortress. The construction was undertaken by the Organisation Todt which used both German soldiers and slave workers fromm occupied countries, mostly Russians and French. We have seen varying estimates as to the precise number of workers.
The Germans set up a concentration camp on Alderney--Lager Sylt. This was for the slave labor building the fortifications. The German authorities treated the slave laborers brutally and ged them poorly. A few managed to escape from the Germans. Not only was this difficult, but there was no way off the island. A few were taken in, but the islanders were not in a position to help as on such a small island, the Germans were likely to catch islanders sheltering escappes. And this would mean arrest and depotation to a concentration camp.
The Channel Islands became among the most heavily fortified islands of World War II. Perhaps the only exception is Iwo Jima in the Pacific. There was even an underground military hospital to be built. The most heavily fortified island was Alderney, presumably because it was the closest to the French mainland. The fortifications built were massive. Many were unfinished. Yest what was accomplished in the two-and-half years of work n(early-1942 through summer 1944).
A reader writes, "The underground hospital is a great tourist attraction now. I went there a few years ago, and was amazed at the underground works. The nearest thing I have seen is the underground hospital built in tunnels in the
Dover cliffs under Dover castle. This is also a tourist attraction including 'old' blood stains!"
A Channel Islands historian tells us, "Most of the OT workers started moving back to France towards the end of 1943 to repair the damage the RAF were inflicting on the railways etc, by 6th June 1944 nearly all the building of fortifications had been done, however in Alderney the slave workers were still there. Many Russians were liberated by the British in Guernsey and Alderney. We have seen some come back for holiday/memorial days. Many Dutchmen and others who were brought to Guernsey by the Germans stayed here after the war and married local girls and raised families." [Martin]
Devoting such huge quantities of scarce materials on islands of no real strategic value , however, was pure lunacy. The ennormous effort to fortify the islands made little military sence and would have been more useful as part of the Atantic Wall along the French coast.
Martin, Phil. E-mail message, September 25, 20009.
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