Instructions to military and civil authorities on Hitler's orders for the use of POWs (including captured partisans) to produce coal, and the transfer of female prisoners to Germany for work

[Illegible pencil notes] SECRET '
8 July 1943
Chief of the Supreme Command Armed Forces (OKW) Armed Forces General Staff (WFST)
Organization (II) No. 02938/)3 Secret 2 2 3 5
Ref. 2105
Subject: Manpower for Coal Mining
For the execution of the enlarged iron and steel program, the Fuehrer has ordered on 7 July the absolute guarantee of the nec-sary coal production, and for that purpose he has ordered to cover the requirements for manpower with prisoners of war.
540
744-PS
The Fuehrer demands that the measures described below will be used to add 300,000 additional workers to the coal mining industry finally. '
1. Of the Soviet prisoners of war in our hands—with the exception of those of Finland, Norway and those who are employed in T/O positions by the troops, 200,000 prisoners of war fit for coal mining are to be transferred immediately as the first installment by 1 Sept 43 by the plenipotentiary general for labor allocation with the consent of the chief, supreme command armed forces (AWA/chief prisoner of war affairs) trainload by trainload. As far as necessary the GBA (plenipotentiary for manpower) will provide substitutes.
2. In case of the receipt of new Soviet prisoners of war, the requirements of the coal mining industry have absolute priority over all other demands until further notice.
All prisoners of war, captured since 5 July 43 in the East, are to be sent to camps of the supreme command armed forces, and from there they are to be made available immediately or by exchange with other consumers to the plenipotentiary for labor allocation for use in the coal mining industry; the chairman of the national coal association has the immediate right of choice already in the prisoner of war camps of the supreme command armed forces area with the aid of his agencies.
3. Soviet professional coal miners are to be sent without exception from all prisoners of war allocation points according to their vocational training to the plenipotentiary for labor allocation against replacements for use in mining.
4. All male prisoners, from 16 to 55 years age, captured in guerilla fighting in the operational area, the army area, the Eastern commissariats, the Government General and the Balkans, will in the future be considered prisoners of war. The same applies to those males in the newly conquered territories of the East. They are to be sent to prisoner of war camps, and are to be brought from there for labor allocation in the Reich.
The chief of the army general staff and the Reichsfuehrer SS after consultation will issue within their jurisdiction the necessary directives on the conscription and further treatment of family members.
For presentation to the Fuehrer, the chief of the affairs of prisoners of war reports to me every ten days on the development of the action, T. for the first time of 25 July U3 as of 20 July 43.
Keitel [signed in ink]
693256—46—35
541
744-PS
Distribution:
Army General Staff
Supreme Commander Airforce _
Airforce General Staff
Chief of army armament and Commander of the replacement army
General arfned forces operation office (AWA) chief of prisoner of war affairs Reichsfuehrer SS and chief of German Police Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan, attention State Secretary Koerner
Reichminister for armament and nutritions Chairman of the Reich coal association [Reichsvereinigung Kohle] State councillor Pleiger.
The necessary information of further agencies, who are also concerned will be given by AWA with the consent of the plenipotentiary for labor allocation (GBA).
The Reichsfuehrer SS Field Headquarters
. 5 Aug 1943
Adjutant Journal No. 891/43 secret
Subject: Manpower for coal mining industry.
Reference: Letter of the command staff of the Reichsfuehrer SS—journal No. Ia/1909/43 secret.
Secret
1. Chief of the personal staff of Reichsfuehrer SS
2. SS main office
3. Reich security main office [RSHA]
4. Race and resettlement main office—SS ^
5. Main office, ordinary police
6. SS economic administrative main office
7. SS personal main office
8. Main office SS court
9. SS Supreme command—Headquarters of the Waffen SS
10. Staff Headquarters of the Reich commissar for the consolidation of Germanism
11. Main office center for Racial Germans [Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle]
12. Office of SS Obergruppenfuehrer Heissmeyer
542
744-PS
: 13.- Chief of the guerilla-fighting units.
14. Higher SS and Police Leader Ostland
15. Higher SS and Police Leader Russia-Center
16. Higher SS and Police Leader Russia-South
17. Higher SS and Police Leader Northeast
18. Higher SS and Police Leader East
19. Higher SS and Police Leader Alpine territory
20. Higher SS and Police Leader Serbia
21. Commissioner of the Reichsfuehrer SS for Croatia.
To figure 4. of the above mentioned order, I order that all young female prisoners, capable of work, are to be sent to Germany for work through the agency of Reich Commissioner Sauckel. Children, old women and men are to be collected and employed in the women's and children's camps, established by me, on estates as well as on the border of the evacuated area.
/&/ . H. Himmler
For the Reichfuehrer Grothmann [in ink]
SS Sturmbannfuehrer [Major]