Memorandum on Raeder's statement to the US naval attache, asserting that the Athenia had not been sunk by a German submarine and that German commanders were adhering to the laws regarding merchant ships, and the US attache's report to Washington

[Extract from Ski.File. "Fall Athenia"]
1st Naval Operational Staff.
Berlin, the 16.9.39.
Decree.
1. To M. Naval Attache.
The Foreign Office has had a report of the meeting between the Commander in Chief of the German Navy and the American Naval Attache on the 13.9.39 passed on to it by telephone; it is worded as follows:
"On the 16.9 at about 1300 hours, the Commander in Chief of the Navy received the American Naval Attache on the advice of the Reich Foreign Minister, and told him more or less the following: He had intended for some days already—as he knew— to write him to visit him, in order to tell him clearly his opinion about the sinking of the "Athenia", in view of the continued baiting about it. However he had waited for the return of these of the submarines that had been employed in waging war against merchant ships, at the time in question which might possibly be concerned, in order to receive reports about their activity personally. He repeated most emphatically that the sinking of the "Athenia" was not caused by a German submarine. The ship nearest to the place of the incident was at the time actually situated about 170 sea miles away from the place of the sinking. Besides this, the instructions according to which the commanders
D-804
had to wage war against merchant shipping had after all been published. Up to date, in no case had these instructions been even slightly disregarded. On the contrary, an American captain reported a short time before about the particularly courteous and chivalrous behavior of the submarine commanders.
He authorized him to make official use of his statements through his embassy. It is left to the Naval Attache to report this to the Naval Attache in Washington.
, Signed: Neubauer.
1st Naval Operational Staff. . , 16.9.39.
II to sto.I
Iu ,
Copy.
Ic.
sgd: Neubauer.
III. Ica z.d.A. Ic. [Initials].
To:
Copy
Berlin the 20.9.39.
3rd Dept.Naval Operational Staff.
1st Dept.Naval Operational Staff.
American Naval Attache Berlin to Washington:
Grand Admiral Raeder told me today the 16.9 that he had now received the reports from all submarines, as a result of which it has definitely been ascertained that the steamer "Athenia" was not sunk by a German submarine. He emphatically stressed the marvellous discipline of his submarine commanders; he had nevertheless delayed notifying me until the reports of all submarines which could possibly have been involved in the "Athenia" incident had been received. Grand Admiral Raeder added that the chivalrous conduct over and above the demands of the laws concerning prizes which is so much praised by the neutrals will be difficult to carry out, in view of the arming of merchant ships by the British.
3rd Dept. Naval Operational Staff B.
(B—Command)
Distribution: Ic 1st Naval Operational Staff, la, Iu. Naval Operational Staff 72UU secret.
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