ml miRS-tonpon HI 'nrflJIBRCH 1945 Illi - 1GM

of the Armament Inspectorate District in whose sphere the Party Gau
was wholly or partly situated. As for the administration of
construction within the Gau. such as e.g. the issuing of permits for
construction of a non-military "but high priority nature, or public
and Party institutes, the Deputy was subordinate to both the
Gauleiter and the Plenipotentiary, although primarily to the latter.
On 3rd June 1944, Amt Bau and OTZ were consolidated. While the
resultant agency, as to organization, follows ths lines of the Amt
Bau rather than that of the OTZ, most if not all heads of its
Amtsgruppen (Branches) are former OTZ departmental heads. I t can
be said, therefore, that the transformation is one in name rather than
fact, and that all OTZ key personnel have continued in their functions.
The next step, as already mentioned above (Para 16 foot-note)
accomplished by 15th July 1944, was the formation of the eight
Einsatzgruppen, etc. inside Germany and the establishment of the next
chain of command. The most radical feature of the latter was the
elimination of the Construction Plenipotentiaries and their staffs,
and the creation of four Baubeauftragte (construction deputies)
for each Gau, instead of one, on the staff of the Reich Defenc3
Commissioner 1 one for civilian construction permits, one for
inspection of civilian construction, one fcr air raid shelters
construction, and one to act as efficiency or economy engineer.
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The reorganization of the OT in Germany was thus practically
completed about 15th July 1944* and HITLER'S aforementioned decree of
24th August of that year was therefore a ratification of an already
existing arrangement. The change in the chain of command, eliminating
the Construction Plenipotentiaries and replacing them by the
Einsatzgruppenleiter as the highest regional executive authorities,
subordinate only to Amt Bau-QTZ, was inevitable if duplication was to
be avoided. On l6th October 1944, SFEER, empowered by HITLER'S
decree, issued a series of directives defining the relative spheres of
authority of the Chiefs of Einsatzgruppen, the Chiefs of Einsatze,
and the Construction Deputies on the staffs of the Reich Defence
Commissioners (Gauleiter). Both documents are rendered in
translation at the end of this section (Paras 21 and 22). Construction
agencies of the German Air Force and Navy were taken over by the OT in
late summer 1944*
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20. Significance of FrOnt-OT
There are strong indications that the pooling of a million men
in one industry, and their sudden redistribution on a rationalized basis,
disrupted the economy of those construction firms which had not been
conscripted into the OT. Such a re-allotment caused resentment on
the part of firms who lost employees attracted by the comparatively
high wages paid by the OT. The movement of masses of OT personnel,
over whom they had no control, across their administrative boundaries
disturbed the Gau Labour Control officials, as well as the Gauleiters
in their capacity of Defence Commissioners. A compromise was
consequently effected. Zones were established, which because of
their susceptibility to enemy action, were designated front zones,
and the collective area was designated Front-OT. Within this area
of highest construction priority, the OT has the status of a
military organisation, and its personnel, M as Angehflrige (member)
of the Wehrmacht", commensurate basic pay plas the extra allowances,
bonuses, compensations, etc. which - with certain exceptions - OT
has been uniformly paying to their personnel working in exposed areas,
since January 1943* Its German personnel are called Frontarbeiter,
its foreign personnel, OT Le^ionare. The Front-OT may also move
its personnel across regional labour boundaries inside the Reich
without interference from the Reichstreuhttnder fllr die Arbeit
(Reich Labour Trustees) who are SAUCKEL's regional representatives,
or from the Reich Defence Commissioners (who are also the Gauleiter).
This Front OT consists of (l) the operational zones fronting the
Allies in the West, and the Russians in the East; (2) heavily bombed
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