740.0011 European War 1939/7994: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Phillips) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 29—3:13 p.m.]
134. A member of the German Embassy staff just returned from Berlin confidentially informed a friend of mine who is the same source on which my 126 was based that concentration of German troops in Rumania is for sole purpose of attack on Greece through Bulgaria. He said “the situation in Greece must be cleaned up”. He added it was also purpose of German High Command to send to Libya German reinforcements.
This same German admitted the mistake made at commencement of war in that the German and Italian General Staffs, although represented on a mixed commission, had actually been functioning separately. Hitler had taken position at outset that he had no need of Mussolini’s military cooperation with result that German High Command had given little information to Italians. When Italy entered war Mussolini adopted same principle of independent action with result that Germans had not been aware of weaknesses in Italian Army, Navy and Air Force. Now they are fully aware of it and have sent high German experts into every branch of Italian military forces. In addition, so-called “mixed commission” which previously never functioned as unit will hereafter function in this manner although there will be no one supreme commander.
Same German official added that Berlin had no use for any member Italian Government except Mussolini himself.