(Strictly Secret.)

On the 23rd, at Foreign Minister RIBBENTROP'S request, I flew to the General Headquarters. There I accompanied RIBBENTROP to lunch and we talked for four solid hours.

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Then RIBBENTROP called in Field Marshall KEITEL and I talked with him for one hour. I am wiring you in a separate message these conversations.

Trans. 8-26-41

(Part 1.)

Regarding my 1063[a].

The German-Soviet war as described personally by Marshall Keitel follows: 1. The Soviet losses and condition of remainder of Soviet forces.

The total number of Soviet casualties, including wounded, dead, and captures, is estimated at between five and six million. It is definitely known that Soviet prisoners number about (1,250,000 ?) and it is certain that the dead number over two times that figure. The total casualties, therefore, are positively not below five million.

The man power of the Soviet forces which have made an appearance on the battlefields to date total about 260 divisions. The majority of these have now been destroyed, and only the equivalent of about sixty divisions still remain. Much of these, however, were slapped together haphazardly so that their military efficiency has dropped very low. The fact that the quality of their equipment has become very low further handicaps them. It has been estimated that the armed strength of the Soviet Union has fallen to one third of its original. It is true that about 40 additional divisions are now available. However, in view of the fact that the men for these were called to arms about ten days to two weeks subsequent to the launching of this war and have received only a few weeks training as reserves, they add little to the actual fighting strength of the Soviets. These were the reserves who were between 16 and 40 years. Moreover there are practically no artillery units and the infantry have little more than machine guns. Apparently there is an acute shortage of equipment and officer material, for it has been noted that in some cases a sergeant was in command of a battalion and in others, a lieutenant was in charge of a regiment. Judging from the population, it will undoubtedly be possible to organize about 20 more divisions. Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire    However, that will practically exhaust the source of supply, it is believed. http://louis0j0sheehan.blogspot.com

With the exception of training ships, there are apparently about 100 to 2000 first class planes remaining. However, since these are being destroyed at the rate of about 100 a day, the Soviet air force need no longer be taken into consideration.

Tank and mechanized divisions numbered about 50 but the majority of these have been lost and the remainder has been taken over by the infantry to augment its fire power.

The PU division has as yet to be employed and is still in Moscow. Female battalions have already made an appearance.

Summarizing the above, it may be said that the Soviet forces still are rich in number of remaining man power. However, they no longer are equipped or trained to fight with any degree of efficiency.

-----(this part unfinished)-----

[a] See III, 829.

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Trans. 8-28-41

THE "MAGIC" BACKGROUND OF PEARL HARBOR

(Part 2.)

2. German losses.

The total losses to German man power, including the dead, wounded, and lost, were, up to very recently, less than 160,000. The dead to date probably reach about 40,000. Thus number was 35,000 on August 10 when an accurate survey was made.

Because the total might of artillery fire and artillery men could not be put to use in forest warfare, German losses were comparatively heavy. Through experience gained in fighting since the Polish campaign a very complete repair corps makes repairs to tanks right on the scene of battle. There is very little damage to German tanks from enemy fire and because all mechanical trouble is speedily repaired by the repair corps, the mechanized divisions have maintained, at all times, a 75% full fighting strength. The total number of tanks supplied to offset losses have amounted to less than one year's output in Germany.

3. Present outlook of the war.

a. Southern front.

Odessa is now definitely and completely encircled. However, since that city is a strongly fortified base, no attempts are being made to rush it. Instead, it is being subjected to long range heavy gun fire in the accepted manner of fighting fortifications. Although Dnepropetrovsk is located in a field warfare area, it is very strongly fortified. Germany is, therefore, subjecting it to sufficient artillery warfare before making any direct in-fighting attempt. The enemy has some feeble newly recruited forces along the left bank of the Dnieper river from Dnepropetrovsk to Kiev. In order to avoid the damage resulting from suburban warfare, Kiev at present is being subjected to destruction of buildings by artillery fire. This is to be followed up shortly by infantry attacks.

There were sudden and rapid developments in the Ukraine sector which enabled the Germans to annihilate the greater part of all of Budenny's forces. Because of the speed with which the campaign is being conducted, practically all of the grains and other goods were left intact. German forces are scheduled to push on across the Dnieper river to HARIKOHU (Kharkov ?) and DONBASU. However, because the mechanized equipments have been in use every day, some repair work will have to be made on them before proceeding.

(Part 3)

b. Central front.

The forces which had reached a point east of Smolensk halted their forward march so as to enable them to keep close contact with both flanks. Strong units from this force have been diverted to the southern theater while a portion of the mechanized divisions were sent up to take part in the northern front.

The former forced the retreat of strong enemy forces which had been entrenched in the area north of KOROSUTEN, and, according to plans, will be destroyed in the area to the southeast of Gomel.

The latter group has already reached an area to the southeast of Leningrad and have joined the forces in that area.

c. Northern front.

The Leningrad-Moscow railroad has already been cut at Chudovo, north of Novgorod.  http://louis0j0sheehan.blogspot.com  The German lines-----(one line missed)-----roughly follow the line from-----along the Narva river to the Gulf of Finland. The Germans were employing seige tactics here, too, in conjunction with artillery warfare, but have completed this phase and are now in the process of attacking the city itself. Its capture is expected very shortly. According to reports which

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were intercepted, Marshall Voroshelov has already abandoned Leningrad. In Estonia, Revel (Tallin) is the only unconquered area. Here, again, the German forces are avoiding rushing tactics, and instead are resorting to various types of heavy artillery fire tactics. Because the forces in the north are concentrating on pushing further to the north, the Soviet forces attempted a counter attack on a grand scale from the Khalm area, but it was suppressed.

(Part 4)

d. Finnish forces.

The Finnish forces, cooperating with the Germans, have advanced to the area to the west of Lake Ladoga and to the west of Lake Onega. For the purpose of seizing the Murmansk area, General DIITORU (Dieter?), famed for his defense of Narvik, is arriving from Norway with his forces via sea.

4. Aims of the German forces.

In view of the above described showings of the various German armies, they are now being organized in the field for the second phase of the war. This second phase will shortly be launched. The goal of this phase is the capture of the entire region from DONBASU (Rostav-na-Donu?) to Moscow and the industrial area around Leningrad. At the same time, the remnants of the Soviet field forces will be mopped up. According to plans, these campaigns will call for the continuance of action until about the middle of October or early November. The Caucasus area is also to be seized, according to plans, but since military campaigns may be conducted in that area even during the winter months, it is possible that this will take place as late as in December.

As to whether there will be a necessity of sending any strong forces as far as the Ural mountains, and as to whether weather conditions will permit such maneuvers, will be decided after the conclusion of the second phase which is about to be launched. Also, it would depend greatly on the time and weather conditions at the time this second phase is concluded. For these reasons, no definite prediction can be made as to the above point.

The German military, however, is of the opinion that the second phase will be concluded by the end of October, by which time practically the entire Soviet field forces will have been destroyed, and her main industrial areas vital to supply her armed forces, will have been lost to her, leaving absolutely no possibility of her being able to rise again. Therefore, it is likely that with the exception of small occupation forces, the bulk of the German army will be returned to Germany, it is believed.

(Part 5)

5. Other items.

a. The Soviet forces have been weakened to the extreme. The military tactics of the commanding officers are very poor. On the other hand, the will to resist of the general masses is exceedingly strong. The utter abandon of all military reasoning with which these people put up resistance, has not been duplicated by any of the military forces of the western European nations. Their campaign tactics completely disregard the value of human life, and in all other aspects is conducted with the utmost cruelty. Factory workers and even women are sent into the battlefields, and hence, the number of people they are employing is colossal. The Germans find that it is not an easy matter to determine the disposition of these great masses. Wherever possible the Germans are avoiding the use of firearms in an attempt to minimize useless destruction.  Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire

b. From the beginning of the war, the German forces have been aiming at the annihilation of the Soviet forces. For this reason, the German forces have avoided making direct frontal attack on areas in which Soviet forces are concentrated. Instead, these areas are being completely surrounded.

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THE "MAGIC" BACKGROUND OF PEARL HARBOR

c. To avoid unnecessary losses, no power attacks are attempted on old fortifications and against metropolitan areas. Instead, the accepted means of fighting fortifications are made use of against them.

d. For the above reasons, more days are required in carrying out a maneuver, but losses suffered by the German forces have been brought down to a minimum, thus making the eventual victory more fruitful. As a matter of fact, the Germans never expected such favorable results as they have gained, before the campaign was launched.

e. Because the battle area is so vast, there is considerable variance in weather conditions. This, sometimes, presents unexpected difficulties from the viewpoint of coordinating the campaign. In general, it may be said that good weather conditions have prevailed in the northern area; the central area followed that in favorable weather conditions, while the southern forces have encountered much difficulty due to much rainfall. The rains in the last mentioned area have made it exceedingly difficult to carry out the scheduled tactics. Very recently, however, weather conditions have become favorable at last, which enabled the Germans to carry out their plans.

(Part 6)

f. In a battle front which extends for more than two thousand kilometers, it is impossible to shift general troops from one part to another as campaign strategy and battle developments require from time to time. However, Germany accomplishes this feat with ease by utilizing her crack air and mechanized forces.

g. Of course, it goes without saying that the mechanized forces played a major part in carrying out the lightning advances made since the outbreak of the war. In the final analysis, however, it is the infantry advance that counts in the long run, and no credit can be taken away from them for the part they have played.

h. Because preparations to do so were made before the war broke out, the wide-gauge Soviet railroads have been transformed into narrow gauge tracks with no loss of time. This had made possible the lightning advances of the military forces. Conversion work on the tracks has already been completed as far as the Smolensk-PUSUKOV line.

i. To date, the Soviet forces have made absolutely no use of germs or poison gas in the war. It is presumed that they will not resort to those tactics in the future.

Being of the opinion that the material contained in this dispatch may have some value as reference material for the Imperial Army, I am reporting it in some detail. Please relay the information contained herein to the Army and Navy.

Trans. 8-27-41

Re your #572[a] to the Foreign Minister.

It seems that the German Government sent in the agreement about LI SHENG-WU on the 1st. Ambassador LI will still be delayed for a very considerable length of time because of the present state of traveling facilities, and, in the meantime, Chinese residents here, among whom there are many depraved anti-Japanese rascals, will keep up their adverse propaganda. So, I think for the time being we had better appoint an honorary consul in Berlin, supported and advised by Japan, and let him deal with them.

I also think it would be quite appropriate to continue this sort of consular service even after Ambassador LI takes office.  http://louis0j0sheehan.blogspot.com  I went to the German officials and told them that it was my own idea and that Nanking knew nothing about it, and asked them what they thought. They

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said that the German Government was thoroughly in accord and, if Nanking wished, they were ready to pick out three or four Germans zealous for the New Order and, of course, not anti-Japanese, to help the Nanking representatives to work out a good basis of cooperation between Japan, China and Germany. If Your Honor agrees with me on this, please negotiate with Nanking and arrange to realize this plan as soon as practicable.

[a] Not available.

Trans. 9-25-41

The German and Italian Ambassadors in Tokyo requested the use of Japanese ships from Tokyo to South America in transporting documents to the foreign office. We accepted this, but at the same time, made the reservation that in the transporting of documents between Japan and Europe, Italian aeroplanes be made available for our mail between Italy and Rio de Janerio or Santiago. Therefore, in the sending of documents that do not require secrecy or are not confidential in nature, we desire to make use of the above mentioned aeroplanes.

Relay to Rome.

Trans. 9-16-41

For sometime past, we have been negotiating with the German Commercial Staff here in Tokyo in order that we might draw from German peso funds in Argentina the equivalent of 7,000,000 yen to apply against our purchases of cow hide in Argentina. (As compensation we are offering petroleum and other goods as well as foreign money.) At the present time, we understand that the Commercial Attache in Tokyo has as yet not heard from his home government concerning this matter.       Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire     Therefore, I would like to have you take steps to urge the Ministry of Economics so that they will, at as early a date as possible, wire their approval. German representatives here are understood to have already communicated the details of these negotiations to their superiors in the Ministry of Economics, but inasmuch as two of our ships are at present in South American waters to load this cow hide, until these negotiations have been settled, please most especially make every effort to bring about a settlement of this matter at once.

Trans. 9-5-41

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