Legendary and much feared by military leaders was Hitler’s head for numbers—whether they were the calibre, construction and range of firearms or the size, speed and armour of a warship.62 He knew the navy calendar, which he kept by his bedside, by heart.63 Indeed, from all indications he had a nearly photographic memory.64 He would not only recognise people, but recall when and where they had met, leading Christa Schroeder to wonder how so many facts could fit inside one human brain.65 The speed with which Hitler read was also an indication of his astonishing memory. “He could scan not just
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