7 Jan. 46
DR. EXNER: Do you know that the reports which you sent
to Himmler on the actions which you had carried out were submitted by
Himmler directly to the Führer?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: May I reply to that in some detail? At first I
had a permanent staff at Himmler's headquarters. My chief of staff was
there permanently while I was at the front. Between the Wehrmacht
offices — that is, OKW and OKH — and my own staff there was
constant and organized interchange of reports, for reports on partisan
activities did not always reach me first, since from some operational
areas the channel for reports was through the OKH. Therefore the
Wehrmacht sent me as many reports as I sent to the Wehrmacht. These
reports were collected in my staff, and were daily sent to Himmler who
forwarded them again.
DR. EXNER: To whom?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: The gentlemen of the Wehrmacht have confirmed to
me, here in prison, that these reports were submitted during strategic
conferences.
DR. EXNER: Can you tell me whether Jews participated in the partisan
groups?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: There is no question but that in individual
partisan groups Jews did participate, in numbers corresponding to the
size of the Jewish population.
DR. EXNER: In individual groups? Was it not more in the nature of an
exception?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: Yes, it was definitely an exception.
DR. EXNER: That is why I do not quite understand how actions taken
against the partisans were to lead to the extermination of the Jews.
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: I did not say that; I was speaking earlier of
the Einsatzgruppen of the Sicherheitspolizei.
DR. EXNER: Oh, I see, that is different. Do you know anything about the
Dirlewanger regiment?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: That was the Dirlewanger Brigade, which I
described in detail to the prosecutor a short time ago.
DR. EXNER: Yes. Was that brigade at any time under your command?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: Yes, in 1941.
DR. EXNER: Was it a formation of the Army or the SS?
VON DEM BACH-ZELEWSKI: No, it was not a formation of the Waffen-SS; it
was supplied by the Allgemeine SS, that is, by the Berger office.