“Do not rescue crew members or take them aboard and do not take care of the ship’s boats. Weather conditions and distance from land are of no consequence. Think only of the safety of your own boat and try to achieve additional success as soon as possible.
“We must be harsh in this war. The enemy started it in order to destroy us; and we have to act accordingly.”
Now, that was perfectly clear, was it not? That was a “nonrescue” order?
GODT: It was just as clear as the order we are talking about.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Look at one or two more and then let me come back to that order; Page 45, another order:
“Order from Flag Officer, U-boats”—reading the third line—“to take on board as prisoners captains of sunk ships with their papers, if it is possible to do so without endangering the boat or impairing its fighting capacity.”
It is perfectly clear to anybody exactly what was intended, is it not?
GODT: That is not an order at all; it only reproduces an extract from the War Diary.
COL. PHILLIMORE: Yes, reciting the words of the order; and then, on the next page in Paragraph 4:
“Try under all circumstances to take prisoners if that can be done without endangering the boat”—Again, perfectly clear.