The
COLONEL TELFORD TAYLOR; May it please the Court, Sir, when the Court rose on Friday I had completed that part of the presentation on Counts 1 and 2. I now turn to that part of the indictment which charges that the General Staff and High Command group had a major responsibility for the war crimes and crimes against humanity involved in the execution of the common plan or conspiracy set forth in Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment. For purposes of brevity I shall refer to these crimes simply as war crimes. should take all or the better part of the morning session. At the conclusion of that, I propose to call a single witness, one witness, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, whose testimony on direct examination should not exceed 20 or 30 minutes. After that, I shall take possibly ten minutes to conclude, and that will be the entire presentation. General Staff and High Command group, including the defendants who are members of the group, ordered and directed the commission of war crimes, and thereby participated in the commission of war crimes in their official capacity as members of the group. I also propose to show in certain instances the actual commission of war crimes by members of the German armed forces as a result of these orders or as a result of other orders and arrangements made by members of the General Staff and High Command group which controlled the German armed forces. However, I do not propose to make a full showing of war crimes committed by the German armed forces. The full presentation of the evidence under Counts 3 and 4 will be made pursuant to agreement among the chief prosecutors, by the French and Soviet delegations, and a substantial amount of the evidence to be presented by them will be relevant to the charges against the General Staff and High Command group.
High Command became wedded to a policy of terror. In some cases, the evidence of this policy is in documentary form and we will present the activating papers which were signed by, initialed by, and circulated among the members of the group.
In other instances, where the actual crimes were committed by others than members of the German armed forces, where, for example, prisoners of war were handed over to and mistreated by the SS or SD, we will show that in those cases members of this group were well aware that they were assisting in the commission of war crimes. We will show that many crimes committed by the SS and SD were committed with the knowledge and necessary support of the General Staff and High Command group. violation of International Law and the rules of war, of allied commandos, paratroopers, and members of military missions, and the first document to which I wish to refer is 498-PS, which will be U.S. 501. is an order issued by Hitler on 18 October 1942, and which Mr. Storey has already mentioned in the presentation of charges against the Sicherheitsdienst. The order begins with a recital that allied commandos were using methods of warfare alleged to be outside the scope of the Geneva Convention, and thereafter proceeds to specify the methods of warfare which German troops should use against allied commandos, and the disposition which should be made of captured commandos.
This order is one of the two basic documents in the story. I will read it in full:
"1. For some time our enemies have been using in their warfare methods which are outside the international Geneva Conventions. Especially brutal and treacherous is the behavior of the so-called Commandos, who, as is established, are partially recruited even from freed criminals in enemy countries. From captured orders it is divulged that they are directed not only to shackle prisoners, but also to kill defenseless prisoners on the spot at the moment in which they believe that the latter as prisoners represent a burden in the further pursuit of their purposes or could otherwise be a hindrance. Finally, orders have been found in which the killing of prisoners has been demanded in principle.
"2. For this reason it was already announced in an addendum to the Armed Forces report of 7 October 1942 that in the future Germany, in the face of these sabotage troops of the British and their accomplices, will resort to the same procedure, that is, that they will be ruthlessly mowed down by the German troops in combat, wherever they may appear.
"3. I therefore order:
"From now on all enemies on so-called Commando missions in Europe or Africa challenged by German troops, even if they are to all appearances soldiers in uniform or demolition troops, whether armed or unarmed, in battle or in flight, are to be slaughtered to the last man. It does not make any difference whether they are landed from ships and airplanes for their actions, or whether they are dropped by parachute.
Even if these individuals, when found, should apparently be prepared to give themselves up, no pardon is to be granted them on principle. In each individual case full information is to be sent to the OKW for publication in the Report of the Military Forces.
"4. If individual members of such commandos, such as agents, saboteurs, etc, fall into the hands of the military forces by some other means, through the police in occupied territories, for instance, they are to be handed over immediately to the SD. Any imprisonment under military guard, in PW stockades, for instance, etc., is strictly prohibited, even if this is only intended for a short time.
"5. This order doesnot apply to the treatment of any enemy soldiers who, in the course of normal hostilities, large-scale offensive actions, landing operations and airborne operations, are captured in open battle or give themselves up. Nor does this order apply to enemy soldiers falling into our hands after battles at sea, or enemy soldiers trying to save their lives by parachute after battle.
"6. I will hold responsible under Military Law, for failing to carry out this order, all commanders and officers who either have neglected their duty of instructing the troops about this order, or acted against this order where it was to be executed." I order was issued by OKW in 12 copies, and the distribution shown on the second page included the three supreme commands, army, sea, and air, and the principal field commands. Document 503-PS, which will be U.S. 542. This was issued for the purpose of explaining the reasons why the basic order was issued. In this explanation, Hitler gave a rather different set of reasons for the issuance of the order and pointed out that allied commando operations had been extraordinarily successful in the destruction of rear communications, intimidating laborers, and destroying important war plants in occupied areas. This is the other basic document, and while I need not read it in full, I would like to read substantial excerpts, starting with the first paragraph at the top of the page:
"Added to the decree concerning the destruction of terror and sabotage troops"--then in parentheses was a cross reference to the order which I have just read--"a supplementary order of the Fuehrer is enclosed.
"This order is intended for commanders only and must not under any circumstances fall into enemy hands.
"The further distribution is to be limited accordingly by the receiving bureaus.
"The bureaus named in the distribution list are held responsible for the return and destruction of all distributed pieces of the order and copies made thereof."
It is signed, "The Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces, by order of Jodl." order itself, signed by Hitler. I will start reading the first two paragraphs of the supplementary order which appears at the bottom of page 1 of the translation:
"I have been compelled to issue strict orders for the destruction of enemy sabotage troops and to declare non-compliance with these orders severely punishable. I deem it necessary to announce to the competent commanding officers and commanders the reasons for this decree. behind the front, intimidation of the populace working for Germany, as well asthe destruction of war-important industrial plants in territories occupied by us has been developed in this war." on page 2 of the translation:
"The consequences of these activities are of extraordinary weight. I do not know whether each commander and officer is cognizant of the fact that the destruction of one single electric power plant, for instance, can deprive the Luftwaffe of many thousand tons of aluminum, thereby eliminating the construction of countless aircraft that will be missed in the fight at the front and so contribute to serious damage of the Homeland as well as bloddy losses of the fighting soldiers.
"Yet this form of war is completely without danger for the adversary. Since he lands his sabotage troops in uniform but at the same time supplies them with civilian clothes, they can, according to need, appear as soldiers or civilians. While they themselves have orders to ruthlessly remove any German soldiers or even natives who get in their way, they run no danger of suffering really serious losses in their operations, since at the worst, if they are caught, they can immediately surrender and thus believe that they will theoretically fall under the provisions of the Geneva Convention. There is no doubt, however, that this is a misuse in the worst form of the Geneva agreements, especially since part of these elements are even criminals, liberated from prisons, who can rehabilitate themselves through these activities.
"England and America will therefore always be able to find volunteers for this kind of warfare, as long as they can truthfully assure them that there is no danger of loss of life for them. At worst, all they have to do is to successfully commit their attack on people, traffic installations, or other installations, and upon being encountered by the enemy, to capitulate.
"If the German conduct of war is not to suffer grevious damage through these incidents, it must be made clear to the adversary that all sabotage troops will be exterminated, without exception, to the last man.
"This means that their chance of escaping with their lives is nil. Under no circumstances can it be permitted, therefore, that a dynamite, sabotage, or terrorist unit simply allows itself to be captured, expecting to be treated according to rules of the Geneva Convention. It must under all circumstances be ruthlessly exterminated.
"The report on this subject appearing in the Armed Forces communique will briefly and laconically state that a sabotage, terror, or destruction unit has been encountered and exterminated to the last man.
"I therefore expect the commanding officers of armies subordinated to them as well as individual commanders not only to realize the necessity of taking such measures, but to carry out this order with all energy.
Officers and non-commissioned officers who fail through some weakness are to be reported without fail, or under circumstances when there is danger in delay to be at once made strictly accountable. The Homeland as well as the fighting soldier at the front has the right to expect that behind their back the essentials of nourishment as well as the supply of war-important weapons and ammunition remains secure.
"These are the reasons for the issuance of this decree.
"If it should become necessary, for reasons of interrogation, to initially spare one man or two, then they are to he shot immediately after interrogation."
Your Lordship, the next is document C-179 which will be US 543. As this document shows, ten days later, on 28 October 1942, and while the Defendant Raeder was Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, the Naval War Staff in Berlin transmitted its copy of the basic order of 18 October to the lower naval commands. The copy distributed by the Navy and the covering memorandum from the Naval War Staff show clearly the secrecy which surrounded the dissemination of this order, and I read the first sheet of this document only, the cover sheet:
"Enclosed please find a Guehrer order regarding annihilation of terror and sabotage units. This order must not be distributed in writing by flotilla leaders section commanders or officers of this rank. After verbal distribution to subordinate sections the above authorities must hand this order ever to the next highest section, which is responsible for its *---*tion and destruction." a similar adminition in the notice for distribution at the very end of the document. I read:
"These instruction are not to be distributed over and above the battalions and the corresponding staffs of the other services. After notification those copies distributed over and above the regimental and corresponding staffs of the other services must be withdrawn and destroys This document is dated 11 February, 1943, which was twelve days after the Defendant Doenitz had become Commander in Chief of the German Navy. On that day, this memorandum was circulated within the Naval War Staff in order to clear up certain misunderstandings as to the scope of the basic order of 18 October 1942. This document, of which I will read the first four paragraphs, indicates why the earlier order had been treated as such a secret matter and also directs that all naval commanders and officers who failed to carry out the order or to instruct their units concerning the order would run the risk of serious court martial penalties.
I'll read the first four paragraphs only:
"From the notice given by the Naval War Staff on February 1, 1943, it has been discovered that the competent departments of the General Staff of the Army, as well as those of the Air Force Operations Staff, have a wrong conception regarding the treatment of saboteurs. A telephone inquiry at the Naval War Staff proved that this naval authority was not correctly informed either.
"In view of this situation, reference is made to paragraph 6 of the Fuehrer's order of October 18, 1942--" and then a cross-reference-- " "according to which all commander and officers who hove neglected their duty in instructing their units about the order referring to treatment of saboteurs are threatened with punishment by court martial.
"The first Fuehrer order concerning this matter of October 18, 1942 was given the protection of Top Secret merely because it stated therein (1) that according to the Fuehrer's views, the spreading of military sabotage organizations in the East and West may have protentious consequence for our whole conduct of the war and (2) that the shooting of uniformed prisoners eacting on military orders must be carried out even after they have surrendered voluntarily and asked for pardon.
"On the other hand the annihilation of sabotage units in battle is no at all to be kept secret but on the contrary, to be currently published in the OKW report. The purpose of these measures to act as a deterrent will not be achieved if those taking pare in enemy commando operations would not learn that certain death and not safe imprisonment awaits them. As the saboteurs are to be annihilated immediately unless their statements are first needed for military reasons, it is necessary that, not only all members of the armed forces must receive instructions that these types of saboteurs, even if they are in uniform, are to be annihilated, but also, all departments of the Home Staff dealing with this kind of question must be informed of the course of action which has been ordered."
I'll call the Tribunal's attention to the two reasons given in that quotation showing a clear awareness that public knowledge of the fact that uniformed prisoners would be shot even after they had surrendered and asked for pardon shows a clear awareness that that was in direct contravention of the Hague and Geneva Conventions.
THE PRESIDENT: Colonel Taylor, did you read the paragraph beginning "Practical difficulties--"?
COLONEL TAYLOR: No, Your Honor. I'll read that.
THE PRESIDENT: I think you should
COLONEL TAYLOR: Continuing the document:
"Practical difficulties may develop because of the definition of the term 'sabotage units'. The annihilation and destruction according to Paragraph 5 of the Fuehrer order of October 18, do not apply to troops participating in large-scale landing operations and large-scale air-borne operations. The criterion is to be found in that in the latter case an open battle takes place, whereas, for instance, ten or more people who land by sea or air or drop by parachute not to fight an open battle but to destroy either a factory, a bridge or a railway installation would fall into the category of those who must be annihilated."
Now, the Hitler order of 18 October 1942 was actually carried out in a number of instances, of which we have the documentary proof for several. Document 508 PS shows that during the night of 19-20 November 1942 a British freight glider crashed near Egersund. The glider carried a British commando unit of 17 men, of which three were apparently killed in the crash. All were in uniform. Fourteen survivors were executed in accordance with the Hitler order the evening of 20 November. In proof of this I will read certain extracts from 508 PS, beginning on page 1 of the translation, the paragraph numbered (1):
"1) Following supplementary report is made about landing of a British freight glider at Hegers and in the night of --" original it was November 20; that is a typographical error.
"a) No firing on the part of German defense.
"b) The towing plane (Wellington) has crashed after touching the ground; 7 man crew dead. The attached freight glider also crashed; of the 17-man crew 14 alive. Indisputably a sabotage force. Fuehrer order has been carried out." teletype messages. I wish to read the first two paragraphs at the top of that page.
"On November 20, 1942 at 5:30 an enemy plane was found 15 KM NE of Egersund. It is a British aircraft (towed glider) made of wood without engine. Of the 17 member crew three are dead, six are severely, the others are slightly wounded.
"All were English khaki uniforms without sleeve-insignia. Furthermore, following items were found; 8 Knapsacks, tents, skis and radio sender, exact number is unknown. The glider carried rifles, light machine guns and machine pistols, number unknown. At present the prisoners are with the Battalion in Egersund."
Passing to the second teletype message, the first paragraph:
"Beside the 17 member crew extensive sabotage material and work equipment were found.
Therefore the sabotage purpose was absolutely proved. The 280th Infantry Division (J.D.) ordered the execution of the action according to the Fuehrer's order. The execution was carried out toward the evening of November 20. Some of the prisoners were blue ski-suits under their khaki uniforms which had no insignia on the sleeves. During a short interrogation the survivors have revealed nothing but their names, ranks and serial numbers." of the translation:
"In connection with the shooting of the 17 members of the crew, the Armed Forces Commander of Norway has issued an order to the district commanders, according to which the interrogations by G-2--" That was Ic in the German -- "and by BDS" -- police -- "are important before the execution of the Fuehrer order; in case of Paragraph No. 4 of the Fuehrer order the prisoners are to be handed over to the BDS."
Your Lordship, the next document is 512-PS, US 546. This document recites three specific instances where the Hitler order was carried out in Norway and especially emphasizes the desirability of taking individual commandos prisoner for interrogation. I read from Document 512-PS, dated 13 December 1942:
"According to the last sentence of the Fuehrer order of 18th October, individual saboteurs can be spared for the time being in order to keep them for interrogation. The importance of this measure was proven in the cases of Glomfjord, Twoman torpedo Drontheim, and glider plane Stavanger, where interrogations resulted in valuable knowledge of enemy intentions. Since in the case of Egersund the saboteur was liquidated immediately and no clues were won; therefore, Armed Forces Commander referred to above mentioned last sentence of the Fuehrer order calling for liquidation only after short interrogation."
THE PRESIDENT: Colonel Taylor, what does the R C cross mean, "R C" in the last paragraph? The first words of the last paragraph?
COLONEL TAYLOR: Rote Kreuz, Red Cross.
THE PRESIDENT: It means the Red Cross?
COLONEL TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: So they had a protest from the Red Cross?
COLONEL TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And "BDS"?
COLONEL TAYLOR: That is "Befehlshaber der SIPO.
526 PS, which is US 502. This document, dated 10 May 1943, Colonel Storey has already brought to the Tribunal's attention in connection with the presentation against the Sicherheitsdienst.
"On the 30.3.1943 in Toftefjord, an enemy cutter was sighted; cutter was blown up by the enemy. Crew: 2 dead men, 10 prisoners.
"Cutter was sent from Scalloway (Shetland Is.) by the Norwegian Navy."
Passing to the word "Purposes":
"Construction of an organization for sabotaging of strong-points, battery positions, staff and troop billets and bridges.
"Assigner of Mission in London: Norwegian, Major Munthe.
"Fuehrer order executed by S. D. (Security service).
"Wehrmacht Report of 6.4 announces the following about it:
"'In Northern Norway an enemy sabotage unit was engaged and destroyed on approaching the coast.'" Now, shifting to the Italian theater of war, I call the Court's attention to 509-PS, which will be US 547.
This document is dated 7 November 1943, and is a telegram from the Supreme Commander in Italy to OKW, and it shows that on 2 November 1943 three British commandos, taken prisoner near Pascara in Italy, were given "special treatment" -- sonderbehandelt, which as the Court knows from previous evidence in the case, meant death. What happened to the nine remaining prisoners of war in the hospital, we do not know. This specifically shows the carrying out of the Hitler order. It consists of an affidavit dated 7 November 1945 by Frederick W. Roche, a Major in the Army of the United States.
Major Roche was the Judge Advocate of an American Military Commission which tried General Anton Dostler, formerly commander of the 75th German Army Corps, for the unlawful execution of fifteen members of the United State Armed Forces. I will read from this affidavit:
"Frederick W. Roche being duly sworn deposes and says:
"I am a Major in the Army of the United States.
"I was the Judge Advocate of the Military Commission which tried Anton Dostler for ordering the execution of the group of fifteen United States Army personnel who comprised the 'Ginny Mission.' This Military Commission consisting of five officers was appointed by command of General McNarney, by Special Orders No. 269, dated 26 September 1945, Headquarters, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army, APO 512.
"The Military Commission met at Rome, Italy, on 8 October 1945 and proceeded with the trial of the case of the United States v. Anton Dostler. The trial of this case consumed four days and the findings and sentence were announced on the morning of 12 October 1945. The charge and specification in this case are as follows:
"Charge: Violation of the law of war.
"Specification: In that Anton Dostler, then General, commanding military forces of the German Reich, a belligerent enemy nation, to wit the 75th Army Corps, did, on or about 24 March 1944 an the vicinity of La Spezia, Italy, contrary to the law of war, order to be shot summarily, a group of United States Army personnel consisting of two officers and thirteen enlisted men who had then recently been captured by forces under General Dostler, which order was carried into execution on or about 26 March 1944, resulting in the death of the said fifteen members of the Army of the United States identified as follows:" --and a list of names follows.
"I was present throughout the entire proceeding. I heard all the testimony, and I am familiar with the record in this case. The facts developed in this proceeding are as follows: On the night of 22 March 1944, two officers and thirteen enlisted men of the 2677th Special Reconnaissance Battalion of the Army of the United States disembarked from some United State.
*---* *---* *---* *---* *---* Navy Boats and landed on the Italian coast near Stasione di Framura. When they landed on the Italian coast they were all properly dressed in the field uniform of the United States Army and they carried no civilian clothes. Their mission was to demolish a railroad tunnel on the main line between La Spezia and Genoa. That rail line was being used by the German Forces to supply their fighting forces on the Cassino and Anzio Beachhead fronts. The entire group was captured on the morning of 24 March 1944 by a patrol consisting of Fascist soldiers and a group of members of the German Army. All fifteen men were placed under interrogation in La Spezia and they were held in custody until the morning of 26 March 1944 when they were all executed by a firing squa These men were never tried nor were they brought before any court or given any hearing; they were shot by order of Anton Dostler, then General Commanding the 75th German Army Corps. that he ordered the fifteen American soldiers to be shot pursuant to the Hitler order of 18 October 1942 on commando operations, which provided that commandos were to be shot and not taken prisoners of war, even after they had been interrogated. He also testified that he would have been subject to court-martial proceedings if he did not obey the Hitler order. the United States v. Anton Dostler, as these findings and sentence appear in the original record of the trial and as they were announced in open court at Rome, Italy on 12 October 1945:
"FINDINGS: General Dostler, as president of this commission it is my guilty, finds you of the specification and of the charge:
SENTENCE: And again in closed session and upon secret written ballot, concurring, sentences you:
TO BE SHOT TO DEATH BY MUSKETRY."
the end of the war. I wish to offer 506-PS, which will be U.S. 549. This document is dated 22 June 1944. It is initialed by Warlimont, andin it the OKW made it clear that the Hitler order was to be applied even in cases where the commando operation was undertaken by only one person. I will read the single paragraph of the order:
"The Operations Staff agrees with the view taken in the letter of the Army Group Judge to the Supreme Commander Southwest of May 20, '44.
person for a task. Therefore, it does not make any difference if concept of usage and customs of (land) warfare."
large-scale airborne operations took place, raised among the Germans the question as to how far the Hitler order would be applied in Normandy, and in France behind the German lines. I direct the Court's attention to Document 531-PS, which will be U.S. 550. The memorandum is dated 23 June 1944 and is signed by Warlimont. Warlimont's memorandum starts by quoting a teletype from the Supreme Command in the West, inquiring what should be done about applying the Hitler order to airborne troops and commandos. beginning:
"Supreme Command West reports by teletype message Top Secret 23 June 1944:
"The treatment of enemy commando groups has so far been carried out according to the order referred to."
(If I may interpolate here, the Fuehrer of 18 October 1942.)
"With the large-scale landing achieved, a new situation has arisen.
(such as large-scale landing operations and undertakings) are not to be treated according to paragraphs 3 and 4. It must be established in a form easily understood by the troops how far the concept 'within the limits of normal combat operations' is to be extended."
of that sub-paragraph.
THE PRESIDENT: I think you ought to read the latter part of "C".
COL. TAYLOR: Your Honor, I think it is all summarized in the one sentence.
THE PRESIDENT: The last sentence is the one that I mean.
COL. TAYLOR: "Considerable reprisals against our own prisoners must be expected if its contents become known."
Then, continuing on with "D":
"The application of number 5 for all enemy soldiers in uniform penetrating from the outside into the occupied Western areas is held by the Supreme Command West to be the most correct and clearest solution." West directed that paragraph 5, which is the paragraph under which the orders for execution are not to be applied, should he utilized in the West. Operational Staff, the recommendation they were making:
"1. The commando order remains basically in effect even after the enemy landing in the West.
2. Number 5 of the order is to be clarified to the effect that the order is not valid for those enemy soldiers in uniform, who are captured in open combat in the immediate combat area of the beachhead by our troops committed there, or who surrender. Our troops committed in the immediate combat area means the divisions fighting on the front line as well as reserves up to and including Corps Headquarters.
3. Furthermore, in doubtful cases, enemy personnel who have fallen into our hands alive are to be turned over to the SD, upon whom it is encumbent to determine whether the commando order is to be applied or not.
4. Supreme Command West is to see to it that all units committed in its zone are orally acquainted in a suitable manner with the order concerning the treatment of members of commando undertakings of 18 October '42 along with the above explanation."
becomes U.S. 551. This is the actual order of 25 June 1944, constituting OKW's reply to the inquiry from the Supreme Command West, signed by Keitel, initialed by Warlimont and Jodl. We will read beginning with:
"Subject: Treatment of Commando Participants.
1. Even after the landing of Anglo-Americans in France, the order of the Fuehrer on the destruction of terror and sabotage units of 18 October 1942 remains fully in force. bridgehead, that is, in the area of the divisions fighting in the most forward lines as well as of the reserves up to the Corps Commands, according to No. 5 of the basic order of 18 October 1942, remain exempted.
2. All members of terror and sabotage units, found outside the immediate combat area, who include fundamentally all parachutists, are to be killed in combat. In special cases, they are to be turned over to the SD.
"3. All troops, committed outside the combat area of Normandy, are to be informed about the duty to destroy enemy terror and sabotage units briefly and succinctly according to the directives issued for it.
"4. Supreme Commander West will report immediately daily, how many saboteurs have been liquidated in this manner. This applies especially also to undertakings by the military commanders. The number is to be published daily in the Armed Forces Communique to exercise a frightening effect, as had already been done toward previous commando undertakings in the same manners". with this order, this basic order, that was that in July, 1944 the question was raised within the German High Command as to whether the order should be applied to members of foreign military missions with special regard to British, American and Soviet military missions which were cooperating with Allied Forces in South-eastern Europe, notably in Jugoslavia.
A long document signed by Warliment, which is 1279-PS, and becomes U.S. 552, embodies the discussions which were had at OKW. I think I need not read from this document, and merely wish to point out that the Armed Forces Operational Staff recommended that the order should be applied to these military missions and drew up a draft to this effect. I would, however, like to read 537-PS, which is U.S. 553. This is the order which actually resulted from these discussions. It is dated 30 July 1944. I will read that in full.
"Subject: Treatment of members of foreign "Military Missions", west members of foreign so-called "Military Missions" (Anglo-American as well as Soviet-Russian) captured in the course of the struggle against partisans shall not receive the treatment as speculated in the special orders regarding the treatment of captured partisans. Therefore they are not to be treated as PW's but in conformity with the Fuehrer's order are the elimination of terror and sabotage troops of 18 October 1942.
"This order shall not be transmitted to other units of the Armed Forces via the High Commands and equivalent staffs and is to be destroyed after being made record.
"The Chief of the High Command of the Wehrmacht "KEITEL."
military mission to Slovakia were executed in January, 1945, as is shown by Document L-51, which is already in the record as U.S. 521, and which has been read in full by Lieutenant Harris. I will not read it again. order of the 18th of October, 1942, and its subsequent enforcement and application. I can pass from here to another subject.
THE PRESIDENT: We will adjourn for ten minutes now.
(Whereupon a recess was taken from 1120 to 1130 hours).
COL. TAYLOR: Your Lordship, the order I have just been discussing operated chiefly in the western theater of war. This was natural, since Germany occupied almost the entire western coast of Europe from 1940 until the end of the war, the last year of the war, and during that period land fighting in western Europe was largely limited to commando operations. land fighting in Poland and the Soviet Union from 1941 on. Here the German forces were fighting among a hostile population and had to face extensive partisan activities behind their lines. I propose to show here that the activities of the German armed forces against partisans and other elements of the population became a vehicle for carrying out Nazi political and racial policies, and a vehicle for the massacre of Jews and numerous segments of the Slav population which were regarded by the Nazis as undesirables. I will show that it was the policy of the German armed forces to behave with the utmost severity to the civilian population of the occupied territories, and that its military operations, particularly against partisans, were so conducted as to advance the Nazi policies to which I have referred. cooperation with the SS groups to which reference has been made in the presentation by Major Farr and Colonel Storey. the Eastern Front. That will be done by the Soviet delegation. Nor do I plan to retrace the ground covered by Colonel Storey and Major Farr during their presentation of the evidence against the SS, SD, and Gestapo, except to the extent necessary to clarify the relations between these organizations and the German armed forces, and to demonstrate their close collaboration in the occupied territories of Eastern Europe. will be US 554, and it will show these policies of severity were determined upon and made official even before the invasion of the Soviet Union took place. This document consists of an order by Hitler, dated 13 May 1941, and two covering transmittal sheets of subsequent date. I ask the Tribunal to note on page 4 of the translation that the order is signed by Keitel, the Chief of the Supreme Common of the Armed Forces, and also to note the distribution, which appears at the foot of the second sheet, showing the distribution to the principal staff sections.