NMT Case 2
U.S.A. v. Erhard Milch
Summary
Erhard Milch, a Field Marshal in the German Air Force, was chiefly responsible for the production of aircraft during the war (e.g., the Jaegerstab program) and was also, as a member of the Central Planning Board under Albert Speer, one of the managers of the German war economy.
Milch was tried by Tribunal 2 at Nuremberg, from 13 Nov 1946 (indictment filed) to 17 Apr 1947 (sentence). The indictment had three counts: 1. (War crimes) Mistreatment of civilians of occupied territories and prisoners of war as slave laborers; 2. (War crimes) Medical experiments (high altitude and freezing) on concentration camp inmates; 3. (Crimes against humanity) Slave labor and medical experiments on German nationals and citizens of other countries. Milch was accused of direct participation in the conscription and mistreatment of slave laborers, and of administrative responsibility for the medical experiments conducted for the air force.
The prosecution presented 161 written exhibits and 3 witnesses. The defense presented 51 written exhibits, 30 witnesses, and testimony by Milch himself. The tribunal called one witness.
Milch was acquitted of the charges concerning medical experiments and found guilty of the charges concerning slave labor. He was sentenced to life imprisonment; in 1951 the sentence was commuted to a term of 15 years.
Indictments
Three Counts:
- War crimes: Mistreatment of civilians of occupied territories and prisoners of war used as slave laborers
- War crimes: Medical experiments (high altitude and freezing) on concentration camp inmates
- Crimes against humanity: Slave labor and medical experiments on German nationals and citizens of other countries
Persons Involved
Tribunal 2
Robert M. Toms, presiding
Fitzroy D. Phillips
Michael A. Musmanno
John J. Speight, alternate
Prosecution Counsel
Telford Taylor, Chief of Counsel
Clark Denney, Chief Trial Counsel
James S. Conway
Dorothy M. Hunt
Henry T. King, Jr.
Raymond J. McMahon, Jr.
Maurice C. Myers
Defense Counsel
Dr. Friedrich Bergold
Dr. Werner Milch
Detailed Chronology
| Date | Proceeings | Transcript Pages |
| 13 Nov 1946 | Indictment filed | |
| 14 Nov 1946 | Indictment served | |
| 20 Dec 1946 | Arraignment; indictment read | 1-8 |
| 2 Jan 1947 | Prosecution opening statement & evidence | 9-494 |
| 3 Jan 1947 | slave labor-general | 25-295 |
| 13 Jan 1947 | slave labor-Jaegerstab | 295-360 |
| 14 Jan 1947 | medical experiments | 369-487 |
| 27 Jan 1947 | Defense opening statement & evidence | 494-2376 |
| 5 Feb 1947 | Paul Koerner (D) | 652-710 |
| 6-7 Feb 1947 | Fritz Schmelter (D) | 717-759 |
| 7, 11 Feb 1947 | Erich Hippke (D) | 759-870 |
| 11 Feb 1947 | Karl E. Richter (D) | 871-900 |
| 12 Feb 1947 | Helmut Foerster (D) | 915-938 |
| 12 Feb 1947 | Walter Neff (D) | 939-943 |
| 12 Feb 1947 | Walter Hertel (D) | 944-979 |
| 13 Feb 1947 | Artur Eschenauer (D) | 980-996 |
| 14 Feb 1947 | Hans W. Romberg (D) | 1021A-1050 |
| 14 Feb 1947 | Wolfram Sievers (D) | 1050-1057 |
| 14 Feb 1947 | Hermann Becker-Freyseng (D) | 1061-1066 |
| 14 Feb 1947 | Georg A. Weltz (D) | 1066-1072 |
| 14 Feb 1947 | Leo Alexander (D) | 1074-1092 |
| 14, 17 Feb 1947 | Siegfried Ruff (D) | 1092-1122 |
| 17, 19 Feb 1947 | Albert Speer (D) | 1136-1186, 1445-1457 |
| 17 Feb 1947 | Max Koenig (D) | 1189-1204 |
| 18 Feb 1947 | Max Pendele (D) | 1205-1227 |
| 18 Feb 1947 | Karl Wolff (D) | 1228-1268 |
| 19 Feb 1947 | Constantin von Neurath (D) | 1440-1443 |
| 20 Feb 1947 | Berndt von Brauchitsch (D) | 1271-1289 |
| 20 Feb 1947 | Helmut Felmy (D) | 1290-1296 |
| 20 Feb 1947 | Walter Warlimont (D) | 1296-1299 |
| 24 Feb 1947 | Otto Schniewind (D) | 1307-1329 |
| 24 Feb 1947 | Rudolf Brandt (D) | 1330-1354 |
| 24 Feb 1947 | Gerhard Engel (D) | 1355-1361 |
| 24 Feb 1947 | Xaver Dorsch (D) | 1361-1379 |
| 3 Mar 1947 | Manfred Roeder (D) | 1381-1403 |
| 3 Mar 1947 | Walter Lichtenstein (T) | 1428-1432 |
| 4 Mar 1947 | Erich Raeder (D) | 1434-1439 |
| 5-6 Mar 1947 | Roland Ferrier (P) | 1481-1548 |
| 6, 10-11 Mar 1947 | Paul Le Friec (P) | 1550-1584 |
| 20-21 Mar 1947 | Wolfgang Vorwald (D) | 1586-1696, 2287-2340 |
| 11-20 Mar 1947 | Erhard Milch (D) | 1696-2276 |
| 20 Mar 1947 | Hermann Reinecke (D) | 2277-2287 |
| 21 Mar 1947 | Joseph Krysiak (P) | 2362-2376 |
| 25 Mar 1947 | Defense and prosecution defense closing statements | 2377-2490 |
| 16 Apr 1947 | Judgment | 2491 |
| 17 Apr 1947 | Sentence | 2527 |
| 17 June 1947 | Affirmation of sentence by US Military Governor | |
| 20 Oct 1947 | US Supreme Court denies writ of habeas corpus |
Evidence File Document Groups Used in the Trial
| D | Industry |
| EC | Economics |
| F | [675, 824] |
| L | London |
| NI | Nuremberg Industrialist |
| NO | Nuremberg Organizations |
| NOKW | Nuremberg Armed Forces High Command |
| PS | Paris-Storey |
| R | Rothschild |