COL. PHILLIMORE: That was the ship in respect to which the Defendant Dönitz sent a telegram to the U-boat commander, threatening him with court-martial on his return because he had sunk the ship after recognizing it as a neutral. Now, in 1942 the friendship of Spain was very important to Germany, was it not?
WAGNER: I assume so.
COL. PHILLIMORE: You told us yesterday that Admiral Raeder was considering Mediterranean policy—recommending it. Now that was the reason, was it not, why the U-boat commander was threatened with court-martial, that it mattered in 1942 if you sank a Spanish ship?
WAGNER: No, that was not the reason. The reason was that the commander of the U-boat in question had obviously not acted according to the directives of the Commander of U-boats.
COL. PHILLIMORE: It did not matter in 1940 when you thought you were winning the war, but in September 1942 I suggest to you it became politically inexpedient to sink a Spanish ship; is that not right?
WAGNER: You will have to ask the political departments of the German Reich about that.
COL. PHILLIMORE: If that is the answer, do you think it is unfair to describe your attitude to the sinking of neutral ships as cynical and opportunist?
WAGNER: No, I reject that absolutely.
COL. PHILLIMORE: I want to ask you one or two questions about the witness Heisig. You spoke yesterday of a conversation in the jail here in the first week of December 1945.
WAGNER: In December 1945?