27 Nov. 45
"It should not anchor together with
the other unarmed boats of the half-flotilla because of the obvious
similarity of the type. The duration of firing, and consequently the
length of time the torpedo-tubes are aboard, is to be as short as
possible.
"3. Fitting the torpedo-tubes on all S-boats is intended as
soon as the situation of the political control allows it."
Interestingly enough, that memorandum by the Defendant Raeder,
written in 1932, was talking about "as soon as the situation of
the political control allows it." The seizure of power was the
following year.
Along similar lines the Navy was also carrying on the concealed
preparation of auxiliary cruisers, under the disguised designation of
'Transport Ships 0'. The preparations under this order were to be
completed by 1 April 1935. At the very time of construction of these
ships as commercial ships, plans were made for their conversion.
We have the original German document, again top secret,
identified by our Number C-166, order from the Command Office of the
Navy, dated 12 March 1934, and signed in draft by Groos. It has the
seal of the Reichswehrministerium, Marineleitung, over the draft
signature. I offer it in evidence as Exhibit USA-48. I think the
Defendant Raeder will admit, or at least will not deny, that this is
an official document.
"Subject: Preparation of auxiliary
cruisers.
"It is intended to include in the Establishment Organization
35 (AG Aufstellungsgliederung) a certain number of auxiliary cruisers
which are intended for use in operations in foreign waters.
"In order to disguise the intention and all the
preparations, the ships will be referred to as 'Transport Ships 0'.
It is requested that in future this designation only be used."
The short paragraph says: ``The preparations are to be arranged
so that they can be completed by 1. 4. 35."
Among official Navy files, OKM files, which we have, there are
notes kept year by year, from 1927 to 1940, on the reconstruction of
the German Navy, and in these notes are numerous examples of the
Navy's activities and policies of which I should like to point out
some illustrations.
One of these documents discloses that the displacement of the
battleships "Scharnhorst-Gneisenau" and "F/G" --
whatever that is--was actually greater than the tonnages which had
been notified to the British under the Treaty. This document, our