Field Marshal Milch
Berlin, —W 8, Leipzigerstrasse 7, 31 Aug 1942 Dear Mr. Himmler!
I thank you very much for your letter of the 25 Aug. I have read with great interest the reports of Dr. Rascher and Dr. Romberg. I am informed about the current experiments. I shall ask the two gentlemen to give a lecture combined with the showing of motion pictures to my men in the near future.
Hoping that it will be possible for me to see you at the occasion of my next visit to Headquarters I remain with best regards and
Heil Hitler!
yours
[signed] E. Milch
Mr. Reichsfuehrer SS and Chief of the German Police Himmler Berlin SW 11.
SECRET
Field Marshal Milch
Berlin W 8, Leipzigerstrasse 7, 20 May 1942
Dear Wolffy!
In reference to your telegram of 12 May our sanitary inspector reports to me that the altitude experiments carried out by the SS and Air Force at Dachau have been finished. Any continuation
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of these experiments seems essentially unreasonable. However the carrying- out of experiments of some other kind, in regard to perils at high seas, would be important. These have been prepared in immediate agreement with the proper offices; Major (M.C.) Weltz will be charged with the execution and Capt (M.C.) Rascher will be made available until further orders in addition to his duties within the Medical Corps of the Air Corps. A change of these measures does not appear necessary, and an enlargement of the task is not considered pressing at this time.
The low-pressure chamber would not be needed for these low-temperature experiments. It is urgently needed at another place and therefore can no longer remain in Dachau.
I convey the special thanks from the supreme commander of the Air Corps to the SS for their extensive cooperation.
I remain with best wishes for you in good comradeship and with
Heil Hitler!
Always yours [Signed] E. Milch
Mr. SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Wolff Berlin 11
Letters to Himmler and Karl Wolff on the experiments conducted by Rascher and Romberg, including the high altitude and low temperature experiments
Authors
Erhard Milch (Field Marshal, Luftwaffe; Central Planning Board)
Erhard Milch
German general; defendant in the Milch Trial (1892-1972)
- Born: 1892-03-30 (Wilhelmshaven) (country: German Empire; located in the administrative territorial entity: Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hanover)
- Died: 1972-01-25 (Wuppertal)
- Country of citizenship: German Reich; Germany
- Occupation: aircraft pilot; military personnel; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Milch Trial (period: 1947-01-02 through 1947-04-17; role: defendant); Nazi human experimentation (role: administrator); forced labour under German rule during World War II
- Significant person: Erich Hippke (role: superior); Hermann Göring (role: superior)
- Military rank: general field marshal (since: 1940-07-19)
Date: 31 August 1942
Total Pages: 2
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: PS-343
Citations: IMT (page 1850), IMT (page 2325), IMT (page 5622), IMT (page 5672)
HLSL Item No.: 451403
Trial Issues
Criminal organizations (Gestapo, Leadership Corps, Cabinet, SS, SD, OKW) (… Freezing experiments (IMT, NMT 1, 2, 4) High altitude experiments (IMT,NMT 1, 2, 4)
Document Summary
PS-343: Letter re Experiments in Dachau
PS-343: Secret letter from field Marshal Milch to Ss-ober-gruppenfuhrer Wolff, 20 May 1942; and one to Himmler, 31 August 1942, concerning low pressure and low temperature experiments carried out on human beings in Dachau by the Luftwaffe and the Ss
PS-343: Page 2-20 May 42 - Milch to Wolff announcing conclusion of altitude experiments and prospective freezing experiments.
Page 1-31 Aug 42 - Milch to Himmler acknowledging receipt of report on altitude experiments.