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Fuehrer Order on Command |
Authority in a Divided Reich |
Fuhrer's Order on the organization of command in the separated areas of Northern and Southern Germany
On April 15th [1945] the Fuhrer issued the following fundamental order:
In case land communications in Central Germany are broken, I order as follows:
1. In the separated area in which I am not present myself, a Commander-in-Chief appointed by me will conduct all military operations, and will take command of all forces of the three branches of the Armed Forces in the area concerned, of all fronts, of the Reserve Army, the Waffen-SS, the Police, and other organizations attached to them.
2. If I myself should be south of the interrupted communications, Admiral Doenitz will be appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Northern area. An Army General Staff (Commander, Lieutenant General Kinzel), which will be kept as small as possible, will be attached to him as Operations Staff. The following will come under his command:
(a) Commander-in-Chief Army Group Vistula, who will command the Eastern Front.
(b) Commander-in-Chief North-west, who will command the Western front.
(c) Commander Armed Forces Denmark.
(d) Commander Armed Forces Norway.
(e) Commander-in-Chief Air Fleet, Reich, for the air forces engaged.
3. If I myself should be north of the interrupted communications, General Field Marshal Kesselring will be appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Southern area. The following will come under his command:
(a) Commanders-in-Chief of Army Groups South and Center, for the Eastern front.
(b) Commander-in-Chief Army Group G, for the whole of the Western front.
(c) Commander-in-Chief Southeast.
(d) Commander-in-Chief Southwest.
(e) Commander-in-Chief 6th Air Fleet, for the air forces engaged.
4. The Commanders-in-Chief appointed for separated areas in paragraphs 2 and 3 will conduct the overall defense of the Reich in their areas, if necessary independently, should my orders and decisions, even by wireless, not reach them in time, in view of the communications position. They are personally responsible to me for exhaustive employment of their entire war potential, in the closest cooperation with the Reich Commissioner for Defense of the separated area. Apart from this, as far as communications allow, the unified control of operations by myself personally, as hitherto, will not be altered. In particular, the duty of supplying day-to-day reports is not affected.
The High Command of the Air Force, and the Reichsfuhrer SS, as the superior officer responsible for the military duties of the Waffen-SS, will be kept informed of decisions as quickly as the technical possibilities of communications allow.
5. The Commander-in-Chief in an area which is temporarily cut off will also avail himself of the services of the local representatives of the supply, transport, communications, and armaments organizations laid down in the order issued on April 11, 1945.
6. The headquarters of the proposed Commander-in-Chief of a separated area will be sited and prepared forthwith, in agreement with the Chief of Armed Forces Signals, General of Signals Praun, and in accordance with the order by the Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces dated April 12, 1944, "Establishment of subsidiary headquarters".
7. The activity of the Commander-in-Chief of a separated area will be initiated only on special orders from me. These will also define the Army Groups under whose command each Army will come.
8. Similarly, I shall appoint a Supreme Reich Commissioner for Defense for a separated area, under whom all authorities of the Party and the State will be coordinated, and who must cooperate closely with the Commander-in-Chief of the separated area.
9. The Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces will issue operation orders.
The following supplementary order is for Commander-in-Chief Navy:
I entrust Commander-in-Chief Navy with immediate preparations for the exhaustive use of all possible sources of manpower and material, for defending the Northern area, should land communications in Central Germany be interrupted. I delegate to him plenary powers to issue the orders necessary for this purpose to all authorities of the State, the Party and the Armed Forces in this area.
Back to Operational Directives from the Fuehrer Headquarters
Revised: January 21, 1999
