TOP MILITARY SECRET
Naval War Staff
B.Nr.l. op 355/41 g-K. Only by officer!
Audience of C-in-C of Navy with Hitler on 18 Mar [1941] 1600
hrs.
(Present: Chief of OKW, Gen. Jodi, Fregatten Kapitaen von Puttkamer)
* * * * * * * Exam. No. 2
9. Preparations for Marita * * *
B. Personnel Position * * *
/. The C-in-C of the Navy asks for confirmation that the whole of Greece will have to be occupied even in the event of a peaceful settlement. Fuehrer: The complete occupation is a prerequisite of any settlement.
iji £ * * * . * *
11. Japan [Raeder speaking] Japan must take steps to seize Singapore as soon as possible, since the opportunity will never again be as favourable (whole English Fleet contained; unpreparedness of U. S. A. for war against Japan; inferiority of U.
S. Fleet vis-a-vis the Japanese). Japan is indeed making preparations for this action, but according to all declarations made by Japanese officers she will only carry it out if Germany proceeds to land in England. Germany must therefore concentrate all her efforts on spurring Japan to act immediately. If Japan has Singapore all other East Asiatic questions regarding the U.
S. A. and England are thereby solved (Guam, Philippines, Borneo, Dutch East Indies).
Japan wishes if possible to avoid war against U. S. A. She can do so if she determinedly takes Singapore as soon as possible.
966
According to remarks by Admiral Nomura, Minister Matsuoka has grave doubts about the Russian question and wants to make inquiries particularly about that.
The C-in-C of the Navy recommends (during personal conversation with Hitler) that Matsuoka be advised regarding the designs on Russia.
Extract from minutes of a meeting of Raeder and Hitler, on the occupation of Greece, and the need to prompt Japan to occupy Singapore, which would help to avoid a war with the United States
Authors
Erich Raeder (admiral, Navy commander in chief (1935-43))
Erich Raeder
German naval officer and Großadmiral during World War II
![[[Storadmiral]] Erich Raeder med [[gallauniform]] for [[Kriegsmarine]] og [[marskalkstav]] [[1940]] <br><small>Foto: Deutsches Bundesarchiv</small>](https://sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/harvard-law-library-nuremberg-authors/4183-erich-raeder.jpeg)
- Born: 1876-04-24 (Wandsbek)
- Died: 1960-11-06 (Kiel)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: historian; naval officer
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Nuremberg trials (role: defendant)
- Military rank: Großadmiral
- Military branch: German Navy; Imperial German Navy; Kriegsmarine
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Date: 18 March 1941
Literal Title: Audience of C-in-C of Navy with Hitler on 18 Mar 1600 hrs.
Defendant: Erich Raeder
Total Pages: 1
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: C-152
Citations: IMT (page 1230), IMT (page 1249)
HLSL Item No.: 450935
Notes:The prosecutor noted that UK exhibit 122 (document C 167) had been entered with regard to this meeting, but C 167 includes only the comments on Greece. Keitel and Jodl also attended the meeting.