20 Dec. 45
Poles. Heydrich said: 'Actual proof of
these attacks of the Poles is needed for the foreign press, as well as
for German propaganda purposes.' I was directed to go to Gleiwitz with
five or six SD men and wait there until I received a code word from
Heydrich indicating that the attack should take place. My instructions
were to seize the radio station and to hold it long enough to permit a
Polish-speaking German, who would be put at my disposal, to broadcast
a speech in Polish. Heydrich told me that this speech should state
that the time had come for the conflict between the Germans and the
Poles and that the Poles should get together and strike down any
Germans from whom they met resistance. Heydrich also told me at this
time that he expected an attack on Poland by Germany in a few days.
"3. 1 went to Gleiwitz and waited there a fortnight. Then I
requested permission of Heydrich to return to Berlin but was told to
stay in Gleiwitz. Between the 25th and 31st of August I went to see
Heinrich Müller head of the Gestapo, who was then nearby at
Oppeln. In my presence Müller discussed with a man named Mehlhorn
plans for another border incident, in which it should be made to
appear that Polish soldiers were attacking German troops ... Germans
in the approximate strength of a company were to be used. Müller
stated that he had 12 or 13 condemned criminals who were to be dressed
in Polish uniforms and left dead on the ground at the scene of the
incident to show that they had been killed while attacking. For this
purpose they were to be given fatal injections by a doctor employed by
Heydrich. Then they were also to be given gunshot wounds. After the
assault members of the press and other persons were to be taken to the
spot of the incident. A police report was subsequently to be prepared.
"4. Müller told me that he had an order from Heydrich to
make one of those criminals available to me for the action at
Gleiwitz. The code name by which he referred to these criminals was
'Canned Goods.'
"5. The incident at Gleiwitz in which I participated was carried
out on the evening preceding the German attack on Poland. As I recall,
war broke out on the 1st of September 1939. At noon on the 31st of
August I received by telephone from Heydrich the code word for the
attack which was to take place at 8 o'clock that evening. Heydrich
said, 'In order to carry out this attack, report to Müller for "Canned
Goods."' I did this and gave Müller instructions to deliver
the man near the radio station. I received this man and had