Military Agency Records RG 238

War Crimes Records

National Archives Collection of World War II War Crimes Records (RG 238)

Researchers desiring to use the records in this Record Group for specific cases should consult the finding aids in the consultation area in Room 2400. These finding aids provide descriptions and locations of the records. Researchers may also wish to consult the publications listed below. (Note 67)

Governmental Publications (available in the consultation area in Room 2400)

The Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946. 46 vols. (Nuremberg, 1947-1949). (Note 68)

Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. 10 vols. (Washington, DC, 1946-1948) (Note 69)

Trials of War Criminals before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law No. 10, October 1946-April 1949 15 vols. (Washington DC, 1949-1953) (Note 70)

Records

Records of the Office of the U.S. Chief Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality

The Office of the U.S. Chief Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality (OUSCCPAC) was established pursuant to the appointment, by Executive Order 9547, May 2, 1945, of Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson as U.S. Chief of Counsel for the United Nations' prosecution, before an international tribunal of European Axis leaders charged as war criminals. The International Military Tribunal (IMT) was established by the London Agreement, August 8, 1945, originally signed by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the USSR, subsequently by 19 other nations, with appended charter specifying that IMT, with permanent headquarters in Berlin, would consist of one judge and an alternate from each original signatory nation, and that the first trial would take place in Nuremberg, Germany. OUSCCPAC, comprised of attorneys and support personnel detailed from federal agencies, as well as some private sector attorneys, functioned in collaboration with counterpart British, French, and Russian staffs, each headed by a chief of counsel. OUSCCPAC and counterpart staffs gathered evidence, some from interrogations, but mainly from seized German records; and prepared the indictment that was issued, October 6, 1945, by the original London Agreement signatory nations, naming 24 Germans (Note 71) as war criminals and accusing 6 German organizations of being criminal in nature. Between November 20, 1945, and August 31, 1946, OUSCCPAC prosecuted the remaining 22 defendants (1 original defendant having hanged himself prior to trial and another having been declared medically incompetent to stand trial) and argued the case for the criminality of the 6 organizations. IMT rendered judgments, September 30 and October 1, 1946, acquitting 3 defendants and convicting 19 (of which 12 were sentenced to hang, 3 to life imprisonment, and 4 to prison terms of varying lengths); and holding 3 of the 6 organizations to be criminal. In accordance with Executive Order 9679, January 16, 1946, authorizing the U.S. prosecution of additional war crimes cases before US. military and occupation tribunals once Justice Jackson had vacated his office; and following Justice Jackson's resignation as U.S. Chief of Counsel, October 6, 1946, all components of OUSCCPAC except the Subsequent Proceedings Division were discontinued by October 24, 1946. By General Order 301, Headquarters, U.S. Forces European Theater (USFET), October 24, 1946, the Subsequent Proceedings Division, having been transferred to Headquarters USFET, was designated the Office of the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes and assigned to the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.)[OMGUS].

Records of the United States Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality

United States Evidence Files 1945-1946 (Entry 1)

Reference Files 1933-1946 (Entry 2)

Boxes 1-82 and Box 8A

Interrogations, Summaries of Interrogations and Related Records 1945-1946 (Entry 7A)

Arranged alphabetically by name of person interrogated, in two subseries. There is much, but not complete duplication between the two subseries. List of contents of both subseries at the beginning of the main series. Boxes 1-50

State Department Dispatches Received From European Capitals 1933-1944 (Entry 7B)
Boxes 1-2

Reference Documents Received From American and Foreign Services 1945-1946 (Entry 52D) Arranged in three subseries: American, foreign, and miscellaneous, and thereunder by source of document. A list of contents is at the beginning of the series. Included are copies of interrogations and statements of German officials. For name and subject card indexes, see Entries 52B and 52C. Boxes 1-35 and 1-54

Subject Card Index to the Reference Documents Received From American and Foreign Services (Entry 52C)
Boxes 1-2

Name Card Index to the Reference Documents Received From American and Foreign Services (Entry 52B)
Boxes 1-2

Records of the Office of Chief Counsel For War Crimes

The Office of Chief Counsel for War Crimes (OCCWC) was established in the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.)[OMGUS], by General Order 301, Headquarters U.S. Forces in Europe (USFET), October 24, 1946, as successor to the Subsequent Proceedings Division of the Office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality (OUSCCPAC). Headed by Brig. Gen. Telford Taylor, appointed Chief of Counsel for War Crimes (CCWC) by the same order, having served in OUSCCPAC as staff member in various capacities (May 25, 1945-March 28, 1946) and as Deputy Chief of Counsel in charge of the Subsequent Proceedings Division (March 29-October 23, 1946). OCCWC prosecuted 185 defendants, grouped in 12 cases according to sphere of activity, November 21, 1946-April 14, 1949, before 11 U.S. military tribunals. (Note 72) Of 177 defendants ultimately judged (4 of the original defendants having committed suicide and 4 having been deemed incompetent to stand trial), 35 were acquitted and 142 were convicted, with 25 given the death penalty. OCCWC was formally abolished June 20, 1949.

Records of the Chief Counsel

General Records

Reports, Interrogations, and Other Records Received From Various Allied Military Agencies 1945-1948 (Entry 160)

Arranged numerically by folder number. A list of contents is at the beginning of the series. Boxes 1-50

Records of the Executive Counsel

Records of the Evidence Division

Records of the Documentation Branch

Register Cards for the Various Nuernberg Series of German Documents (Entry 169)

Arranged by document series and thereunder numerically by document number. Consists of register cards for the NG, NI, NM, NO,, NOKW, NP, OCC, WA, and WB Series (Entries 170-179). Information on the cards includes the number of the document, date, author, subject, and language. Boxes 1-7

Nuernberg-Industrialists (NI) Series 1933-1946 (Entry 171) Arranged numerically by document number (Numbers NI 001- NI 15681). Series consists of copies of documents, English translations, and Staff Evidence Analysis Forms. Boxes 1-261

Nuernberg-Organization (NO) Series 1933-1945 (Entry 174) Arranged numerically by document number (Numbers NO 001- NO 6039). The documents relate to the activities of organizations of the Nazi Party. Boxes 1-49

Records of the Interrogation Branch

Interrogations and Summaries of Interrogations of Defendants and Witnesses 1946-1948 (Entry 183) Arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of person interrogated. the summaries are in English. Some folders contain English translations of the interrogation. Boxes 1-164

Reports of High Command Interrogations 1945 (Entry 184)

Arranged in two subseries: numerically by report number and alphabetically by initial letter of internee interrogated. Boxes 1-2

Interrogation Summaries 1946-1948 (Entry 185)
Boxes 1-13