TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-2856

PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 148

I, Otto Ohlendorf, swear, depose, and state -

1. I was Chief of Einsatzgruppe D from the time of its formation in June 1941 until June 1942. The areas detailed to me for the purpose of special tasks included parts of Bessarabia and also the region to the south, and including the following cities: Chernovitsy, Mogilev-Podolski, Yampol, Ananev, Berezoka, Nikolaev, Melitopol, Mariupol, Rostov on the Don, and also the peninsula of the Crimea. Some of the places within the area detailed to me were Odessa, Kherson, Simferopol, and also the racial German regions in the Landau and Speyer area. I can no longer remember other names which outline more sharply the area detailed to me.

2. The staff of Einsatzgruppe D consisted of only a few persons. The former Standartenfuehrer Willy Seibert was my Chief III [Leiter III]. Since he was the senior officer from point of service after me, he was entrusted by me with the duties of a deputy

* Defendant Ohlendorf testified in Court with respect to his affidavit on 9 October 1947 (TR. p. 573).

- 133 -

during my absence. One of his tasks was the compilation of all reports which went to the higher headquarters, to the Reich Security Main Office, Berlin, and to 11th Army. In rare cases only, if very important reports had to be written, I dictated them myself, and later informed Seibert of the contents as a routine matter. Seibert had full access to all the secret files, including these which were designated as top secret. In cases where reports bear my signature these can just as well have been written by Seibert as by me. Reports which are signed by Seibert were as a rule written by him during my absence from the Einsatzgruppe. Seibert was acquainted with all the duties and problems within the framework of Einsatzgruppe D. Only two people could have had complete knowledge of the number of executions which took place, namely Seibert and myself. I tried to keep the number secret in order to prevent the Kommandofuehrer from making a contest of it and reporting larger numbers than had actually been executed. The former Obersturmfuehrer Heinz-Hermann Schubert was my adjutant and assigned to managing the business room. The registry, the dispatching and registering of mail, and the daily business routine were under him. My staff consisted further of a physician, Dr. Otto Schnopfhagen, an economist [Wirtschaftsfuehrer] a technical advisor, a radio officer who at the same time took dictation for radio messages, and several clerical workers and orderlies.

3. On the basis of orders which were given by former Brigadefuehrer Streckenbach, Chief of Amt I of the RSHA, by order of the head of the RSHA, to the chiefs of the Einsatzgruppen and the Kommandofuehrer at the time of the formation of the Einsatzgruppen in Pretzsch (in Saxony) and which were given by the Reich Leaser SS to the leaders and men of the Einsatzgruppen and Einsatzkommandos who were assembled in Nikolaev in September 1941, a number of undesirable elements composed of Russians, gypsies, and Jews and others were executed in the area detailed to me. All Jews who were arrested as such were to be executed within my area. It was my wish that these executions be carried out in a manner and fashion which was military and suitably humane under the circumstances. For this reason I personally inspected a number of executions, for example, executions which were carried out by Einsatzkommando 11b under the direction of Dr. Werner Braune, executions by Kommando 11a under Sturbannfuehrer Zapp in Nikolaev, and a smaller execution by Kommando 10b under the leadership of Alois Persterer in Ananev. For technical reasons (e.g., because of road conditions) it was not possible to inspect all mass executions. Insofar as I was prevented from inspections for personal reasons, I ordered members

- 134 -

of my staff to represent me at these. I remember that Schubert inspected an execution which was carried out by Kommando 11b under Braune's direction in 1941 in Simferopol. The only people I generally assigned to inspections were, except for Schubert, Willy Seibert and Hans Gabel. The latter was captain of the protective police [Schutzpolizei] and commander of the protective police company attached to me. Details, such as whether and to which executions I sent the two last named, I can no longer remember.

I have read the above statement in the German language consisting of 4 pages and declare that it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have had opportunity to make alterations and corrections in the above statement. I have made this statement voluntarily and freely, without any promise of reward, and I was subjected to no compulsion or duress of any kind.

Nurenberg, 2 April 1947

[Signed] OTTO OHLENDORF

- 135 -

Trials of War Criminals Before the Nurenberg Military Tribunals Under Control Council Law No. 10, Volume IV, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 133 - 135