27 Nov. 45
That document is identified in our series as C-189, and I offer
it in evidence as Exhibit USA-44.
It is headed: "Conversation with the Führer in June
1934 on the occasion of the resignation of the Commanding Officer of
the 'Karlsruhe."'
"1. Report by the C-in-C Navy
concerning increased displacement of D. and E. (defensive weapons).
"Führer's instructions: No mention must be made of a
displacement of 25-26,000 tons, but only of improved 10,000-ton
ships. Also, the speed over 26 nautical miles may not be stated.
"2. C-in-C Navy expresses the opinion that later on, the
Fleet must anyhow be developed to oppose England, that therefore from
1936 onwards, the large ships must be armed with 35-centimeter guns
(like the King George class.)
"3. The Führer demands to keep the construction of the
U-boats secret, in consideration of the Saar plebiscite."
In order to continue the vital increase of the Navy, as planned,
the Navy needed more funds than it had available; so Hitler proposed
to put funds of the Labor Front at the disposal of the Navy.
We have another Raeder memorandum of a conversation between
Raeder and Hitler on 2 November 1934. Of this I have a photostatic
copy of the German typed memorandum, identified as our C-190. This
one, again, is not signed, but it was found in Raeder's personal file
and I think he will not deny that it is his memorandum. I offer it in
evidence as Exhibit USA-45.
It is headed: "Conversation with the Führer on 2. 11.
34 at the time of the announcement by the Commanding Officer of the
'Emden'.
"1. When I mentioned that the total
funds to be made available for the Armed Forces for 1935 would
presumably represent only a fraction of the required sum, and that
therefore it was possible that the Navy might be hindered in its
plans, he replied that he did not think the funds would be greatly
decreased. He considered it necessary that the Navy be speedily
increased by 1938 with the deadlines mentioned. In case of need he
will get Dr. Ley to put 120 to 150 million from the Labor Front at
the disposal of the Navy, as the money would still benefit the
workers. Later, in a conversation with Minister Göring and
myself, he went on to say that he considered it vital that the Navy
be increased as planned, as no war could be carried on if the Navy
was not able to safeguard the ore imports from Scandinavia.
"2. Then, when I mentioned that it would be desirable to
have six U-boats assembled at the time of the critical polit-