THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Stahmer, the document being read was Document F-672.
DR. STAHMER: We cannot find Document 672. We have 673. We have nothing
but loose sheets, and we have to hunt through them first to find the
number. We have Number 673, but we have not yet found Number 672 among
our documents. It is very difficult for us to follow a citation, because
it takes us so much time to find the numbers even if they have been
mentioned correctly.
THE PRESIDENT: I can understand the difficulty. Will you continue, M.
Dubost, and do as I say, going very slowly so as to give the defendants’
counsel, as far as possible, the opportunity to find the document. And I
think that you ought to do something satisfactory, if possible, to make
it possible for them to find that document—by pagination or some other
letters. An index, for instance, giving the order in which the documents
are set out.
M. DUBOST: Three days ago, two document books in French, paginated like
the books which the Tribunal has before it, were handed to the Defense.
We were able to hand only two to them, for reasons of a technical
nature. But at the same time we handed to the Defense a sufficient
number of documents in German to enable each Defense Counsel to have his
file in German. Does the Tribunal ask me to collate the pages of the
French document book which we submit to the Defense with the pages of a
document book which we set up, when the Defense can do it and has the
time to do it? Three days ago the two French document books were handed
to the Defense. They had the possibility of comparing the French texts
with the German texts to make sure that our translations were correct,
and to prepare themselves for the sessions.
THE PRESIDENT: Go on, M. Dubost. As I say, do it slowly.
DR. STAHMER: It is not correct that we received it 3 days ago. We found
this pile in our compartment yesterday evening. We simply have not had
time to number these pages. As I say, this was in our compartment
yesterday evening or this morning.
THE PRESIDENT: Let’s go on now, M. Dubost, and go slowly in describing
the identification of the document.
M. DUBOST: We shall pass to Document F-357, which will be submitted as
Exhibit Number RF-381. This document deals with the carrying out of
general orders concerning the execution of prisoners of war. It contains
the testimony of a German gendarme who was made prisoner on 25 May 1945,
and who declares (Page 127):
“All prisoners of war, who had fallen into our hands in whatever
circumstances, were to be slain by us instead of being handed
over to the Wehrmacht as had been done hitherto.”
This concerned an order which was given in the middle of August 1944.
The witness continues:
“This execution was to be carried out in a deserted spot.”
On Page 128, the same witness gives the names of Germans who had
executed prisoners of war.
We shall now submit Document 1634-PS, which will become Exhibit Number
RF-382. The Tribunal will find it on Page 129 in their document book. It
is a document which has not yet been read. It relates to the murder of
129 American prisoners of war which was perpetrated by the German Army
in a field in the southwest, and west of Baignes in Belgium, on 17
December 1944 during the German offensive.
The author of this report summarizes the facts. The American prisoners
were brought together near the crossroad. A few soldiers, whose names
are indicated, rushed across the field toward the west, hid among the
trees in the high grass, in thickets, and ditches, and thus escaped the
massacre of their companions. A few others who, at the moment when this
massacre began, were in the proximity of a barn, were able to hide in
it. They also are survivors.
Page 129:
“. . . the artillery and machine gun fire on the column of
American vehicles continued for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then
two German tanks and some armored cars came down the road from
the direction of Weismes. Upon reaching the intersection, these
vehicles turned south on the road toward St. Vith. The tanks
directed machine gun fire into the ditch along the side of the
road in which the American soldiers were crouching; and upon
seeing this, the other American soldiers dropped their weapons
and raised their hands over their heads. The surrendered
American soldiers were then made to march back to the crossroad,
and as they passed by some of the German vehicles on highway
N-23, German soldiers on these vehicles took from the American
prisoners of war such personal belongings as wrist watches,
rings, and gloves. The American soldiers were then assembled on
the St. Vith road in front of a house standing on the southwest
corner of the crossroad. Other German soldiers, in tanks and
armored cars, halted at the crossroad and also searched some of
the captured Americans and took valuables from them. . . .”
Top of Page 131:
“. . . an American prisoner was questioned and taken with his
other comrades to the crossroads just referred to.
“. . . at about this same time a German light tank attempted to
maneuver itself into position on the road so that its cannon
would be directed at the group of American prisoners gathered in
the field approximately 20 to 25 yards from the road. . . .”