6
Dec. 45
MAJOR
JONES: The report, C-66, was made in January
1944 by the Defendant Raeder to Assmann, who was
the German. naval historian, and so, presumably,
was for the purposes of history.
Before
Raeder's report of 10 October 1939 was made to
the Führer, Raeder got a second opinion on
the Norwegian invasion. On the 3rd of October
Raeder made out the questionnaire to which I now
invite the Court's attention. It is Document
C-122 and the Court will find it next but one to
C-66 in the document book. That will now be
Exhibit GB-82.
That, as the Tribunal
will observe, is headed "Gaining of Bases
in Norway (extract from War Diary)" and
bears the date of the 3rd of October 1939. It
reads:
"The
Chief of the Naval Operations Staff"
— who was the Defendant Raeder —
" considers it necessary that the Führer
be informed as soon as possible of the
opinions of the Naval Operations Staff
on the possibilities of extending the
operational base to the north. It must
be ascertained whether it is possible to
gain bases in Norway under the combined
pressure of Russia and Germany, with the
basic aim of improving our strategic and
operational position. The following
questions must be given consideration:
"(a)
What places in Norway can be considered
as bases?
"(b) Can bases
be gained by military force against
Norway's will if it is impossible to
carry this out without fighting?
"(c)
What are the possibilities of defense
after the occupation?
"(d)
Will the harbors have to be developed
completely as bases or have they already
decisive advantages suitable for supply
position?"
Then
there follows in parenthesis:
"The
Commander of the U-boat Fleet" —
which is a reference, of course, to the
Defendant Dönitz — ". . .
considers such harbors already extremely
useful as equipment and supply bases at
which Atlantic U-boats can call
temporarily."
And
then Question (e)
"What decisive advantages would
exist for the conduct of the war at sea
in gaining bases in north Denmark, e.g.
Skagen?"
There
is, in our possession, a document C-5, to find
which it will be necessary for the Court to go
back in the document book to the first of the C
exhibits. This will be Exhibit GB-83.
This
is a memorandum written by the Defendant Dönitz
on Norwegian bases. It presumably relates to the
questionnaire of the Defendant Raeder which, as
I have indicated, was in circulation at about
that time. The document is headed, "Commander
of the