English Translation

143 Excerpted copy. The Commander-in-Chief of the Berlin Army, 12.12.39 No. 3520/39 go. AHA/Jn 9 II a Office of the Secretary of State An benn Reicispro ehtoc Stellv. Kommando An Böbmen und Mähren. pp. Eing.: 26.JAN.1940 Betr.: Mitühren der Gasmaske am Mann. Tgb. n.... 651 1) The present war conditions make executional moods necessary to H.Dv.395, No.53, according to which the gas mask is constantly carried by the soldier. In particular, it must be avoided that arbitrarily reliefs are made in the carrying of the gas nose. This could lead to great losses, even to serious setbacks, especially in a sudden blow or gas launcher attack, less in the use of combat material by aircraft or artillery fire. The French have already made preparations in peace to be able to lead blow attacks surprisingly out of the Maginot line, pp. 2) In the area of the spare army, as far as its parts are not in the space referred to under 1) and in the region of the commander-in-chief East, the gas mask does not need to be constantly carried along. However, it must be taken into account that it is quickly accessible in the shelters in the case of a pilot alarm. The same applies to the operating area backwards of the space after 1). 3) All holidaymakers have to take their gas mask with them on holiday. I expect the insight and the duty-consciousness of all drivers and underleaders that they recognize the great importance of the sharpest gas breeding and even in the introduction of the gas mask to lead with good example. (eg.) Brauchitsch. The Wehrmacht authorised by the Prague, the 24.1.40 Reichsprotector in Bohemia and Moravia. Abt. Ib/WuG. Nr.136/40 geh. Absc ür den Wehrmaschtbevoll Der Chef des Stabs i.A. lalidlu Hauptmann