Memorandum on instructions by Hitler to keep secret the increase in navy tonnage and the construction of U-boats, and Raeder's view on the need to match England's fleet

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Authors

Erich Raeder (admiral, Navy commander in chief (1935-43))

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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>
  • 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)

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Adolf Hitler

Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)

Image of Adolf Hitler
  • 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: June 1934

Literal Title: Conversation with the Fuehrer in June 1934 on the occasion of the resignation of the Commanding Officer of the "Karlsruhe".

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-189

Citation: IMT (page 441)

HLSL Item No.: 450597

Trial Issues

Conspiracy (and Common plan, in IMT) (IMT, NMT 1, 3, 4) IMT count 1: common plan or conspiracy (IMT) IMT count 2: crimes against peace (wars of aggression) (IMT) Wars of aggression

Conversation with the Fuehrer in June 193U on the occasion of the resignation, of the Commanding Officer
of the "KARLSRUHE". ' 1 2 3
1. Report by the C-in-C Navy concerning increased displacement of D. and E. (defensive weapons).
Fuehrer's instructions: No mention must be made of a displacement of 25-26,000 tons, but only of improved 10,000-ton (ships). Also, the speed over 26 nautical miles may not be stated.
2. C-in-C Navy expresses the opinion that later on the fleet must anyhow be developed to oppose England, that therefore, from 1936 onwards, the large ships must be armed with 35 centimeter guns (like the King George class).
3. The Fuehrer demands to keep the construction of U-boats completely secret, also in consideration of the Saar Plebiscite.
[Translator's note: This document is in Raeder's writing but is not signed.]
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