VOLUME XIV

16 May 46
Number Raeder-15, within the scope of the documentary evidence
which I have submitted with the Tribunal's permission. In my
opinion, this document proves that there was no intention of
aggression.
Document Number Raeder-15 is an affidavit-I beg your pardon-it
is in Document Book 1, Page 94. This document deals
with an affidavit deposed before a notary at Hamburg by Dr. Ing.
h.c. Wilhelm Siichting and is important for the refutation of DOCUment
C-23, and for that purpose I should like to quote:
"I am the former Director of the shipbuilding yard of Blohm
& Voss in Hamburg. I was with this firm from 1937 to
1945"-pardon me--"from 1907 to 1945 and I am conversant
with all questions concerning the construction of warships
and merchant ships. In particular, as an engineer I had
detailed information about the building of battleships for
the German Navy. Dr. Walter Siemers, attorney at law of
Hamburg, presented to me the Document C-23, dated 18 February
1938, and asked me to comment on it. This document
shows that the Navy, contrary to the previous agreement,
informed the British that the battleships Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau-as well as other intended constructions-had a
displacement and draught of about 20 percent less than was
actually the case.
"I can give some details to explain why this information was
given. I assume that the information given to the Britishinformation
which according to naval agreement 4 had to
be supplied 4 months before the keel was laid down-was
based on the fact that the battleships Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau were originally intended to have a displacement of
26,000 tons and a draught of 7.50 meters and the battleship
"F" (Bismarck) a displacement of 35,000 tons and a draught
of 7.90 meters, as stated.
"If these battleships were afterwards built with a greater
displacement and a greater draught, the changes were the
result of ~rders given or requests made by the Navy while
the plans were being drafted and which tbe construction
office had to carry out. The changes were based upon the
viewpoint repeatedly expressed by the Navy-namely, to
build the battleships in such a way that they would be as
nearly unsinkable as possible. The increase of the tonnage
was not meant to increase the offensive power of the
shipM-I beg your pardon, Mr. President. I shall be finished
in a moment-"The increase of the tonnage was not meant
to increase the offensive power of the ship but was done for
defensive and protective purposes."