NAVY DEPARTMENT |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
In reply refer to No. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Op-16-F-9 WASHINGTON |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 29, 1941. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
MEMORANDUM. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. The interrogation of the officers and crew taken from the SS ODENWALD leaves no doubt that the handling of the prisoners after removal from the ODENWALD was extremely loose. THis was undoubtedly due to the fact that a state of war did not exist at the time the ODENWALD was taken over, and that there was a certain amount of excitement and elation among the officers and crew of the OMAHA. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Ensign Emmel Winslow Mundy, (D-V(G) USNR., gave his personal cards to 2 of the officers with his address in the U.S., on the back. On one of these cards was the phrase "A good American friend" in handwriting which is presumed to be that of Ensign Mundy, as it is definitely not German in character. Roy C. White, Gunner, U.S.N., also gave his personal card with the mail address of the OMAHA on the back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Several photographs taken by members of the OMAHA crew show certain members wearing party buttons of the NSDAP which were obviously taken from prisoners or found on board the ODENWALD. While there are undoubtedly highly prized souvenirs, their retention is not only against regulations but also against the interest of the service, as these could be put to valuable use. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Contrary to awarding the personnel of the ODENWALD treatment as prisoners of war, it is obvious that there was a certain amount of fraternizing. Prior to the departure of the OMAHA from Puerto Rico, a collection was taken up by the crew of the OMAHA amounting to approximately $200.00 and the men of the ODENWALD were very plentifully supplied with cigarettes, contrary to all O.N.I., instructions and practice. Prisoners were not thoroughly searched and were permitted to retain money, personal valuables and numerous personal papers, photograph albums, address lists, etc., which might be of extremely great value to this office. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. It is recommended that a circular letter be prepared for general distribution inviting attention to the necessity for strict observance of regulations in handling any prisoners taken, and that a letter be addressed to the Commanding Officer, USS OMAHA requesting return of any souvenirs in possession of the crew, especially party badge buttons or any political insignia or other literature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| John L. Riheldaffer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Relations between Internees and the Crew of the |
||
OMAHA and representatives of the Army |
||
| In the effects of the Second Radio Operator, Ruge, there was found the personal visiting card of Emmel Windslow Mundy, Ensign, United States Naval Reserve. On the back of this card there was written in ink, "Harlem, Ga. U.S.A." This writing was patently not the writing of a German. It may, therefore, be the writing of Ensign Mundy, a D-V(G) officer, who is reported to have been ordered detached from the OMAHA on December 11, 1941, and assigned to Norfolk and thence to the Armed Guard School, Brooklyn, N.Y. Subsequent orders have postponed the date on which Ensign Mundy is to report, to January 15, 1942. | ||
| On a scrap of paper in Ruge's suitcase there was also found a notation "Colonel Schreiber, Mount Holy Springs, Pensilv." This appears to be a reference to Colonel Schreiber, who conducted an interrogation of some of the ODENWALD crew members in Puerto Rico. The correct address is probably: Mount Holly Springs, Pa. | ||
| Among the belongings of the Third Engineer, Schulz, another personal card of Ensign Mundy was found. Similarly, "Harlem, Ga. U.S.A." was written on the reverse of the card, and also the phrase, "A good American friend." A further personal card was found bearing the name "Roy C. White, United States Navy". On the back of this card was written, "U.S.S. OMAHA, Care of P.M., New York, N.Y." White is a Gunner on the OMAHA. | ||
| Several photographs taken aboard the OMAHA and forwarded to the Office of Naval Intelligence show a number of the OMAHA men to be wearing the official party button of the N.S.D.A.P. (Nazi Party), which they had apparently taken or received from the German crew. It may be noted here that included among the personal belongings of the ODENWALD crew at Camp Upton, N.Y., there are a few additional party buttons. | ||
| Statements were made to me by Army officers at Camp Upton to the effect that the crew of the OMAHA had taken up a collection for the ODENWALD crew amounting to approximately $200.00, and that the latter had been plentifully supplied with American cigarettes. An examination of the baggage of some of the officers of the ODENWALD revealed that the same contained several cartons of Camels and Chesterfields. These statements were otherwise uncorroborated. | ||
| When the crew of the ODENWALD was taken into custody by the OMAHA all the personal effects of the men, other than money were believed to have been collected and forwarded to ONI. When the internees were transferred to the custody of the Army and arrived at Camp Upton it was found that mixed in with their personal clothing the men still possessed numerous papers, photographs, letters and other documents of possible | ||
- 11 - |
||
|
|
|
| value as intelligence. Furthermore, whatever the men carried on their persons was collected by the Army and placed in the Camp safe. Included in these possessions were still more papers, letters, photographs and other personal items. | ||
Recommendations |
||
| Excluding consideration of the BUSKO, the ODENWALD salvage operation represents the first substantial experience of the Navy in the apprehension and detention of an alien ship and crew. The experience gained from this operation makes it desirable that certain specific recommendations be formulated, for observance by all members of the naval establishment, in their treatment of, and relations with, prisoners of war. These recommendations might well concern themselves with the following subjects of immediate importance: | ||
| 1) Upon capture all prisoners should be thoroughly searched, i.e., all their money, valuables and articles of clothing should be collected and held for them until their release; while all private and official papers, letters, photographs, maps, books and written or printed material of every description, as well as party badges and political designations and certifications of all kinds should be forwarded promptly to the Office of Naval Intelligence. | ||
| 2) The attention of all members of the naval establishment should be called to the irregularity of taking or receiving and retaining possession of anything belonging to a prisoner of war. | ||
| 3) While all prisoners of war are entitled to decent treatment in accordance with the practice observed between civilized governments, such treatment shall be firm and positive and shall not be permitted to deteriorate into maudlin sentimentality and in the exchange of confidences between captors and prisoners. | ||
| In order to permit ONI to complete its intelligence investigation on the ODENWALD case, it would also seem proper that the Army be requested to collect and forwarded to ONI all personal possessions of the internees, excluding only personal clothing, jewelry and money, but including all other items, such as letter, photographs, papers and memoranda and party badges and other political certifications. | ||
 |
||
| Ralph G. Albrecht, | ||
| Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve. | ||
- 12 - |
||
|
|
|