Chapter 28

To the personal staff of the Reich Fuehrer of SSOffice of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin

To the personal staff of the Reich Fuehrer of SS

Office of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin

Command Post DivisionStd., September 25, 1943Concerning the evacuation of the museum of Poltawa

When it became known that the evacuation of the city of Poltawa by September 21, 1943, was anticipated, I intended to examine personally the condition of the museum there and to order the necessary measures for preserving them, should the need arise.

Since the 03 of the division, SS Leader Daltweiler, had learned during a stay in P. that the salvaging of the museum through a specialist officer of the armed forces on the basis of a command from the O.B., already had begun, a trip to Poltawa was abandoned.

Heil Hitler!Signed: H. JankuhnCaptain in the SS (F)For the correctness of this copy:SS Leader

Copy IIISpecial Command, Fp. 16284Command Post Division, Std., August 22, 1943To the personal Staff of the Reich Fuehrer of SS

Office of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin

Regarding the destruction of the museum in Charkow.

On August 21, upon my suggestion, Sergeant in the SS, Dr. Zarp, from KB unit 5, visited the museum in Charkow. He found that the museum building had been burned down completely.

Since the more valuable pieces had been salvaged—as was pointed out in the report of December 8, 1943—no loss of more important objects of culture was sustained through the destruction of the museum.

Signed: H. JankuhnCaptain in the SSFor the correctness of this copySS Leader

Copy ISpecial Command Jankuhn, 16284Command Post Division, Std., August 13, 1943To the personal Staff of the Reich Fuehrer of SS

Office of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, BerlinRegarding the destruction of the museum in Charkow in the spring of 1943.

Office of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin

Regarding the destruction of the museum in Charkow in the spring of 1943.

Through the interrogation of Prof. Hornung, the curator of the museum in Dnjipropetrowsk, chosen by the Special Purpose Staff and on the basis of information that was supplied by the commander of the F.K.V. of the secret police and of the security service, the following could be brought to light concerning the fate of the museum of prehistoric art in Charkow in the spring of 1943.

In 1941/42 the museum of prehistoric art in Charkow was re-established anew in the main street of the city, the Sumskaja, by a captain, who for this purpose had been given a furlough. The exhibition is said to have been good and well arranged. Besides collections of prehistoric character there were to be found in the museum articles referring to folklore. When, during the winter campaigns of the months of February and March, the Special Service Staff R.R. left the city without having done the least for the saving of the collections. Merely a Gothic sword and a gold-plated handle are said to have been taken along by one SS unit. Since the salvaging of the piece was not effected through the Security Service Command in Charkow, it must be assumed that a unit of the II SS armored corps took this gorgeous weapon along.

After the retreat of the German troops, the museum was destroyed, apparently by explosion of fire. The Ukrainian collections stored there were destroyed almost completely.

Recent excavations undertaken in the ruins of the building have yielded only insignificant pieces of the material formerly stored there.

Thus one of the most important museums of Russia with collections of great cultural value was given over to destruction through the agencies of the German civil administration.

Signed: JankuhnCaptain in the SSFor the correctness of this copySS Leader

IIaExhibit iTo the report of 12 August 1943

This Institute of Culture is confiscated by the Charkow garrison!

It is secured for the Special Command R.R. and is placed under its professional supervision.

Outside of the rules for visit and use, it is forbidden to enter the institute, the taking of material is considered looting and will be punished as such.

Special permits through the Special Command R.R. Charkow, Sumskaja 48.

In the field, June 20, 1943For the Commander of the garrisonO.K.V.Rat[Handwritten draft]Copy 5 timesSpecial Command Jankuhn 16284 IICommand Post Division, August 12, 1943

SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin034482 x-Oct. 9, 1943, Copy Z B/4r/r22To the personal Staff of the Reich Fuehrer of SS

Office of the SS "Ancestral Heritage" Research Organization, Berlin

Subject: Evacuation of the museum in Charkow.

On August 8, '43 in the evening it became known that the possibility of an evacuation of Charkow until August 14 existed. On August 10, 1943, I went in the company of an interpreter, SS Sergeant Jacobsen to Charkow. In the afternoon I reported to the commander of the D.K.V. of the SIPO and the SD, Major Krauebitter, and informed him that I was entrusted by the Reichfuehrer SS with the salvage of the museum in the field of operations of the Waffen SS on the Southern front. In this connection I learned of the fate of the museum in Charkow during the evacuation of Charkow in the beginning of 1943; a separate report on that subject is being prepared. At the same time Major Krauebitter informed me that the KVR with the garrison of Charkow, who was responsible for the museums had already left the city days ago. A further inquiry in the buildings of the bureau of the Special Purpose Staff R.R. revealed that this bureau already had left Charkow on the morning of August 10. A survey of the museum in the company of Major Krauebitter revealed the following picture:

The Museum contains a small prehistoric department after the really prehistoric museum had been destroyed in the winter after failure of evacuation. Moreover, it contained a good collection of Ukrainian art of folklore character, small objects of ecclesiastical art, particularly, however, mostly paintings of Ukrainian painters, as the pictures of central- and west-European masters had been transported to Germany by the SD in 1942. The storehouse of the museum contains still numerous pictures. The key to the museum was given to the Ukrainian lady superintendent by the Special Purpose Staff R.R., who also related that at eight o'clock in the morning on October 8 a gentleman of the Special Purpose Staff R.R. had been in the museum and with several pictures had quickly departed at 8:30 o'clock. As a matter of fact, some pictures of the collection were missing, approximately 1%.

After no one had taken steps toward any real preservation of the museum, neither among the garrison nor among the Special Purpose Staff R.R., which according to the poster, referred to as Exhibit I, was responsible for the care of the collection, the packing was begun.

The prehistoric findings—almost exclusively ceramics of the bronze age—were packed in two wooden boxes and shipped by a truck of the EKV; they were to be sent from Kiev to Berlin.

The exhibit of Ukrainian popular art contained textiles, ceramics, glass, costumes, and objects of wood. The greater part is packed in two large wooden boxes and was shipped with the evacuation material of the EKV by rail to Dnjepropetrowsk. Among it was a large tapestry, which on account of its size could not be packed.

From the collection of paintings the most valuable pictures were selected and shipped by rail in the direction of Dnjepropetrowsk.

The documents that remained lying on the desk of the Special Purpose Staff R.R.—a work plan of the Special Purpose Staff R.R. signed by a section chief Schmidt and a report on Ukrainian art—were saved and turned over to the EKV of the SIPO and the SD.

Signed: JankuhnCaptain in the SSFor the correctness of this copySS Leader

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 710-PS

The Reich Marshal of the Greater German ReichCommissioner for the Four Year PlanChairman of the Ministerial Council for National DefenseBerlin, 31 July 1941

To: The Chief of the Security Police and the Security Service; SS-Gruppenfuehrer Heydrich

Complementing the task that was assigned to you on 24 January 1939, which dealt with the carrying out of emigration and evacuation, a solution of the Jewish problem, as advantageous as possible, I hereby charge you with making all necessary preparations in regard to organizational and financial matters for bringing about a complete solution of the Jewish question in the German sphere of influence in Europe.

Wherever other governmental agencies are involved, these are to cooperate with you.

I charge you furthermore to send me, before long, an overall plan concerning the organizational, factual and material measures necessary for the accomplishment of the desired solution of the Jewish question.

signed: GOERING

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 728-PS

CopySECRETDRAFTAmbassador RITTER No. 444, SALZBURG, 20 June 1944

1. To Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces With reference to your correspondence of 15 June 1944, Nr.WFSt/Qu. (Verw.) Nr. 771793/44 gKChefs. II. Ang., concerning the treatment of enemy terror-aviators.

1. To Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces With reference to your correspondence of 15 June 1944, Nr.

WFSt/Qu. (Verw.) Nr. 771793/44 gKChefs. II. Ang., concerning the treatment of enemy terror-aviators.

In spite of the obvious objections, founded on international law and foreign politics, the Foreign Office is basically in agreement with the proposed measures.

In the examination of the individual cases a distinction must be made between the cases of lynching and the cases of special treatment by the S.D. [Security Service].

I. In the cases of lynching, the precise establishment of the circumstances deserving punishment, according to points 1-4 of the communication of 15 June, is not very essential. First, the German authorities are not directly responsible, since death had occurred, before a German official became concerned with the case. Furthermore, the accompanying circumstances will be such, that it will not be difficult to depict the case in an appropriate manner upon publication. Hence, in cases of lynching, it will be of primary importance correctly to handle the individual case upon publication.

II. The suggested procedure for special treatment by the S.D. including subsequent publication, would be tenable, only if Germany, on this occasion simultaneously would openly repudiate the commitment of International Law, presently in force and still recognized by Germany. When an enemy aviator is seized by the Army or by the Police, and is delivered to the Air Forces (P.W.) Reception Camp Oberursel, he has received, by this very fact, the legal status of a prisoner of war. The Prisoner of War Treaty of 27 July 1929 establishes definite rules on the prosecution and sentencing of the Prisoner of War, and the execution of the death penalty, as for example in Article 66: Death sentences may be carried out only three months after the protective power has been notified of the sentence; in Article 63: a prisoner of war will be tried only by the same courts and under the same procedure as members of the German Armed Forces. These rules are so specific, that it would be futile to try to cover up any violation of them by clever wording of the publication of an individual incident. On the other hand, the Foreign Office cannot recommend on this occasion a formal repudiation of the Prisoner of War Treaty.

An emergency solution would be to prevent suspected fliers from ever attaining a legal Prisoner of War status, that is, that immediately upon seizure they be told that they are not considered Prisoners of War but criminals, that they would not be turned over to the agencies having jurisdiction over Prisoners of War; hence not to go to a Prisoner of War Camp; but that they would be delivered to the authorities in charge of the prosecution of criminal acts and that they would be tried in a summary proceeding. If the evidence at the trial should reveal that the special procedure is not applicable to a particular case, the fliers concerned may subsequently be given the status of Prisoner of War by transfer to the Air Forces (P.W.) Reception Camp Oberursel. Naturally, not even this expedient will prevent the possibility that Germany will be accused of the violation of existing treaties and maybe not even the adoption of reprisals upon German prisoners of war. At any rate this solution would enable us clearly to define our attitude, thus relieving us of the necessity of openly having to renounce the present agreements or of the need of having to use excuses, which no one would believe, upon the publication of each individual case.

Of the acts deemed crimes listed under 1-4 by the letter of 15 June, we note that those listed under 1 and 4 are legally unobjectionable. Those under 2 and 3 are not. The Foreign Office, however, would be willing to disregard this. Perhaps it would be preferable to combine Nos. 1, 3, and 4 to the effect that all strafing attacks on the civilian population by an aviator will be dealt with as crimes. The various facts under 1, 3 and 4 would then be significant only as especially outstanding examples. The Foreign Office sees no reason why such attacks should not be expiated, when they are directed against the civilian population in ordinary dwelling houses, in automobiles, on riverboats, etc.

The Foreign Office bases its opinion on the fact that it is altogether forbidden to German fliers to strafe the civilian population during their attacks in England. According to information received by the Foreign Office, such an order was issued some time ago by the Supreme Commander of the Air Forces. In case of general publication, the existence of such an order could be pointed out.

III. It follows from the above, that the main weight of the action will have to be placed on lynchings. Should the campaign be carried out to such an extent that the purpose, to wit: "the deterrence of enemy aviators" is actually achieved, which goal is favored by the Foreign Office, then the strafing attacks by enemy fliers upon the civilian populations must be stressed in a completely different propagandist manner than heretofore; if not in the publicity for home consumption, then certainly in the propaganda directed to foreign countries. The pertinent German local departments, most likely the police, would have to be informed immediately to submit a short, truthful report to a central depository in Berlin giving particulars as to place, time, number of dead and wounded.

This central depository would at once forward these reports to the Foreign Office for exploitation. Since similar strafing attacks upon civilian populations have occurred in other countries, for example, in France, Belgium, Croatia and Rumania, the pertinent German departments or the governments in these countries are to be directed to collect the instances of such strafing attacks against the civilian population in the same manner and to exploit them propagandistically in foreign countries, in collaboration with German offices.

IV. In the letter of 15 June the intention was communicated that until further notice, an understanding with the Foreign Office would have to be reached prior to any publication. The Foreign Office attaches particular value to this point and also to the fact that this understanding be reached, not only until further notice, but for the entire duration of the campaign.

By order

(signed) RITTER [crossed out]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 729-PS

[Handwritten note:]20 JuneChief of Supreme Command of Armed Forces (Chef/OKW)K [Keitel]Supreme Command of the Armed ForcesNr.771793/44 gKChefs.II.Ang., WFSt/Qu. (Verw.1)Fuehrer's Headquarters, 14 June 1944Secret2 Copies, Copy No. 2Top SecretBy Officer Courier only

Subject: Treatment of enemy terror aviators [hand written note: mailed 17 June]To the Supreme Commander of the Air Force, Attention: Col. of the General Staff von Brauchitsch

Subject: Treatment of enemy terror aviators [hand written note: mailed 17 June]

To the Supreme Commander of the Air Force, Attention: Col. of the General Staff von Brauchitsch

1. On the basis of preliminary discussions and after consultation with the Foreign Minister and with the Chief of the Security Police and of the Security Service, the following activities are to be considered the acts of terror, which are to be taken into consideration upon the publication of an instance of lynching and which will justify the transfer of enemy aviators from the Air Forces (P.W.) Reception Camp Oberursel to the S.D. [Security Service] for special treatment:

1. Low-level aerial attacks upon the civilian population—upon individuals as well as upon groups.2. The shooting of our own downed (German) air crews, while parachuting to earth.3. Low-level aerial attacks upon passenger trains engaged in public (civilian) transportation.4. Low-level aerial attacks upon Army and Civilian Hospitals and upon hospital trains, which are clearly marked with the Red Cross:

1. Low-level aerial attacks upon the civilian population—upon individuals as well as upon groups.

2. The shooting of our own downed (German) air crews, while parachuting to earth.

3. Low-level aerial attacks upon passenger trains engaged in public (civilian) transportation.

4. Low-level aerial attacks upon Army and Civilian Hospitals and upon hospital trains, which are clearly marked with the Red Cross:

It is requested to secure the approval of the Reichsmarshall for this draft of prohibited acts, and if he does approve, orally to instruct the commandant of the Air Force (P.W.) Reception Camp Oberursel to proceed accordingly.

It is further requested that the approval of the Reichsmarshall be obtained, for the method intended to be used in the procedure of publication as expressed in the enclosed communication to the Foreign Secretary.

A written confirmation is requested, if feasible, by the 18th of this month.

Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces[initialed] K [Keitel] 16 June1 Enclosure

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 730-PS

MOST SECRETDraftThe Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed ForcesFuehrer Hq, 15/6/1944WFSt/Qu. (Verw.1) No. 77193/44 Most Secret S.O. only II.Ang.3 Copies, 2nd CopySubject: Treatment of enemy terror aviatorsS.O. onlyaccess only through officerPencil note: dispatched 17/6 =1030.

To Foreign Office, for the attention of Ambassador Ritter, Salzburg.

For the announcement of such cases as have led to lynch justice being taken by the population or—in the case of capture by the armed forces or the police—to special treatment by the SD, it is necessary to determine clearly what facts should be regarded as evidence of a criminal action in this sense.

In agreement with the Commander in Chief of the air force, I intend to establish the following formula. It may also serve as instruction to the commandants of the reception Camp for Aviators at Oberursel in these cases, where investigation in that camp shows that it would be appropriate to segregate the offender owing to confirmation of the suspicion or to hand turnover to the SD.

1. Attacks with aircraft armament on the civilian population, whether on individuals or crowds;

2. Firing on our own (German) air crews while suspended by parachute after having been shot down;

3. Attacks with aircraft armament on passenger trains, if the public service.

4. Attacks with aircraft armament on military hospitals, hospitals and hospital trains which are clearly marked with the Red Cross.

Prior to any announcement of a case in the press, over the wireless, etc., it must be assured that name, unit, place of occurrence and other relevant particulars form a convincing picture, by whose publication the intended deterrent effect to further acts of murder could be achieved. In drafting the publications, it will have to be borne in mind that protests on the part of the enemy are to be expected from all quarters. It is therefore intended, in agreement with the Chief of the Security Police and the SD, and with the Commander in Chief of the Air Force, that, prior to each publication, until further notice, agreement should be reached between the Supreme Command of the air force, the armed forces Ops Staff, the Foreign Office and the SD., to determine the facts, time and form of the announcement.

I would ask you to confirm, if possible by the 18th of this month, that you are in agreement with the above formula and with the intended procedure for the announcements.

3/96 K [initialled by Keitel]16/6

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 731-PS

Chief of the Command Staff of the Armed ForcesChef WFStPlease direct drafting of orderW [Warlimont-?] K [Keitel] 21 MayDeputy Chief of Command Staff of the Armed Forces.[note apparently written by Keitel]Must * * * go to the Reichsfuehrer SS

After a report of the Reichsmarshall [Goering] General Korten makes the following statement:

[Note: All the above remarks are handwritten.]

Memorandum

The Fuehrer has rendered the following decision in regard to measures to be taken against Anglo-American air crews, inspecial instances; downed enemy airmen are to be shot without court martial proceedings in the following instances:

1. In the event of the shooting of ourown(German) downed air crews while they are parachuting to earth;

2. In the event of aerial attacks upon German planes, which have made emergency landings, and whose crews are in the immediate vicinity;

3. In the event of attacks upon railway trains engaged in public (civilian) transportation;

4. In the event of low-level aerial attacks upon individual civilians (farmers, workers, single vehicles, etc.). [Note—this paragraph was amended to read: In the event of low-level aerial attacks upon civilian population, single civilian vehicles, etc. The words "civilian population" are in Jodl's handwriting.]

[Note on bottom of page referring to item 2: "I consider this point dangerous. For, to attack an airplane which has made an emergency landing, can not be classified as Gangster Method but is in complete agreement with the strictest standards of civilized warfare."]

J. [Jodl]

[Note on left margin: The order should be preceded by a preamble in which the disregard of the most primitive laws—civilization—(balance unintelligible).]

J. [Jodl] 22 May

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 732-PS

The Reichsmarshall of Germany Adjutant's OfficeBerlin W8 the Leipziger Str. 3Teleph 120044 Headquarters June 19, 1944Adj. Nr. 1605/44 secretConcerns: Treatment of the Enemy Terror Aviators.

Reference: Letter Nr. 771793/44 top secret II Ang. WFST/Qu. Command Staff of the Armed Forces/Supply. (Verw. 1) June 15, 1944.

2 copies, Copy No. 1

To The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, Generalfieldmarshall Keitel.

Mr. Reichsmarshall remarked to the above letter: "We cannot control the reaction of the population any way. Adequateprecautionhas to be taken that the populace does not react in the same manner againstother enemy aviatorsnot belonging to the category mentioned above. In my opinion facts of the above cases can be handled any timeby a court, the acts beingmurder, forbidden by the enemy to its aviators."

FeskeLieutenant Colonel in the General Staff3/91

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 733-PS

WFSt/Qu. (Verw. 1)Supreme Command Staff of the Armed Forces; Supply Section26 June 1944Subject: Treatment of Terror-aviatorsTelephone Memorandum

Telephone call by Captain Breuer from the Adjutant's Office of the Reichsmarshall:

The Reichsmarshall agrees with the communicated wording of the definition of terror-aviators and with the proposed procedure. He asks that he be instructed today about the measures taken.

[signature illegible]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 735-PS

TOP SECRETAccess only through officerFuehrer Headquarters 6.6.1944Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces Ops StaffNo. 771793/44 Top Secret, S.O. onlySubject: Treatment of enemy terror aviatorsMinutes of a meeting

1. Obergruppenfuehrer Kaltenbrunner informed the deputy Chief of WFSt in Klessheim on the afternoon of 6.6, that a conference on this question had been held shortly before between the Reich Marshall, the Reich Foreign Minister and the Reichsfuehrer SS. Contrary to the original suggestion made by the Reich Foreign Minister who wished to include every type of terror attack on the German civilian population, that is, also bombing attacks on cities, it was agreed in the above conference that merely those attacks carried out with A/C armament, aimed directly at the civilian population and their property, should be taken as the standard for the evidence of a criminal action in this sense. Lynch law would have to be the rule. On the contrary, there has been no question of court martial sentence or handing over to the police.

2. Deputy Chief of WFSt stated the following:

a. First and foremost, following the lines of the generally distributed declaration made by Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels and numerous press notices written in the same vein, it is essential to announce any definitely established incident of this kind giving the names and units of the aviators, the place the incident occurred and any other relevant facts. The purpose of this would be to make clear the serious intentions of the Germans in the face of disbelieving enemy propaganda and especially to discourage effectively any further murderous action against our civilian population. Therefore the question is whether the SD knows of such a case or whether the necessary proof is available from which to construct a case like this with the required statements. Obergruppenfuehrer Kaltenbrunner replied to both in the negative.

b. Deputy Chief of the WFSt mentioned that, apart from Lynch law, a procedure must be worked out for segregating those enemy aviators, who are suspected of criminal action of this kind, until they are received into the Reception Camp for aviators at Oberursel; if the suspicion was confirmed, they would be handed over to the SD for special treatment.

For this purpose the WFSt would cooperate with the Supreme Command of the Air Force to set out the necessary regulations for the use of the head of the camp at Oberursel.Obergruppenfuehrer Kaltenbrunner expressed his complete agreement with this view and that the SD take charge of those aviators segregated.

For this purpose the WFSt would cooperate with the Supreme Command of the Air Force to set out the necessary regulations for the use of the head of the camp at Oberursel.

Obergruppenfuehrer Kaltenbrunner expressed his complete agreement with this view and that the SD take charge of those aviators segregated.

c. On the question of making announcements, it is settled that, for the present, agreement should be reached in every case between OKW/WFSt, OKL, and the Reichsfuehrer SS to decide the form that the announcement should take.

The participation of the Foreign office is to be assured by the WFSt.

3. At a conference with Colonel von Brauchitsch (C-in-C Air Force) on 6.6, it was settled that the following actions were to be regarded as terror-action, justifying Lynch law.

a. Low level attacks with aircraft armament on the civilian population, single persons as well as crowds.

b. Shooting on our own (German) air crews in the air who have bailed out.

c. Attacks with aircraft armament on passenger trains in the public service.

d. Attacks with aircraft armament on military hospitals, hospitals and hospital-trains which are clearly marked with the Red Cross.

The head of the Reception camp for aviators at Oberursel will be informed of these facts given in Section 3 above. If the facts of any case of this kind are established on examination, the prisoners are to be handed over to the SD. Colonel von Brauchitsch declared, at the end, that another report to the Reich Marshall on this subject would be superfluous.

sgd. WarlimontDistribution:Chief OKW via Chief WFSt—1st copyDeputy Chief WFSt/Ktb.—2nd copyQu (rough copy)—3rd copy

Remarks by the Chief of OKW onthe agenda dated 6.6.44 No. 771793/44

Top Secret S.O. only.

If one allows the people to carry out Lynch law, it is difficult to enforce rules!

Min. Dir. Berndt got out and then shot the enemy aviators on the road.I am againstlegalprocedure! It doesn't work out!

Min. Dir. Berndt got out and then shot the enemy aviators on the road.

I am againstlegalprocedure! It doesn't work out!

[sgd.] K. [Keitel]

Remarks by Chief of WFSt:

To 3. This conference is insufficient. The following points must be decided quite definitely in conjunction with the Foreign Office:

1. What do we consider as murder?

IsRRin agreement with point 3b?

2. How should the procedure be carried out?

a.by the people?b.by the authorities?

a.by the people?

b.by the authorities?

3. How can we guarantee that the procedure be not also carried out against other enemy aviators?

4. Should some legal procedure be arranged or not?

[sgd.] J. [Jodl]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 737-PS

WFst/ Qu. (Verw. 1)No. 771761/44 Top Secret [initial] W. [Warlimont] 4 June4 June 1944Top Secret2 Copies, Copy No. 1Top SecretOnly by OfficerSubject: Treatment of the enemy terror aviatorsConference Notes

I. Pursuant to the order of the Chief of the Staff of the Armed Forces and Deputy Chief of the Command Staff of the Armed Forces the following is decreed:

1. It is to be ascertained from the Reichfuehrer SS through SS Major Grothmann whether and in what form the information given by the Fuehrer to the Reichfuehrer SS, that in one or more instances fliers, who had been shot down during strafing attacks on the population, had been lynched by the latter, has meanwhile gone out. If the answer should be "no", in what manner does the Reichfuehrer intend to proceed in the near future.

2. From the Commander in Chief of the Air Forces (Colonel von Brauchitsch) it is to be ascertained what specific acts of enemy fliers are to be considered and handled as deserving death according to the opinion of the Reichsmarshall. Reference to this: The 4 points of the memorandum [731-PS] by the Chief of the Command Staff of the Armed Forces (Chef, WFst.) of 20-22 May based on the information of General Korten after report of the Reichsmarshall. [L-166, par. 20] * * *

3. After the clarification of point 2, the preparation of a directive to the Commandant of the camp at Oberursel stating in what cases the prisoners are to be turned over to the SD, specifying in a more detailed manner the cases which are to be treated as deserving of death, and the points of view which are to be followed in the subsequent procedure. Reference relative to this: Statement of Colonel von Brauchitsch according to the notes of 26 May.

This directive is to be prepared only in two copies and, after consultation with Colonel von Brauchitsch, it is to be forwarded to the Commander in Chief of the Air Forces with the instructions to communicate it to the commandant of the camp at Oberursel orally only.

4. It is to be ascertained from the Chief of the Armed Forces Propaganda whether he has any information concerning any new steps taken in this matter by the Reichfuehrer SS.

5. In accordance with the instructions issued in the evening of 3 June, by the Chief of the Command Staff of the Armed Forces, the Foreign Office is to be informed of the situation in the evening with the following purposes in view:

a. That the formulation of the notices of the Reich Fuehrer SS and the other measures should be undertaken in an appropriate manner and in accord with the Foreign Office; and

b. To be prepared in advance against protests by the enemy powers, so as to be in a position to answer them immediately, and thus to prevent occurrences such as those which took place in connection with the escape of the Anglo-American aviators from camp Sagan.

Ambassador Ritter has been already notified accordingly by the Chief of the Command Staff of the Armed Forces.

II. It was impossible to clarify points 1 and 2 (in this connection point 3 as well) until 23 hours since neither Colonel von Brauchitsch nor an SS officer on the Command Staff Bergwald could be contacted. A telephone conference with Major Grothmann has been agreed upon for 4 June at 10:00 o'clock.

Distribution:Deputy Chief of theCommand Staff ofthe Armed Forces Copy No. 1 [pencilled notation]Qu. (Draft) Copy No. 2 destroyed according to—[initials] 18 August [illegible]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 740-PS

Ops. Staff of the Armed Forces (Verw.1)No. 006988/44 Secret30 June 1944Secret3 Copies, Copy No. 1Subject: Treatment of enemy terror-aviators

[Marginal note: "We must really do something about this now. What is still necessary?"]

[initialed] W.[Warlimont][Initialed] K [Keitel] 30/6Agenda

I. Enclosed I submit thedraftof a reply of the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, which has been passed to the Armed Forces Ops Staff (WFSt) through Ambassador Ritter.

Ambassador Ritter has advised us by telephone on 29 June that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has approved this draft, but that he has ordered Envoy Sonnleitner to present the attitude of the Foreign Office to the Fuehrer,beforethe letter is sent to the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. The letter is to be forwarded to the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces only after the approval by the Fuehrer of the principles established by the Foreign Office.

II. The Reichsmarshall agrees with the precise wording of the definition of the term "terror-aviators" as given by the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces and with the proposed procedure.

/s/ WARLIMONTDistribution:Chief of Supreme Command of Armed Forces viaDeputy Chief of the Armed Forces Ops. Staff Copy #1KTB (War Diary) Copy #2Qu (Verw.1) Copy #3[pencil note illegible]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 741-PS

Supreme Command Staff of the Armed Forces/G-45 July 1944SECRETMemorandum with reference to Terror-Aviators

In his midday report of 4 July the Fuehrer has issued the following directive:

According to press reports the Anglo-Americans intend to subject to air attack small localities without any war-economic or military value, as a reprisal against V-1. In the event this report proves true, the Fuehrer orders that notice be served via radio and the press that every enemy aviator who is shot down while participating in such an attack is not entitled to treatment as a prisoner of war but that he will be treated as a murderer as soon as he falls into German hands. This rule shall apply to all attacks on small localities which constitute neither military targets, nor communication targets nor armament targets, etc., and are therefore of no military significance.

Nothing is to be done at the moment; on the contrary, measures of this sort are only to be discussed with the Armed Forces Legal Section (WR) and with the Foreign Office.

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 743-PS

WFSt/Qu. 2 (Ost)SSD [stamped]SSD—teletype[illegible pencil marks]September 8th, 1944.[illegible pencil marks]Secret [stamped]To1. Gen. St.d.H./Gen.Qu./Chefgr. (Anna)2. Gen. St.d.H./Gen.Qu./K.Verw. (Anna-Bu)3. Ob. Heeresgruppe Nord HM1X [in pencil]4. Ob. Heeresgruppe Mitte5. Wi Stab Ost6. Wehrkreiskommando I.With addresses

Subject: Utilization of the soil in parts of the Reichskommissariat Ostland.

1. The Fuehrer has ordered the district leader (Gauleiter) Koch to carry out the utilization of the soil in the parts of the Reichskommissariat Ostland which are occupied by the Army Group Middle. Further, the Fuehrer has ordered that all German and local administrative authorities are bound by the directives of Gauleiter Koch. Concerning the exploitation of natural resources and other products, Gauleiter Koch has to keep in touch with the competent supreme authorities of the Reich.

2. All quarters of the Armed Forces are to give Gauleiter Koch their utmost support in the execution of this order.

3. The order of September 5th, 1944, concerning the full powers given by the Fuehrer to Gauleiter Koch is hereby cancelled.

[illegible pencil remark](signed) Keitel.OKW/WFSt/Qu.2 (East)number 0 6891/44 secret [in pencil]5031 [in pencil] [illegible pencil remarks]BOC—OKW—1620 [in pencil]Further Distribution:Head of the Party ChancelleryMinister of the Reich and Head of the Reich ChancelleryGauleiter Koch, KoenigsbergGeneral Staff of the Army Gen.St.d.H./Gen.Qu./K. Verw.(Anna)[pencil note on the right side]; ab 9/9.44 [initials](2 stamps)

SECRET [stamped]TeletypeSSD [in red pencil]Fuehrer Headquarters, 5.9.44.Secret [in red pencil]12F [in pencil]To:1. Gen. St. d. H./Gen. Qu.2. Ob. Heeresgruppe Nord3. O.B. Heeresgruppe Mitte [in pencil]4. Wi Stab Ost5. Wehrkreiskommando I.

The Fuehrer will intrust Gauleiter Koch, East Russia, with the economic evacuation of the Ostland occupied by us and will give him all full powers necessary for that purpose. Apart from bringing food-stuffs back we mean to seize useful products, machines etc.

All quarters of the armed forces have to support Gauleiter Koch as far as possible.

The Chef OKWCertified copy [signed] Keitel [in pencil]SchlossmannArmy Major.[stamped]SSDFSWNOFNumber4563arrivedSeptember 5th, 19442240o'clock forwarded on......o'clock to.....by................[illegible pencil remarks]

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 744-PS

[Illegible pencil notes]8 July 1943SECRETChief of the Supreme Command Armed Forces (OKW)Armed Forces General Staff (WFST)Organization (II) No. 02938/43 Secret2235Ref. 2105Subject: Manpower for Coal Mining

For the execution of the enlarged iron and steel program, the Fuehrer has ordered on 7 July the absolute guarantee of the necessarycoal production, and for that purpose he has ordered to cover the requirements for manpower with prisoners of war.

The Fuehrer demandsthat the measures described below will be used to add 300,000 additional workers to the coal mining industry finally.

1. Of theSoviet prisoners of war in our hands—with the exception of those of Finland, Norway and those who are employed in T/O positions by the troops, 200,000 prisoners of war fit for coal mining are to be transferred immediately as the first installment by 1 Sept 43 by the plenipotentiary general for labor allocation with the consent of the chief, supreme command armed forces (AWA/chief prisoner of war affairs) trainload by trainload. As far as necessary the GBA (plenipotentiary for manpower) will provide substitutes.

2. In case of thereceipt of new Soviet prisoners of war, the requirements of the coal mining industry have absolute priority over all other demands until further notice.

All prisoners of war, captured since 5 July 43 in the East, are to be sent to camps of the supreme command armed forces, and from there they are to be made available immediately or by exchange with other consumers to the plenipotentiary for labor allocation for use in the coal mining industry; the chairman of the national coal association has the immediate right of choice already in the prisoner of war camps of the supreme command armed forces area with the aid of his agencies.

3. Soviet professional coal miners are to be sent without exception from all prisoners of war allocation points according to their vocational training to the plenipotentiary for labor allocation against replacements for use in mining.

4. All male prisoners, from 16 to 55 years age, captured inguerilla fightingin the operational area, the army area, the Eastern commissariats, the Government General and the Balkans, will in the future be considered prisoners of war. The same applies to those males in the newly conquered territories of the East. They are to be sent to prisoner of war camps, and are to be brought from there for labor allocation in the Reich.

The chief of the army general staff and the Reichsfuehrer SS after consultation will issue within their jurisdiction the necessary directives on the conscription and further treatment of family members.

For presentation to the Fuehrer, the chief of the affairs of prisoners of war reports to meevery ten dayson the development of the action, T.for the first time of 25 July 43as of 20 July 43.

Keitel [signed in ink]

Distribution:

Back to Index Next