Extract from Admiral Assmann's Headline Diary
12-14 May 1943.
[Sheet 318] .
Report to the Fuehrer in person. The Fuehrer does not share the Duce's opinion that Sicily is the enemy's next objective. (Anglo-Saxon order which has been found indicating Sardinia and the Peloponnesus).
C. in C. Navy does not believe that the Italian supreme commanders (Duce, Supreme Command, Naval Command) have fully understood the Idea "stress on supplies" including increasing the capacity of the ports for unloading. He underlines the
fact that the Italian Naval Command's demand for air attacks on the African supply ports is right, but that the stress lay on protecting supply, using small vessels as well and even the tiniest harbors. He says that the Sea Transport Chief, Italy (Engelhardt) had already done good preparatory work in this direction. There follows a report by the Sea Transport Chief Italy, about transport requirements—200,000 tons per month for Sicily, 80,000 tons per month for Sardinia—and how they are to be covered, particularly by small vessels. C. in C. Navy stresses, and the Fuehrer agrees, that the Sea Transport Chief must be independent in the employment of shipping space and that intervention by the home staff Overseas, OKW, is harmful. The Fuehrer asks whether C. in C. Navy has the impression that the Duce is determined to hold out. The C. in C. Navy replies that he "assumes this to be certain but naturally does not know." The Italian's main weakness, he says is lack of initiative.
UK C. in C. Navy points out that "owing to the Mediterranean now being free the Anglo-Saxons are gaining 2 million gross registered tons of shipping space." The Fuehrer interrupts: "which the brave U-boats must sink again now." C. in C. Navy: And we are at present in the biggest crisis of the U-boat war because the enemy has for the first time made fighting impossible by new means of determining position and is inflicting heavy losses on us (15-17 U-boats per month). Fuehrer: "The losses are too high, we can't go on like that!"
C. in C. Navy goes on to say that the Bay of Biscay is also our only narrow exit, to get through which is extremely difficult and already takes 10 days. C. in C. Navy sees the best strategic solution in the occupation of Spain and Gibraltar. To this the Fuehrer says that this was still possible in 1940, carrying Spain along with us, but that our forces are not sufficient for this purpose now and against Spain's will: the question of supplies is therefore to be embarked upon as proposed by the Sea Transport Chief.
Extracts from the naval war diary, on the views of Hitler and Doenitz on priorities in the Mediterranean, uncertainty about Italy, the high rate of U-boat losses, and Doenitz's proposal to occupy Spain and Gibraltar (which Hitler states is no longer possible)
Authors
Assmann (admiral, naval historian)
Kurt Assmann
German admiral (1883-1962)
- Born: 1883-07-13 (Naumburg (Saale))
- Died: 1962-07-26
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: author; military historian
- Military rank: Admiral
- VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/20119247
- ISNI: https://isni.org/isni/0000000082048315
- WorldCat Identities ID: https://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2010008621
Date: 12 May 1943
Literal Title: Extract from Admiral Assmann's Headline Diary
Defendant: Karl Doenitz
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: D-892
HLSL Item No.: 453057