A. A report from either a superior or subordinate stating that one of my subordinates had committed an illegal action would have caused me to act.

Q. I now direct your attention to the 1st of September 1944.* During the evening of the 31st of August, local partisans ambushed a German ambulance between Leghetto and Villa Dico about one kilometer south of Colico. The only passenger in the vehicle, an Italian nurse, was killed. The driver, a German, was uninjured. This ambulance, which was already marked as such, was attacked because partisans had observed the Germans using ambulances to convoy ammunition and reinforcements. As a reprisal, about forty Germans and Italian soldiers entered Leghetto during the morning of the 1st of September and burned down five houses belonging to the partisans.

Do you remember this incident and did you investigate that? A. No.

Q. You do admit, however, that you used ambulances to haul ammunition and supplies to the front, don't you, in Italy?

A. I assure you that I never heard of any case where ambulances were used to transport either ammunition or reinforcements. I can't tell anything to the Colonel that I don't know. I see the Colonel is shaking his head. Why should I try to get out of admitting such minor incidents and why should I deny it if I knew about them, since the most terrible things have been discovered in German concentration camps? Compared to those, these matters seem trifling. The next question by the Colonel would be, where were you? How did it happen, and so forth, and how would I know? I wouldn't be able to give this information.

Q. I didn't ask that. I only asked you: Did you know that it was done?

A. After having seen, as I was forced to do, the moving picture on the concentration camps, I am ready to believe anything, but as for these things, since I didn't know about them I can't say that they happened.

Q. All I want you to answer when I ask you a question, is yes if you know about it, and no if you don't know about it.

A. That is what I have been doing.

Q. What job did you have in Italy on the 17th of June 1944? A. Supreme SS and Police Chief in Italy.

Q. On the 17th of June 1944, did you receive a teleprint message from the Supreme Commander of the Southwest, Field Marshal Kesselring, which read as follows: "Anti-Partisan Measures"?

*Document referred to did not form part of prosecution case as finally prepared and hence is not published in this series.

A. My answer must be the same as the answer that I gave to the question whether I had seen the other orders which were discussed this morning.

Q. I will show you a copy of the order and direct your attention to the units to which it went and ask you if you had previously seen the order or had known about it?

(The document was translated to the witness by the interpreter.) A. (Examining document) The Colonel would like to know whether I have seen this order?

Q. That is right.

A. I am not sure of it. As I said before, the same applies as in the case of the other orders.

Q. Well, in the heading of the order, it was directed to your Headquarters, wasn't it? Although you were absent?

A. Yes. Yes. Certainly.

Q. And an order with the importance of this order would have been called to your attention upon your return, wouldn't it?

A. Yes, verbally or in writing. This is why I said that I could swear to it only if I saw my own initials on the order.

Q. Well, to the best of your memory you have either seen this order or knew of it and knew of its contents, is that right? A. (Examining document) Yes, I was familiar with its contents. (The document reads as follows:)*

"Teleprint to: 10th Army High Command

14th Army High Command

Army von Zangen

Plenipotentiary General of the Wehrmacht in Italy 2nd Air Fleet

German Navy Command in Italy

Highest SS and Police Fuehrer

General of Transportation in Italy

Stab Ruk (Rear Area Command)

Plenipotentiary General of Greater Germany with
Italian Gov.

"Re: Teleprint of Supreme Command Southwest Ia T No 0402/44 6.17.44 top secret

Teleprint of Supreme Command Southwest Ia T No 0627/44 6.22.44 top secret

"Re: Anti Partisan Measures

"In my appeal to the Italians I announced that several measures are to be taken against the Partisans. This announcement must not represent an empty threat. It is the duty of all troops and police in my command to adopt the severest measures. Every act of violence committed by partisans must be punished immediately. Reports submitted must also give details of counter measures taken. Wherever there is evidence of considerable numbers *See document UK-66, vol. VIII, p. 572-582.

of partisan groups, a proportion of the male population of the area will be arrested and in the event of an act of violence being committed, these men will be shot. The population must be informed of this. Should troops etc. be fired at from any village, the village will be burned down. Perpetrators or the ringleaders will be hanged in public. Nearby villages to be held responsible for any sabotage to cables and damage inflicted to tires. The most effective counter measure is to recruit local patrols. Members of the Fascist party will not be included in any of the reprisals. Suspects will be handed over to the prefects and a report sent to me. Every soldier will protect himself outside villages by carrying a firearm. District Commanders will decide in which town it will also be necessary to carry firearms. Every type of plunder is forbidden and will be punished severely. All counter-measures must be hard but just. The dignity of the German soldier demands it."

(signed) "Kesselring

Supreme Commander (High Command 6th Army Group.) Ia T No 9864/44 top secret."

Sauckel's Slave Labor Activities in Italy

Q. Who was the General Plenipotentiary Chief of Military Administration in Italy, on the 26th of November 1944?

A. On the 26th of November 1944, it was the Governor Doctor Waechter.

Q. Was Doctor Waechter a member of your staff?

A. Yes, he was. On my staff as Plenipotentiary General. He was one of my "pillars" as he was in charge of military administration.

Q. Did Doctor Waechter ever discuss with you the taking of hostages?

A. It couldn't have been hostages. He was concerned with the matter that also concerned Sauckel, the recruiting of Italian workers.

Q. That is what I am talking about, and I now show you a letter which was written by the General Plenipotentiary Chief of Military Administration in your Headquarters in which, in discussing these particular points, he mentioned as follows, and I want you at the end of the reading of this to tell me whether or not you discussed these particular points with Doctor Waechter, and whether these are your opinions as expressed by him on November 26, 1944?

(The document was translated to the witness by the interpreter.) After having heard it translated thus far, do you remember anything about this order?

A. No. I do not remember this letter, but here is what it suggests to me, looking at the date and noting the contents of this letter; at about that time Sauckel was in Italy. He was concerned with the importation into Germany of Italian workers and was pressing for more and more of such persons to be sent to Germany. Before Sauckel's trip, I had obtained the agreement of the Commander-in-Chief that no more labor would be deported from Italy, as I was opposed to this policy, and Sauckel had come in order to obtain a revision of this prohibition. He had conferences with all the important officials concerned, such as Vietinghoff and Roettiger, and the other members of the General Staff. I was present myself and I developed my views and told Sauckel then that some day I remember this very vividly-I told him that some day he would have to account for all the bloodshed and all the misfortunes that would come over the German people as a result of similar measures taken, not only in Italy, but in Russia and France and in other countries. I used the word "Menschenfang," and I remember that when we were driving back from this conference Sauckel was very reproachful about my having accused him of "Menschenfang." When we were conferring with Rahn, he brought up this matter again and he asked me never to use this word again. Rahn was very reasonable about this whole matter. He took my side and was instrumental in maintaining the prohibition in effect.

I don't know whether this will interest the Colonel: Himmler had radioed instructions directly to the Commander of the 16th SS Division, and he had done this by by-passing Kesselring, to continue the forcible recruiting of workers for deportation to Germany, and to ignore the order prohibiting it.

It may be that Sauckel had this letter written by his representative Kretschmann, who represented him on the Staff of the Chief of the Military Administration and was in charge of labor problems.

The document reads as follows:*

"With reference to the question of selection of hostages the following information is quoted from a letter of the General Plenipotentiary Chief of Military Administration:

""Before anything else I would like to draw your attention to the obviously not always happy choice of hostages by the unit. The units apparently follow the accepted rule always to detain the best known members of the community, although, as *Document_referred to did not form part of prosecution case as finally prepared and hence is not published in this series.