Size: 5.25 x 8.25 inches

This incredible WWII era propaganda leaflet was air dropped by the British military (heavy bombers) over the Germans. Airborne leaflet propaganda (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a Letter bomb) is a form of psychological warfare in which leaflets (flyers) are scattered in the air. Military forces have used aircraft to drop leaflets to attempt to alter the behavior of combatants and non-combatants in enemy-controlled territory, sometimes in conjunction with air strikes. Humanitarian air missions, in cooperation with leaflet propaganda, can turn the populace against their leadership while preparing them for the arrival of enemy combatants.

This leaflet was created in the E.H./S.O.1 production agency and was printed by H.M.S.O. The first dissemination of this leaflet by British aircraft was recorded on 07/08 December 1941 with its last drop being made 14/15 February 1942. A total of 2,965,000 of these leaflets were dropped during that time span with very few still existing today. Due to the harsh and strict rules in Germany at the time…civilians or soldiers caught holding leaflets such as this on their person were severely punished…ultimately leading to death. Because of the delicate nature of these leaflet many were burned, thrown away, and decayed due to the thin and delicate paper.

Translation:

Picture of Hitler against a reproduction of the January 1st, 1941 edition of the Münchner Neueste Nachrichten. Headlines in the newspaper read:

"1941 will be the year of final victory" – "The Führer's New Year Order of the Day to the Armed Forces".

AN UNFORTUNATE PROMISE!

(REVERSE)

[A panel of text set on a photograph of a landscape covered with a montage of corpses of German soldiers]

FROM THE FÜHRER'S HEADQUARTERS

Supreme Command Special Announcement, 29th June, 1941: "Already by June 22nd the Luftwaffe had achieved air supremacy on the Eastern Front, and had dealt the Soviet-Russian Air Force an annihilating blow".

Supreme Command Communiqué, 3rd July, 1941: "The Red Army's power of resistance is obviously broken".

Supreme Command Communiqué, 13th July, 1941: "The Supreme Command was able in the last three days to report victories that in essence mean the final decision in the struggle against the Soviets".

Supreme Command Communiqué, 17th July, 1941: "By throwing in its last reserves the Supreme Command of the Soviet Armies is endeavouring to check the onrush of the German Armies".

Hitler, 2nd October, 1941, Order of the Day to the soldiers on the Eastern Front: "Today is the beginning of the last great decisive battle of this year".

Hitler, 3rd October, 1941: "Russia is already broken and will never rise again".

Hitler, in Munich, on 8th November, 1941: "If one has fought one's way from the East Prussian frontier to within ten kilometres of Leningrad, then one can also march the remaining ten kilometres into the city".

Supreme Command Communiqué, 29th November, 1941: "In obedience to orders, the occupying troops in Rostov are evacuating the city proper, in order ruthlessly to carry out the necessary measures of retribution against the population, which, in contravention of international law, has taken part in hostilities in the rear of the German troops".

"THE VOICE OF THE GERMAN SUPREME COMMAND IS THE VOICE OF TRUTH"

(Hitler on 31st October, 1941)