"In reprisal for 21 dead German Wehrmacht Soldiers, 2100 Jews from the Jewish Camp were made available for execution by order of Corps Headquarters 18."
If your Honors, please, as the decreased is Boehme and it is submitted that the copy of the order which is offered as Exhibit 78 which directs in its terms that the Chief of the Military Administration through the Plenitentiary Commanding General -- excuse me -that the shooting details will be formed and that they are to be furnished by the Chief of the Military Administration through the Plenitentiary Commanding General of Serbia. This refers back to Corps Headquarters 18 which is the same as the Plenitentiary Commanding General of Serbia so far as the persons occupying the positions are concerned.
"The Wehrmacht is carrying out the execution. The seizure of all male Jews in Belgrade and their transfer to a camp completed. Preparations for the Belgrade Jewish Ghettos are completed. After the liquidation of all remaining male Jews as already ordered by Commander Serbia, the Ghetto will receive about ten thousand Jewish women and children."
And then there is a recital that "Arrests prevented the intended flight of a group of 12 wealthy Jews, a great number of valuables and considerable amounts of money were secured. The intermediary who had procured forged Croatian papers for 86,000 Dinars was also arrested. The escape was to be made by Wehrmacht trucks."
Then there is one note at the bottom of page 16, on page 14 of the German, with reference to Greece. "Armed found in the area of Seloniki. Three Greeks shot to death, 12 houses burned."
Next we have the report of 21 October 1941 again from Berlin; Chief of the Security Police and the SD, and with reference again to Serbia.
"The Chief of the Operational Group (EINSATZGRUPPE) of the Security Police and SD in Belgrade reports:" This is document NOKW 3482and is offered as Exhibit 82. That appears in the English text on page 18 and page 15 in the German.
"The report of the Chief of the Operational Group of the Security Police and S.D. b) Special Events:
"On 14 October 1941 the Insurgent attack on the town of Kraljevo commenced and; with brief interruptions, continued for almost 3 days. For the first time, the Insurgents also employed artillery in the fighting for the town, and on 17 October, for instance, the town received over 100 artillery shells."
I would direct Your Honor's attention to the name of this town, Kraljevo, because there are separate reprisal killings that are intertwined through the next separate documents and this Kraljevo one will appear shortly and I would just like to call Your Honor's attention to that name at this time.
Then under the title "Own Activities" -- that is the activities of the Einsatzgruppe -
Special Events:
After ruthless action by the troops was bound to fail up to the time of the employment of the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia because of the lack of corresponding clear orders, Lt. General Boehme's order, according to which 100 Serbs will be executed for every soldier killed and 50 for every soldier wounded, has established a completely clear-cut line for action. On the strength of this order, for instance, 2200 Serbs and Jews were shot in reply to an attack on a convoy near Topola, during which 22 members of the Wehrmacht perished, while in return for the soldiers killed in the fighting for Kraljevo so far 1736 inhabitants and 19 Communist women from Kraljevo have been executed.
If Your Honors will total the figures 1736 and 19, it will be seen that it comes to the figure 1755 which figure we shall find in somewhat later reports, but I would just like to call Your Honors' attention to that figure in connection with the town of Kraljevo, and again, above, there is the recital of the 2200 Serbs and Jews shot near Topola.
"However, it still appears necessary finally to open the eyes of the Serbian people, through corresponding propaganda, to the unpredictable consequences which will result from the ruthless execution of this order.
"It has also been shown again during the week covered in the report that for the speedy and complete suppression of the insurrection the combat troops available are not yet sufficient. Terrain difficulties which arise everywhere require the continual employment of major units if a lasting success is to be obtained, since the insurgents only rarely give battle and total destruction is always possible only through complete encirclement. This fact is also recognized by com petent military authorities, and it can be expected that additional troops will soon be employed in Serbia.
Summing up, it can be said that the slight improvement in the entire situation which occurred during the week covered in the report must in no way lead to exaggerated optimism. Until now it has only been possible to destroy small bands, while the large bands in part already completely organized on military lines, are still in the terrain. Only after dispersing and completely destroying them may a decisive improvement in the situation be expected.
Then the last entry, a note with reference to Greece on page 18 of the German and page 21 of the English, still reading from Exhibit No. 83, the report from the Einsatzgruppe to Berlin and released by Berlin on 21 October, 1941? "Greece: At the Strymon Estuary 2 villages were burned down which were found guilty of having supported bands. All male inhabitants (202) were shot. In course of the fire, ammunition, partly also explosive charges, blew up in every house."
Then turning to page 22 in the English, page 19 in the German, Document N0KW-560, which is offered as prosecution's exhibit 84 in the evidence, this is an order of General Boehme of 19 October and I would appreciate the Secretary General handing it to the Tribunal because this copy is signed by his chief of staff in order that they might see the signature on the photostat.
I would also direct Your Honors' attention to the material just below the heavy line which was typed under the words "In Serbia" in the upper left-hand corner where it says ABT. Qu. NR and then the number NO 301/14--that is the order number which is given and we will have occasion at a later time to refer back to this number and if Your Honors will note on the photostat it appears that the "O" was written in. Apparently it was originally mistyped. The "1" may still be seen under the "O" and to the left of the final "1" before the slash. This is from the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia by his chief of staff to the LXV Corps, the Belgrade Guard Regiment, and for the information of the Commander Serbia.
It recites the order above named which appears under reference 2848/41. "In execution of the order named in above reference, 2200 arrested Serbs will be shot for 10 killed and 24 wounded German soldiers (members of the troop units beseiged in Valjevo)."
This is still another order with reference to reprisal killings. We have had the one from Belgrade with reference to the concentration camp inmates, Belgrade and Sabac. We have had reference to Kraljevo and now we see for the first time the term Valjevo and if Your Honors will see that the number 2200, it is submitted, is computed on the 100 to one and 50 to one ratio. A hundred to one for the ten killed would be 1,000 and fifty to one for the 24 wounded would be 1200 and that adds up to 2200, the number which is indicated in the order.
"The execution of 1600 arrestees is to be carried out by the Belgrade Guard Regiment. The date and place of executions, the picking up and/or delivery of those arrested, as well as more exact details are to be agreed upon directly with the Pleni. CG in Serbia (Commander Serbia - Admin. Staff). Report of completion to Pleni. CG in Serbia."
That, of course, is Boehme. And it is signed for him by his chief of staff Pemsel.
On page 20 of the German and page 23 of the English, we come to Document N0KW 1362, which is offered as prosecution's exhibit 85 in evidence. This is a part from the war diary of the LXV Corps which was commanded by General Bader which was in Serbia and which by the order of Field Marshall List in September of 1941 was subordinated to the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia, General Boehme, who was sent there by Field Marshall List, and Boehme of course was under List. The Court might be interested in seeing the cover page of this war diary. I would request that the Secretary General hand it to them because in the writing itself it shows the chief to which this Corps Commander looked.
For the dates on the second line or the third up from the bottom-the dates June 10, 1941 to 20, 1941, they were under the Second Army, Armeeoberkommando II and then from 21 June 1941 until 19-9-41 they were under Armeeoberkommando 12. 19-9 means September 19. Then from the 20th of September until the third of March, 1942, they were under the Plenipotentiary Commanding General for Serbia.
MR. DENNEY: And there is a note below which shows that General Boehme held this position until the 3rd of December 1941, and also that he had the 18th Army Corps. The initials out to the right following the Roman numerals XVIII, and then below that, that Bader took over as Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia on the 4th of December 1941 and remained so until the 3rd of March 1942. The excerpts with which we are here concerned begin with the 17th of October 1941, and therefore place the Corps under the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia Became. There is a note for 17 October, "From the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia: Arrest of all relatives of Insurgents." Then, on the 18th of October there is a report from the 717th Infantry Division, a division which is part of the LXV Corps, "In return for losses incurred on 15 October so far 1736 men and 19 Communist women shot." Now, we referred in the earlier document, that is the report from the Chief of Security Police and SD, which was exhibit 83, Page 16 in the German and Page 19 in the English, to the numbers 1736 inhabitants and 19 Communist women, which recites Kraljevo, and it is submitted that these numbers, with the date, it being a report from the Einsatz Gruppe for a week, as is shown in the text of the report, and that the report must have been submitted on the 20th October, and that this establishes this as being Kraljevo. Then, on the 19th there is a report from the 717th Infantry Division, which again is part of the LXV Corps, which indicates that the "IIIrd Battalion 749th Regiment returned to Kragujevac with 133 hostages." Now, I would like to direct Your Honors' attention to this name Kragujevac. We now have Kraljevo, Valjevo, and Kragujevac. It then recites that "D. Milanovac was burned down." And then there is a note to the 718th Infantry Division from the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia, "Retaliation measures ordered for Serbia are not compulsory for Croatia: forwarded to the 718th Infantry Division." And then a directive to the 704th and the 718th, two divisions, both part of the LXV Corps, "Teletype: Divisions report the number of arrested and shot for the period 11 - 19 October 1941."
Now, you will note that there three divisions in this corps, and we have the report on an earlier page for the 717th Division; therefore, this present report, an order to report deaths for the period 11 to 19 October, is not made to the 717th, but only to the 704th and 718th. And then we have had the reference in the Boehme report to the 1600 arrestees who were to be executed by the Belgrade guard regiment, in Document NOKW-560, Page 19 of the German and Page 22 of the English, which is Exhibit No. 84 in evidence. And now in this report of the LXV Corps, Document No. NOKW-1326, Exhibit 85, we see a report from the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia to the Corps, ordering, "Retaliation measures, 1600 from Valjevo to be shot by 734th Infantry Regiment in return for 16 killed and 24 wounded." Then, dropping down to the entry of the 28 of October 1941, the Corps Diary recites that they received, "From the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia through LXV Corps Command to 704th Division, 718th Division, 220th Anti-Tank Battalion, and Guard Regiment, Registration No. 1026-41 secret. Arrest and shooting of hostages has to be carried out according to plan and according the point of view."
And then there is the handwritten note which appears below that, "The order to shoot hostages, No. 926/41 secret, paragraph 3, is materially curtailed through the directive by the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia." This is under date of October 28th. We will have an occasion to refer to that at a later time. On October 29, still in the same Exhibit 85, Page 21 of the German and Page 26 of the English, a report from the "220th Anti-Tank Battalion the LXV Corps Command to be forwarded to XVIIIth Infantry Corps: 50 hostages shot in retaliation for one wounded." And then again the XVIIIth Infantry Corps and the Plenipotentiary Commanding General Serbia are the same people. And then there is a recital that the 714th Infantry Division through the LXV Corps Command to the XVIII Infantry Corps, "Division requests reconnaissance plane and dive-bomber support for attack on band camp 500 men strong in the vicinity of Neresnica (30 km Southwest of Vr. Milanovac)."
And then 30 October "Enemy Artillery firing at a water tower and a school in Kraljevo." And then a report, "From a Guard Regiment 734 to LXV Corps Command, registration No. 1048/secret: Retaliation measures: Guard Regiment reports 101 persons shot. From Plenipotentiary General in Serbia to Corps Command. Wehrmacht Commander Southeast agrees with plans of Plenipotentiary Commanding General about employment of troops. The Organization of units subordinate to LXVth Corps Command can be carried out." And then, "From 610th Administrative Sub Area HQs to Corps Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia: Report on Retaliations at Kragujevac." And then a directive to the 704th and the 717th to report, and this bears out the earlier contention, because here they now ask the 717th to report from the 20th to the 31st, which, if Your Honors recall, they did not ask them to report for the period up to the 20th, because it was submitted that they had already sent their report. And this explains the failure to include the 717th at that time. Now the note at the bottom of the page, which is Page 27 of the English and Page 22 in the German, the "LXV Corps Command to Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia. An apparently expedient proposal by the 704th Infantry Division, concerning the question of hostages is presented to the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia. In this it is suggested to detain arrested hostages from all sections of the population, only for a certain time, so that as large a section of the population as possible will be seized." Here we see a suggestion going up from a division commander through Corps to the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia, with reference to changing the procedure so far as the time the hostages are being held is concerned. I don't believe we need to take any more of that order.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, just a minute. If I may interrupt, Mr. Denney, perhaps this would be an opportune time and place to adjourn. May I inquire of Dr. Laternser, representing the defense counsel, whether the arrangement for a noon lunch has worked out satisfactorily?
DR. LATERNSER: Yes, thank you, Your Honor; there is sufficient time.
THE PRESIDENT: Very well. We will adjourn until 1330 (The Tribunal recessed until 1330) AFTERNOON SESSION (The hearing reconvened at 1330 hours, 18 July 1947.)
MR. DENNEY: If it please Your Honors, just before luncheon we were discussing the reprisal measures, the first of which was in Belgrade, with reference to the concentration Sabac in Belgrade, then the one with reference to Kraljevo, and the one with reference to Yaljevo, and then the one with reference to Kragujevac. Those towns all appear on maps A and B in the pamphlet which was submitted to the Tribunal as was the town of Topolje, which was mentioned in the earliest incident, and the town of Obrenevac is to the left of Belgrade on the small dotted line just east of the town of Skela.
Continuing now with the Document NOKW 906, which is on page 24 in the German and page 29 in the English, it is offered as Exhibit 86. This, again, is a captured document with no signature on it. However, on the original there appears the rubber stamp of "704th Infantry Division" with the date 31 October 1941 on it.
If Your Honors will look at the original--
Will the Secretary General kindly hand the original photostat to the Court--
At the top of the document--
THE PRESIDENT: May I inquire, Mr. Denney, which page on the English document?
MR. DENNEY: 29, Your Honor, Document Book 3. Does Your Honor have it?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. DENNEY: Thank you, sir.
On the photostat of the copy which we have the date at the upper right hand corner, which is typed, is 28 September 1941. It is submitted that that is obviously an error, because the first of the stamps of the 704th Infantry Division which recites 31 October, the lower stamp which is also a 704th Infantry Division stamp, which recites 1 November, and the contents of the letter itself, Your Honors can see in the first paragraph, the second paragraph, the first line of the German, that it recites the date 27/10/1941, and obviously a report could not be made on 28 Sept 1941 of events which occurred on the 27th of October 1941, and the reference which has been made at prior times to the affixation of these stamps of higher headquarters shows that it is a short time, normally, between the date of the writing and the date of the stamping by the superior unit, and in this connection, too, the Court's attention is directed to the fact that this is a report from regiment to division and normally the proximity of regimental command posts to division command posts is much closer than that, say, between the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia and the Armed Forces Commander Southeast.
The reference here is the Commanding General Plenipotentiary in Serbia.
No. 3001 41, which Your Honors will recall was Exhibit 84, Document NOKW 560, which is a telegram from the defendant Boehme of 19 October, and that is submitted as a further reason that the date 28 September is improper, because on the 28th of September they could not have had a diary reference to 3001 41, which did not come from the headquarters of General Boehme until 19 October 1941, and the subject which is recited here is reprisal measures which, of course, is the subject that was under discussion in the Boehme order signed by his chief of staff 3001/41, dated 19 October. The contents of this report:
"Subject: Reprisal Measures.
"Pursuant to the above reference 2200 arrested Serbs are being shot to death for ten German soldiers killed in action and 24 wounded." And then they again recite, "(members of the unit encircled in Valjevo)".
"The execution is to be carried out by Guard Regiment Belgrade and 1600 arrestees."
The first 1600, if Your Honors recall, is also apparent in the war diary of the 65th Corps, NOKW 1362, which is Exhibit 85 in evidence, at page 24 of the English and page 21 of the German.
Then there is a recital of an order from Boehme with reference to retaliation measures. The figure "1600" is given from Valjevo to be shot by the 734th Infantry Regiment, the unit which is here recording, in return for 16 killed and 24 wounded, the only difference being that in the regimental report to division the number given as killed is 10, whereas in the report of the corps, of the order from its superior commander, passed on to its lower regiment, or its lower echelon, in this case division, who would in turn pass it to the 734th Regiment, the figure for killed is "16".
Then this report contains a further reference to executions:
"The regiment reports that 101 men of the arrestees were shot to death on 27 October 1941. Further executions by shooting will be carried out after more arrestees have been turned in. Reports thereon by the regiment will be reported in each case."
And it is submitted that the data at the top should be 28, but the month should be October instead of September.
Turning to page 25 in the German and page 31 in the English, Document NOKW-90, which is offered as Exhibit 87 in evidence, this is a report from the 724th Infantry Regiment to the 704th Infantry Division, the 724th being one of the other regiments in the division. The report which we have just seen, Exhibit 86, is a report from the 730th Infantry Regiment. This is dated 31 October 1941 and is from -- or rather the 724th Infantry Regiment to the division. The covering page bears the signature, illegible, of a captain and a regimental adjutant. It is stamped received by the 704th Infantry Division, 1 November 1941, and this covering letter states:
"Enclosed please find commitment report of the 1st Battalion of the 724th Infantry Regiment for the period 17 October to 25 October 1941."
And on page 25 of the German, page 32 of the English, still on Exhibit 87 in evidence on the 18th of October the 724th reports to its division that some railroad lines had been blasted and some track had been removed and thrown down the embankment and that 66 Communists and Jews who were contained in lists were arrested in the evening and sent to the captured material depot. Then it states:
Pursuant to order by the Division, the 9 dead and 6 wounded of the III Battalion of Infantry Regiment 749 must be avenged. Consequently, the capture and shooting to death of the corresponding number of the male population will be carried out during the period from 19 October to 21 October.
19 Octo. 41, they recite, the 1st Battalion of the 724th Infanttry Regiment carries out the operation in Grosnica with the 3rd Company and 50 men are shot to death and the villages burned down. Ammunition was found in several places including the church steeple. III Battalion of the 739th has shot to death 182 men in Mackovac. Oct. 20, 1941.
About 3,200 men aged 16 to 50 from Kragujevac are being arrested This is page 26 in the German. In the evening the Communists and Jews arrested on 18 Oct. and 53 penal prisoners from the local prison of Kragujevac were shot to death behind the captured material depot.
And, if your Honors please, it is submitted that the Communists and Jews referred to are those who are recited in the entry of 18 October, the 66 in addition to the 53 penal prisoners.
The next page has the recital for 21 Oct. 41, 0700 hours in the morning, the selection and shooting to death of the arrestees starts. This concludes the operation. A total of 2,300 Serbs of various ages and professions have been shot to death. The next few days of course showed greatest unrest in the population. Consequently security measures are being carried out.
(Signature) Koening Major and Battalion Commander, of the 274th Infantry Regiment, which in turn, is part of the 704th Infantry Div.
THE PRESIDENT: Pardon me, Mr. Denney, the rain is coming in the windows on the defendants. Will you kindly call the attention of the counsel so they may be closed. They don't need to be closed until you find it necessary, They don't need to close them unless they want to.
MR. DENNEY: Now the next document is Nokw 557 which is Exhibit 88. It is at page 27 of the German document Book and page 34 in the English. This is a signed original and is an order from Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia Boehme dated 10 October 1941 and it has as its number 2848/41. Now in the subject it is to be noted that it speaks of "Putting down Communist insurgent movement. Supplements of the Plenipotentiary Command General in Serbie to 'The Chief of OKW, etc.' No. 00 2060/41 top secret of 16 September 1941" in which the 50 and 100 to one, actually it says, 100 Communists must be in general deemed appropriate retaliation for the life of a German soldier. This is a supplement to that order by Boehme.
1) In Serbia it is necessary, on the basis of the "Balkan mentality" and the great expansion .of insurgent movements both Communists and camouflaged as national to carry out the orders of the OKW in the most severe form. Speedy and ruthless suppression of the Serbian resistance is to consideration not to be underestimated for the German final victory.
2) In all commands in Serbia all Communists, male residents suspicious as such, all Jews, a certain number of nationalistic and demoratically inclined residents are to be arrested as hostages, by means of sudden actions. It is to be explained to these hostages and to the population that the hostages will be shot in case of attacks on Germans or on Volksdeutsche.
LXVth Corps and the Chief of the Mil Adm. (for Belgrade and Banat) are to report on the 10th, 20th and last of each month (for the time, on the 20th Oct.) the number of hostages. Turning to page 38 in the German and continuing on page 34 in the English:
3) If losses of German soldiers or Volksdeutsche occur, the territorial competent commanders up to the regiment commanders are to decree the shooting of arrestees according to the following quotas:
(a) For each killed or wounded German soldier or Volksdeutsche (men, women, or children) one hundred prisoners or hostages.
(b) For each wounded German soldier or Volksdeutsche 50 prisoners or hostages.
The shootings are to be carried out by the troops.
If possible, the execution is to be carried out by the part of the snit suffering the loss.
In each individual case of losses a statement is to be made in the daily reports, whether and to what extent the reprisal measure is carried out or when this will be finished.
4) In the burying of those shot, care is to be taken that no Serbian memorials arise, Placing of crosses on the graves, decorations, etc.
is to be prevented. Burials are accordingly to be carried out best in distand localities.
5) The Communists captured by the troops in combat actions are to be hanged or shot as a matter of principle at the location in question as a frightening measure.
6) Localities which have to be taken in combat, are to be burned down, as well as farms from which troops were shot at.
(sgd.) Boehme Lt. Gen.
Inf. PM Distribution:
Cmdr. of Serbia/HQs. Staff 2 Cmdr.
of Serbia/Mil. adm. 2 Cmdr.
of Serbia/for Administrative sub-area HQs 4 LXVth Corps at the same time for Divs.
342nd Inf. Div. 2 425th Inf.
Regt. 1 And I need not list the rest except at the bottom:
For Wermacht Cmdr. SD 1, Defendant List Germ.
Gen. in Zagreb 1 Reserve 2 This document is out of order in the book and I would like to call the attention of Your Honors to its date:
10 October 1941the day between the first report we have of the killing with reference to the Sabac and Belgrad reference but clearly before the Valjevo, Kracjevo, and Krayujevac.
MR. DENNEY: Turning now to page 30 in the German, page 37 in the English -
DR. DEUTSCHE (Counsel for defendant Foertsch): I think when naming the quota, the ratio, for reprisal, there is an error in translation. The German document which I have before me, page 28 of the German document book, under 3A, it is written, "for every killed or murdered German soldier or Volksdeutsche there are 100 prisoner hostages to be shot." However, when the English text was being read I understood, "for every killed or wounded soldier the corresponding number of hostages or prisoners is to be shot."
JUDGE BURKE: I think the error came about from your using the word "wounded" in place of "murdered". The English volume is correct. The word "murdered" on the bottom of page 34 of the English translation in the last line.
THE PRESIDENT: Apparently, Mr. Denney misread the word. It was caught by the Court but we did not call your attention to it. It is fortunate that counsel did.
MR. DENNEY: I am sorry, Your Honor. The paragraph "a", the first line under "3" of NOKW-557, Exhibit 88 in evidence, should read: "for each killed or murdered German soldier or Volksdeutsche, men women or children, 100 prisoners or hostages." Thank you.
This next document 1208 which is page 30 in the German text and page 37 in the English is offered as Exhibit 89 in evidence and is a report to the 342nd Infantry Division -- or, rather, an order to the 342nd Infantry Division -- from the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia, dated 12 October 1941.
The first paragraph concerns itself with mopping up operations and gives the division orders to be at the southeastern slope of the Cer Mountains on the evening of the 15th of October.
The second paragraph says that: "concurrent with the mopping up of the mountains two reinforced battalions will advance by surprise without vehicles in the direction of Krupanj from Krivajica across elevation 450 to elevation 543 north of Krupanj, and from Mojkovic on the south ridge of the Likodra to elevation 432 southeast of Krupanj.
Krupanj is to be surrounded, everything met there will be shot, the village is to be burned down."
Then follows page 32 in the German and page 39 in the English, Document NOKW-454 which is offered as Exhibit 90 in evidence. This is a report from the High Command, the 65th Corps of General Bader to the Plenipotentiary Commanding General in Serbia, Boehme, dated the 12th of October, 1941, and recites activities of various so-called pursuit detachments for the period beginning in mid-August and continuing to the 5th of October.
This if offered. I won't attempt to read it but by looking at Your Honors can see the way the German forces were operating their units. They were split. It is submitted because they didn't have enough troops and you can see various battalion designations, pursuit detachments, artillery detachments, companies of infantry, motorized columns, pioneer -- excuse me -- engineer units, small tank detachments, artillery platoons; and the character of the opposition which they were meeting is set forth in the columns concerning operations; and the results of the various acts are listed in the last column.
I don't believe any more need be said about the document.
Turning now to page 40 of the German text, page 49 of the English document NOKW-1154, which is offered as Exhibit 91, this is a signed order by the Commanding General of the 342nd Infantry Division, one of the units which was part of the 18th Corps which was under Boehme. The order is dated 13 October 41 and is entitled: "Orders for the Division for the 14 and 15 October. Then it recites the "General Remarks" which I don't think are necessary to read but the "Instructions for Combat":
"All uniformed persons, furthermore all civilians in the intermediate area who may also be considered Insurgents, are to be shot to death. The male population of the villages is to be deported via Lesnica or Varna to Sabac. The villages south of the Cer mountain range are to be burned down as a reprisal measure. Of the villages north of the Cer mountain range, only Bela Reka and for the time being Petkovica are to spared.
For the rest the combat instructions issued by the Division are valid."
And then the note at the end, just before Major General Hingofer's signature: "Persons found without identification papers are to be removed to the concentration camp in Sabac."
Now, turning to page 41 in the German and 51 in the English, there is a teletype order from the 65th Corps to the 715th and 718th Infantry Divisions as well as to the 704th Infantry Division and I don't think we need to concern ourselves with the smaller unit numbers which appear.
The teletype is dated 12th of October and I believe there is an error on the German copy. It should be "12 October" on page 41 just after the word "Teletype" up at the top. I believe the date is wrong on the German translation.
"IN THE FUTURE ONE HUNDRED PRISONERS OR HOSTAGES ARE TO BE SHOT FOR EVERY SOLDIER KILLED OR MURDERED. FIFTY FOR EVERY WOUNDED. IN ADDITION TO THIS AS MANY COMMUNISTS NATIONALISTS DEMOCRATS AND JEWS ARE TO BE ARRESTED IN EACH LOCALITY AS CAN BE GUARDED WITHOUT CURTAILING THE COMBAT FORCES. REASON TO BE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED TO THE ARRESTED AND THEIR FAMILIES EXECUTIONS AND ARRESTS TO BE PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS." SIGNED 'CORPS' Signed by "IA of the 65th Corps."
This document is dated the 12th and can be compared with the contents of the Boehme order of the 10th, two days before. That the order got down to Division is clear from the fact that the 718th Infantry Division stamped it as being received on 13 October. In addition, there is also language which is reminiscent of the Keitel order of 28 September 1941 which is on page 138 in Document Book II, Exhibit 69 in evidence. Keitel mentions Communists, Democrats, Nationalists; he does not mention Jews in his order.