A further German area had been a large area in the North which had been under the jurisdiction of the Commander Salonika-Aegean. Between these two areas which had been German up until then, there was now a vacuum. Also there was a vacuum in Boeotia, Attica and the Peloponnes. In this vacuum the Italian units dissolved and were transported home. Simultaneously, the bands infiltrated the empty country and eventually the German troops marched to occupy this same part of those areas which until then had been Italian occupation area; that is the development in outline.
Q. It became necessary to have a new administration. How was this organized? How was it composed?
A. The administration was built up as follows: the main sub-area administrative headquarters in Salonika already existed which was formed of part of the staff of the Commander Salonika and seven administrative sub area headquarters were added, which arrived during the last three months of 1943.
Q. Two questions which would like you to answer. General: did you have any security tasks on the basis of this reorganization?
A. Army Group E at the end of August had given me certain security tasks which I maintained under the new label, "Military Commander." For this purpose I had been given during the last ten days of August an SS Mountain Police Regiment 18. The assignment was to secure with this regiment three important pass highways. I will briefly point them out on the map: the Thermopyles Pass, in a southerly direction, the pass highway west of the Parnass Mountains, and a pass highway between Thebes and Athens.
Those were the security tasks which I received towards the end of August and which I had to carry on until about the beginning of November.
Q. From the end of August until the beginning of November 1942 -- is that correct?
A. Yes, approximately.
Q. Did your tasks comprise combatting of bands on the basis of this reorganization?
A. No, I had no commission concerning the combatting of bands because I had, first of all, no troops for this purpose nor an operational staff.
Q. You have already mentioned before, General, that a Higher SS and Police Leader was attached to your staff.
When did that happen?
A. A Higher SS and Police Leader was sent to Athens to the best of my knowledge towards the middle of September 1943.
Q. Middle of September 1943?
A. Yes, somewhere between the 10th and 20th of September 1943.
Q. It seems to me necessary, General, that we discuss in detail what the tasks of this Higher SS and Police Leader were, where and to whom he was subordinated. Were these questions clearly provided for?
A. All this can be seen from a service directive for the Higher SS and Police Leader in Greece dated the 7th of September 1943. It is contained in Document Book XVII under Exhibit 419, page 75 of the German text, and I am afraid I don't know the English page.
Q. This is Document NOKW-1438, prosecution exhibit 419, contained in Document Book XVII of the prosecution and page 104 and subsequent pages of the English text and page 75 and subsequent pages of the German text.
Before we come to the discussion of this service regulation, General, I would like to ask you one more question concerning the Higher SS and Police Leader. Was the Higher SS and Police Leader subordinate to you in a disciplinary respect?
A. No.
Q. To whom was he subordinated in this respect?
A. To the Reichfuehrer SS, his superior.
Q. Was he subordinated to you for administrative purposes?
A. No, for these purposes he was also subordinated to the SS through channels.
Q. Was he economically subordinated to you?
A. Only partially because the SS had their independent supply channels -- at least partially.
Q. Were the SS and police leaders judicially subordinated to you?
A. No, in this sphere also he was subordinated to his supreme superior SS agencies.
Q. Now, let us have a look at the service regulations for the Higher SS and Police Leader in Greece in some detail. On the 17th of September 1945 the OKW issued this regulation in the Fuehrer headquarters and Keitel signed it. Paragraphs 1 and 2 -- Under paragraph 1 it says: "Reichfuehrer SS, and Chief of the German Police by agreement with the Chief of the OKW and appoints an SS and Police Leader for the area of Military Greece."
Under this paragraph 2 it says: "The Higher SS and Police Leader is an office of the Reichfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police which is subordinate to Military Commander Greece for the period of its employment in Greece."
General, will you please briefly give us your comments to these two paragraphs where you were concerned?
How did you regard the newly created office of the Higher SS and Police Leader?
A. Paragraphs 1 and 2, which were just read, show clearly that the Higher SS and Police Leader was an office of the Reichsfuehrer SS and was appointed by him. Then comes the vague expression that "he is subordinated to the Military Commander Greece for the period of his employment in Greece." This provision could, according to the customs of that period, refer purely to a subordination in military questions, as has been clearly and correctly expressed in General Taylor's Opening Statement, and I quote. It says there on Page 24 of the German and English texts: "The Higher SS and Police Leaders remained personally responsible to Himmler; they were, however, for tactical purposes, subordinated to the senior Military Commander of their area." This is a confirmation of the fact that this subordination referred purely to the military sphere. Thus far the situation is clear. The next paragraphs, however, show the exact opposite and the cancellation of this general rule; so they represent exceptions. It seems to me to be necessary that we discuss in great detail the following paragraphs.
Q. All right, General, we will discuss, than, Paragraph 3, which says in its first paragraph: "In the area of the Military Commander Greece the Higher SS and Police Leader embraces all duties which are incumbent on the Reichfuehrer SS and Chief of German Police in the Reich." This means that the Higher SS and Police Leader had purely police tasks, corresponding to those which the Reichsfuehrer SS had in the Reich, and which, according to Paragraph 7 of this directive, he received directives from the Reichsfuehrer SS and carried out his tasks independently. I would like to read Paragraph 7 in this connection, it says: "The Higher SS and Police Leader will receive directives and instructions for the execution of these duties from the Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of German Police. He will carry them out independently, currently, and opportunely for the Military Commander Greece, insofar as he does not receive any restricting directives from the later."
I would like to ask you a general question concerning this paragraph: What was the situation in actual fact with the current and the direct reports to the Military Commander Greece?
A. That depends on what kind of reports you mean. I never saw any reports concerning purely police matters. They went immediately to the Reichsfuehrer SS, therefore, I knew nothing about them.
Q. That, then, was the chapter on purely police tasks. Now, let us deal with Paragraph 4. The primary duty of the Higher SS and Police Leader is the command of the SS and Police units (without the Waffen SS units subordinated to Army Group E.), in combat against bands and sabotage, pursuant to the general directives of the Reichsfuehrer SS. For this purpose definite combat areas to be their own responsibility are to be assigned to them by the Military Commander."
What are your comments on this Paragraph 4?
A. Before I deal with this Paragraph 4 I would like to add something which we missed. An important sentence was not mentioned, which is the second part of Paragraph 3. "He has authority to direct and supervise the Greek authorities and police forces within the sphere of these duties." This shows that the Corps operation, or rather the relation of subordination with respect to the Greek agencies, is part of the task of the Higher SS and Police Leader, for which he receives his directives from the Reichsfuehrer SS. Now, I shall deal with Paragraph 4 which you just quoted. This paragraph means that the Higher SS and Police Leader is to wage the combatting of bands a) in accordance with instructions of the Reichsfuehrer SS, and b) in his own definite combat area under his own responsibility. This paragraph and the provision made in accordance with this passage, in Greece the Military Commander, as such, does not bear any responsibility for the band combatting.
Q. But it says here in Paragraph 4 that the Military Commanders can give certain definite combat areas with regard to band sabotate under their own responsibility, to the Higher SS and Police Leader.
A. This sentence has as its basis the wrong assumption --that the Military Commander in Greece has the task to combat the bands in Greece--and, therefore, disposes of such band combat. That is probably stated in conjunction with the entirely different conditions in Serbia, where the Military Commander had under him the whole of the area, had the necessary troops at his disposal, and had the necessary operational staff. In Greece, however, the band combatting was the tactical and operational task of Army Group E, and only this Army Group could, within the scope of its total program, cut out a band sector and assign it to the Higher SS and Police Leader.
Q. Did Army Group E, in actual fact, intervent in this question?
A. Yes, of course. At the time, on the basis of the reorganization, we received a teletype order of a general nature which contained the provision that Army Group E was authorized to issue tactical orders in certain cases. It was rather vague. And then I believe I can remember very clearly, it was at the beginning of November--it might have been in October, but most likely it was at the beginning of November--we received a teletype from Army Group E which started with the words: "On the basis of the authority vested in me I order," and in this order the Higher SS and Police Leader was assigned a band combat area--the district of Boeotia. I am pointing it out on the map.
Q. The assignment of the Boeotia area to the Higher SS and Police Leader, as band combat area, was carried out by Army Group E?
A. Yes, and not only the assignment of this area, but also, at that time, there were fairly extensive and detailed combat orders given at the same time.
Q. And this also by Army Group E?
A. Yes.
Q. So these orders actually just passed through your agency?
A. The Military Commander of Greece was more or less the "passing on" agency--the "postal transmitter."
Q. Couldn't you commit police forces militarily?
A. No, I could not do that on the basis of Paragraph 5b, which is very important. It reads: "The Military Commander is only authorized to employ units of the general police for military tasks when the fulfillment of the tasks set to the Higher SS and Police Leader by the Reichsfuehrer SS permits." To put it differently, the orders of the Reichsfuehrer SS had preference over my orders.
THE PRESIDENT: Perhaps we had better take our noon recess at this time.
(The Tribunal adjourned at 1215 to Resume at 0130.)
AFTERNOON SESSION (The hearing reconvened at 1330 hours, 11 December 1947.)
THE MARSHAL: The Tribunal is again in session.
WILHELM SPEIDEL - Resumed DIRECT EXAMINATION - Continued BY DR. WEISGERBER:
Q General, we stopped with the discussion of whether you would use police forces in a military way, Document NOKW-1438, contained in Prosecution Document Book XVII, Exhibit No. 419, on page 104 of the English and page 75 of the German text. Would you please repeat your answer to this question?
A I believe that I said that my right of competency over the police forces was restricted in such a way that I had no way of commanding them for practical purposes, because the orders of the Reichsfuehrer SS had priority.
Q Is your opinion, really expressed in this order?
A Yes, in the second line of paragraph No.
Q Will you please read that paragraph in order to clarify this?
A Page 105 of the English. It reads as follows: 'The Military Commander is authorized to employ units of the Regular Police only for military commitments only on the fulfillment of the task set by the Senior SS and Police Leader as the Reichsfuehrer SS permits."
Q For how long did you, in actual practice, have the possibility of using forces of the Regular Police for military assignments?
A I believe I already mentioned this is brief this morning. It was from the last third of August, when the Police Regiment 18 was subordinated to me for tactical assignments until about the end of October, or the beginning of November--around the turn of the month.
Q Let us look again at Figure 6 of this service regulation for the Higher SS and Police Leader. This Paragraph 6 contains the authorization of the Military Commander to issue directives to the Senior SS and Police Leader. Would you please give a short explanation of this paragraph?
A Directives for destructions of which are necessary for Wehrmacht operational tasks. This directive has a theoritical significance, since I had nothing to do with the operations of the Wehrmacht. Therefore this paragraph would have referred to a right of the Commander in Chief Army Group E.
Q We have already discussed this document in detail. I am of the opinion, General, that you very willingly renounced competencies which remained to you at all, which as such were small, to the Higher SS and Police Leader. Now, I would like to ask you: Is this an interpretation which you yourself have given to this Service Regulation, or did you think out this interpretation for this concrete case?
A No, that is not so. I remember this Service Regulation very well. At that time, of course I was very much concerned about it. It was, at that time, something entirely new for me and furthermore it was of an amazingly contradictory nature with regard to the channel of command; so I can very well remember that I reflected upon and very thoroughly studied this Service Regulation of the Higher SS and Police Leader. I did not read it only once, but I read it repeatedly. On the basis of these reflections I had to conclude the very opinion that I have expressed here. This interpretation of the Service Regulations was, at that time, the yard stick for my action. In other words, I strongly adhered to this Service Regulation just as I have interpreted it here.
Q Did this present interpretation of yours agree--if I may say that--with the interpretation of your superior officers?
A Whether and in how far I discussed this with my superior that is, the Commander in Chief Southeast I do not remember. However, I know very well that my interpretation in this direction and the interpretation of Army Group E, were entirely in conformity. However rarely, we agreed in other spheres.
Q In this connection I would like to submit as a further exhibit from Speidel Document Book I, Speidel Document No. 5, on page 11, to which I shall give Exhibit No. 14.
This is an affidavit made by the former General of Mountain Troops Winter. It was given on the 20th of September 1947, and I quote:
"From the end of August 1943 until the middle of March 1944 I was Chief of Staff of Army Group E in Greece. The following statements concerning the organization and operation of the command relationships in Greece during the time mentioned are given from memory according to my best knowledge and belief. Therefore it can only be demanded that they be correct in fundamentals, and not in details.
"1. The Military Commander Greece was subordinate to the Military Commander Southeast, and not to the Commander in Chief of Army Group E.
"2. The Commander in Chief of Army Group E could give tactical directives to the Military Commander Greece, i.e. he could issue orders affecting the forces under the command of the Military Commander Greece (mostly police and other troops), which would coordinate those troops with the troops of Army Group E in regard to possible enemy landings as well as the security of strategic communications.
"3. The Executive SS and Police Officer for Greece was subordinate to the Military Commander Greece, by assignment and personally, so far as I know.
"Independently, he received directions (And this, of course, must be supplemented from the context that it is here meant the SS and Police Leader in Greece.) in police matters, including starting and organizing native police units, directly from the Reichsfuehrer SS. The High Command of Army Group E was not informed about the substance of these directives. I remember that Gen. Speidel also told me several times that the SS Executive and Police Officer either informed him not at all or only sketchily concerning the matters mentioned above.
"4. When the communistic insurrection of the EAM, which was ideologically and materially aided from the outside, gained momentum after the departure of the Italian Army in September 1943, and threatened the strategic communications of Army Group E, which was assigned to coastal defense, then the fight against the rebels gained in importance and required the commitment of regular army units, because the available police forces were too small.
As a result the army and police forces duplicated security measures in all areas. In order to make a reasonable use of all available forces and to assure a unified tactical command, the Commander in Chief of Army Group E made use, as I remember after 1943, of his powers, mentioned in paragraph 2, to issue directives, he assigned a regular area to the SS Executive and Police Officer and his Police Alpine Regiment 18, in which he and his forces alone were responsible for the security of the strategic communications. In return, the Military Commander Greece was released from responsibility for the tactical securing of the strategic communications outside of this designated area. His other responsibilities were not altered. The basic order for this measure went through channels from the Commander in Chief of Army Group E, i.e. through the Military Commander to the SS Executive and Police Officer. Therefore the Military Commander Greece was in this case only the transmitting official. This is how it may been with further orders that may have been issued in this connection by Army Group E to the SS Executive and Police Officer.
"The SS Executive and Police Officer regulated the details of the tactical operations of his forces in the area assigned to him on his own authority." It is signed and notarized.
Further, I would, like to submit from Speidel Document Book II Speidel Document No. 21, on page 23 of the text. I would ask that Exhibit No. 15 be given this document. It is another affidavit by the same General Winter, dated the 12th of October, and I quote:
From August 1943 until March 1944, I was Chief of the General Staff of Army Group E, and from March 1944 until October 1944, Chief of the General Staff of Army Group F. On the basis of the knowledge acquired in this position I am able to make the following detailed statements concerning divergences and shifting of responsibility between Wehrmacht and SSheadquarters in the south-eastern theatre. I remark that I make my statements from memory. Since I lack all particulars concerning details I must limit myself to enumerating exceptionally outstanding cases.
I take for granted knowledge of the peculiar command relationships in Greece during the period from Autumn 1943 to Autumn 1944, namely the separation of operational command from territorial authority to command.
The Higher-SS and Police Leader Greece, as far an he himself was concerned, was subordinate to the Military Commander Greece. This subordination however was limited dejure and de facto by the fact that he just like the Higher SS and Police Leaders or Special Deputies of the Reichsfuehrer SS in the other occupied territories or sovereign countries of the southcast - received instructions in the police sector directly through the Reichsfuehrer SS. The establishment and organization of native police forces above all were regulated by such direct instructions. In spite of continuous efforts to achieve ready co-operation by close personal contact, the Commander in Chief of Army Group E in Greece and I as his chief at that time, never succeeded in getting an insight into the activity of the Higher-SS - and Police Leader Greece in the sphere mentioned I may take it for granted that no unobjectionable picture was to be had of the activity of the Commander of the Security Police and the SD who was subordinated to the Higher SS- and Police Leader. I know that the Military Commander Greece. Air Force General Speidel was always confronted by surprises in the field of organization and use of native police forces.
The Higher SS and Police Leader had even at the end of 1943 adopted the policy of solving problems arising in this sphere by direct dealings with individual men of the Greek government. While outwardly the Commander in Chief of Army Group E (or his superior: Commander in Chief in SouthEast) or at least the Military Commander Greece appeared consequently to the uninitiated observer as inevitably responsible for organization and assignment of police forces, the responsibility was actually showed one-sidedly into the sphere of the Higher SS- and Police Leader. The Commander in Chief of the Army Group was from the start eliminated dejure, the Military Commander defacto.
I do not wish to read any further from this document. I would like to come back to guerilla fighting.
General, I would like to pose the following question: Was your interpretation, or the one I have just read from the affidavit of General Winter of directing guerrilla fighting confirmed by any statements from the side of the SS?
A. Not officially. However, unofficially the following happened: One day an SS Obergruppenfuehrer by the name of von dem Bach-Zelewsky, with the retinue usual with these gentlemen, paid me a courtesy visit and told me that he was the Plenipotentiary for Guerrilla Fighting for the Reichsfuehrer SS, and he had come to Athens in order to conduct an inspection of the Higher SS and Police Leader. I took cognizance of this visit, but we did not discuss anything important. Then he had, afterwards, a discussion with the Higher SS and Police Loader. How long he had been there and what was talked about I don't know. It seemed to me from the visit of this officer that the Reichsfuehrer SS had a very direct influence on the guerrilla fighting. I can't say more on this subject.
Q. Has it come to your knowledge, even only subsequently, ad to what role this SS General von dem Bach-Zelewsky played in the sphere of guerrilla fighting?
A. I really never heard, anything about it. I can't say that.
Q. In the first trial, when this General von dem Bach-Zelewsky appeared as a witness it was established that he was the nan who had drawn up the Guerrilla Fighting Directives at that time.
A. No, I never heard about it.
Q. Let us clarify once more the position of the Higher SS and Police Leader. Did you issue orders to him concerning guerrilla fighting or have you yourself taken a land in any way, in the guerrilla fighting of the Higher SS and Police Leader?
A. I can only repeat that operational orders from Army Group E and were relayed by me to the Higher SS and Police Leader. How the first basic order came in, I believe I said this morning that it was on the basis of that authorization.
Q. Have you every seen the guerrilla area of the Higher SS and Police Leader? Have you ever been there and inspected it? Or that of Police Regiment 18?
A. It was my habit, when I was commanding troops, to be with them daily. It was always my attitude that which I had not seen and inspected I did not believe. I took care of all matters in person, but I was never in this guerrilla area. I was not with any troops. I did not take part in any combat, which I would have done if I had been there but to take only the role of battle trotter was not my business. In this regard, of course, I was forced not to go there, even though this interested me greatly.
Q. Well, it is only because you did not have anything to do with the guerrilla fighting tasks of the Higher SS and Police Leader that this was entirely outside your duties, that you did not go there?
A. Yes, that is correct.
Q. In the interrogation of General Felmy, we heard that for the Peloponnesus a combat commander was appointed for a certain time. He was the Commando of the 117th Light Infantry. Were there any leaders in the guerilla fighting area of the Higher SS and Police Leader in Boctia that is? Was there a corresponding organization?
A. At the time I didn't know about it but I have now seen from the War Diary of the 68th Corps that in a part of Boeotia the Commander of the Police Regiment 18 was appointed as Combat Commander. I think he was assigned there by the Army Group E, not by me.
Q. Did the Higher SS and Police Leader--ever make any suggestions to you concerning a transfer of guerilla area about the various tactical intentions? In other words, did he inform you in any way about his activities?
A. I can't remember any details from that time but I read here again in this War Diary of the 68th Corps, that the Higher SS and police Leader suggested to the 68th Corps that he would like to transfer his guerilla area from the Boeotian area to the Peloponnesus. General Felmy, as witness in his own case, has described very clearly and in detail this incident. From his testimony it became very clear that the Higher SS and Police Leader received the order to transfer his zone from Boeotia to the Peloponnesus, from the Reichsfuehrer SS and only for this reason he contacted the 608th Corps, probably so that the latter would take over his old zone.
Q. In order to summarize the service regulation for the Higher SS and Police Leader, then, I suppose I ought to say that this service regulation really consisted of nothing but the exceptions. Will you please once again specify in how far the Higher SS and Police Fuehrer really was subordinate to you?
A. Even here I must give you, first of All, a very negative answer by referring back to your questions. He was not subordinate to me, not as far as troops went, and not even as far as jurisdiction went. He was not subordinate to me in connection with his activity in guerilla fighting where he got some of his directives from the Army Group E and some from Reichfuehrer SS.
He was not subordinate to me in police matters because there, according to service regulations, he got his directions from the Reichsfuehrer SS. He was definitely subordinate to me as far as his territory was concerned, as was every other authority and troop in the Greek area; furthermore, he was subordinate to me in the commitment of his troops in the first time until the beginning of November. That is, until this regulation concerning the guerilla area came into force.
Q. You say then that during this time the Police Regiment 18 was subordinate to you for security purposes.
A. The police Regiment 18 first of all was subordinate to me from his arrival at the end of August immediately up to the moment when the Higher SS and Police Leader arrived and that was the middle of December. From then on, it was subordinate to me through the Higher Police and SS Leader until about the beginning of November, but it was not at all in a complete way. The Army Group E also during this time interfered continuously.
Of course I don't remember the detail, of that time. However, from the War Diaries, I can say that, for instance, Army Group E once took a whole battalion away from me which was assigned to a different command for guerilla fighting, that once a battalion from the Army Group was used for naval defenses, that another time a single company which was a subordinate to the Brandenberg regiment then stationed in Boetia, that even once two companies were used for the navy, I suppose for one of the island operations.
I mention these details which I have from the Diaries only because I wish to show that even in this very first state of the operations, first of all, I did not have the whole forces at my disposal and the second reason for my mentioning this is that the Army Group was continuously interfering.
Q. General, you have just said that the Higher SS and Police Leader received guerilla fighting directions from Army Group E and also from the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Is the last statement correct? I ask you the question because I have - my attention has just been called -- because the translation has not been coming through. The Higher SS and Police Leader also got his directives for Band fighting from the Reichsfuehrer SS?
A. I just would like to remind her of what I have just mentioned a few minutes ago that the SS and Police Leader in the spring of 1944, sometime in the spring of 1944, received the order from the Reichsfuehrer SS to transfer his activities to the Peloponnesus. I emphasize that I only know that from the statement of General Felmy, when he appeared as witness in his own case.
Q. A concluding question to this chapter, General. I can well imagine that it must be difficult for somebody who has not himself experienced the organization of authority in Germany, to understand these very complicated situations. They certainly gave reason for considerable friction. Could you tell the Court very briefly an explanation for this very strange organizational state of affairs.
A. This state of affairs and the conditions which I have just mentioned are not only incomprehensible to the outsider but also to us. They were incomprehensible to us but we had, somehow, to contend with them. They were caused by the conditions of power in the Third Reich, which are now a matter of history and which can only be judged by someone who has himself lived under them.
The following factors must be taken into consideration. First, the strong dualism in the authoritarian fuehrer state, the discrepancy between Wehrmacht and SS, and also the desire for power that the SS had. The principle of the highest quarters was division of power in order to weaken the various units that held power and to play them up against each other according to the famous principle of "Divide and Impera". It was thus that cause for friction was created deliberately and intentionally, and the conflicts which broke into flame over this of course were fought out lower down.
It was these factors that I have just mentioned which resulted in a dualism and sometimes more than two channels of orders in the Third Reich in general, but especially in the military sector in the Balkans. This SS order that I have mentioned before and analyzed in detail is the typical compromise which was so frequent at that time, in the course of which the powerful Reichsfuehrer SS wished to push the weak OKW, out of the way, so that he could get himself the power into his own hands, although from a purely military point of view it was an absolutely impossible situation.
Q. Will you please tell me in conclusion who was Higher SS and Police Leader at your time in Greece?
A. First, it was an SS Brigadefuehrer by the name of Strob from the middle of September until about the middle of October and about the middle of October, I can't remember the date, the SS Gruppenfuehrer Schimana arrived, who then had the command until the end.
Q. You said SS Brigadefuehrer and SS Gruppenfuehrer. What ranks do they correspond to in the Wehrmacht?
A. The SS fuehrer had various ranks. The SS rank of Brigadefuehrer corresponded to Brigadier General of the Wehrmacht and Schimana was SS Gruppenfuehrer which corresponded to General of the Wehrmacht.
Q. To what could we compare the rank of the higher SS and police leader in Greece?
A. General and division commander.
Q. Will you tell me now, General, what were the troops that were subordinate to you as military commander in Greece?
A. I am almost ashamed to say. I commanded the Security Battalion 596.
Q. Your statement is confirmed by prosecution exhibit 422, in document book 17, page 87 in the English transcript and 84 in the German version; and also on page 121 in the English and 116 in the German. Will you please give me in short the substance of those documents?
A. In the first document, as a concluding sentence of a monthly report from January 1944, it reports on the execution of the tasks that were assigned to the regimental leaders and it talks about the lack of troops. The tasks cannot be carried out with that one regiment. "An allocation of three to four security battalions is required urgently."
Q. Did you get any more battalions after that?
A. Not one.
Q. General, what organization existed for the administrative tasks in your sphere as military commander of Greece?
A. As I have already mentioned before, there was one Field 4Q, and 7 sub-area headquarters. I am afraid I can't show you on this chart because I haven't got the stick that is required, but there were assigned to me in the South, the field sub-area headquarters, Corinth, Athens, Chalkis, Larissa, Lamia; and in the west, Epirus, Messolunghi, Joannina, and finally the sub-area command of Salonika.