7 Dec.
45
THE PRESIDENT: Could you give us the date of the
Italian attack?
COL. PHILLIMORE: 28th October 1940.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. COL. PHILLIMORE: As the Tribunal will see
from the succeeding document, it was at this time that Hitler was making
his plans for the offensive in the spring of 1941, which included the
invasion of Greece from the north. This letter shows that it was an
integral part of those plans that Yugoslavia should be induced to
co-operate in them or at least to maintain a disinterested attitude
toward the liquidation of the other Balkan states.
I pass now to the next document in the bundle, 444-PS, which becomes
Exhibit GB-116. It is a top-secret directive issued from the Führer's
headquarters, signed by Hitler, initialed by the Defendant Jodl, and
dated the 12th of November 1940. 1 will read the first two lines and
then pass to Paragraph 4 on the third page:
"Directive Number 18. The preparatory
measures of Supreme Headquarters for the prosecution of the war in the
near future are to be made along the following lines . . ."
Omitting the serious dealings with operations against Gibraltar and an
offensive against Egypt, I will read Paragraph 4 on the third page:
"Balkans . . . The Commander-in-Chief
of the Army will make preparations for occupying the Greek mainland
north of the Aegean Sea in case of need, entering through Bulgaria,
and thus make possible the use of German Air Force units against
targets in the eastern Mediterranean, in particular against those
English air bases which are threatening the Romanian oil area.
"In order to be able to face all eventualities and to keep
Turkey in check, the use of an army group of an approximate strength
of 10 divisions is to be the basis for the planning and the
calculations of deployment. It will not be possible to count on the
railway leading through Yugoslavia for moving these forces into
position.
"So as to shorten the time needed for the deployment,
preparations will be made for an early increase in the German Army
mission in Romania, the extent of which must be submitted to me.
"The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force will make preparations
for the use of German Air Force units in the southeast Balkans and for
aerial reconnaissance on the southern border of Bulgaria in accordance
with the intended ground operations."