Corps Headquarters LXXI Infantry Corps will evacuate the area Porsangeyfjord, (inclusive) - Lyngenfjord (inclusive) 5. Execution of the Evacuation:
a. The entire evacuation area is to be emptied of people.
b. Evacuated settlements are to be destroyed unless they are to be used by troops marching through (that is, at the latest by the rear guards).
c. The operation must be a sudden one and the officers of the Reichs Commissar of Norway must participate and Norwegian authorities must be harnessed for it; the latter, however, only from the beginning of the operation.
d. The seized population is to be led to the nearest ports under military guard (also small ports with docks suitable for cutters).
e. Local and district commanders are to erect reception camps in or near these ports.
f. Men capable of working and marching and in the western districts women capable of marching also, are to be coupled to the marching units furthest in front and to be taken along.
g. Inasfar as the population still has small ships available they are to be used for the deportation of the evacuees. Military cover.
h. All ships used by the Wehrmacht (freighters and Army transports) are to be loaded additionally with as many evacuees as possible.
i. Columns on Reichsstrasse 50 to be formed only to an unavoidable degree; invalids, women and children to be assisted by loading them on trucks. Only men really capable of marching to join the march columns.
k. Transportation of all evacuees first into the area west of the Lyngenfjords, from there further control by Corp Headquarters, LXXI Infantry Corps in direct agreement with the Reichskommissar Norway.
l. In the area of the Corps Headquarters XIX Mountain Corps the operations will start immediately; in the area of Corps Headquarters LXXI Infantry Corps on 1-11-44.
m. Mission to be accomplished:
(1) By 9.11.44. in the area Eastward of the line Kistrand - Billejford - Lakselv - Skoganvarre - Karjasjok (including these villages).
(2) By 12.11.44 in the area East of the line Talvik Kautokeino (including these villages).
(3) By 15.11.44 in the remaining area.
Norwegians found in the respective areas after that period are to be arrested and to be brought to the nearest town headquarters. Directives will be issued concerning their further treatment.
6. It is requested that the Reichskommissar Norway will make available as much shipping space as possible as otherwise numerous casualties among the Norwegians will be unavoidable during the evacuation.
7. I request all offices concerned to carryout this evacuation in the sense of a relief action for the Norwegian population. Though it will be necessary here and there to be severe, all of us must attempt to save the Norwegians from Bolshevism and to keep them alive."
Then on page 13, illegible initials. Signed "Rendulic". "Rendulic, Colonel General. Roman Ia/Op. No. 1682/44 top secret."
MR. RAPP: The next document, Your Honors, is on Page 14 of the English, Page 12 of the German Document Book.
DR. FRITSCH: Dr. Fritsch for Defendant Rendulich. Your Honor, I object to the submission of this document. It is a teletype of the Supreme Commander of the Navy. I may perhaps ask first the Prosecutor how far the probative value of this document is against the Defendant Rendulich.
MR. RAPP: Does the Court permit me, at this time, to state this in the nature of argumentation?
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: If it may be stated as a factual outline of what you propose to prove, we have no objection.
MR. RAPP: At that time the Province of Finnmark, in which the 20th Mountain Corps ....
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Just a moment. Apparently there's some difficulty with the reception.
MR. HILDESHEIMER (COURT GERMAN ENGLISH INTERPRETER): Shall I repeat? Can you hear me?
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Judge Carter is unable to get it. Very well; you may proceed.
MR. RAPP: Your Honor, we submit firstly that this document comes from the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Germany, at that time.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Are you referring now to.....
MR. RAPP: Document No. C-48.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: C-48?
MR. RAPP: It has not as yet been offered so we have not given it an exhibit number. Signed Keitel, it is a directive of Keitel to the Commander in Chief of the German Navy in Norway and Denmark, and at that time part of Norway, that is the Province of Finmark, was under the jurisdiction of the Defendant Rendulich. As part of the evacuation, the part of the German Navy needed in the evacuation or in the accomplishment of his mission was under the command of the Defendant Rendulich.
As part of the evacuation, the part of the German Navy needed in the evacuation or in the accomplishment of his mission was under the command of the Defendant Rendulich, we allege. Therefore, we believe that this order has a definite bearing because it pertains both to the Army and the Navy.
DR. FRITSCH: I shall explain my attitude to this when my case comes up.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Very well.
MR. RAPP: Your Honors, we submit C-48 as Prosecution's Exhibit No. 505. It's a teleprint message to Commander in Chief of the Navy, received 30 November 1944, secret. It is a copy of such message, pertaining to the sabotage in Norway and Denmark.
1) C-in-C, Armed Forces, Norway and C-in-C, Armed Forces, Denmark are charged with effecting the proclamation of an order at the offices of tho Reich Commissar of the Occupied Norwegian territories, or at the offices of the Reich Plenipotentiary in Denmark, and its carrying out by the BDS (Commander of Security-Police). This order shall provide that employees, and if necessary, their families (relatives' liability) (Sippenhaftung) are also held responsible for cases of sabotage occurring in their works. Every ship-yard worker, etc. must know that every case of sabotage occurring in his sphere of work entails the gravest consequences for him personally, and, if he disappears, for his family.
2) C-in-C, Norway, and C-in-C, Denmark, will re-inforce the protection against sabotage which up to the present has been carried out by police, special detachments of the Navy and the Reichs Commissar for shipping. They will re-inforce it with all available means by guard contingents made up of personnel of all arms of the service, in collaboration with (Commander of Security-Police). In Southern Norway, the substantial accumulation of troops in the area around Oslo should be drawn upon for this purpose. If the numerous troops available in this accumulation and the rear units in Oslo and in Denmark too are energetically made use of, the guard can be tripled.
I can, moreover, not allow acts of sabotage of this kind to be accepted as acts of God and inevitable, without the authorities responsible for security being called to account. Troops of the Armed Forces employed on protection against sabotage are to come under the tactical control of the competent Commander of Secret Police.
Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces Keitel Field Marshal Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/ Armed Forces Ops Staff/Qu 2 (North) NR 00139/72/44 Most Secret.
On Page 15 is the distribution of this particular document, with copies to the Naval War Staff Ia, Naval War Staff Ib, and then received 30 November 1944, a rubber stamp; no signature. If Your Honors turn now please to Page 16, Document No. NOKW-090 is being submitted as Prosecution's Exhibit No. 506. This is a document classified "secret":
Supplement 5 Army Headquarter, 25 Nov.
44 War Diary High Command 20 (Mountain Army) (O Qu./Evacuation Staff No. 31/44 Secret The Evacuation of Northern Norway.
I. Mission The intention to induce the population of Finland and East Tromsoe to evacuate these territories voluntarily, failed because of the limited willingness to support this demand.
Accordingly, the Fuhrer ordered the forced evacuation of the territory East of the Lyngenfjord, in order to protect the population for Bolshevism. The Fuehrer-order to the Wehrmacht commander, in Chief of North Finland contains the following demands:
1. The territory is to be emptied of human beings so that the enemy cannot rely on the working potential and local knowledge of the population.
2. All quarters, traffic and economic installations are to be destroyed so ruthlessly that the enemy is deprived of every possibility of living in this area.
3. What ever can be evacuated in important goods, is to be salvaged.
The initial time period set for evacuation, Porsanger territory by 9 November, Alta/Hammerfest territory by 12 November, and East Tromsoe by 15 November 1944 could be prolonged until 20 November 44 as a result could be prolonged until 20 November 44 as a result of a change in the situation.
"Accordingly a salvaging of economic goods in excess of the first planned amounts was possible.
The territory to be evacuated corresponds to 1 and ½ times the size of Denmark. The distances on the single National Highway 50, amount to 1,000 kilometers from Kirkenes to Narvik and from Hammerfest to Tromsoe 599 kilometers. Furthermore this highway was occupied by the Marching movement of the Army, so that first of all the sea lane came into tho question with regard to deportation." If Your Honors permit me, I would like to show you on this map (Pointing to a wall map), this particular highway, because it will be, we believe, of some importance in this particular phase that we are concerned with.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: In the absence of objection, you may do so.
MR. RAPP: (Pointing with pointer to map) This highway hereHighway 50--. I have tried to trace it in red.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Indicate in the general direction of...
MR. RAPP: Here's the Province of Finnmark, and the troops came from Finland to Finnmark and proceeded in a westerly direction. In other words, the movement is something like this, generally speaking (indicating movement by means of pointer).
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: In a westerly direction?
MR. RAPP: In a westerly direction. And once they have reached this crest it is probably what you can call a westerly and southerly direction.
Accordingly a salvaging of economic goods in execss of the first planned amounts was possible.
The territory to be evacuated corresponds to 1 and ½ times the size of Denmark. The distances on the single National Highway, the National Highway 50 amount to 1,000 kilometers from Kirkenes to Narvik and from Hammerfest to Tromsoe, 500 kilometers. Furthermore this highway was occupied by the Marching movement of the Army, so that first of all the sea lane came into the question with regard to deportation.
For tho purposes of the execution an evacuation staff was formed with the High Command of the 20th (Mountain) Army, to which a representative of tho Reichs Commissioner for the occupied Norwegian territories was added.
II. Means 1. Tho possibility was merely offered as far as the sea lane was concerned to utilize the unused transport space on ships of the Reich Commissioner for Naval Transport (German Commercial Glad) and on Ships of the Navy (Reich Service Flags and Reich W&r Flags). Beyond that, Norwegian local ships and numerous cutters were utilized.
2. On land, the population wandered off individually with their own trucks (trucks, omnibusses, and horse drawn vehicles). The Young folk also made use of bicycles frequently, for the march to Narvik.
III. Execution:
1, The inadequate records of the Norwegian resident register were tho basis for the seizure of the population. According to them, the territory to be evacuated, including the nomadic Lapps had before the war a population of about 62,000. The (apparently very restricted) number of those persons who fled the evacuation can accordingly only be estimated.
2. On account of lack of time the order to tho population for evacuation could only take place in the form of an appeal decreed jointly by the Commander & Chief of the 20 (Mountain) Army and by the Reichs Commissioner for the occupied Norwegian territories.
3. Assembly points for the deportation by sea were erected in Billorfjord and Homningsvaag for the area Porsanger and East Finland, in tho Hammerfest for the Island territories, and in Alta-SopnesBurfjord for the territory Alta with Kaugokeino.
The felder Traffic took place with trucks and omnibusses, from the sea with cutters, or from the Islands and the wastal localities in North Baranger, by units of the Navy.
Deportation from the Porsanger area took place in the main through two mass transports with 1700 and 1060 persons on the Steamers "Karal A-rp" and A-dolf Binder'" from Billefjord. In Alta, through a mass transport of 750 persons on the supply ship "Dithmarschen". Deportation for the rest, with Norwegian local ships and cutters.
4. Rounding up organizations were set up through civilian offices for quarters and further transport of the deported population in Tromso, Narvik, and Harstad.
Forwarding to Mosjoen and Trondheim took place with ships of the Norwegian "Huttigrute". Besides them, tho following ships were utilized: the steamers "Brabant", "Dronning", "Sigurd Jarl", "Stella Polaris" as well as the hospital transport ships "Lofotes", "North Star", and "Polar Ice". This forwarding was finished by 25 Nov. 44.
5. Supplies, including quarters and medical help could not be guaranteed by the civilian sector in this wide area to a full extent. The Wehrmacht helped accordingly on a generous scale:
a) through the provision of rations where supplies could not be managed in such bulk by the civilian sector. In the reception stations on land as well as on board the German ships warm rations were given out from field kitchens.
b) through the provision of barrack camps as quarters at the assembly points, Billefjord and Sopnes.
c) through the help of the unit during transport to the coast, as well as during embarkation, especially by assisting families with children.
d) through large-scale care of sick, injured, pregnant women, and mothers with small children by doctors and medical installations. Admission of women for confinement into hospitals, further transport on hospital ships, provision of small children with milk.
The transport of sick and injured from outlying Homes for the Aged and Homes for tubercular cases whose evacuation was necessary, in order not to afford the enemy propaganda material, required and especial regulation. The deportation from Karasjok, Boersely, Kautokeine, and Talvik and/or Korsfjord took place under the responsible leadership of Oberarzt Dr. Gaebler with medical trucks of the Wehrmacht and our own boats used for this.
The population could only take what baggage they could carry, on account of the restrictions of the transport space. The cattle had therefore to be taken over by the Wehrmacht against memoranda receipt, as far as it could not, in individual cases, be taken along.
After extension of the evacuation time an extensive salvaging of important economic goods was also ordered for the civilian sector. Here the execution was the responsibility of the Wehrmacht. Furthermore, a final search was carried out by the Norwegian police detachments on the islands and outlying localities. Destruction will accordingly only be ordered by the subordinate sector commanders (Unterabschnittskommandeure) and/or rear guard officers in agreement with the evacuation commissioners when tho salvaging of valuable economic goods (especially fishery equipment) is finished, or impossible.
Salvaging of the reindeer herds took place by an order to the Lapps to drive their herds to the west over Kantokeino-Holligskogen into a reception territory in Tromsfylke.
A retreat to the South was prevented by a blockade on the Swedish border, a lock at Helligskogen made possible the driving through of the reindeer herds by the march movements of the unit on to the highway Finland-Skibotn. This action cannot be finished yet, since on account of the slight snowfall, the expedition of tho Lapps, could not be put into operation yet to full extent. Where a herd could not be transmitted farther, part of the animals were taken over against memoranda receipts by the Wehrmacht; the Lapps were nevertheless left the minimum necessary for existence, IV Results In the reception organization, including the fishermen already settled on the Lofotes 36,914 persons were taken all together.
About 5,000 persons migrated before the start of the evacuation up till October from East Finland. About 1100 persons have migrated by means of self-aid without passing through the reception organization a smaller residue of workers of the Wehrmacht is to be moved off later with the unit.
About 10,000 persons have remained in the area of Kirkenes, as a result of the war events. In West Finland and Eagt Tromse only 8,500 persons, in the main Lapps, are left behind, whose deportation was only of interest in connection with the finding back of reindeer herds.
The evacuation in the territory between Lyngenfjord and Porsangepfjord could therefore be carried through almost completely. Even voices of the Swedish press had to admit the success of the action and speak of an almost 100% evacuation of the population.
The success of the action was made possible through the excellent cooperation of all participating offices of the Wehrmacht, the Reichs Commissioner, and the Norwegian administration.
Experiences Orderly evacuation under the conditions imposed is only possible if an orderly method of seizure is present in the hands of an administrative medium.
Both were not at hand. The Norwegian citizens were partly the first to leave their realm of their own accord. The administration in Hammerfest and in Talvik worked well.
Even in short periods for evacuation, a frictionless development is possible, if a calendar is also at hand in civilian offices for the evacuation of important goods. Idleness and avoidable losses of important goods result from improvising.
It contributes in any case to the quieting of the population, if every family can have at their disposal a memorandum with the individual orders for carrying out the evacuation. Such a memorandum was to be issued by Minister Lie according to the suggestion of the Army Hq, but came too late, to have any great effect on the population.
Some untoward events, such as the execution of the "Law concerning hand and span services" with the separation of the men from their families to be deported and with guarding like prisoners, burning down of houses in the presence of the inhabitants even where an immediate destruction was not necessary and shelling of the locality Kjellefjord by units of the navy, hinder the readiness of the population to follow the officially prescribed way.
(sgd) Herrmann Col and Leader of the Evacuation Staff Distribution:
In draft
MR. RAPP: On page 23, Your Honors, is a breakdown of evacuations as of 25 November 1944. It is an enclosure to the document I was just reading into the record, and it gives a breakdown of people who have been evacuated and people who have not been evacuated, and also how many remained. These, then, added together on page 24 in a grand total of those to be and those which have been evacuated amounts to 62,000 persons; however, there is a better breakdown, if Your Honors turn to page 25. This particular document by itself, NOKW-090-a, which is being offered as Prosecution's Exhibit No. 507. This document shows "Table of Evacuation as per: 25 November 1944; number of inhabitants to be evacuated on 9 April 1940: East Finnmark approximately 25,000, West Finnmark approximately 27,000, Trom, Eastward Lyngenfjord approximately 10,000 amounts to 62,000. And then Execution of Evacuation: Evacuees: Evacuees reported via Tromsoe to the south 29,014, via Narvik approximately 3400."
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Mr. Rapp, I don't quite understand the expression "Execution of Evacuation--Evacuees," Paragraph 2, NOKW-090-a, Exhibit 507.
MR. RAPP: That is right, your Honor, what it pertains to is the population to be evacuated in this operation, based on a count of the population made on the 9th of April 1940. It's probably in somewhat awkward translation.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Yes, it seems a little ambiguous.
MR. RAPP: In other words, they used the official count of the population of the 9th of April 1940 to reach the figure of 62,000. That is the number they were concerned with an intended to evacuate.
JUDGE BURKE: Very well.
MR. RAPP: And then below are the figures they have actually evacuated, listed under Execution of Evacuation, I won't read all these figures into the record. It amounts to about 36,914; and then there are a few left, and then it says "Wehrmacht workers, evacuated with the troops, 285, and it amounts to about 43,300 persons, and then under paragraph 2, they have a number of persons which weren't evacuated; Unable to leave East Finnmark in time, approximately 10,000, and then the number of Lappanders remaining, and refugees avoiding evacuation, and both totals together amount to the grand total of 62,000, which was given at the beginning of this document.
The last document, Your Honors, is an excerpt from a War Diary. It is not signed. Under the entry of 1115 hours, it says: Orientation of the Commander-in-Chief on the situation by the Chief of Staff in the presence of the Ia and Ic.
1.) Report on the situation at the Corps and this is stated in plural. Measures of the Army are approved by the Commander-in-Chief
2.) Nickel Mine Kolosjoki:
The Commander-in-Chief requests that Director General Baron Wrede be informed that transporting and loading of the entire Army will require about 5 - 6 weeks.
Mining the ore during this period is of far-reaching importance to us." "In case difficulties occur, in view of the .....
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Have you found that document?
MR. RAPP: I'm referring to 2026.
DR. FRITSCH: Your Honor, I object to the submission of this document. I have here before me the photostat copy, and on this photostat copy no notes become obvious at all. There are just two typed notes-slips of paper-which at sometime or other were made by some authority or other, and this proves absolutely nothing, and it does not prove that it is part of a War Diary.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Is that in reference to Exhibit No. 507 or No. 508?
Dr. FRITSCH: The document which was just read by the Prosecution.
MR. RAPP: It has no reference to Exhibit No. 507 or 508; it has a reference to a document which I was about to put in as an exhibit.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE:NOKW-064?
MR. RAPP: 064; that is right.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: And your objection, counsel , is what?
DR. FRITSCH: The document 508, Your honor, NOKW-064.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: And will you repeat your objection?
DR. FRITSCH: Your Honor, this is a matter of two typed pages on which there is no reference to any War Diary, to anything coming from a War Diary. The photocopy has not been signed. That has been emphasized already and it also has no head. In my opinion, your Honor, it can have no probative value whatever as such documents can be made any time. Perhaps I may submit this document to the high Tribunal.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: The objection at this time will be overruled.
MR. RAPP: Your Honor, this Document NOKW-064 is being offered as Prosecution Exhibit 508. Under the entry at 1115, it states:
"Orientation of the Commander-in-Chief of the situation by the Chief of Staff in the presence of the 1a and 1c.
"1) Report on the situation at the Corps (plural).
"Measures of the Army are approved by the Commanderin-Chief.
"2) Nickel Mine Kolosjoki:
"The Commander-in-Chief requests that Director General Baron Wredo be informed that transporting and loading of the entire Army will require about 5-6 weeks.
"Mining the ore during this period is of far-reaching importance to us.
In case difficulties occur in view of the importance of the plant for the war effort the Chief of Staff proposes to seize Baron WREDE circumstances permitting, and to force him, under threat of being shot to death to issue orders for the handing over of the plant.
The Commander in Chief gives his approval."
This, your Honors, concludes Document Book No. 22. would like to inquire from the Tribunal if it would be convenient for the Tribunal, possibly, to recess at this time. We are trying to call a witness and I felt we then would not be interrupted in his testimony by the recess if this is agreeable to your Honors.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: I have always been quite arbitrary in the matter of proceeding right up to the allotted time, but I will make this exception and recess at this time.
(A short recess was taken).
THE MARSHAL: The persons in the Courtroom will be seated.
The Tribunal is again in session.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: You may proceed, Mr. Rapp.
MR. RAPP: Thank you very much, your Honor. I have a document before me which we would like to submit at this time, for identification only. It is the script of the Norwegian film which we shall see at four-thirty and then in order not to violate the twenty-four hour rule, we will then ask Monday morning that the document as such be admitted in evidence without having to read the whole script again into the record, which all of us will see this afternoon as part of the picture. I have taken this matter up already with the defense counsel and I believe that defense counsel is agreeable to this.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Is defense counsel in agreement with the statement made by counsel for the prosecution?
DR. FRITSCH: Fritsch for Rendulic. Your Honor, it only concerns the Defendant Rendulic whom I represent. I have no objection against this decision on the part of the prosecution.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: It is agreed.
MR. RAPP: Your Honors, this is called Document Norway 13-B and it is offered for identification only as 508-A.
If the Court pleases, I should like to request that the Marshal be directed to summon the witness Ferdinand Jodi.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: The Marshal will summon the witness, Ferdinand -
MR. RAPP: Jodl.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Ferdinand Jodl.
You will raise your right hand, please, and solemnly swear that the testimony given in this matter will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God.
You solemnly swear that the testimony that you give in this matter will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
(The witness repeated the oath.)
You may be seated.
You may proceed, Mr. Rapp.
MR. RAPP: With your Honors' permission, I would like to examine the witness in the German language.
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: There being no objection you may proceed.
FERDINAND JODL DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. RAPP:
Q Please give us your full name?
A My name is Ferdinand Jodl.
Q When were you born?
A On 28 November 1896.
Q Where were you born?
A Outside Landau in Palatinate.
Q Are you a German citizen?
A Yes, I am a German citizen.
Q What was your profession, witness?
A I was an active officer.
Q Since when did you have this profession?
A I entered the Army on the 2nd of August 1914.
Q And when were you relieved or when did you retire?
A I retired from the Army on 11 June 1947.
Q Are you married?
A Yes, I am married.
Q Have you any children?
A Yes, I have two children.
Q Were you ever a member of the party or it's affiliations?
A No, I was never a member of the Party or any of it's affiliations.
Q Where do you live now, witness?
A I live now in Wiesbaden. However, I retired to Gummersbach in the Rhineland within the British Zone.
Q Are you now free?
A Yes, I am free now.
Q Where were you as prisoner of war at the end of the war?
A I was an English prisoner of war.
Q When were you relieved?
A On the 11th of June 1947.
Q When did you come to Nurnberg?
A. I arrived at Nurnberg about ten days ago. That was the first time. The second time was this morning at 4 o'clock.
Q During the first day in Nurnberg how many times were you cross examined, interrogated, I should say?
A When first I was in Nurnberg I was three times interrogated.
Q And how long did you stay then on the whole?
A Perhaps five days. I arrived on a Friday and I stayed up until Saturday or Sunday. Sunday we did not work and I stayed another three or four days.
Q Can you describe to us your military career in a few short ters. Witness, you can take your ear phones off because I think you will probably understand me without them.
A In 1914, I joined the Army as an NCO in Augsburg, the 4th Bavarian Artillery Regiment. I became a lieutenant and I left the Reichsheer as a lieutenant. During the first World War I served only in the West and only with this regiment at the front. After the end of the First World War I entered, after a short interval, the Reich Army, the Reichswehr; until about 1922 I served at Landsberg as a 1st and 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Reichswehr Artillery Regiment and then a short time in Munich.
From 1927 to 1929 I was on a Fuehrer's assistance course in Westphalia. From 1929 to 1934 I was in the Reichswehr Ministry as an assistant Fuehrer. Then afterwards in the Department of Foreign Armies. I was in charge of the Russian group. In 1934 until 1935 -
PRESIDING JUDGE BURKE: Witness, a little slower, please.
A 1934 to 1935 I was Battery Chief in Ansbach. 1935 to 1938 I was a teacher of War Tactics at the War Academy in Berlin. 1938 I joined Command of the 12th Corps as Ia to Wiesbaden. In this position I was still when the war broke out. Then, according to my memory, in May 1940, I became of this particular corps. For about 14 days during the offensive in Yugoslavia I was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the 49 Mountaineer Corps and Chief of the General Staff of the 12th Corps -- I was only in the West, as the Chief of the General Staff of the 49th Corps, I was at various points; that is, in France about a fortnight in the Jugoslavian offensive and then, just at the beginning of the Russian campaign I was in Slovakia and also in Poland in the area west of Lemberg-Lwow as Chief of the General Staff of the 49th Mountaineer Corps.
I participated in the offensive against Russia. My unit was at that time in the Donetz Basin and in the vicinity north of the Asow Sea. Approximately on the 10th of January, 1942 I was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the then Army High Command - Lappland which was later the 20th Mountaineer Army. I arrived about the 20th of January, 1942 in Rovanjemi which is in Finland and I remained there and in the same position until the end of February 1944.