English Translation

Copy! 29 Wehrmacht Plenipotentiary to the Reich Protector and Commander in the Wehrkreis Böhmen und Mähren Prag, 10 May 1943. Abbot I c No. 723/43 g.Az. l Betr.: Czech troops in the Red Army. To the Reichsprotektor in Bohemia and Moravia, e.g. of the Secretary of State K.H. Frank, Prague. Beehr geehrt Herr Staatsminister! At the request of W BV, the High Command of the Wehrmacht and the High Committee of the Army have made the following decisions: 1. W BV Prague is authorized to provide the Reichsguardor with reports on the fighting with Czech legionaries and extracts from prisoner reclamations for the purpose of informing the public. 2.) The Czech prisoners of war are transferred to Prague and are at the disposal of the Reichsprotektor for interrogation. A representative of the Wehrmacht is added. Prisoners of war remain in custody of the German armed forces. 3.) OKW intends to evaluate the new material obtained by the W BV and Reichs protektor abroad for propaganda purposes. 4.) Enemy information about a successful defense of the Czech legionaries and the considerable losses of the German attackers to humans and tanks are freely invented. At the beginning of March 43 the German trup- pen in the area around Kharkov were in the attack, the Soviet forces including the Czech units were thrown back. Three Czech prisoners were taken, including a lieutenant, who is to be regarded as a superlative.