THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Kranzbühler, is it necessary to go into the details of each particular case? I mean, they all depend upon their own particular circumstances. You need not read the documents very carefully. It is not necessary at this stage of the case.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: Very well, Mr. President, I shall only report.
The affidavit states briefly that the commander has been informed that he should have brought the airmen back. That is, in other words, the opposite of what Möhle has said in this courtroom. The correctness of Captain Witt’s statements is confirmed by the next document, Dönitz-27, which is the U-boat’s war log and contains the comments of the Commander of U-boats expressing disapproval of the fact that the Englishmen floating on the raft were not taken aboard.
The fact that Admiral Dönitz’ attitude toward rescues was not based on cruelty but on military expediency is shown by Page 53 of the following document, Dönitz-28. He is considering the rescue of our own personnel and comes to the conclusion that military considerations may forbid such a rescue. The following Document Dönitz-29 deals with the statement made by witness Heisig. It is on Page 54 and the following. It begins with an affidavit made by the Adjutant, Kapitänleutnant Fuhrmann, who describes the general ideas on which Admiral Dönitz’ talks were based. At the end he stresses the fact that he was never, in connection with Admiral Dönitz’ pronouncements, approached by young officers, who expressed any doubts as to the treatment of shipwrecked persons.
On Page 56 there is a statement made by Lieutenant Kress, who was present at the same lecture as Heisig. He says that neither directly nor indirectly did Admiral Dönitz order the survivors to be killed.
That is confirmed by Lieutenant Steinhoff’s statement on Page 59. The considerations which weighed with the Naval Operations Staff at that time in the question of fighting the crews are illustrated by the following document, Donitz-30, which is reproduced on Pages 60 and 61. Here again, no mention is made of the killing of survivors. It is the record of a conference with the Führer on 28 September 1942, which was attended by Admiral Raeder and Admiral Dönitz.
The Tribunal will remember Exhibit GB-200 which describes rescue ships as desirable targets. The same document states that they have the significance of submarine traps. For that reason I have reproduced on Page 63 Standing War Order Number 173, dated 2 May 1940. That order States that, in accordance with instructions from the British Admiralty, U-boat traps are employed in convoys. Document Dönitz-34, on Page 67 of Document Book 2, shows that the treatment of rescue ships has nothing to do with the sanctity of hospital ships. It is the last of the Standing Orders referring to hospital ships and is dated 1 August 1944. It begins with the words, “Hospital ships must not be sunk.”
My next document, Dönitz-35, is meant to show that the Naval Operations Staff actually went beyond the provisions of international law in regard to the sanctity of hospital ships, for, as the entry of 17 July 1941 proves, the Soviet Government on its part rejected the hospital ship agreement, basing its action on violations of international law committed by Germany on land. According to Article 18 of the hospital ship agreement, this meant that the agreement was no longer binding on any of the signatories.
In Document Dönitz-36, Pages 69 and following, I submit the only known instance of a U-boat commander’s actually firing on means of rescue. This is the interrogation of Kapitänleutnant Eck, carried out on 21 November 1945 by order of this Tribunal. That was 10 days before he was shot.
According to the wish of the Tribunal, I shall confine myself to a summary.