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30 Nov.
45
collaborating with it--officials who were also in the
counterintelligence.
Canaris then based his whole plan on
these three dates. His plan was to attempt to show that at this
conference he had passed on the order to Heydrich, to carry out the
action. That is to say, his plan was to exploit Heydrich's death to
wreck the whole affair. The next day we flew to Berlin, and Canaris
reported to Keitel that the matter was taking its course, and that
Canaris had given Heydrich the necessary instructions at the Abwehr III
conference in Prague, and that Heydrich had prepared everything, that
is, a special purpose action had been started in order to have Giraud
murdered, and with that the matter was settled and brought to ruin.
COL. AMEN: There was a mistake I think in the translation back
a little way. So if you don't mind, will you please go back to where you
first referred to Heydrich in the conversation with Canaris, and repeat
the story, because I think that the translation was incorrect. In other
words, go back to the point where Canaris suddenly seemed relieved, and
started to tell you what the apparent solution might be.
LAHOUSEN:
All those present saw that Canaris was much relieved, as he heard the
three dates from me. His whole plan or his maneuvering--and that was
typical of his personality--was a purely intellectual or spiritual
combination, built up on these three dates, essential being the date of
the escape of Giraud, and the Abwehr III conference, for if the Abwehr
III conference had taken place prior to Giraud's escape, then this
combination would probably not have stood the test.
THE
PRESIDENT: Colonel Amen, what is the reason for the repetition?
COL.
AMEN: There was a mistake in the record. If it is the wish of the
Tribunal, I shall not have him repeat it any further.
THE
PRESIDENT: It seems clear to the Tribunal what was said.
COL.
AMEN: Very well.
COL. AMEN: What, if anything, happened next
insofar as the affair Giraud was concerned?
LAHOUSEN: Nothing
more happened. Giraud fled to North Africa, and much later only I heard
that Hitler was very indignant about this escape, and said that the SD
had failed miserably-- so it is said to be written in shorthand notes in
the records of the Hauptquartier of the Führer. The man who told me
this is in the American zone.
466
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