Rudolf Brandt,[[148]] adjutant to Himmler, often had occasion to deal with correspondence between the Luftwaffe and the SS, regarding the experiments. In referring to Himmler’s request that Milch order Dr. Rascher to be transferred to the SS, Brandt wrote a letter to Wolfram Sievers, of the Ahnenerbe Society, stating—

“I assume that the Field Marshal will of himself give the necessary orders, and then confine himself to sending a brief answer to the Reich Leader SS.”

And Sievers writing to Brandt about the use of the low-pressure chamber says—

“The putting at our disposal of the low-pressure chamber, however, will be possible then only if the Reich Leader SS writes in person to Field Marshal Milch concerning this.”

These two men, Sievers and Brandt, were not uninformed of the course of the medical experiments nor of the competent personnel in the Luftwaffe and SS in this matter. On the contrary, Sievers admitted witnessing the death of an experimental subject in the freezing tank, and the subsequent autopsy, while Rudolf Brandt stated in his affidavit—

“Field Marshal E. Milch and Professor Hippke, Inspector of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe, were fully informed about the low-pressure experiments. Actually these experiments could not have been conducted without the knowledge and approval of these men, as they were conducted for the benefit of the Luftwaffe and the experimenting persons were mostly Luftwaffe physicians.”

In the eyes of other persons, the defendant was the dominant force behind the Luftwaffe participation in the Medical Experiments Program. The defense has brought forward no adequate proof to show that they were mistaken. It is the conviction of the prosecution that no such proof exists.

The Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reich Marshal Hermann Goering, was thoroughly familiar with the organization which was his brain child, the Luftwaffe, and the way it functioned. What importance did Milch’s position have in Goering’s mind?

His affidavit reads—

“Included among the responsibilities of the Office of the Inspector General was the conduct of all research and experiments and of all matters pertaining to health and sanitation inspection * * *.