The Nuremberg Trials (Vol.9). International Military Tribunal

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ ROBERTS: At which the order for the murder of these recaptured prisoners of war was given?

      MILCH: I cannot remember. According to what I heard later, the circumstances were entirely different. I had information about this from the previously mentioned General Westhoff and also from General Bodenschatz.

      MR. ROBERTS: General Westhoff we are going to see here as a witness. He has made a statement about the matter saying . . .

      MILCH: I beg your pardon. I could not hear you just now. The German is coming through very faintly. I can hear you, but not the German transmission.

      MR. ROBERTS: General Westhoff . . .

      MILCH: Yes.

      MR. ROBERTS: . . . has made a statement . . .

      MILCH: Yes.

      MR. ROBERTS: . . . and we are going to see him as a witness.

      MILCH: Yes.

      MR. ROBERTS: So perhaps I had better not put his statement to you, because he is going to give evidence. Perhaps that would be fairer from the point of view of the Defense. But are you suggesting that action against these officers, if they were murdered—to use your words—having escaped from an air force camp, that action could have been taken without the knowledge of Göring?

      MILCH: I consider it quite possible in view of the great confusion existing in the highest circles at that time.

      MR. ROBERTS: High confusion in March 1944?

      MILCH: All through there was terrible confusion.

      MR. ROBERTS: But it is quite clear . . .

      MILCH: Hitler interfered in all matters, and himself gave orders over the heads of the chiefs of the Wehrmacht.

      MR. ROBERTS: But did you never discuss this matter with Göring at all?

      MILCH: No. I cannot remember ever speaking to Göring about this question.

      MR. ROBERTS: Do you not think this is a matter which reflects shame on the Armed Forces of Germany?

      MILCH: Yes; that is a great shame.

      MR. ROBERTS: Yet Göring never spoke to you about it at all? Did you ever speak to Keitel?

      MILCH: I could not say. During that time I hardly ever saw Göring.

      MR. ROBERTS: Did you ever speak to Keitel about it?

      MILCH: No, never. I saw even less of Keitel than of Göring.

      MR. ROBERTS: Was there not a General Foster or Foerster at the Air Ministry?

      MILCH: Yes, there was.

      MR. ROBERTS: General Foerster?

      MILCH: Yes.

      MR. ROBERTS: Was he director of operations?

      MILCH: No. He was chief of the Luftwehr. As such he had to deal with replacements of personnel and he worked with the departments concerned, with the General Staff, and also the Reich Marshal. During the war he was also in charge of civil aviation, and in that capacity he worked together with me, but during the war it was a very small job . . .

      MR. ROBERTS: I was going to ask you, did he ever mention this shooting to you?

      MILCH: I have been asked that before, but try as I may I cannot remember. It is possible that in the course of conversation he may have told me that officers had been shot, but whether he did so, and in what way, under what circumstances, I cannot recollect. I did not receive an official report from him; I had no right to ask for one either.

      MR. ROBERTS: If Foerster told you, did you ever report it to Göring?

      MILCH: I cannot remember a conversation with Foerster about it: I do not think I spoke to him. He did not give me a report either, which I should have had to pass on to Göring. Such a report would have been given by him to Göring direct, through quite different channels and much quicker.

      MR. ROBERTS: Did you take any steps to prevent this shooting from being carried out?

      MILCH: When I first heard about it it was not clear to me what had actually happened. But even if it had been clear, it was evident from what Westhoff told me that it would unfortunately have been too late.

      MR. ROBERTS: Why too late?

      MILCH: Because Westhoff was the first officer to have knowledge of it. When he was informed he was told that the order had already been carried out. I may say that General Westhoff made this statement and will confirm it.

      MR. ROBERTS: Very well, you never went to Göring at all in the matter, as you say.

      MILCH: I do not know anything about it.

      MR. ROBERTS: Now I am going to deal further with three short points. With regard to the use of labor for the armament industry, Mr. Justice Jackson has asked you questions on that. Was labor from concentration camps used?

      MILCH: Yes.

      MR. ROBERTS: Would you just look at Document Number 1584-PS: That is shorthand note 1357, 12 December, in the afternoon.

      Is that a teletype from Göring to Himmler, dated 14 February 1944? There are various code numbers; then, to Reichsführer SS—that was Himmler, Reichsminister Himmler. Who actually sent that teletype? It is signed by Göring, but he would not be dealing with questions of labor, would he?

      MILCH: I could not say, I could not say from whom it originated.

      MR. ROBERTS: That was a subject with which you dealt, was it not, the provision of labor for air armament?

      MILCH: Only while I had to do with air armament did I send demands for labor to the respective offices. But this telegram did not come from my office.

      MR. ROBERTS: If it did not come from your office, whose office did it come from?

      MILCH: It deals with various matters, there is first the question of another squadron.

      MR. ROBERTS: Please answer the question, whose office did it come from?

      MILCH: I cannot say that offhand.

      MR. ROBERTS: Very well.

      MILCH: I do not know.

      MR. ROBERTS: Second sentence: “At the same time I request that a substantial number of concentration camp prisoners be put at my disposal for air armament, as this kind of labor has proved to be very useful.” You had frequently used concentration camp labor, had you?

      MILCH: Latterly, yes. May I ask, is the teletype dated the 15th and what is the month?

      MR. ROBERTS: Yes, I told you, Witness, 14 February 1944. It is on the top.

      MILCH: Yes, I could not read it here.

      MR. ROBERTS: No, I quite understand. And did Himmler respond by providing you with 90,000 further concentration СКАЧАТЬ