During 1941 as a requirement to reinforce the island’s artillery, units of the Heeres Küsten Batterie (army coastal battery) were assembled in France in preparation for transport to Guernsey.  At this date these batteries were not part of any regiment but were individual units available to army or corps commanders for attachment to divisions for special purposes.

One of these units was H.K.B. 471.  A German war diary report from July 1942 stated that the battery was assembled in the XVI army area with crews and ammunition ready but its guns were still in Germany undergoing refurbishment.  

The units arrived in Guernsey via St. Malo during December and work on construction of its concrete emplacements commenced.  Upon arrival on the islands the batteries were split into four groups, two on Jersey, two on Guernsey each controlled by a HKAA (Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung – army coastal artillery battalion.)

HKAA 727 set up its headquarters at St. Peter’s arsenal and had seven batteries subordinate to it:-

In 1943 when it became apparent that the intended replacement naval batteries would not be available, it was decided to form these individual batteries into HKAR 1265 (Army Coastal Artillerie Regiment 1265), this in turn being split into four battalions.

And so HKB 471 Batterie Westberg became the 15^th unit of the 4^th Battalion HKAR 1265.  All coastal batteries were under control of Naval Command, Channel Islands based at St. Jacques, St. Peter Port.  

*Transferred Jersey 8.44