Aggression Plans

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 138, 8 December 1945, Page 7

Aggression Plans

VBM

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

Rcc. 12.45 p.m. NUREMBERG, December 7. The German navy was instructed to disguise its ships as British and answer challenges by giving' the names cf British warships when embarking' on the invasion of Norway. This was revealed in one of many secret Nazi documents which were introduced today at the trial of the major war criminals.

Major Elwyn Jones, dealing with the part of the British case concerning the planning of the war against Norway and Denmark, described the converging of the interests of Rosenberg and Raeder concerning Norway and how, through Rosenberg, Quisling was eventually brought lo Berlin to see Hitler.

'The Nazi Government preferred reports from this traitor to tnose of their regular diplomatic representatives," said the prosecutor. ' Raeder laughed in the dock when Major Elwyn Jones read an extract from Jodl's diary which stated that Goering was in a rage because he had i not been consulted over the invasion of Norway and Denmark. The prosecutor submitted a German naval v study of strategic bases which was signed by Frick. It advised against permanent bases baing established in North and South America, Asia, or Australia, but urged the acquisition of basis in Central Africa, islands off Africa, and Iceland, and concluded with the somewhat wistful words: "Time will show how far the outcome of the war with England will make extensions of these demands possible." Major Jones quoted extracts from Jodl's diary stating that Goering wanted "more . energetic measures taken against the civilian population of Norway." Major Jones said that the documents produced revealed the menace behind the good will of GoerI ing and rendered sordid the professional status of Keitel and Raeder. The case of Nazi aggression in Scandinavia ended with the submission of a naval memorandum in which the incorporation of Norway and Denmark in the Reich was urged. AGGRESSION IN LOW COUNTRIES. Presenting the case on Nazi aggression against Belgium, Hdlland, and Luxembourg, another member of the British prosecuting team, Mr. G. D. Roberts, K.C., listed treaties between the three countries and Germany and then described how they had been violated. Twenty of the accused fidgeted and averted their eyes when Mr. Roberts said: "1 submit that on the ordinary laws of inference and justice all these | men must be held to have been active participators in that disgraceful breach of faith which brought misery and i death to so many millions." j Mr. Roberts disclosed that a German I I plane which was forced down in Belgium on January 10, 1940, carried orders to the Luftwaffe which showed the Nazi plan of attack on the Low Countries. The Belgian Government succeeded in obtaining the plan. Colonel Harry Phillimore opened the British case concerning Yugoslavia and Greece. He quoted a directive by Hitler of November 12. 1940, stating: "Spain must enter the war. Action for the seizure of Gibraltar will be undertaken by German troops, and support will be siven by the Spanish I in closing the straits after seizure of j

The Rock. The units intended for Gibraltar must be of sufficient strength to seize The Rock even without Spanish assistance." The directive added: "Owing to the change in the general situation, it may not yet be possible or necessary to start operation "Sea Lion' (landing in Britain) in the spring of 1941." THE ULTIMATE AIM. The prosecutor introduced a report of a speech made by Hitler at a conference with Mussolini in January, 1941, in which Hitler said: "Our ultimate aim is to attack the British Isies. Here we are in the position of a man with only one rouna left in his rifle; if we miss, the situation will be much worse than before. ■ As long as attack has not taken place, the British must dispose their forces and reckon with the possibility of attack." Hitler did not see any great danger coming from America, even if America entered the war. "Russia is a much greater danger," he said, "but as long as Stalin lives there is probably no danger. Hu is intelligent and careful." "Mai'ita"' was the code name for the Nazis' plans for the invasion of Greece. Hitler issued a directive covering the Balkan and Mediterranean theatres on December 12, 1940. The Greek mainland was to be occupied during March, "for use in the new undertaking." Simultaneously, Hitler issued orders which were intended to bolster up the Italians. He assigned a V/ehrmacht "blocking unit" to assist and advise the Italians in keeping the British out of Tripolitania. and sent an a;r corps to Sicily and an army corps to Albania, where he said the dangers of collapse must be removed. Hitler told a conference of high military and diplomatic leaders on April 27, 1941, that he was datermined to destroy the Yugoslavs as a military nation and that the attack must be carried out with merciless severity in I order to frighten Turkey into subtmissiveness. I Colonel Phillimore then quoted Rib- ! bentrop's letters to the Yugoslav Premier. Mr. Cvethkovic, in which he gave an assurance that Germany would not exploit Yugoslavia's newly signed adherence to the Axis to demand the passage of German troops. The prosecutor said that Germany consistently used the technique of aggression based on securing the maximum advantage of surprise, even if only for the sake of a few hours' unopoosed military advance into the country of the unsuspecting victim. The' tribunal adjourned."