I order as follows:

1. Commanders-in-Chief, Commanding Generals, and Divisional Commanders are personally responsible to me for reporting in good time:

(a) Every decision to carry out an operational movement.

(b) Every attack planned in Divisional strength and upwards which does not conform with the general directives laid down by the High Command.

(c) Every offensive action in quiet sectors of the front, over and above normal shock troop activities, which is calculated to draw the enemy's attention to the sector

(d) Every plan for disengaging or withdrawing forces.

(e) Every plan for surrendering a position, a local strong point, or a fortress.

They must ensure that I have time to intervene in this decision if I think fit, and that my counter orders can reach the front line troops in time.

2. Commanders-in-Chief, Commanding Generals, and Divisional Commanders, the Chiefs of the General Staffs, and each individual officer of the General Staff, or officers employed on General Staffs, are responsible to me that every report made to me either directly, or through the normal channels, should contain nothing but the unvarnished truth. In future, I shall impose draconian punishment on any attempt at concealment, whether deliberate or arising from carelessness or oversight.

3. I must point out that the maintenance of signals communications, particularly in heavy fighting and critical situations, is a prerequisite for the conduct of the battle. All officers commanding troops are responsible to me for ensuring that these communications both to higher headquarters, and to subordinate commanders, are not broken and for seeing that, by exhausting every means and engaging themselves personally, permanent communications in every case arc ensured with the commanders above and below.

signed: ADOLF HITLER

Back to Operational Directives from the Fuehrer Headquarters

Revised: January 21, 1999

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