4 Jan. 46
of the German Armed Forces were prepared
by members of this group according to the instructions of the OKW and
were presented to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (at the
same time head of State).
"The members of this group were charged with the responsibility
of preparing for military operations within their competent fields and
they actually did prepare for any such operations as might possibly be
undertaken by troops in the field.
"Prior to any operation, members of this group were assembled
occasionally and given appropriate directions by the head of State.
Examples of such meetings are the speech by Hitler to the
commanders-in-chief on 22 August 1939 prior to the Polish campaign and
the conference at the Reich Chancellery on 14 June 1941 prior to the
first Russian campaign.
"The composition of this group and the relationship of its
members to each other were as shown in the attached chart. In the
hands of those who filled the positions shown in the chart lay the
actual direction of the Armed Forces." — Signed — "Von
Brauchitsch."
Now, the
Tribunal will see from these affidavits that the chart which is on
display at the front of the Court and which is contained in the short
expository statement has been laid before Von Brauchitsch and Halder and
that these two officers have vouched for it under oath as an accurate
picture of the top organization of the German Armed Forces. The
statements by Von Brauchitsch and Halder also fully support the
Prosecution's statement that the holders of the positions shown on this
chart constitute the group in whom lay the major responsibility for the
planning and execution of all Armed Forces matters.
I would now like to offer another affidavit by Halder which sets forth
some of the matters of detail to which I adverted in describing the
group. It is quite short. Affidavit Number 6, which becomes Exhibit
USA-533 (Document 3704-PS) — and I shall read it in full into the
transcript:
"The most important department in the
OKW was the Operations Staff, in much the same way as the General
Staff was in the Army and Air Force and the Naval War Staff in the
Navy. Under Keitel there were a number of departmental chiefs who were
equal in status with Jodl but, in the planning and conduct of military
affairs, they and their departments were less important and less
influential than Jodl and Jodl's staff.