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

with the Wehrmacht and with civil authorities
were on a much more formal footing and were carried out through
liaison and official channels* Political and social control of the
')T by the Nazi Party Organizations "brought with it further administrative
ramifications. The following captured German document from
the West is submitted as an illustration of administrative frustration,
owing mainly to shortage of manpower and deterioration of morale.
Organization Todt.
Einsatzgruppe West 19 November 1943­
OBL» -Cherbourg.
To the
Organization Todt*
Einsatzgruppe West.
Reference; Inventory and issue of materials.
At the beginning of this year we attempted to take an inventory
here although it was much too late. The first store keeper was
GREB. He did not take any inventory but sold all the goods and
put the money into his own pooket. For this he was sentenced to
imprisonment. His successor was POLTL» He was an administrative
employee who, although he did not actually sell anything,
also did not attempt any inventory. The third storekeeper was
HECKMAN* This man also failed to take any inventory but blackmailed
everyone to whom he sold OT goods in exchange for
tobacco and brandy. He too had to be replaced. His successor
was HIPPER* His only shortcoming was the fact that he could
neither read nor write, and mixed up all the accounts. The fifth
storekeeper within the ten months, is TRUMANN, employed here
talpo.it
since 20«9«43« This man was released tjy the Personnel Adminis­
tration on 18»5»43» and was transferred to this branch. At that
time I was grateful for personnel and took in anyone who seemed
suitable. But as it happens, the reason for TRUMANN 1 s
reassignment to this post is his near-blindness, and consequently
he cannct even attempt inventory because he positively cannot
see a thing.
talpo.it
Nevertheless, now, after "nearly a year, the inventory must
be undertaken. Stock must be taken of all Reioh property.
Among all men employed here, there is not one capable of performing
this task. If all instructions issued "by headquarters
are to be carried out I must request the assignment to this
branch of a suitable and capable man to replace TRUMANN*
To summarise, then, the OT is to be regarded as a generally
flexible organization, evolved to meet local conditions throughout
Europe over a period of years. The Organization appeared to best
advantage in the Einsatzgruppen situated in Russia; it began to give
definite evidence of deterioration in the stabilised West.
T:7. "Permanent Organization". The Einsatz (E: Area Control Staff Army
Einsatz as a subdivision of Einsatzgruppe is primarily a control
staff concerned with co-ordinating the construction programme of the
Oberbauleitungen (OBLs) under its oomrol. Thus the largest administrative
section in its headquarters is the Referat Bau (Sub-section
Construction)• The above conception of Einsatz, however, represents
a late stage of OT organization, and there are frequent allusions to
Einsstz in the OT which cannot be interpreted in this sense. The
reason for this can be traced to the fact that the word Einsatz in the
3ense of "commitment" is one of the most frequently and indiscriminately
used terms in present day German military language. Thus, in Russia,
and to a lesser extent in the West, the termBinsata was used to
x See Chart 5c
talpo.it
- 28 ­