TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 440-PS
Berlin, 20 Nov. 1939
The Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
OKW/WFA No. 213/39 g.k. Chefs. (Top Secret, Chief Matter)
Department L (I)
8 Copies, Copy
Chief matter
By officers only
TOP SECRET
Directive No. 8, for the conduct of the war.
1. The state of alert, to make the continuation of the initiated concentration of troops possible at any moment, must be maintained, for the time being. Only this will make it possible to exploit favorable weather conditions immediately.
The various components of the Armed Forces will make arrangements enabling them to stop the attack even if the order for such action is received by the High Command as late as D-1 at 2300 hours. The keyword
"Rhein" (—start attack)
or
"Elbe" (—withhold attack)
will be passed on to the High Commands at the latest by this time.
The High Commands of the Army and the Air Forces are requested after having determined the day for attack, to notify Department L of the High Command of the Armed Forces immediately with regard to the mutually agreed hour of the commencement of the attack.
2. Contrary to previous orders, all measures intended against the Netherlands are to be carried out without special orders at the start of the general attack.
The reaction of the Dutch Armed Forces cannot be foreseen. The entering of our troops will take the character of a friendly occupation wherever no opposition is encountered.
3. The Land-operations are to be carried out on the basis of the assemble directive of 29 October. The following is added to complete this directive: