GODT: Such a possibility might have existed, but it never actually happened.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: When they made these verbal reports, could the commanders risk expressing opinions which were not those of Commander, U-boats?
GODT: Absolutely. Commander, U-boats, even asked his commanders in so many words to give him their personal opinions in every case, so that he could maintain direct personal contact with them and thus remain in close touch with events on the front, so that he could put matters right, where necessary.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: Was this personal contact used for the verbal transmission of shady orders?
GODT: No.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: The Prosecution holds that an order—apparently a verbal order—existed, prohibiting the entry in the log of measures considered dubious or unjustifiable from the point of view of international law. Did such a general order exist?
GODT: No; there was no general order. In certain individual cases—I can remember two—an order was given to omit certain matters from the log.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: Which cases do you remember?
GODT: The first was the case of the Athenia; and the second was the sinking of a German boat, which was coming from Japan through the blockade, by a German submarine.
FLOTTENRICHTER KRANZBÜHLER: Before I ask you to give me details of that, I should like to know the reason for omitting such matters from the log.