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.
This document has been presented to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 119.
Socialist Republic, the Germans destroyed the Hamlet of Audriny with the whole of its population, ostensibly for having aided members of the Red Army. In the towns of Latvia a notice was put up by the Chief of the German State Security Police in Latvia, SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Strauch, in German, Latvian, and Russian. Exhibit 262, and I read to the Court an excerpt from this document. This excerpt is at page 158 of the document book.
"The Commander of the German State Security Police in Latvia hereby announces the followings:
"2. The inhabitants of the Hamlet of Audriny, in the Rezhetz District, concealed members of the Red Army for over one-quarter of a year, armed them, and assisted them in every way in activities against the State.
"As punishment I ordered the followings:
"That the Hamlet of Audriny be wiped off the face of the earth." districts of the Leningrad provinze. As can be seen from a sentence of the Military Tribunal of the Leningrad military district, which was submitted to the Tribunal as USSR Exhibit 91, the Hitlerites burnt down, in February 1944, 10 inhabited localities in the Dedovitch, Pozherevitz, and Ostrov Districts. The Hitlerite punitive expeditions also burnt down the Hamlets of Strashevo and Zapolye in the Plyuss District, and the Hamlets of Belshye Lyady, Ludoni, etc. Supreme Command, burnt down many hundreds of inhabited localities in Yugoslav territory. State Commission for the Establishment of the Crimes of the German Usurpers, which has been presented to the Tribunal as document USSR 36, and also to the special statement of the Yugoslav State Commission, numbered 2697 (45), and signed by Professor Nedelkovic, which I present to the Tribunal as USSR 309.
These documents are at pages 165 and 167 of the document book. and destruction of villages and hamlets by the Hitlerites, by means of special punitive expeditions. As examples one can name the localities of Zagelzyde, Udova, Meckovac, Marsic, Grasnica, Rudnika, Krupnza, Rastovac, Orah, Craboviea, Dracic, Lozinda, and many others. These districts of Yugoslavia were completely devastated after the Germans had been there. so-called Commander-in-Chief of Serbia, which I beg the Tribunal to accept as USSR Exhibit 200. This notice was captured by troops of the Yugoslav army of liberation, and it is certified by the Yugoslav State Commission.
I read into the record only one extract of this notice:
"The Commander-in-Chief of Serbia announces that the Hamlet of Skela has been burnt down and razed to the ground."
22nd Feb - M - O'B - 1 Poland. As evidence I submit to the Tribunal USSR exhibit 368, which is an affidavit of the Plenipotentiary of the Polish Government, Dr. Stefan Kurovsky. This affidavit is an appendix to the official report of the Polish Government. in the territory of the Zemoisky, Bilgoraisky, Khrubeshovsky and Krasnitzky districts, and under the command of the SS Officer Globotchnik, the Germans burnt down a number of inhabited localities; and in February 1944 five hamlets were destroyed in the Krasnitzky district with the help of the air force. and razed to the ground in Greece. As examples we will name the settlements of Amelofite, Kleston, Kizonia, Ano-Kertselion and Kato-Kertselion in the Salonica district, and the settlements of Mesovounos and Selli in the Korzani district, and others. photostats of three telegraphic reports of the 164th German Infantry Division to the Chief of Staff of the 12th Army. These reports, gentlemen, are at page 170 of the document book.
Each of these reports consists of nine to ten lines. They are uniform in type and standardized. But these short official documents reveal actually the monstrous system generally employed by the Hitlerites in the territories occupied by them.
"18 October, 1941. To the Chief of Staff of the Army, 12 Athens.
"Daily Report.
"1. The villages of An -Kertselion and Kato-Kertselion, which had been proved to be the base of a rather large guerrilla band in this area, were razed to the ground by the troops of the Division on 17th of October. The male inhabitants between 16 and 60 years of age-totalling 207 persons--were shot, and the women and children were 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 2 "2. No other special, important incidents.
"164th Infantry Division."
which is presented to the Tribunal as USSR exhibit 358. On pages destruction of hamlets on the Island of Crete.
Thus, the hamlets of reason that they were in the partisans' zone of operations.
were completely or partially demolished. One must also note that Larissa and Canea were almost completely destroyed.
This is mentioned on page 21 of the report of the Greek Government.
It is on page 190 Gentlemen, the whole world knows about the Hitlerites' crimes at Lidice.
The 10th of June, 1942, was the last day of Lidice and of its inhabitants.
The Fascist barbarians left irrefutable evidence of their monstrous crime.
They made a film of the annihilation of investigation was carried out.
This investigation established that photography, Dr. Franz Troml, and was carried out to the letter, in 22nd Feb - M - O'B - 3 are photographs taken by the operators who filmed the different phases of the destruction of Lidice.
I present these documents to the Tribunal as USSR exhibit 370. was taken a few years ago. The technical state of this reel is not very satisfactory, and therefore when we demonstrate it there may be a few defects. allowed to demonstrate this film as documentary evidence.
(The film of the destruction of Lidice was shown.)
in another inhabited point of Czechoslovakia in the village of Lezaky.
I will refer as proof to the Czechoslovak Government's report, pages 126-127. This document is presented to the Court as USSR Exhibit No.60.
This report states:
"Lezaky, like Lidice, was totally destroyed and the ground where it had stood was covered over with mud." and towns, industry and transport on the territory of the USSR. German Government and the German Supreme Command concerning the destruction of inhabited centers of industry and means of communications in the USSR. Now I pass on to the presentation of proofs of those destructions which were committed in execution of these directives by the Hitlerites everywhere on all the territories which they temporarily occupied in the Soviet Union. destruction on page 142 of my report. Prosecution which incriminate the Hitlerite criminals of the premeditated and systematic, calculated and cruel annihilation and destruction of towns and villages, works and factories, railways and means of communication. process of the trial. established by the Extraordinary State Commission. I will quote only those sections and data which have not been quoted previously and only those which directly concern the subject of my statement. These extracts are on pages 223-224 of the document book.
"The German-Fascist invaders totally or partially destroyed and burned 1710 towns and more than 70,000 villages and hamlets. They burned and destroy more than six million buildings and rendered some 25 million persons homeless. Among the destroyed towns which suffered most are the great industrial and cultural centers of Stalingrad, Sebastopol, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Odessa, Smolensk, Novgorod, Pskov, Orel, Kharkov, Voronesh, Rostov on the Don and many others.
"The German-Fascist invaders destroyed 31, 850 industrial concerns, which employed some four million workers."
"The Hitlerites destroyed 36,000 postal and telegraphic bureaux, telephon centers and other centers of communications during their occupation of a part of the Soviet Union, and especially during their retreat. The German Fascist invaders committed great damage to the railway system and waterways.
"With special machines they put out of action 26 and partially destroyed eight main railway lines. They destroyed 65,000 kilometers of rails and 500,00 kilometers of cables for signals and brake installations, They blew up 13,000 railway bridges, 4,100 railways stations. They destroyed 317 locomotive, depots and 129 locomotive and wagon repair shops, as well as railways construction installations.
"They destroyed, damaged or evacuated to Germany 15,800 locomotives, and diesel locomotives, and 428,000 trucks and railways cars.
"The enemy caused great damage to the buildings, enterprises and institutions and shins of the shipping lines operating in the Arctic Sea, in the White Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Black and the Caspian Seas. They sunk or partially damaged more than 1,400 passenger, cargo and special ships.
"The sea ports of Sebastopol, Mariupol Kertch, Novorossisk, Odessa, Nikolayev, Leningrad, Murmansk, Lepaya, Tallinn and others equipped with modern technical installations suffered greatly.
"The *---* sank or stole 4,280 passenger and cargo steamers and steam tugs of the inland shipping services, as well as 4,029 tug boats. They destroyed 479 harbor and landing bridge installations, as well as 89 wharves and machine factories.
"Revreating before the assault of the Red Army, German troops blew up and destroyed 91,000 kilometers of highways and 90,000 road bridges, of a total length of 930 kilometers."
I now conclude my statement, Your Honors. The documents which were presented to the Tribunal and read into the record clearly demonstrate how the Hitlerite conspirators in all the territories captured by them in the USSR, Jugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslavia and Greece, trampled upon the laws and custom of war, the fundamental principles of criminal law and the ordinary provisions of Articles 46 and 50 of the Hague Convention of 1907. the complete destruction was contemplated of cities and villages from which the Hitlerites were compelled to retreat under the blows of the armed forces of the Soviet Union.
the Hitlerites put into practice their criminal plans, reducing to dust and ashes the largest cultural and industrial centers. territory temporarily occupied by the German troops, the Hitlerites pruposely and according to plan reduced to ruins densely populated and flourishing Russian, Byleorussian, Jugoslavian, Greek and Czechoslovakian cities, towns and villages. ment and of the German High Command, the representatives of which are now on the defendants' benches.
I would like, Mr. President, to present as evidence and as USSR 401 a documentary film concerning the destruction perpetrated by the Germans on the territories of the Soviet Union. The documentary proof of this film is submitted now to the Tribunal.
(Whereupon the aforementioned motion picture film was projected on the screen in the courtroom.)
THE PRESIDENT: Will you continue, if possible. All right, we will adjourn.
(A recess was taken until 1400 hours.)
GENERAL RAGINSKY: Mr. President, in order to exhaust all of the material and presentation of evidence in regard to the subject matter that I touched, I ask your permission to examine one witness Joseph Abgarovitch Orbeli who is brought to the Tribunal. Orbeli will testify in regard to the devastation and wrecking of the monuments of culture and art in Leningrad.
THE PRESIDENT: Do you, have any objections to make?
DR. SERVATIUS (counsel for the Leadership Corps): I would like to ask the Court, if I may, to decide whether the witness can be heard on this subject and if this is official. Leningrad was never in German hands. Leningrad was only shelled with regular means of troops and also from the air, just as it is done regularly by all armies of the world. It should be said what would be proved by this witness.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal considers that there is no substance in the objection that has just been made, and we will hear the witness.
(JOSEPH ARGAROVITCH ORBELI testified as follows:) BY THE PRESIDENT:
Q What is your name?
Q Will you repeat this oath after me. I, and stale your name, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, summoned as a witness in this trial, promise and swear, in the presence of the Court, to tell the Court nothing but the truth about everything I know in regard to this case.
A (The witness repeated the oath.)
THE PRESIDENT: You may sit if you wish. BY GENERAL RAGINSKY:
Q Will you tell us, please, what was your position?
Q What is your scientific attainment?