The Nizkor Project: Remembering the Holocaust (Shoah)

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Last-Modified: 1999/11/26

The Fuehrer: Hausser is a shrewd fellow. He gives the
impression of a shrew-mouse.

Jodl: A terribly sarcastic, witty man. At least
that's what he was.

The Fuehrer: He has the features of a fox.

Guderian: He has a good wit.

                                           [Page 691]

Keitel: He is very qulck-witted.

The Fuehrer: With his sly little eyes. Only I am not
quite sure whether he has suffered through the last
serious injury.

Fegelein:No he has not suffered, this was tested. The
Reichsf Lfehrer said he does not quite trust the
story. He says if he comes with a succession down
there, and he does something which does not fit who's
mind is not quite in order this would be most
embarrassing for him [sic]. The Reichsfuehrer is so
smart he would not have suggested it if he did not
know exactly that it would be possible, because he
makes a fool of himself and the Reichsfuehrer is very
sensitive in such matters.

The Fuehrer: We all are.

Fegelein:But. of course the Reichsfuehrer is always
being subjected to criticism.

The Fuehrer: When something goes wrong.

Goering: like to ask that the relief of Student takes
place in such a manner that it does not look as if he
was a failure; because he has not failed in a single
point, nowhere, this I wish to emphasize. but he
accomplished all his tasks very well, even though
there was not much going on. He carried out the
flooding etc. I should like to arrange it so that I
require him urgently for the parachute army and make
the request.

The Fuehrer: Hausser has also the following
philosophy: He says as a soldier I am almost 65
years, the highest  ahievement I can accomplish is
that I shall die in battle.

The Fuehrer: I do not want that at all.

Fegelein: pushing.

The Fuehrer: This is no philosophy at all.

Guderian:  very well. This will not necessarily have
to come to pass. He is a happy man.

Fegelein: he gives his last regardless of anything.
He walks through artillery fire and when his aides
flung themselves to the ground, he says: why are you
so sensitive?

The Fuehrer: I would lie down, too. I had only one
general who did not lie down. But he did not hear it.

                                           [Page 692]

Jodl: heless I would suggest it. This a little weak,
Christiansen too is not exactly a born army leader.

Goering: That I admit.

Jodl: Up there it is rather thin as far as command is
concerned.

The Fuehrer: Allright. . .

Jodl: I believe that this is the most practical way.
Thus the Reichsfuehrer will get his staff in the
East.

Guderian: This is especially important: at present
the staff of the Reichsfuehrer is a miserable
improvisation with which he cannot achieve anything.
The communication service does not function, it is
bad. They cannot go on like that. Something must be
sent there immediately.

Keitel: Entirely adapted to his personality.

The Fuehrer: Well, it shall be done thus: Hausser
remains here, Blaskowitz there.

Fegelein: My Fuehrer, I have here something which
requires immediate decision. I have just checked. Out
there in the barracks of the Leibstandarte there are
6,000 men for the 1st panzereorps. It will yet take
some time for the moment. I request that 4,000 to
5,000 of these men with the best officers are placed
behind Schoerner. It does not matter during the next
fortnight whether they are in the barracks or on the
streets.

The Fuehrer: We are not going to do that: because
they have to be trained. When the Leibstandarte is
pulled out, they must move in immediately.

Fegelein:They are trained.

The Fuehrer: I will not be able to assemble them any
more at that time. This corps has not much time. Take
the cavalrymen, they are 1,500 men. You can add a few
"Volkssturm" men.

Fegelein: Shall I bring the commander here?

The Fuehrer: Just as you like, I, for my part, see no
need talking to him.

Fegelein: Well, they are not to be taken away then.

The Fuehrer: No.

v. Below: Then the ammunition allotment.

                                           [Page 693]

The Fuehrer: Yes, the business about the ammunition
allotment. He says: with eight or five rounds for
heavy field howitzers he cannot fight a defensive.

Jodl: This is the calculation by the Quartermaster
General and he added: this will become still worse.

The Fuehrer: But he cannot fight a defensive in such
critical places.

Jodl: I assume that it was figured out that way.

The Fuehrer: If one has a large front line sector
with quiet sections, it might be possible. But if one
has the bad luck-

Jodl: This is prorated for the entire western front
for every artillery piece.

The Fuehrer: Quite. But if one has the bad luck to be
in a sector which gets a constant boxing and he
receives his 5 rounds of ammunition, he cannot
possibly manage, because on a single day of defense
he needs 500 to 600 rounds. In the first World War
during large defensive battles we used up to 500 to
600 rounds with a small battery.

Guderian: This calculation goes for the entire front.

The Fuehrer: For that very reason. If one has a large
sector, it is better.

Jodl: This is ordered for the entire western front.

The Fuehrer: Now he is doubly unlucky. All others
have divisions while he on the Rhine has only a
medley of troops which have no artillery at all.
Consequently his allotment is very small because he
has the artillery only where there is shooting and
where emergency exists. He has no other artillery,
only Russian cannons etc. There is no shooting
elsewhere. For instance he has 100 field howitzers,
they are in the midst of constant heavy fighting. If
he can fire 500 rounds per day with 100 field
howitzers it will not be of much use in a heavy
battle. This has to be taken in consideration when he
gets a larger sector, that this will be balanced.

Jodl: No, this is for the entire front.

The Fuehrer: In the world war in normal times in
1915/16 we had an ammunition supply which was
atrocious.

Guderian: I to 2 rounds per gun per day.

                                           [Page 694]

The Fuehrer: Frequently the regiment begged all day
long for retaliation fire. Then, regularly towards
the evening, six rounds were approved, 4 with time
fuse and two with percussion fuse. This was the
entire artillery support of an infantry regiment.
They came usually after the others had ceased tiring
and upon that they started again. We became raving
mad and said: if only we had not started with those 6
rounds. But I must say: when there were attacks
during heavy fighting there was unlimited ammunition.
Then they fired all the barrels could shoot.

Guderian: This is not the case at present.

The Fuehrer: Normally there was an enormous
restriction. But when an attack was imminent or
actually started, they really blasted away. I know,
on 9 May the battery of Major Parzival fired 5,000
rounds. They fired away, the whole day long, full
blast, that is to say more than 1,000 shells per
barrel.

Jodl: In Italy all quiet, .,.now and fog. The last
remainders of the 29th armored infantry division are
now withdrawn and the last parts of the 4th parachute
division have gone into the line. The 1st and 4th
parachute divisions are now combined under the Ist
parachute corps.

The Fuehrer: I don't know, do you think that the
English still regard the whole Russian development
with honest enthusiasm?

Jodl: No, definitely not. The plans were indeed
entirely different. This will perhaps be realized in
its full extent only later.

Goering: That we stop them there and in the meantime
let the Russians conquer all of Germany, that is
definitely not according to their plans. If things
continue like that we shall receive a telegram in a
few days. It is not so that we do not let them
advance one step and, according to the opinion of the
enemy, hold like mad in the West and the Russian
penetrates more and more into Germany and practically
has all of Germany.

The Fuehrer: In that way the National Committee, the
organization of the traitors, could flave a certain
impor-

                                           [Page 695]

tance. If the Russians really proclaim a national
government. then the English will naturally get
frightened.

Jodl: Those have always regarded them with suspicion.

The Fuehrer: I have ordered that something is to be
played into their hands now, namely the report that
those set up an army of 200,000 of our men, under the
leadership of German officers, completely infected by
communism, which they intend to send into battle. I
ordered that this report be played into the hands of
the British. I gave it to the Foreign Minister. That
is something which will have an effect on them, just
like you prick a shoemaker's awl into something.

Goering: Those entered the war so that we should not
get to the East but not that the East come to the
Atlantic.

The Fuehrer: That is quite clear. That is something
abnormal. English papers are already writing
bitterly: What is the sense of that war"

Goering: On the other hand I read in the "Braunen
Blaettern" a report, they could support the Russians
with their air force. Because they could reach with
their heavy bombers those territories to which the
Russians would have come, even though it would have
been a long flight. But the report comes from an
absurd source.

The Fuehrer: They cannot give them tactical support.
If we ourselves do not know where the Russians are
and where we are, how could they know?

Jodl: 31 trains of the 356th division departed with
speed 8.

The Fuehrer: I have a disagreeable duty yet to
perform today. I have to "hypnotize" Quisling today,
or I let him come tomorrow at three o'clock. Below,
try to find out whether this is possible.

I want to have a short talk with the Foreign
Minister, as to whether Quisling can be received at 3
o'clock; whether that is at all possible; whether he
will wait till the end of our state of war. It is an
awful affair. He is completely out of his head, the
people have driven him crazy.

                                           [Page 696]

Jodl: The cleaning up near Travik is finished. The
104th is being brought up here. It is impossible to
get through here. He f urther asks that the
bridgehead near Visegrad be eliminated. I have no
objections to this. Since we no longer intend to
attack in that direction, it is no longer important.
He requests to withdraw behind the river Drina
because they can thus save forces and can spread out
more.

The Fuehrer: Yes.

Jodl: The 22nd is fighting in this direction and has
now reached the Drina. The bridge there is out. They
are moving north on the western bank.

Here in this district there is a considerable
lessening of tension through the moving away of
Partisans in connection with the fights of the
Jetnicks. Communication with PlevIja is
re-established. The situation here has thus improved.

First elements of the 297th division have reached
Brod. Supply situation has again improved because the
8-ton bridge was completed yesterday the 25th.
Communication is thus re-established. A hospital
convoy has been attacked on the road by fighter
planes here, 10 dead and 7 more wounded. The Syrmish
Front was ciuiet. Commando activity of our own. About
two divisions can be assembled here by the 1st
February, 3 or 4 divisions by 6th February.

The Fuehrer:  In other words, it can't be done before
then.

Guderian: If there is no crisis, mein Fuehrer, it is
better to wait.

The Fuehrer: Absolutely. I will not give myself away
in advance, but preparations will be made quite
secretly and then suddenly the matter will be tackled
from both sides concentrically.

Jodl: Whether the 233rd Schuetzen division is
completely lost is not certain, but it must be
assumed.

Again, several attacks against the Fischer group
which have been repulsed.

The territory round Virovitica was quiet. A new
movement is intended toward the south to be done

                                           [Page 697]

by the Cossacks who as a matter of fact are doing
very well.

The Fuehrer: The Cossacks are good. But why must they
wear German uniforms? Why not have the beautiful
Cossack uniforms?

Jodl: Most of them have Cossack uniforms.

Guderian: Red fur caps.

The Fuehrer: They still have them?

Jodl: Yes, they have red trousers with silver
stripes.

The Fuehrer: Really it is wonderful that Cossacks are
marching with us!

Burgdorf:General von Pannwitz, the commander of the
Cossack division, always visits his troops in a
Cossack uniform. I have seen a photograph of him; he
looks quite savage with his crooked sword dangling in
the scabbard hanging down in front.

Jodl: They have been recruited as national troops.
They now also have their reinforcements because their
families were with them. I don't know where they are
now. They were in East Prussia before.

Guderian: They left there long ago. They reached some
place or other.

Goering: They were in Belgrad.

Jodl: They have their children there.

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