FESTUNG GUERNSEY

The Festung Guernsey is a unique 500 page manuscript produced by the German occupying forces in 1944, detailing their fortification of the island.

This paperback edition is in10 volumes [details below] approximately A4 in size and comes in a blue bookcloth slipcase.

THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT

Commissioned by the Commanding Officer of the German Garrison Lieutenant-General Graf von Schmettow and completed in 1944 Festung Guernsey is part historical record and part operating manual. It is also a unique insight into the mindset of the occupying forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Hubner was charged with making a record of the immense fortifications. His team was drawn from the Divisionskartenstelle, the Divisional Cartographic Section, with some fourteen non-commissioned officers working across: drawing, photography, cartography, calligraphy and printing. The result is a stunning and comprehensive picture of the fortifications and a complete guide to their workings.

THE CLEAR VUE EDITION

There are three known copies of the festung, none complete. In order to produce this first definitive edition material was sourced from the leather bound copy in Guernsey’s Royal Court, from Guernsey’s Museum Services archive and from the Priaulx Library. The chapter on Operational Weaponry was kindly supplied by Richard Heaume of the German Occupation Museum.

Every page was photographed, digitised and corrected before the translation, by Ms. Jutta Schettler, was undertaken. Her work, along with relentless checking and cross checking by members of the Channel Islands Occupation Society, took over a year.

The Festung Guernsey was published by The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership as a two volume set hand bound in leather.

The exemplary copy was fully leather bound, blind embossed and presented in a solander box lined with marble paper. The standard edition was quarter leather bound and presented in a slipcase.

The edition is sold out, however the Festung guernsey is available as a 10 volume paperback partwork.

THE PAPERBACK PARTWORK

Festung Guernsey consists of 22 chapters and was originally published as a limited edition of 135, two-volume sets, bound in leather. The original work, being made by hand was only printed on the right hand pages, this meant a full translation could be provided on the left hand page, while retaining the original layout.

The subsequent paperback edition consists of the following:

Part 1 – Covers the coastal fortifications along the East coast from St Martins Point to St Sampsons. CHAPTERS 3.1 & 3.2

Part 2 – Covers the coastal fortifications along the East and North coasts from St Sampsons to Grande Havre. CHAPTERS 3.3 3.4 3.5

Part 3 – Covers the coastal fortifications along the West coast from Grande Havre to Fort Sausmarez. CHAPTERS 3.6 4.1 4.2

Part 4 – Covers the coastal fortifications along the West and South coasts from Rocquaine to Corbiere. CHAPTERS 4.3 4.4 4.5

Part 5 – The final coastal section covers the fortifications along the South and East coasts from Corbiere to Fort George. CHAPTERS 4.6 4.7 4.8

Part 6 – The English Garrison on Guernsey, a history of the island’s fortifications. CHAPTER 1.1

Part 7 – General Information about Guernsey, a history of the island, its laws and customs. CHAPTER 1.2

Part 8 – Tactical Review of the Fortified Areas & Fortified Structures, detailing the garrison, and the bunker and emplacement designs. CHAPTERS 1.3 & 1.4

Part 9 – Weapons Deployed & Mirus Battery, list and photographs of all the weaponry and a chapter on the immense Mirus battery. CHAPTERS 2.1 & 2.2

Part 10 – Deployment of Artillery & Anti-Aircraft Artillery, comprises details and maps of every artillery and anti-aircraft battery. CHAPTERS 2.3 & 2.4

Please note that this is a black and white publication with only a few key pages in colour for clarity.

BUY THE PAPERBACK FESTUNG

Each volume of the Festung Guernsey costs £15

All 10 volumes have been printed the set is avaialbe for £150

Each set can be presented in an special slipcase for an additional £15.

Delivery with the UK and the Channel Islands is £20, within Europe £30

BUY THE FESTUNG GUERNSEY Click Here