Appendix A, 9 August 1944 from http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/coldstream-guards/52154-war-diary-1st-armoured-battalion-coldstream-guards-jan-1944-dec-5.html A GERMAN CORPS H.Q. Extracts from Interrogation Report on Cpl of H.Q. 84 Corps captured 2nd August near BRECEY. Preamble. PW was a typist in the BGS’ office of 84 Corps. He is keen and observant: his infm seems reliable. Order of Battle. The 2nd SS Das Reich detached from 84 Corps. The 9th SS Frunsberg was to take its place. 319 Div is still in the CHANNEL ISLANDS. (On HITLER’s order, div is to defend to the last). The div was provided with three month’s supply of food and amn. Personalities. 84 Corps G.O.C. - Genlt ELLFELDT, formerly G.O.C. of a div in the PAS DE CALAIS area. General. PW describes the situation at his corps as utterly confused. Corps lost contact with its divs, and the Americans were advancing so fast that Corps H.Q. had to displace daily. PW knows of no new fixed def posns; only direction was given in the retreat order - SE. The retreat was disorderly; all kinds of vehs and tks jammed the rds and PW says that they were lucky that our fighters did not appear the morning of 1 August, because they could have easily destroyed the entire 2 SS and the remnants of 84 Corps. Shortages. The Corps had only 20% of the allotted amn str, there was a great shortage of wire. Lately the wire from the French telephone poles had to be used. The wires and switchboard of the Corps Sigs Coy were completely destroyed by our air force and they were never replaced. Installations. 7th and 15th Army ann. and POL depot (12 June) in FORET DE DANDAINE, South of the main highway which passes through the forest - East of DOMFRONT. German knowledge of our plans. PW says that Gen MARCKS guessed rightly at the place of our invasion, but missed the time. On the very day of the invasion, all the Generals of Army Gp ‘B’ were supposed to have a conference in RENNES to plan pre-invasion manoeuvres. Most of the Generals were in RENNES already and were quite embarrassed. A few days after the invasion started, the Germans captured an American Captain who had a document listing our objectives and the divs participating. The Influence of HITLER. Corps or Army has no authority to order retreat or withdrawal, this has to come from HITLER’s H.Q. V.1. PW knew of the new weapon about one year before it was put in operation, because 84 Corps was charged with building the sites in the COTENTIN. 65 Corps, located in the vicinity of PARIS, was charged with the building of the sites in the rest of FRANCE. Gen HEINEMANN was supposed to be in charge of this building programme. PW heard that it is possible to launch the V.1 from mobile projectors by use of rails. The discoverer of the weapon (a Col) was killed in an air attack on BERLIN about four months ago. New Weapon. PW heard from Lt FOUKET, air liaison offr from the 2nd Flieger Corps that soon Germany will have in operation the new “Turbine-Jaeger” which will sweep the American planes from the skies. (Source: XIX US Corps Periodic Report No. 53).
