The crimes of the defendants against culture are indeed horrible by their consequences.
If one can build certain towns and villages destroyed by Hitlerites, it is also possible to restore factories and plants which were blown up or burned by them. But mankind has lost forever the unique objects of art which the Hitlerites destroyed in a barbarous manner. The lost of lives to mankind of people whom they put to death in Auschwitz, or in Treblink, or in Babiy-yar, or in Kertch can never again be replaced. these modern Huns have put into shade the blackened pages of history by their appalling cruelty and vandalism. They arrogantly challenge future mankind. They trampled underfooth the best heritage of mankind's past. Attesting no ideals or faith themselves, they sacreligously destroyed churches and relics. civilization and barbarism, culture and civilization were victorious. The Hitlerite conspirators who dreamt of world domination, of the destruction of culture of the Slav and other peoples, are now in the defendant's dock. May a just punishment be theirs, and may their punishment be immediate.
THE PRESIDENT: Will you continue until five o'clock.
COLONEL RAGINSKY: If the Tribunal wishes.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, will you go on until five o'clock.
COLONEL RAGINSKY: I would like to be accorded a short recess in order to present the document.
THE PRESIDENT: It would be hardly worth while if you want a short interval. We shall stop at five o'clock.
COLONEL RAGINSKY: It would be more convenient to begin the next statement tomorrow.
THE PRESIDENT: We will adjourn now, then.
(The Tribunal adjourned until 22 February, 1946 at 1000 hours)
THE MARSHAL: May it please the Court: The Defendant Fritzsche will be absent until further notice on account of illness.
GENERAL M.Y. RAGINSKY (Assistant. Chief Prosecutor for the USSR): dants are guilty of the wanton destruction of towns and villages and other destruction. This charge is laid down in paragraph "C" of the 3rd Count of the Indictment. and villages was carried out not as the result of any exigencies of war or military necessity. accordance with the thoroughly elaborated plans of the Hitlerite Government and in accordance with the orders of the German military command; that the destruction of towns and villages, of industry and transportation, was an integral part of the conspiracy which aimed at the enslavement of the peoples of Europe and those of other countries, at the establishment of a world hegemony of Hitlerite Germany. destruction. In the flames of fires perished the most valuable machines created by the genius of mankind, factories and dwellings were blown up which gave work and shelter to millions of people. and those who were left without a roof over their heads and without any means of existence. the towns and villages in the territories which they temporarily occupied, where, acting on direct oders of the German High Command, they created a "waste zone."
As proof I will quote an excerpt from the note by V.M. Molotov, a document which has been submitted to the Tribunal as exhibit USSR-51/2. This excerpt the members of the Tribunal will find on page 3 of document book 7.I quote:
"...An order seized not long ago near the town of Verkhovye, Orel Region, issued to the 512th German Infantry Regiment and signed by Colonel Schitnig stated with unparalleled brazenness: "A zone which in view of the situation may be evacuated must, after the withdrawal of the troops, present a waste... At points where complete destruction has to be achieved, all the houses are to be burnt, for which purpose they are first to be stuffed with straw, particularly stone houses. Structures of stone are to be blown up; this applies particularly to cellars. Measures for the creation of devastated zones are to be prepared beforehand and carried out relentlessly and completely." and I quote further:
"In razing our towns and villages, the German Command demands of its troops that a 'waste zone' be created in all Soviet localities from which the invaders are successfully expelled by the Red Army." the 512th Regiment order - is submitted as USSR Exhibit 168.
THE PRESIDENT: Do you know the date of it?
GENERAL RAGINSKY: The date of this order is 10 December 1941. ordered, a ruthless and complete destruction of inhabited localities and that this destruction was planned and prepared in advance. in the possession of the Soviet Prosecution. I will limit myself to reading into the record an excerpt from the sentence of the regional military Tribunal in the case against the German Officers, Lieut. General Bernhardt and MajGeneral Hamann which I submit to the Tribunal as exhibit USSR-90 (the respectiv excerpt will be found on page 23, 25 of document book 7).
The military Tribunal established that the generals Bernhardt and Hamann had acted in accordance with the common plans and directives of the Supreme Command of the German Army and that they "had carried out a planned destruction of towns and inhabited houses, should be carried out.
The latter were blown up without there, as the result of which people also perished under the debris."
factories, power-stations and mines were also destroyed with premeditation and malice aforethgought. Tribunal to the report of the Extraordinary State Commission which was submitted as exhibit USSR-2, page 2 of document book 7. Department of Economics of the South Army Group of 2 September 1943 No. 1/313/43, which ordered the army leaders of economics and the leaders of economic parties to carry out a complete destruction of industrial establishments and stated in particular that "the destruction must be carried out not at the last moment when the troops will be engaged in combat or may be in retreat, but ahead of time."
The note by W. M. Molotov, the Peoples Commissar of Foreign Affairs of 27 April 1942, eloborates the question of these orders of the German Supreme Command and the way these orders were executed. This note was submitted to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit USSR-51/3. which is entitled "The devastation of towns and villages", excerpts which were not read into the record before. These excerpts will be found on pages 6 and 7, the reverse side, of the document book 92. I quote:
"By direct order of its High Command the German-fascist army subjects Soviet Towns and villages to unparalleled devastation upon seizing the latter and in the course of its stay there, setting fire to and otherwise destroying
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think you ought to omit the first four lines on page 5.
GENERAL RAGINSKY: All right, sir. I omitted it inasmuch as this document was read into the record by me yesterday, but if you wish -
THE PRESIDENT: I don't remember that it was.
GENERAL RAGINSKY: Yes, I read this into the record yesterday.
(A short pause.)
THE PRESIDENT: I am told that -- and I am inclined to think so myself -
-- that you did not read those lines, "from the 10th of October, 1941", at the top of page 5. I think you better read them. I am referring to the order of the 10th of October, 1941, which is set out in your expose.
GENERAL RAGINSKY: I shall read this excertp from order given the Sixth German Army, 10th of October, 1941, signed by von Reichenau. This document is presented to the Tribunal as USSR No. 12. It reads:
"The troops are interested in extinguishing fires only in these building which are to be utilized for billeting military units. Everything else, including buildings, must be regarded as coming within the scope of a war of extermination," a number of orders instructing the units of the German army to destroy in the course of their retreat under pressure of the Red Army everything that had remained unscathed during their occupation. Thousands of villages, whole city blocks and even entire cities are reduced to ashes, blown up or otherwise razed to the ground by the retreating German-fascist army. The organized destruction of Soviet towns and villages has become a special branch of the criminal activity of the German invaders on Soviet territory; special instructions and detailed orders of the German Command are devoted to methods of devastating Soviet populated centres; special detachments, trained in this criminal profession, are set up for this purpose. 293rd German Division, presented already as USSR Exhibit 168, which is an exposition, covering seven printer's sheets, of the precisist possible plan for the methodical destruction of village after village, from December 10th to December 14th inclusive in the district in which the given regiment was stationed. This order which follows a model used throughout the German Army, states:
"Preparations for the destruction of populated centres must be carried out in such a way that: (a) no suspicions whatever are aroused among the civilian population prior to the announcement of it; (b) the destruction should begin at once, and be carried out by a single blow, at the appointed time... On the day in question particularly strict watch must be kept to see that no civilians leave the given place, especially not after the destruction has been announced.
December 24, 1941, states, after listing sixteen Soviet villages designated to be burnt down:
"Stocks of hay, straw, foodstuffs, etc., are to be burnt. All stoves in dwelling houses are to be wrecked by placing hand grenades in them, thus making further use of them impossible. This order must in no case fall into the hands of the enemy." same nature. In the order it states:
"The present juncture demands that we hold on to every populated centre, that we do not retreat a single step, that we defend ourselves to the last man, to the last grenade. Every point that we occupy must be turned into a stronghold, the surrender of which we must not permit under any circumstances, even if it is outflanked by the enemy. If, however, the given point must be abondoned by us by order of the higher command, it is imperative that everything be burnt to the ground, the stoves blown up....
"Signed: Adolf Hitler." devastation of Soviet towns and villages is the work of his army. In his speech of January 30, 1942, he declared: "In those places where the Russians have succeeded in making a breakthrough -
THE PRESIDENT: That order of January 3, 1942, signed by Hitler, is that in the official Soviet State Report? Where did it come from?
GENERAL RAGINSKY: This order is incorporated into a note -- quoted here -of Foreign Commissar For Foreign Affairs Molotov, the document which was presented to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 51, line 3.
THE PRESIDENT: That is Monsieur Molotov's report?
GENERAL RAGINSKY: Yes, this is a note of the Foreign Commissar, Molotov.
In the speech of the 30th of January 1942, Hitler stated:
"In those places where the Russians have succeeded in making a breakthrough and where they thought that they were once again occupying populated centers, these populated centers no longer exist; they are but a heap of ruins."
the German High Command worked out a detailed plan of operations which bore the code name of "Movement Krimhilde", and a large part of this plan, a whole section, was taken up by the plan of demolitions. I omit one paragraph of my presentation here. graph to the chiefs of higher staffs, is signed by Hitler and has the following notations on the first page: "Secret/A2371. 17 copies, 17th copy, No. 2686,43" There are shown on the second page, under Hitler's signature, the number 430586/47 and the date 4.9.1943; on page 3 is the distribution as well as the following note:
"Code name of operation for retreat from the Kuban region is 'Movement Krimhilde'."
The photostat copy of this plan ... listed as I-177, I now submit to the Tribunal as exhibit USSR-115. It is contained on pages 31-33 of document book 7. the 2nd paragraph of the order:
"2. Demolitions in case of retreat. (a) All structures, quartering facilities, roads, cultural features, dams, etc. (b) All railroads and highways will be dismantled or demolished respectively. (c) All wood-covered corduroy roads will be made unuseable and destroyed. (d) All drilling installations of the Kuban region will be demolished in their (e) The harbor of Novorossiysk will be so demolished and blocked that its use (f) Demolitions include mining of terrain. (g) The enemy must gain possession of a completely depopulated waste land which explosions will take place". attention of the Tribunal to only two of them:
I refer to an entry in the diary of the defendant Frank which particularly dwells on this subject, as well as a directive issued by the commanding general of 118th German Division which operate in Yugoslavia.
22nd Feb - M - O'B - 1 In Frank's diary, which has already been submitted to the Tribunal, there is the following entry for April 17, 1944 contained in the volume which was started on 1st of March, 1944 and ends on 31st of May, 1944, dealing with the "Work Conference at Cracow' on April 4th, 1944."
"It is important that the troops be given an order to abandon only scorched earth to the Russians. In cases when it becomes, necessary to abandon a certain area to the Russians, no distinction should be made between the territory of the Government General and any other territories."
This excerpt will be found on page 45 of document book. May I remind the Tribunal that in USSR exhibit 132, which was an instruction issued to the 118th German Division over the signature of the German Major General Kuebler, which was captured in June 1944 by units of the Yugoslav Peoples Liberation Army, it was ordered that the troops treat the population "ruthlessly with cruel firmness" and to destroy the inhabited localities which were yielded. presentation I deem it necessary to draw the attention of the Tribunal to one more circumstance. planned, not only carried out deliberately and with exceptional ruthlessness, but it was executed by special detachments created by the German High Command for that very purpose. By way of proof I will quote several excerpts which were not read into the record before from official government reports and the note of V. M. Molotov, People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs to the USSR.
This excerpt is found on page 9 of the document book. The date is 27 April, 1942. The USSR exhibit number is 51/3.
"The special detachments set up by the German Command for the purpose of setting fire to Soviet populated centers and exterminating the civilian population en masse as an accompaniment to the retreat 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 2 of the Hitlerite army are perpetrating their bloodthirsty deeds with the cold-bloodedness of professional criminals.
Thus, for instance, before their retreat from the village of Bolshekrepinskaya, Rostov region, the Germans sent special flame-throwing machines down the streets of the village, these machines setting fire to 1,167 buildings, one after the other. The big flourishing village was turned into a flaming bonfire which consumed the dwelling houses, the hospital, the school and various other public buildings. At the same time, without giving any warning, automatic-riflemen shot down the inhabitants who approached their burning houses, while other residents were bound, sprayed with gasoline and thrown into the burning buildings. paragraph next to the last, the report of the State Extraordinary Commission which was presented to the Tribunal as USSR exhibit 46.
"In their insane hatred of the Soviet people which was caused by military defeats suffered, the Commanding General of the 2nd German Tank Army, General Schmidt, and Commander of the Orel region, the Military Commanders of the City, Major General Hamann, had created special demolition detachments for the destruction of towns, villages and collective farms of the Orel regions. These squads of plunderers and arsonists destroyed everything in the path of their retreat. They destroyed monuments of culture and works of art, burnt down towns and villages both large and small."
The Report of the Extraordinary State Commission on the "Crimes of the German Fascist invaders in the towns of Viazma, Gjatsk, and Sychovka of the Smolensk region and in the town of Rjav of the Kalinin region," submitted as exhibit USSR-279, contains the following statement.
"In Viazma and Gjatsk the Commanding Generals, Major General Merker of the 35th Infantry Division, Major General Schaefer of the 252nd Infantry Division, and Major General Roppert of the 7th Infantry Division, organized special incendiary and demolition 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 3 detachments to set on fire and blow up dwellings, schools, theatres, clubs, museums, libraries, hospitals, churches, stores and industrial plants, so that only ashes and ruins would be left in the wake of the German retreat."
there are several depositions of German prisoners of war. I shall quote one of these excerpts. Prisoner of war Verholtz Germann, a corporal from the 597th Infantry Regiment of the 306th Division of the German Army, deposes as follows:
"As a member of a demolit on squad I took part in setting fire to and blowing up government buildings and dwelling houses in First Line, the main street of the town of Stalino. My job was to place the explosives, which I then ignited and blew up the buildings. I participated altogether in the demolition of five large houses and in the burning of several others." I repeat that in our possession are many documents which we could present to the Tribunal, but I consider that there is no necessity in doing that. What has already been read into the record permits us to conclude that premeditated and deliberate devastations were carried out by Hitler in occupied territories, and that this was really a system and not individual acts, and that those devastations were not done only by the hand of individual officers and soldiers of the German Army, but that the devastations and depredations were carried out on the orders of the German Supreme Command. the capitals of Yugoslavia and Poland took a particular place in the German system, and a special plan was devoted to the destruction of Moscow and Leningrad. crazy plans for the destruction of the greatest cultural and industrial centers dear to the Soviet people. They had already prepared for this purpose special Sonderkommandos. They even hastened to state their "decision" to refuse the capitulation of these towns, which never took place at all.
It is necessary to note that such expressions as "raze to the ground" or "wipe off the face of the earth" were used quite frequently by the Hitlerite conspirators. These were not only threats but criminal acts as well, as we shall see from the further presentation.
They did in some places succeed in razing flourishing towns and villages to the ground. Hitlerite conspirators. The first document is a secret directive of the Naval Staff, numbered Ia 1601/41, dated September 29, 1941. It is entitled "The Future of the City of Petersburg." This document is the order presented by our American colleagues. Therefore, even though we also have the original of this document, which was distributed in several copies, I believe that it does not have to be read into the record. With your permission, Mr. President, I shall remind the Tribunal of the contents of this directive. city of Petersburg off the face of the earth; to blockade the city and subject it to artillery bombardment and to bombardment from the air, and to raze the city to the ground. It is also directed in the order that if there will be any negotiations for capitulation, capitulation will be refused by Germany. And finally, in this document it is stated that this directive is not only on the part of the Naval Staff, but also on the part of OKW. as USSR Exhibit 144, is also a secret directive of the Supreme Command of the armed Forces, dated October 7, 1941, No. 44 1675/44, and signed by the Defendant Jodi. This document is to be found on pages 69 and 70 in the document file. I read into the record the text of this document. There are a few excerpts from this letter on page 14 of my presentation. The first paragraph of the letter:
"The Fuehrer has again decided that a capitulation of Leningrad or later of Moscow is not to be accepted even if it is offered by the enemy.
"Therefore, no German soldier is to enter these cities. Anyone who tries to leave the city through our lines is to be forced to return under fire.
"The exodus of the population through the smaller, unguarded gaps towards the interior of Russia is to be allowed. Before all other cities are taken, they are to be softened up by artillery fire and air raids and their population forced to flee.
"We cannot take the responsibility of endangering our soldiers' lives by fire in order to save Russian cities, nor that of feeding the population of those cities at the expense of the German home-land. All commanding officers must be acquainted with this desire of the Fuehrer." regarding the destruction of Leningrad into effect with unprecedented ferocity. of the misdeeds of the German-fascist invaders, the monstrous crimes of the Hitlerites are described in detail. 85. page 1 of the report, which is on page 71 of the document book.
"As a result of the barbarous activities of the German-fascist usurpers in Leningrad and its suburbs 8,961 buildings of economic importance and outbuildings with a total volume of 5,192,427 cubic metres were totally ruined, and 5,869 buildings were partially ruined. Altogether destroyed were 20,627 dwellings, and 8,788 buildings were partially ruined. Totally destroyed were 295 buildings of importance to cultural life and 1,629 buildings were partially ruined. Six buildings serving religions cults were totally destroyed. The Hitlerites destroyed, ruined and damaged various kinds of buildings of a value of over 718 million rubles, and over 1,043 million rubles worth of industrial equipment and agricultural machinery and implements." shelled, methodically and according to plan, day and night, streets, dwelling-houses, theatres, museums, hospitals, kindergartens, military hospitals, schools, institutes and trams, and ruined most valuable monuments of culture and art.
Many thousands of bombs and shells were launched at the historical buildings of Leningrad, and at its quays, gardens and parks. cite one of the many testimonies by Germans which are quoted in the document, namely paragraph 4 on page 14. book. I quote:
"Sergeant Fritz Kepke, commanding No.2 gun of the 2nd battery of the 2nd detachment of the 910th artillery regiment stated: 'For the bombardment of Leningrad, there was a special stock of munitions in the batteries, supplied above the limit to an unbounded extent.
"'All the gun crews knew that the bombardments of Leningrad were aimed at ruining the town and annihilating its civil population. They therefore treated the bulletins of the German Supreme Command ironically, which spoke of shelling the "Military objectives" of Leningrad.'" capital of Yugoslavia -- Belgrade. 7 December 1945 as G-B 120, which is an order by Hitler, dated the 27 March 1941 and dealing with the attack on Yugoslavia. As is known, this order, entitled "Directive No.25" gives in detail the strategic plan for the attack, and, besides this, orders that all Yugoslav land defences and Belgrade should be destroyed by means of uninterrupted day and night air raids. mentioned in this paragraph have been presented to the Tribunal on the 11th of February. I shall use a few excerpts from page 22 and 23 of the official report of the Yugoslav Government. You will find this on page 111 and 112 in your document book. I read:
"The planned character and systematic execution of these crimes at the order of the Government of the Reich and of the OKW, is best seen from the fact that the destruction of the inhabited localities and of the population was carried out even at the time of the retreat of German troops from the Yugoslav territory. Typical for the thousands of such cases is the attempted destruction of Belgrade and extermination of its citizens in October 1944. The fighting for the liberation of Belgrade lasted from the 15th to 20th of October, 1944. Even before the fighting started the Germans had prepared a plan for the systematic destruction of the city. For the purpose of carrying out this plan, they spread all over the city groups of soldiers specially trained for mining of houses and killing of the population. Though these groups were partly prevented from carrying out this task in the scope conceived by the German commanders by the swift advance of the ed Army and the National Liberation Forces, they still succeeded in destroying a large number of houses in the south part of the city, and in killing a/nunber of inhabitants. and Danube meet. The Germans went from house to house, threw the inhabitants naked into the streets, brought inflammables into every apartment, spreading fire to all the buildings. If a house happened to be made of more solid materials, they would then mine it. While doing so they were firing on the inhabitants, killing defenseless persons, and in several large houses the inhabitants were locked inside and they were destroyed by fire and explosions. The damage caused by this method in the city of Belgrade is estimated at the total sum of 1,127,129,069 Dinars, on the basis of pre-war prices."
Thus, the ruining of Belgrade was prescribed by Hitler's order of the 27th of Larch 1941, and it was carried out on direct orders of the defendant Goering, and October 1944 was done with the same methods as the Hitlerites used in the occupied territories of the USSR. Hitlerites for ruining the capital of the Polish State -- Warsaw. I shall quote three documents which reveal the criminal intentions of the fascist conspirators to raze this town to the ground.
The first document is under the number USSR Exhibit 128. I present to the Court a telegram addressed to the Defendant Frank, No. 13265, and signed by the Governor of the Warsaw District, Dr. Gischer. The telegram is to be found on page 148 of the document book. I read into the record the text of this telegram:
"To the Governor General and Reichsminister Dr. Frank:
"At Cracow.
"Warsaw, No. 13265 11.10.44.
"Subjects New Policy with Regard to Poland.
"I have to inform you of the following result of the visit of SSLieutenant General (SS-Obergrupponfuehrer* von dem Bach to the Reichsfuehrer S "SS Lieutenant General von dem Bach received the new order to pacify Wars military requirements in the way of fortifications place no obstacles in the way.
Before leaving, all raw materials, textiles, and furniture should be cleared out of Warsaw. The main task develves on the civilian administration.
"I am informing you of this because this new order of the Fuehrer with regard to the destruction of Warsaw is of the greatest importance for the further new policy with regard to Poland.
signed: Dr. Fischer," your Honors; he testified at the afternoon session of the Tribunal on the 7th of January. Hitler's order regarding the destruction of Warsaw can be seen from the writte evidence given by him on oath on the 28th of January, 1946, during his interrogation by the Public Prosecutor of the Polish republic, Mr. Savitzky. Zelewsky, I present to the Court as document No. USSR Exhibit 313; I shall read two extracts from this record into the record:
"When I spoke with Reinfarth and told him that such actions are detrimental to morale and a shock to reason, Reinfarth referred to the order issued by Hitler and Himmler.
THE PRESIDENT: We will hear the objection.
DR. SEIDL (Counsel for the Defendant Frank): I protest to the reading of the protocol of the witness von dem Bach-Zelewsky. The witness has been heard before this Court, and the possibility existed then to ask the witness about the subject of this protocol right here before the Court. here in Nurnberg, should be called before the tribunal again, provided the Soviet Prosecution wants to read this protocol, so that the Defense has the opportunity also to cross examine the witness.
THE PRESIDENT: General, do you want to say anything?
GENERAL RAGINSKY: Mr. President, this record of the interrogation of von dem Bach-Zelewsky was given under oath, and it was presented by the Soviet Delegation to the representatives of the Polish Government. The report of the interrogation is formulated according to laws, and it is given under oath. Therefore, we consider that it should be possible to present it to the Tribunal, without calling Zelewsky for the second time as a witness. If the tribunal will decide that, without calling Bach-Zelewsky as a witness before the tribunal, his testimony cannot be read into the record, then, in the interests of expediting the trial, and in order not to prolong the Soviet presentation, we are willing to forego the presentation of this testimony, inasmuch as the facts in the testimony have been already established by othe r documents and will be established by documents that I shall present in the future.
THE PRESIDENT: May I ask you this. General: If the evidence given before the Polish commission is the same as the evidence which Bach-Zelewsky gave in Court, it would be cumulative; if it is different, surely the Defendants Counsel ought to have the opportunity of cross examining him upon it.
GENERAL RAGINSKY: The testimony which was given by Bach-Zelewsky to the Attorney General of the Polish Republic is in addition to the testimony which had been given before the Tribunal.
In regard to the razing of Warsaw, Bach-Zelewsky was not examined during his testimony before the Tribunal.
THE PRESIDENT: General Raginsky, the Tribunal understood you to say that you would be prepared to withdraw this evidence, inview of the fact that the witness had given evident already, and the Tribunal considers that that is the proper course to take. So the evidence will be withdrawn and struck from the record, so far as it has been put on the record.
(A recess was taken.)
GENERAL RAGINSKY: As a result of the conclusion of the Tribunal, I exclude from my statement page 21, and pass in to page 22.
which was presented to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 223. This extract is on page 45 of the document book. I have in mind the file which was begun on the 1st of August, 1944, and brought to the 14th of December, 1944, headed "Diary", in which there is a note which mentions the contents of a telegram sent by Frank to Reich Minister Lammers. I quote:
"On the 5th of August 1944, the Governor-General sends the following telegram to Reich Minister Dr. Lammers: 'The City of Warsaw is, for the most part, wreathed in flames. The burning of the houses is the most reliable method of preventing the escape of the insurgents. After this rising and its suppression, Warsaw will justly be committed to its deserved fate of being completely annihilated.' " themselves the aim of razing to the round the capital of the Polish State, Warsaw, and that the defendant Frank layed an extremely ective part in this crime. Czechoslovakia occupied by them, the German fascist usurpers systematically destroyed inhabited localities according to plan, under the pretense of fighting the partisans. Punitive expeditions, detachments and commandos, specially detailed by the German military command, burnt down and blew up tens of thousands of villages, hamlets, and other inhabited places. I will quote, as examples, as few excerpts which are typical and which characterize the whole system used by the Hitlerites. of September, 1942, and entitled "Conclusive Report on the Results of the Pacifying Expedition carried out in the Village of Borisovska from the 22nd to the 26th of September, 1942", starts as follows:
"Task: No. 9 Company had to destroy the band-infested village of Borisovska.