Office of the Historian

740:0011 E.W. 1939/30906: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, August 27, 1943—7 p.m.
[Received August 28—1:05 a.m.]

1203. Following information was obtained by a reliable source from two different Soviet individuals who have been at the central front, one in German occupied territory for a considerable period, the other in an emergency field hospital directly behind the lines. The two do not know each other and the main points developed in following text were stated by both in conversations separately.

1.
Virtually none but American automotive equipment (trucks and jeeps) seen at front in use by Red army.
2.
A very large part of the food being supplied to Soviet troops at front is of American origin. American food is also being used to feed the hungry populace in newly reconquered territory at least for emergency rations.
3.
It is stated by both informants that there is no question in the minds of the soldiers and others at the front and of those emerging from German control that American help to the Soviet Union is substantial.
4.
In the German occupied area there is much methodical killing of the populace by the German forces often for reasons which the Russian people do not understand unless it is for pure ruthlessness. The killings are explained by the Germans [and?] the reasons given are: (1) cooperation with guerrillas; (2) Jewish blood; (3) past connections with the Communist Party or with the Soviet Government; (4) families of soldiers fighting in the Soviet armed forces. Killings are especially great when Germans are about to evacuate an area at which time they leave special troops to defend the area to the last minute. In carrying out executions of persons and last minute destruction of property these special German forces in many cases lose their own lives.
5.
Russians observe that Germans are exceedingly well disciplined and that there are practically no traitors among them, a fact which Russians recognize as an exceedingly effective phase of the Hitlerite system. On the other hand, in German occupied regions there are numbers of Russian traitors among whom surprisingly are some young people brought up under the Soviet system.
6.
When Soviets reconquer a region they conduct a rather extensive purge of such traitors.67 Hence, as a result of killing during military operations, killings by Germans during occupation and purges by [Page 567] Soviets on reconquering areas considerable numbers of the populace, are wiped out.
7.
There was some treachery in the Red army in first part of war. Several high ranking officers surrendered their regiments to the Germans needlessly. One Russian Colonel Namiw [sic] Vlasov68 has. organized a Russian army in the German occupied territory to fight against Soviets. It consists mostly of Ukrainians. This army is now actively fighting on the German side and prisoners from it have been taken by Red army. Its troops wear a German uniform with a special star insignia.
8.
One of the two individuals mentioned above reports seeing in German occupied territory one of the lethal chambers or death wagons, news of which has appeared several times in Soviet press. Consists, of motor truck with enclosed body into which exhaust fumes are turned asphyxiating victims during transport to place of burial.
Standley
  1. See pp. 845 ff.↩
  2. Lt. Gen. Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov had fought against the Germans around Kiev, Moscow, and Leningrad before his army was surrounded on the Volkhov front. After hiding awhile in forests, he surrendered to the Germans in August 1942. His outlook had become strongly anti-Stalinist and pro-Russian nationalist, and the Germans began to make use of him in 1943, but not with full effective--ness because of an indecisive and inconsistent policy.↩