The execution is to be reported and a copy of the publication enclosed.
MR. DENNEY: And then on Page 30 in the German and Page 39 in the English, for 13 April, Subject, "Reprisal Measures," from the Commanding General and signed "Bader", to the Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 599:
"For the raid on railway station Sirukovo and the murder of head of community there, 20 Communist reprisal prisoners are to he shot dead and for the sabotage of the telephone line between Kucevo and Pozarevac near Zvizd, 10 Communist reprisal prisoners are to be shot dead. The execution is to be reported.
Signed: Bader".
MR. DENNEY: And then on the enclosure, under date of 13 April To Administrative Sub-Area.
Headquarters 610 For the murder of the mayor Erceg, and the community cashier, Blagojevic, of Troponje, a total of 5 Communists and 5 D.M. followers are to be shot dead; for the surprise attack on the mayor, Grujic, of Jasenovo and the destruction of the community telephone, 3 Communists and 2 D.M. followers are to be shot dead; and for the murder of the Major of the Serbian Security Guard, Schubrilo, on 8 April, 10 D.M. followers are to be shot dead.
The execution is to be reported and a copy of the publication is to 1010A be enclosed.
Commanding General and Commander in Serbia.
MR. DENNEY: The "B" is signed, and the information copy goes to the Commander of the Security Police and SD.
1010B Then 17 April, this is a report to the Commander in Chief Southeast and for information to the German General Plenipotentiary in Croatia and for the Commander of the German Troops in Croatia.
"For surprise attacks and cases of sabotage, a total of 80 Communist reprisal prisoners were shot dead." I am advised that the next line does not appear in the original German and therefore it should be omitted.
And then under the heading "Local Administrative Headquarters Belgrade, 10 Communists arrested."
Then at the end appears typewritten "Commanding General and Commander in Serbia," and there is a signature over it which does not appear to be decipherable.
20 April 1943, "Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 610. As reprisal for the surprise attack on the Morava mines on 13 April, 20 Communists are to be shot dead and their houses burned down. The execution is to be reported and a copy of the publication is to be enclosed. Commanding General and Commander in Serbia." and the large initial "B" is there.
Then on April 15, 1943, this notice which is all typed.
On April 15 1943 the Chief of District Mihajlovic was shot dead from ambush in Erstenik.
The gravediggers of their own people, the bands of Draza Mihajlovic, under the leadership of the bandit Gordic, have again shown their "heroism" by the insidious murder of a defenseless person.
As reprisal for this shameful murder, the following measures were carried out:
1. On April 27 1943, the following were shot dead:
a) Miskovic, Kosta, born on 14 Jan 1904 in Subotica
b) Cvejic, Radoje, born on 25 Sept. 1906
c) Pesic, born on 5 June 1906
d) Crnoglavac, born on 1 Jan 1891
e) Vukovic, born on 13 Nov 1913
f) Tdorovic, Student, born 1920
g) Gordic, born on 22 June 1923
h) Kevic, born on 18 April 1907
i) Milivojec, born on 15 March 1907
j) Ravilic, 15 April 1900 2. A levy of 2,000,000 Dinars to be paid immediately was imposed on the District Trstenik.
3. The male population of the village Novo Selo, which had supported the perpetrators, was arrested.
For every further murder by the Draza organization in the district Trstenik, the arrested will have to atone.
Chief of Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters.
And then over at the left it has "place and date." All of that is typed.
And then turning to page 33, page 42, Document NOKW-1087, which is offered as prosecutions Exhibit 272, this is an enemy situation report made by the First Mountain Division as of 13 May 1943. The entire report is typed.
I. Tito Forces:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. 1st Proletarian Assault Division between Lim and Tara, direction of thrust Bijolo Polje -- Berane; parts of forces, presumably the VIth Assault brigade were detoured or flank protection towards the Jakuba Pass and the Kicevo-Mountains.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For presumable organization see attached enemy tables of organization; estimates of strength vary between 3,000 and 4,000 men. Division Headquarters at the present time supposedly at Sahovici.
The Serbian Proletarian Assault Brigade (according to war-time strength it presumably belongs to the 2nd Division): 60 light machine guns, 14 heavy machine guns, 10 mine throwers, 2 mountain guns taken from the Cetniks (according to Italian reports 6-75mm guns.)
2. 2nd Proletarian Assault Division: between Tara and Piva, direction of thrust: Kolasin.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For organization see attached enemy Tables of organization. Strength between 3000 and 4000 men. Division Headquarters at Savnik.
3. 3rd Proletarian Assault Division: has also stopped its attacks against Niksic.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Tito units are organized according to Soviet pattern, units comparable to regular units. The leaders ruthlessly enforce the orders given. In the battle with the Draja Mihajlovic forces Tito's forces have fully proved their value. By being increasedly subjected to propaganda and be the allocation of Political commissars they have been made fanatical. And here again we have another reference to the Commissars.
As a rule Tito avoids an open battle and prefers the tactics of guerilla warfare. On principle any major operation is only started after a thorough reconnaissance. Surprise attacks on fortified villages are preferred. It must be taken into consideration that already in the preceding days red forces are smuggled into the villages to support the operation. Equipment with weapons can be regarded as being sufficient. Special attention is called to the considerable allocation of automatic weapons with regard to artillery, guns are only available in a few cases. The supplementing of the supply of weapons by constant surprise attacks on small groups is being attempted.
Clothing is bad. The uniform of the Croatian Reserve is most generally worn, then there is the Jugoslavian Army uniform, and also the Italian and sometimes German uniforms. The leaders prefer the Soviet field cap.
II. Since the defeat in East Bosnia the forces of Draja Mihajlovic are constantly retreating. Several attempts to establish a cohesive defense line along the Drina and Piva are to be regarded as frustrated. The units which are led without uniformity have fought badly. Desertion of entire Mihajlovic groups to Tito has occurred constantly. Reports about disagreements and political undermining on Muhajlovic' s side persist stubbornly.
The Draja Mihajlovic forces can only be regarded as fighters worthy of consideration in their home areas. They are legalized by the Italians and have so far carried out combat missions according to their bidding. Equipment with heavy weapons is completely insufficient, the number of rifles is supposedly not sufficient for the fighters available. Civilian clothing is preferred, as a special sign of recognition a beard is worn.
III. The mode of fighting of both groups will again be guerilla warfare. Split up into small bands or camouflaged as refugees, they will attempt to squeeze through the difficult mountain terrain whereby above all a knowledge of the villages and country will be a valuable aid to the Communist brigades from Montenegro. Surprise attacks against weak parts of units, attacks from an ambush, and above all operations against supply lines are to be expected constantly.
Then turning to page 38 of the German, 45 of the English Document NOKW-870, it is offered as prosecution's Exhibit 273. This again reports from the First Mountain Division to the Commander of German Troops in Croatia. "Division Command Post 14 May 1943." Information copies go to the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia. This is a new report and does not appear in the German.
Liaison Unit reaches Kolasin at 0845 hours. Major Djurisic and Chief of Staff captured. Up to now about 500 Cetnik prisoners. So far no resistance . . . . . . . . . .Further intention of the Division depends on expected mission according to telephone conversation with Ia Brod on 14 May 0930 hours.
It is signed by the 1st Mountain Division/Ia" Next page new report, "98 Grenadier Infantry Regiment:
11.55 hours. 63 officers, 1400 Cetnik prisoners, 60 Communists." And there is an illegible initial which follows.
Then for the 14th of May, again to the Commander of German Troops in Croatia, copy to the Commanding General and Commander Serbia, evening report for that day: "Prisoners; 1980 Cetniks disarmed including more than 50 officers. 60 to 80 dead Communists." Then again from the First Mountain Division and over to the left is the signature of a Corporal.
Page 41 of the German and 47 of the English, this is an order from the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia and the report to the Commander-in-Chief Southeast by him,-- that is, by the Commanding General and Commander Serbia. This is Document NOKW-343, which in the prosecution offers as Exhibit 274 in evidence. Apparently the pages are reversed in the German book. The shorter note appears second in the German and first in the English. We will take first the 21 May note to the Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 816, Sabac.
"250 DM followers, if possible from within the area of the Administrative Sub-area Headquarters, Sbac, are to be shot to death in further retaliation of the murder of 5 and the wounding of 6 members of the R.S.K. (Russian Protective Corps) west of Baljevo, Valjevo it should be in your Honor's book, on 19.5.43. The carrying out (of the measure) is to be reported, enclosing copy of the publication.
Commanding General and Commander in Serbia (initialed) b" Then on May 16, 1943, the Commander-in-Chief Southeast, information copy to the Commander of German Troops, Croatia, and the German General Plenipotentiary in Croatia, report for the same day, 16 May.
"104th Jaeger Division:
"3) Serbian corn requisitioning detachment attacked 6 km south of Belgrade, 2 dead, 6 wounded.
"4) 150 Communists shot to death in retaliation for German soldiers and SS men murdered near Smederevo on 22.4.
"1st Royal Bulgarian Occupation Corps:
"1) 3 German customs officials murdered by Communists south of Leskovac.
"3) 6 Communists shot to death by auxiliary police respectively SS in Arandjelovac and Kraljevo.
"Ic Report:
"In the area 13 to 15 northwest of Bajina-Basta band unit said to be 500 DM men at the moment.
"DM band of Jankovic, 300 men strong, temporarily occupying Cuca (near Cacak). 6/S Nova Varos Chetnik group moving northeast. Leader said to be Masan Djurovic.
"to 3) Communists: 156 dead (of which 150 reprisal shootings to death), 1 wounded, 14 arrested; DM men: 6 arrested.
"Commanding General and Commander in Serbia, Ia."
And then there is an illegible signature.
Now, Document NOKW-341, which is page 42 in the German and page 51 in the English, is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 275. Now, in this document, although the typed part at the bottom says "illegible", I believe if Your Honors will compare it with some prior Bader signatures it will be apparent that both this and--- I should like to hand the Court Exhibit 271 in evidence, which has the signature of Bader on it, and also on this exhibit. Exhibit 275, and ask the Court to compare these. It is the prosecution's contention that on both of these, Exhibit 271 and Exhibit 275, is Bader's signature. Perhaps counsel for the defense would like to take a look at this.
This is to the Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 610, and has to do again with reprisal measures.
Before we proceed here, I would like to pass this up to the Court again, and direct their attention to the small figure which appears on the first page, and the second just above the last letter of Bader's signature.
THE PRESIDENT: When referring to this, counsel, what is the exhibit?
MR. DENNEY: Exhibit 275, Your Honor, the current exhibit.
THE PRESIDENT: What is your claim for this?
MR. DENNEY: I am just calling the Court's attention to the initial above which we submit is the defendant Geitner's. It appears just above the letter "r" in Bader, and just to the right of the figure 596/43.
"Subject: Reprisal Measures.
"1) A total of 100 DM hostages is to be shot to death in retaliation for the murder of 3 members of the R.S.K. (Russian Protective Corps) near Konarevo (7 km west southwest Kraljevo) by the band of Keserovic 23 May, for wounding a member of the R.S.K. (Russian Protective Corps) near Ivanjica on 11.5. and for the murder of 2 members of the S.F.K. (Serbian Volunteer Corps) near Vezania (18 km southwest of Bajina Basta).
"Since DM hostages are not available at the present time in the camps of Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 610, they are to be made available from other camps by the commander of the Security Police. Carrying out of the reprisal measures is to be regulated immediately by F. Kdt. 610" --that is administrative sub-area headquarters-- "with the commander of the Security Police (Sturmbannfuehrer Sattler).
"The carrying out (of the measure) is to be reported by Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 610 to here, enclosing a copy of the publication.
"2) Reprisal measures for the losses of the 9. Russian Protective Corps in the skirmish near Samograd are not to be considered referring to I./1, paragraph 3 of order Ia No. 652/43 secret dated 28.2.43."
And then if Your Honor please, it refers to page 101 of Document Book 10, and that is part of Prosecution Exhibit 263 in evidence, which has to do with reprisal by taking human life, and is a communication of 28 February 1943 from Bader setting up the same policy throughout the area, and the distribution list was read by Mr. Fenstermacher.
That was the last document in the prior document book.
And then the last page of this exhibit, the communication to Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 809:
"150 Communist hostages are to be shot to death in retaliation for the murder of 3 members of the German customs border guards near Vucje on 15.5.43.
"Since there are no Communist hostages available at present in the camps of Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters Nisch, they are to be made available from other camps by the commander of the Security Police."
And I would just like to direct the Court's attention here to the fact that there is no hostages in one place, so the security police take them from another place.
"Details regarding the carrying out of the execution are to be arranged by Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 809 directly with the commander of the Security Police (Sturmbannfuehrer Sattler). Carrying out of the reprisal measure is to be reported here by the Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters 809.
"2) The hostage shootings ordered by teletype as follows are not to be carried out:
"F.S. Ia No. 475/43 dated 22.4.43 490/43 dated 27.
4.43 510/43 dated 3.5.43 525/43 dated 5.5.43 "Commanding General and Commander in Serbia.
"After release:" To the "Commander of the Security Police."
THE PRESIDENT: Are you taking up a new exhibit?
MR. DENNEY: This is a new exhibit, yes, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: It is just within a minute or two of our adjournment period. We will adjourn at this time until 9:30 tomorrow.
(The Tribunal adjourned until 0930 hours, 29 July 1947.)
Official Transcript of the American Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of America against Wilhelm List et al. defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 29 July 1947 0930-1630, Justice Edward F. Carter presiding.
THE MARSHAL: Persons in the Courtroom will please find their seats.
The Honorable, the Judges of Military Tribunal V.
Military Tribunal V is now in session. God save the United States of America and this Honorable Tribunal.
There will be order in the Court.
THE PRESIDENT: Marshal, will you ascertain that all defendants are present in the Courtroom?
THE MARSHAL: May it please Your Honors, all defendants are present in the Courtroom with the exception of defendant Maximilian von Weichs. His expected length of absence is two days.
THE PRESIDENT: Is the defendant von Weichs represented by counsel?
DR. LATERNSER: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You are representing him, Dr. Laternser? We shall proceed without deference to the defendant.
Judge Edward Carter will preside during this day's session.
PRESIDING JUDGE CARTER: You may proceed.
MR. DENNEY: If it please Your Honors, the index -- rather the supplement to Document Book IX, which will be marked Exhibit 242-A for identification, contains two pages -- 181-A and -B. Three copies for the Court, 24 copies for defense counsel, one for the reporters, the interpreters, and two copies for Major Hatfield.
At the conclusion of yesterday's session -
PRESIDING JUDGE CARTER: Mr. Denney, would you give us the Exhibit number and paging of this again, please?
MR. DENNEY: It is 242-A for identification and is to be inserted at the end of Book IX and it is pages 181-A and -B of Book IX and in the German text -- Dr. Laternser, perhaps you can tell me the last page.
DR. LATERNSER: 172.
MR. DENNEY: It will be 173-A and -B in the German.
We are still in the period from August 1942 to August 1943 concerning the time when the defendant Foertsch was Chief of Staff to the Armed Forces Commander Southeast and which post was also 12th Army until 1 January 1943 when it became Army Group E and the defendant Geitner was Chief of Staff of the Commanding General in Serbia.
At page 44 of the German and page 54 of the English, Document NOKW-340, it is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 276 in evidence. This is an order dated 30 May 1943 from the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia to Administrative Sub-Area. Headquarters, having to do with reprisal measures. The subject is reprisal measures.
The communication states:
In reprisal for
1.) Shooting at the SF train Sofia-Nisch on 18.5.43 -- the copies which Your Honors have say 1942, but in the original it is 1943 --which caused the death of 3 and the wounding of 2 Bulgarian soldiers, a total of 200 Communist hostages.
2.) The murder of a member of the RSK during the attack on the district jail in Negotin on 22.5.43 50 D.M. (Draja Mikailovic) hostages are to be shot to death.
Since a sufficient number of hostages are not available within the area of Administrative Sub-Area HQs Nisch the reprisal measures were carried out by the Commander of the Security Police in Belgrade. Details are to be regulated directly with the commander of the Security Police again (Sturmbannfuehrer Sattler).
The carrying out (of the measure) is to be reported here enclosing a copy of the publication.
And then typed "Signed Commanding General and Commander in Serbia" and the larger initial "B" at the bottom. And information copies went to the Commander of the Security Police, attention Sturmbann fuehrer Sattler, who is the one who is mentioned in the communication who is going to regulate the details for the furnishing of the hostages and also to the German Liaison Officer with the 1st Royal Bulgarian Occupation Corps.
Then turning to page 45 in the German and 55 in the English, still on the same document, this is again from the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia and is dated 29 May 1943, reprisal measures, and there is a reference to 652/43 which is page 101 in Book X and the specific page to which it refers there - there are two of them in here; one is page 103 of Book X and the other one is page 105, and that, if Your Honors recall, is the exhibit which Mr. Fenstermacher put in yesterday with reference to the Bader order for the procedure to be followed in reprisal retaliation measures in his command. The exhibit in Book X to which reference has been made is Exhibit 263 in evidence. Subject: reprisal measures.
"In the future, persons to be arrested as hostages are to be taken, to a larger extent, in accordance with paragraph III/6 of the pertinent order", and that, if Your Honors please, is the paragraph which appears on page 105 and just to recall Your Honors' attention to that, paragraph 6 of the basic communication under III, reading now from Exhibit 263 in evidence, states: "In the event that special actions for the procuring of hostages should be necessary, suspected persons shown in the reviewed lists of the Serbian District Supervisor are to be taken first. The Commander of the District Headquarters with the concurrence of the Commanding General and Commander of Ia Section will order such operations."
Collective punishment will be used more frequently..." We are now returning to the exhibit at hand, No. 276, "Collective punishment will be used more frequently according to paragraph II/3..." That again refers to the original communication from Bader on this subject. Exhibit 263 in evidence. ".... in cases requiring reprisals according to the pertinent order but which are of lesser importance.
3.) It does not fulfill the requirements of speedy reprisal if the carrying out of reprisal measures is delayed for weeks owing to lack of hostages. In case a sufficient number of hostages are not available in the area of the Administrative Sub-Area HQs., application is to be made for the central execution of reprisal measures by the commander of the Security Police, at the same time as the application for reprisal measures. This application again referring to the commander of the Security Police, is to he made at the latest when the execution cannot be carried cut within one week after issuance of the reprisal order.
But under no circumstances should the central execution by the commander of the Security Police become a habit, since only reprisal measures carried out within the area of the scene of the incident have shown themselves to be effective.
4.) In order to counteract the view which has appeared suddenly amongst the population that reprisal measures are only published on posters and are not carried out, the entire number ordered (to be shot) is to be publicly shot to death from time to time. If executions take place in different villages, the places of execution are also to be published."
And the distribution goes to all Administrative Sub-Area Headquarters, the Commander of the Security Police, and a copy to the War Diary.
Turning then to page 46 in the German and 57 in the English, Document NOKW-1084 is offered as Exhibit 277 in evidence. This entire exhibit is typed. There is no writing that appears on it. There is a date May 1943 which appears on the origin al. It has been omitted from the German text.
This is an Instructional Pamphlet for German Soldiers who were committed in Montenegro.
German soldier, you who are fighting on the soil of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and now also in Montenegro, you must know:
Nowhere in Europe is there as marked a contrast in peoples and religions as in this area. Nowhere do the differing interests clash so abruptly as they do here. This demands from you an open mind and the ability to adjust yourself to the actual mentality of the population. We want to handle with determination those who at heart are our enemies thought they may camouflage themselves outwardly to be otherwise. But we don't want to hurt unnecessarily those who perhaps will yet find their was to us and make them out enemies.
With whom then are we concerned in Montenegro?
1.) First, there are the "Whites" ("Bijelasi") or "Cetniks". These are Montenegro nationals with pro-Serbian nationalistic feelings, who consider themselves a Serbian race and who favor a union of Montenegro with Serbia. They are opponents of the Communists, and therefore have allowed themselves to be set up and armed by the Italians for the most part as "National Militia" in order to fight the Communists.
They have also taken over the administration of the country to a great extent. But their real aim is to fight the Axis powers under their leader Draja Mihajlovic, the Minister of War of the Jugoslav Exile Government in London. They hope for a landing of the British and are preparing to have all their strength mobilized against us for that moment. Therefore they are our enemies. They wear partly civilian clothing, and partly Serbian or Italian uniforms. They wear the Serbian eagle either on the Serbian army cap of other black cap. Their leader in Montenegro is a follower of Mihajlovic, General Djukanovic.
2.) The "Greens" ("Zelenasi") or "Autonomists" have Montenegronationalistic feelings. They regard the Montenegro people as an independent people and strive for an independent Montenegro with the old Montenegro Royal Dynasty.
They are the strongest political group in Montenegro but are suppressed by the Whites. Therefore, their political leader Dr. Drljevic lives in Croatia. Although they fight conjointly with the Whites against the Communists, by their political convictions they are opponents of the Whites. However, they are well-disposed towards us because they hope for support from us in the carrying out of their aims. Their clothing corresponds essentially to that of the Whites, but instead of the Serbian eagle they wear a cockade with a white center and a red border on their cap.
3.) As everywhere, the Communists are our Number One Enemy. They deny being Communists and call themselves "The People's National Army of Liberation", but the Soviet Star with hammer and sickle distinguishes them sufficiently and proves what in the long run the aims of their leaders are. As far as they originate from the country, they are chiefly composed of exceedingly poor mountain prolectariat. The Communists are fought by the "Whites" and the "Greens".
4.) The Moslems pursue no political aims of their own. However, the Serbian Nationalists regard them as an obstacle for the union of Montenegro with Serbia and they are therefore exposed to a very fierce and bloody persecution by the Cetniks. Since so far only the Communists have offered them protection against the transgressions of the Cetniks, they have joined the Communists in many cases. But this happens primarily because of the urge for self-preservation and is no proof of the Communist Sympathies of these Moslems. Others again entered the Cetnik ranks because of pressure applied by the Cetniks in order to protect themselves in this manner. The main area of Moslem settlements is the Sandzak; and while the Serbianspeaking Moslems are found in the Western art, the Eastern part is inhabited by the Arnauts who speak Albanian (Racial Albanians). The religious customs and usages of the Moslems are to be respected unconditionally (more details about this in the following extracts from the principles of conduct for the behavior of Europeans in Mohammedan countries.
5.) The Croats are so few in number, that they do not play any special role. Transgressions by undisciplined Ustascha units have caused ill-feelings in wide circles of the population. The German Army has nothing to do with this and will take care that such transgressions are not repeated.
Distribution:
To company level, according to special distribution list.
Then at page 60 in the English and page 48 in the German, NOKW 863, which becomes Exhibit 278 in evidence. This is an Order from the Commander of the German Troops in Croatia to a Combat Group, which is art of the First Mountain Division. It is dated 20 May 1943, and the stamp of receipt for the First Mountain Division is dated the 23rd, and appears in the upper right hand corner.
To Combat Group v. Ludwiger 1. Mountain Division for information:
369 (Croatian) Infantry Div.
(simultaneously for information Div. Taurinense) and also to the Commanding General and Commander in Serbia.
1.) ............
1 to 1-1/2 Divisions (about 3,000 communists) in front of Combat Group Ludwiger. Obviously they have been given at this time a defensive mission, presumably they are to secure the flank for the south movement.
2.) ........
Regiment Brandenburg will again be subordinate to the 1. Mountain Division beginning 25.5. 1200 hours.
..........
10.) ........
Unless annihilated in combat, Communists are to be treated as prisoners (not prisoners of war). Chetniks who clearly have not fought against us are to be disarmed and to be treated as prisoners of war.
All other Chetniks are to be treated like communists. As a matter of principle, all Chetniks found are to be disarmed and to be arrested."
And it is signed, "Luters." Then they submit two enclosures for the Combat Group v. Ludwiger:
Enclosure 1 to 1 Mountain Div./Ia Special Directives for the Operational Order The entire population capable of bearing arms in the area of the Division is to be considered and to be treated as communists.
Whoever is in possession of arms is to be shot; people capable of bearing arms without weapons are to be arrested and to be deported. All houses occupied by communists are to be destroyed.
For the Division Hqs.
The First General Staff Officer (illegible signature) Lieut.
Col. G.S.C.
And then follows a copy of a teletype message of 10 June again to the First Mountain Division, and again from the Commander of the German Troops, Croatia.
To 1 Mountain Div.
Strong enemy forces pressed together in narrowest area in Sutjeska-Piva. It is determined beyond doubt that Tito is among them. The last phase of the combat, the hour of the final annihilation of the Tito Army has thus arrived.
The attention of the unit is to be called sharply again to the order: "No man capable of bearing arms leaves the pocket alive. Women are to be checked as to whether they are not men in women's clothing."
Tito and accompanying personal said to be wearing German uniforms. Check pay books.
Commander of the German troops in Croatia.
Certified true copy: (signature illegible) Master Sergeant And the order number, certified a true copy, and an illegible signature of a Master Sergeant.
Then on page 50 of the German, page 63 of the English NOKW 975, which is offered as Prosecution Exhibit 279 in evidence. This again is all typed. These are reports from the First Mountain Division to the Commander of the German Troops in Croatia. Informational copies to the Commander General and Commander in Serbia. Daily report for 11 June:
"The Communists Lost:
498 Prisoners 640 counted dead.
In many cases people who died of typhoid fever were found in villages. Villages put on fire; counting not possible because of danger of infection...
1 Mountain Division - 1A" Report for the 15th:
Communists:
831 counted dead In villages many people dead of typhoid fever who could not be counted because of danger of infection.
According to statements of prisoners considerable enemy losses. There was success in evacuating the mass of those wounded.
Approximately 20 enemy graves were established. It is assumed that a larger number is in remote gorges; can not be found.
No reports can be made concerning enemy losses during withdrawal to hills West of the Piva River; However they may be assumed to be considerable.
Prisoners: 498 of which 411 were shot to death.
Own Losses:
Killed in Action: Total 43: 1 Officer 3 Non-Commissioned Officers 39 Men Wounded:
Total 195: 6 Officers 18 Non-Commissioned Officers 171 Men Missing:
2 Men And then there is a handwritten note over to the left about loss of horses, which I don't think we need to read.
It appears there.
And then:
Chetniks:
1.) During disarmament of Chetniks we made: 3,200 Prisoners No dead.
2.) Material secured: 5 Heavy trench mortars 25 Machine guns about 3000 rifles numerous rounds of Artillery, French Mortar, Infantry Ammunition.
3.) No losses of cur own.
III.) Deported:
1.) Communist: 76 of which 27 were sent to lead mines in Zvecan 49 on 3 June to District Headquarters Mitrovica Still under the heading of "Deported" -- this is Entry No. III under that:
2.) Chetniks: 34 Officers 1,538 Men The difference as compared with II.
is explained as follows: 800 Chetniks in the Trager Battalion, evacuation of sick, exhausted, men above 60 and below 16, deaths due to exhaustion, etc.