[Extract from I Ski I:]
Berlin, 31st January 1940.
Naval Ops. Staff.
1st Naval Ops.Staff ia 4307¡40 secret
referring to 4306 and 4305 '
Memorandum.
I.
Previous Ref:—R.S. 205, 294 and 295.
Subject: Sinking of S/S "Deptford," "Thomas Walton," and "Garoufalia".
It is proposed in replying to Norwegian notes, to admit only the sinking by a German U-boat of the S/S "Deptford", but to deny the sinking of the two other steamers. According to the data attached to the notes presented by the Norwegian Government, the grounds for suspecting a torpedo to have been the cause of the sinkings do in fact appear to be equally strong in all three cases. According to the Norwegian Foreign Minister's speech of the 19th January, the suspicion in Norway of torpedoing by a German U-boat appears, however, to be strongest in the case of the S/S "Deptford", whereas in the other two cases it is at least pretended that the possibility of striking mines has to be taken into account; this is considered improbable in the case of the S/S "Deptford" anyhow because other vessels had passed the same spot. '
The assumption that the S/S "Thomas Walton" struck a mine may be supported, since the torpedoing occurred towards evening and nothing was observed and since furthermore several explosions took place in the same area owing to misses by torpedoes.
In the case of the S/S "Garoufalia" a denial appears expedient, if only because a neutral steamer is concerned, which was attacked without warning. Since it was attacked by means of an electric torpedo (Eto), no torpedo wake could be observed.
II. To the Foreign Office.
Berlin W. 8.
Previous Reference R.S. 205, 294 and 295
Subject: Sinking of the Steamships "Deptford", "Thomas Walton" and "Garoufalia".
It is suggested that the Norwegian notes regarding the sinking
955
D-807
of the Steamships "Deptford", "Thomas Walton" and "Garou-falia" be answered somewhat in the following manner:
As a' result of the communication from the Norwegian Government, the matter of the sinking of the steamships "Deptford", "Thomas Walton" and "Garoufalia" has been thoroughly investigated.' The following facts have thus been ascertained:
The steamer "Deptford" was sunk by a German U-boat on the 13th December, as it was recognized as an armed enemy ship. According to the report of the U-boat Commander, the sinking did not take place within territorial waters, but immediately outside. The German Naval Forces have strict instructions not to undertake any military operations within neutral territorial waters. Should the U-boat Commander have miscalculated his position, as appears to be borne out by the findings of the Norwegian Authorities, and should Norwegian territorial waters have been violated in consequence, the German Government regrets this most sincerely.
As a result of this incident, the German Naval Forces have once again been instructed unconditionally to respect neutral territorial waters. If a violation of Norwegian territorial waters has indeed occurred, there will be no repetition of it. As far as the sinking of the steamships "Thomas Walton" and "Garoufalia" is concerned, this cannot be traced to operations by German U-boats, as none of them were in the naval area indicated at the time of the sinkings. .
III. Copy of II to OKW Foreign Dept.
IV. Carry forward I ia
1st Naval Operational Staff Ia Iu Ic I i. I ia.
Berlin, 8th January 1940.
Secret.
Naval Operation Staff
1st Naval Operational Staff I i 2569/39 secret.
Decree.
1. To the Foreign Office.
O.K.W. Foreign Dept, (for information)
Previous reference R.S. 1105 of 26.12.1939.
Subject: Sinking of the Greek steamship "Garoufalia."
It is suggested that a reply be sent to the Greek note to the effect that nothing is known to the German authorities about the sinking of the steamship "Garoufalia" by a German U-Boat.
956
D-807
If, either through communications made to the Norwegian Government as a result of the letter 1st Naval Operational Staff 23808/39 secret of 21.12.39 or through the testimony of witness, the presence of a German U-Boat in the area in which the "Garoufalia" was sunk has already become known, it is suggested to answer the Greek note to the effect that a blacked-out ship bearing no illuminated neutrality markings was sighted by the U-Boat in the area concerned and was therefore not regarded as a neutral ship. It may therefore be possible that the steamship was mistaken for an enemy auxiliary warship.
II. Copy of I to Military Attache 3rd Naval Operational Staff.
III. Copy of II to 1st Naval Operational Staff.
Io, Iu.
Iu Ic Ii
for I ia. '
Navy staff memos on the sinking of three ships by U-boats, the navy's plan to deny involvement in two of the cases, and a promise to respect Norway's territorial waters
Date: 31 January 1940
Literal Title: Memorandum. . . . Subject:- Sinking of S/S "Deptford," [']Thomas Walton" and "Garoufalia".
Defendant: Karl Doenitz
Total Pages: 2
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: D-807
Citations: IMT (page 9542), IMT (page 9574)
HLSL Item No.: 452918