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U-boat
commander sank it in mistake for an armed
merchant cruiser, that this was not known until
the U-30 returned several weeks after the German
denial and that Hitler then directed the Navy
and Foreign Office to continue denying it.
Raeder denied knowledge of the propaganda
campaign attacking Mr. Churchill.
The
most serious charge against Raeder is that he
carried out unrestricted submarine warfare,
including sinking of unarmed merchant ships, of
neutrals, non-rescue and machine-gunning of
survivors, contrary to the London Protocol of
1936. The Tribunal makes the same finding on
Raeder on this charge as it did as to Dönitz,
which has already been announced, up until 30
January 1943 when Raeder retired.
The
Commando Order of 18 October 1942, which
expressly did not apply to naval warfare, was
transmitted by the Naval War Staff to the lower
naval commanders with the direction it should be
distributed orally by flotilla leaders and
section commanders to their subordinates. Two
commandos were put to death by the Navy, and not
the SD, at Bordeaux on 10 December 1942. The
comment of the Naval War Staff was that this was
"in accordance with the Führer's
special order, but is nevertheless something new
in international law, since the soldiers were in
uniform." Raeder admits he passed the order
down through the chain of command, and he did
not object to Hitler.
Conclusion
The Tribunal finds that
Raeder is guilty on Counts One, Two, and Three.
VON
SCHIRACH
Von
Schirach is indicted under Counts One and Four.
He joined the Nazi Party and the SA in 1925. In
1929 he became the leader of the National
Socialist Students Union. In 1931 he was made
Reichs Youth Leader of the Nazi Party with
control over all Nazi youth organizations,
including the Hitler Jugend. In 1933, after the
Nazis had obtained control of the Government,
Von Schirach was made Leader of Youth in the
German Reich, originally a position within the
Ministry of the Interior, but, after 1 December
1936, an office in the Reich Cabinet. In 1940
Von Schirach resigned as head of the Hitler
Jugend and Leader of Youth in the German Reich,
but retained his position as Reichsleiter with
control over Youth Education. In 1940 he was
appointed Gauleiter of Vienna, Reichs Governor
of Vienna, and Reichs Defense Commissioner for
that territory.
Crimes
against Peace
After
the Nazis had come to power Von Schirach,
utilizing both physical violence and official
pressure, either drove out of existence
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