7 Jan. 46
whether armed or unarmed, in battle or in
flight, are to be slaughtered to the last man. It does not make any
difference whether they are landed from ships and airplanes for their
actions, or whether they are dropped by parachute. Even if these
individuals, when found, should apparently be prepared to give
themselves up, no pardon is to be granted them on principle. In each
individual case full information is to be sent to the OKW for
publication in the communiqué of the Armed Forces.
"4. If individual members of such commandos, such as agents,
saboteurs, et cetera, fall into the hands of the Armed Forces
by some other means, through the police in occupied territories, for
instance, they are to be handed over immediately to the SD. Any
imprisonment under military guard, in PW stockades, for instance, et
cetera, is strictly prohibited, even if this is only intended for
a short time.
"5. This order does not apply to the treatment of any soldiers
who, in the course of normal hostilities, large-scale offensive
actions, landing operations, and airborne operations, are captured in
open battle or give themselves up. Nor does this order apply to enemy
-soldiers falling into our hands after battles at sea, or to enemy
soldiers trying to save their lives by parachute after air battles.
"6. I will hold responsible under military law, for failing to
carry out this order, all commanders and officers who either have
neglected their duty of instructing the troops about this order, or
acted against this order when it was to be executed."
It is signed Adolf Hitler, and the Tribunal will note that this order
was issued by OKW in 12 copies, and the distribution shown on the second
page included the three Supreme Commands, Army, Sea, and Air, and the
principal field commands.
Now, the same day Hitler issued a supplementary order, that is,
Document 503-PS, which will be Exhibit USA-542. This was issued for the
purpose of explaining the reasons why the basic order was issued. In
this explanation, Hitler gave a rather different set of reasons for the
issuance of the order and pointed out that Allied commando operations
had been extraordinarily successful in the destruction of rear
communications, intimidating laborers, and destroying important war
plants in occupied areas. This is the other basic document; and while I
need not read it in full, I would like to read substantial excerpts,
starting with the first paragraph at the top of the page:
"Added to the decree concerning the
destruction of terror and sabotage troops" — then in
parentheses was a cross reference