Tapping Hitler's Generals

Extract from SR Draft No. 87 [TNA, WO 208/4210]

General der Panzertruppe VON THOMA (GOC German Afrikakorps)–Captured 4 Nov. 42 in North Africa.

Generalleutnant SCHAEFER (Commander 244 Infantry Division)–Captured 28 Aug. 44 in Marseilles.

Information received: 1 Jan. 45

SCHAEFER: We negotiated with that American officer VAN BERGEN, a German-American,[127] but they don’t understand the psychology of the German officer. I told him too: ‘How can you do that when you are CO of a “Division” or a GOC; when you are responsible for your troops you can’t simply say: “I’m not going to carry on any longer; I’m clearing off”.’

THOMA: They (the Allies) wouldn’t do that either.

SCHAEFER: They probably wouldn’t do it either, but they expect us to do it; they imply by their attitude: ‘it’s ridiculous to carry on fighting; the whole of GERMANY will be smashed to bits.’ I say that I would rather have peace today than tomorrow, but you can’t persuade an officer simply to say: ‘We’ll arrange with the Americans: “You attack, and we won’t fire”.’

THOMA: Only the Supreme Command can do that.

SCHAEFER: I told them that too, but who would do that? We discussed things like that for days on end.

Document 58

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 247

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 10–14 Jan. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

KITTEL: If we could ever get so far as to make the Russians stop!

HEYKING: I personally am of the opinion that the Russians only want to capture and occupy what they definitely need for afterwards, and that then the occupation of GERMANY–they’ll get in there anyway. Why should they fight large-scale actions now? No! They are conserving their forces for their later–making us their jumping-off place against ENGLAND. They need their troops afterwards to be able to carry through their further plans. They haven’t the slightest intention of carrying on a great offensive in EAST PRUSSIA now. They won’t do it. They will now see to BUDAPEST and the BALKANS–

HEYKING: I keep saying: ‘We must just hang on for another few months, for the tension between RUSSIA and the Anglo-Saxon States is definitely coming!’ After all, we know what’s happening. The Americans are saying: For what are we waging this war?’ The Russians will never… them in the east–do you think that the Russians will allow the nimble Americans to establish themselves in the place of the English who used to control SHANGHAI?

KITTEL: No!

HEYKING: Of course not. It isn’t for nothing that the Russians have already established their communistic influence in CHINA and that CHIANG KAI-SHEK has resigned.[128] He’s put in his cousin as Regent and he himself is now only C-in-C. The communistic influence in CHINA has been systematically encouraged by RUSSIA. The Russians say to themselves: ‘Better to be confronted by a broken-down Jap than a hearty American.’ They want to pursue their trade in the Far East. They don’t want to occupy the countries in the West, they merely want friendly governments who will work for them. Hence their influence in FRANCE through DE GAULLE, in SPAIN and God knows where, everywhere, in ITALY etc. To them it’s all a jumping-off ground against the English. They also want the oil-fields in the PERSIAN GULF etc., after that they’ll say they’ve got all they want. That will give them the trade and domination of the whole of EUROPE and the English can then do what they like. The Americans will say to themselves: ‘There’s nothing to be made in the Far East, there’s nothing in EUROPE–what are we fighting this war in EUROPE for?’

KITTEL: For nothing!

HEYKING: For nothing! It’s bound to dawn on them in time!

KITTEL: It has dawned on them!

Document 59

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 248

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 15–17 Jan. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

SCHLIEBEN: We shall lose everything that has been built up since the time of FREDERICK THE GREAT: SILESIA, EAST PRUSSIA, the RHINELAND. Everything on account of one Austrian corporal. A whole nation is being ruined on account of one man.

ELFELDT: It’s no use any more, the end is drawing near. Even the hope that the Russians and the Allies would quarrel, which one could still have in the autumn, must be given up now. The next four weeks will be frightful; everything will collapse then.

Document 60

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 249

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 18 Jan. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4177]

FELBERT: When everything is over in GERMANY those Nazi scoundrels will shout at the people: ‘You have to thank only the Generals for this.’ They’re partly right, too, as the army leaders should have said long ago: ‘thus far and no further!’

Document 61

CSDIC (UK), GRGG 253

Report on information obtained from Senior Officers (PW) on 26–7 Jan. 45 [TNA, WO 208/4365]

SCHLIEBEN: I can see quite clearly that all this Bolshevism is nothing but a colossal Jewish plot.