Decrees about the military-political crisis in April 1945, the need to keep fighting and punish defeatism ("The Navy will fight to the end."); praise for a German prisoner who led the killing of communists at an Allied POW camp; and the duty to be "brave, hard and faithful like a rock of resistance"

Copy.
Enclosure 1.
KMA 23641/45 secret.
Secret Decree of Grand Admiral Doenitz of the 11.U.U5.
I. The enemy has streamed deep into Germany. This fills everyone with sorrow. It is a matter of course that brains are occupying themselves with this difficult situation. My opinion on this matter is as follows:
1. Capitulation means for certain the occupation of the whole of Germany by our enemies along the lines of the partition discussed by them at Yalta. Therefore also the cession (to Russia) of further considerable parts of Germany the west of the Oder. Or does anyone think that at that stage the Anglo-Saxons will not keep to their agreements and will oppose a further advance of the Russian hordes into Germany with armed force, and begin a war with Russia for our sake? In this respect therefore the idea is wrong: not the Anglo-Saxons into the country, then at least the Russians will not come.
The occupation of the whole of Germany further means the conscription of German people throughout Germany for work, particularly in Russia but also in other enemy countries. The majority of these slave-labourers will be demanded by Russia, and she will get them too. Or does anyone think that for the sake of these German people the Anglo-Saxons will then start a war with Russia.
The capitulation further means Bolshevism in the Russian occupied territories, and with it the annihilation of all those elements amongst all classes of the population that are capable of resistance. In the territories occupied by the Anglo-Saxons, Na-
148
D-650
tional-Socialism will be eliminated at one stroke. The result will be internal chaos and the self-mutilation of the German people. And those intellectual weaklings who think such thoughts of capitulating will be the first to perish or be taken away as slave workers. Or does anybody believe that they will be able to lead the life of peaceful citizens in such a starving chaotic Germany?
2. I turn against the short sighted weaklings who are incapable of forming a judgment—weakling who say: "If we had not had National-Socialism, all this would not have happened". If we had not had National-Socialism, we would have got Communism, growing unemployment and internal political chaos in Germany in the 20s already. Without the rearmament which the Fuehrer brought us, Germany would have been overwhelmed by the Russians; or does anyone believe that the Russians would (in conformity with a code of chivalry) have come to a halt before Germany in his push for expansion to the west, simply because, owing to the smallness of our armed forces, composed of 100,000 men, we were incapable of defending ourselves?
3. I turn against the wiseacres who mention that we should have avoided war with Russia in 1941. If the leadership of the State had done this, the unweakened Russian would have overwhelmed us long ago, at a time which suited him, and then these same wiseacres would have said: "Of course, the leadership of the state should have taken preventive measures by attacking Russia in good time".
4. I turn against the dilettante strategists who say that we should have withdrawn to Germany in good time, when we would have had the arms and the forces at our disposal to defend ourselves. Quite wrong. Exactly the opposite is true. In this war with long range arms like the air force, space is of decisive importance for keeping the enemy as far away as possible from the home territory and from the home armaments. Further: every narrowing of space brings to the enemy too a shortening of his lines and thus a liberation of forces. The narrower the ring becomes, the greater the enemy pressure on the defense, ring, and the greater the effectiveness of the enemy's action on the remaining space. So far for the fundamentals of this question. Over and above this, the evacuation of enemy territories is always accompanied by great losses, because the enemy does not after all stand by kindly, but presses after. He therefore gets more and better equipped forces freed for other uses than oneself. If the whole of the armed forces had grasped these problems fully, it would have been better.
D-650
5. Please do not worry about the leadership of the state not knowing the state of mind of the population. The Fuehrer knows more about the state of mind of the German population and has taken to heart and pondered the tasks of a leader (arising therefrom) in the field of home politics more than any of us soldiers. Please too be easy in your minds, and do not say too glibly that the whole bag of tricks must be changed completely—that the C-in-C of the navy must now raise 3 army corps from the navy, or remove the armaments from the ships and use them in the land fighting, or do something else. These things too have been discussed with the Fuehrer for a long time, and have been done in as far as the general war situation and existing facts allowed. I therefore have no use for all this unfruitful and brooding criticism. We should rather see the real facts clearly. Only the Fuehrer has for years realized with what danger Bolshevism threatens Europe. For this reason he eliminated our lack of unity and the vast unemployment, made us capable of defending ourselves and, like a preacher in the desert, tried to enlighten Europe on this subject. On the other side stands this Churchill, blinded by hatred—the grave-digger of Britain as a great power, who entered the war to protect the balance of power in Europe and to fight for the freedom of the small nations. What remains now of this balance of power, and what point has the freedom of the small nations reached? Poland and all the other small states in Eastern Europe are provinces of Bolshevik Russia. At latest in the year, perhaps even this year, Europe will realize that Adolf Hitler is the only statesman of stature in Europe. All the negative hyper-criticism is therefore unfruitful and false in its data. Since it is born of weakness, it cannot indeed be otherwise, since cowardice and weakness make people blind and stupid.
II. So it is not only our duty and honour as soldiers that command us to fight obediently, hard and faithfully, incapable of being led astray by anything, but every clear, intelligent reflection also tells us that this is the only way to better our position. Every action in the opposite direction will with all certainty prepare the way for dissolution and extermination and thus for certain destruction. Only by hard endurance are we in a position fully to exploit the military and political possibilities which are and can be in our favour, and to reap their fruits. We cannot speak about the former without realizing our present military intentions to the enemy. About the second — the political possibilities — I should like only to say the following: Europe's blindness will one day come to a sudden end and thereby bring Germany psychologi-
150
cal help and political possibilities arising therefrom. If we ourselves give ourselves up before this, it will be too late for these possibilities. Then we will be dead, and they will no longer be of any use. I therefore demand of the commanding officers of the navy—
1. That they clearly and unambiguously follow the path of military duty, whatever may happen. I demand of them that they stamp out ruthlessly all signs and tendencies among the men which endanger the following of this path. They have been given the handling of this work by the Fuehrer's OKW/WFST Qu II 0011538 top secret of the 23. 9. 44. I demand from senior commanders that they should take just as ruthless action against any commander who does not do his military duty. If a commander does not think he has the moral strength to occupy his position as a leader in this sense, he must report this immediately. He will then be used as a soldier in this fateful struggle in some position in which he is not burdened with any tasks as a leader.
2. The honour of our flag on board is holy to us. No one thinks of surrendering his ship. Better go down honourably. That goes without saying for us all. That is just how we behaved in the fighting on land. If it comes to having to defend our naval bases, the place will, according to the Fuehrer's order, be defended to the last man. The watchword will then be—death or victory. Any commander who lacks the moral strength for this and is weakening, must according to the Fuehrer's order, consult his men and hand over command to harder fighters.
3. The Navy will fight to the end. In days to come, posterity will judge it according to its bearing at the biggest crisis in this war. The same goes also for every individual. Former deeds are wiped out if he fails at the decisive hour, to endure which he became a soldier. Or does anyone believe that the enemy respects someone who capitulates in a cowardly manner? He is in fact welcome to him, but is then despised and treated accordingly.
4. Let us be clear about the fact that we have to be the exponents of our people's will to live. Just like the leadership of the state, we must not tire, even if parts of our people were to become, or are, soft, otherwise we would be bad leaders. If someone proves to me that by resignation something better occurs or is achieved, I shall immediately sink into apathy. Till then, however, I shall act according to the exact opposite.
5. Thus the unanimous will to fight of our navy must continue in existence. That is the best contribution we can make to the turning of the present crisis.
D-650
A situation is never such that it can not be improved by a heroic attitude. It is certain that any contrary attitude means dissolution and with it chaos and inextinguishable dishonour.
C.-in-C. Navy.
Enclosure 2.
Secret Baltic order of the day No. 19 of the 19. 4. 45.
III. Promotion of under-officers and men who have shown themselves to be personalities in warfare.
(C.-in-C. Navy, Chief Mar. Wehr./Tr. 1 4780 secret of the 10.3.45)
The C.-in-C. Navy has ordered:
I desire that the leaders of units responsible for ratings and the flotilla commanders and other commanders superior to them should interest themselves more in the promotion of those underofficers and men who have shown in special situations in the war that, thanks to their inner attitude and firmness, by energy and inner drive—in short, owing to their gifts of personality—they are capable of taking right decisions independently and of carrying them out without wavering in their aim and with willing acceptance of responsibility.
An example: in a prison camp of the auxiliary cruiser "Cor-morau" in Australia, a petty officer acting as camp senior officer, had all communists who made themselves noticeable among the inmates of the camp systematically done away with in such a way that the guards did not notice. This petty officer is sure of my full recognition for his decision and his execution. After his return, I shall promote him with all means, as he has shown that he is fitted to be a leader.
There are more men like that in the navy. They show themselves to be willing to make decisions and to act rightly in the mastering of difficult situations as soon as they are left to their own resources. They thus show their innefi value.
These men are to be recommended immediately for training for posts as under-officers or officers. I expect from all the commanding officers designated, rapid and energetic measures.
Enclosure S.
Secret decree of Grand Admiral Doenitz. SSD MBKO 6611 7.4. 1315
Re: Plan "Paula" East.
PP...............
We men of the navy know how we have to act. Our military
152
D-650
duty, which we carry out without swerving, whatever may happen to the left and right of us and around us, leaves us standing brave, hard, and faithful like a rock of resistance.
Anyone who does not act like this is a cowardly scoundrel, and must be hanged and a placard tied to him: "Here hangs a traitor who contributed by his low cowardice to German women and children dying, instead of protecting them like a man."
C-in-C. Navy.