4 Jan. 46
the actual preparation and deployment of troops in
accordance with the plans. This is from Page I of the translation, and I
quote:
"The object of the operation is to
destroy the Polish Armed Forces. High policy demands that the war
should be begun by heavy surprise blows in order to achieve quick
results. The intention of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army is to
prevent a regular mobilization and concentration of the Polish Army by
a surprise invasion of Polish territory and to destroy ... the mass of
the Polish Army which is to be expected to be west of the
Vistula-Narev Line."
I skip
to the next paragraph:
"The army group commands and the army
commands will make their preparations on the basis of surprise of the
enemy. There will be alterations necessary if surprise should have to
be abandoned. These will have to be developed simply and quickly on
the same basis; they are to be prepared mentally to such an extent
that in case of an order from the Commander-in-Chief of the Army they
can be carried out quickly."
THE PRESIDENT: What is the date of that document?
COL. TAYLOR: The date of that document is the middle of June 1939; 1
believe it is the 15th or 14th of June 1939. The date is on the
original.
The next document is 2327-PS, which will be Exhibit Number USA-539. It
is signed by Blaskowitz. It is dated 14 June 1939, and it shows us an
Oberbefehlshaber at work in the field planning an attack. Blaskowitz at
that time was Commander of the 3rd Army Group and he became
Commander-in-Chief of the German 8th Army during the Polish campaign. I
read some extracts from this document found on Page 1 of the
translation:
"The Commander-in-Chief of the Army
has ordered the working out of a plan of deployment against Poland
which takes into account the demands of the political leadership for
the opening of war by surprise and for quick success.
"The order of deployment by the High Command of the Army, known
as Fall Weiss, authorizes the 3rd Army Group (in Fall Weiss 8th Army
headquarters) to give necessary directions and orders to all commands
subordinated to it for Fall Weiss."
I skip to Paragraph 7 on Page 1:
"The whole correspondence on Fall
Weiss has to be conducted under the classification 'top secret.' This
is to be disregarded only if the content of a document, in the
judgment of the