Newsgroups: alt.revisionism Followup-To: alt.revisionism Subject: Holocaust Almanac: Chelmno's Gas Wagons (2 of 5) [Translation] Archive/File: camps/chelmno/gas-wagons/sonderdruck.0387 Last-Modified: 1996/03/08 Page five, p.407 ---------------- From the date of the first usage, we may infer that "_Kaisers-Kaffee_"-vans were prepared beginning in the end of 1939 till midyear 1940 with assistance of the Fuehrer's chancellery and the RSHA. On 15 and 16th August 1941 Himmler was in Baranowitschi [English spelling?] and Minsk [28] And inspected an action of [liquidation/execution] by shooting in the area of _Einsatzgruppe B_ [29]. The attending Higher SS- and Police-Leader in Center Russia ["Russland Mitte"] von dem Bach-Zelewski reported later, Himmler was moved/shaken apparently by this action.[30] After that, Himmler had visited a hospital/sanatorium for mentally insane people and afterwards ordered the Leader of _Einsatzgruppe B_, Nebe, to search/investigate means, fit to shorten the suffering of the people as far as possible [31], as he had concluded from the experience with the execution by shooting "that shooting wasn't yet the most human way" [32]. He [i.e. Nebe] should send "a report" about those investigations. Himmler addressed Nebe, as the KTI, subordinated to the 'Amt V', had excelled in the investigation/development of killing procedures during the "Euthanasia" program, so that their experiences could be employed now. Nebe was simultaneously head of that 'Amt V' [department] in the RSHA. Relying on this position, in beginning September he ordered Widmann to come to Minsk with explosives and two metal-hoses/tubes [33]. Widmann had had discussed this order with his immediate boss/superior Heess. This elucidates that apart of the stress for the execution squads/commands, a further reason was given for the following experiments: "It was discussed with Heess also about the usage of [poisonous] gas in the killing of mentally insane persons, especially about the impossibility to transport the CO-cylinders in Russia." [34] The CO-cylinders would have been necessary, if one was intending to use "_Kaisers-Kaffe_"-vans or gas-chambers as they were used in the "Euthanasia" program. Page six, p.408 --------------- When the blasting/explosion of a bunker in Minsk, into which mentally insane persons had been brought, didn't show the intended result/success, an experiment with the metal hoses, which Widmann had carried with him, was undertaken in the sanatorium for mentally insanes/asylum of Mogilew, which Himmler had visited also [35]. About this, Widmann testified on 11th January 1960: "Nebe has ordered to close the windows with brick-work and to leave two openings for the gas-pipes on that afternoon ... When we arrived, first one of the hoses, which had been with me in the car, was fixed/connected. The connection was made to a passenger vehicle. In the openings of the wall, there were pieces of pipes/tubes were situated, where/onto which one could easily affix the hoses ... After five minutes, Nebe came out and said, there wasn't any effect yet. Also after eight minutes, he couldn't observe any effect and asked, what had to be done now. Nebe and I convinced ourselves, that the car was too weak. Hence, Nebe ordered/caused/made the second hose to be fixed to the van [to transport troops] of the _Ordnungspolizei_. Then it took only a few minutes, Till the people lost consciousness. One left [the motors of] both cars running for about another ten minutes [36]. The incident just described is also reported in the deposition by the Russian doctor N.N.Akimova of 18th November 1946, who gives as date of the experiment the 186h September [37]. Hence/therefor, Widmann and his aides must have been in Minsk and Mogilev from 13th to 21st September [38]. The relation between these experiments and Himmler's visit and order is revealed/given/elucidated in another deposition by Widmann: " Nebe wanted to discuss the matter with me, as he said, that he had to report it to Himmler." [39] Nebe must have learned by these two experiments, that only the idea to kill with exhaust gases, which most probably was his own, was feasible [40]. Page seven, p.409 ----------------- But the _Einsatzgruppen_, for the usage of which the new more "humane" killing method was searched/investigated, couldn't use/handle a gas-chamber with fixed location, in which people were killed by exhaust-gases. They had to be mobile, to fulfill their task [41]. Based on these considerations and the past experience, a plan/project emerged the KTI to build gas-vans. Nebe and Heess proposed this to their commander Heydrich, head of the security police and the SD [42]. Widmann testified about this: "I was informed by Heess shortly about the result of his report in the _Prinz-Albrecht_-street [Heydrich's head-quarter]. He told me, that vans would be built/constructed, into which exhaust- gases would be led/introduced, instead of the recent application of CO-cylinders." [43] It becomes apparent, that "_Kaisers Kaffe_"-vans, which were known in the KTI, had been the model for the gas-vans - mobile, gas-tightly sealed, close boxes. However, because of the technical difficulties, the pure CO couldn't simply be replaced by exhaust-gases. A new construction was necessary which unified traction unit, trailer and the source of the poisonous gas. Heydrich's immediate superior/boss was Himmler since the decree of 27th September 1939. Therewith the circle is closed. Heydrich had supposedly heard about the experiments in advance, and was therefore in the "secret", otherwise it couldn't be understood, why Nebe and Heess contacted/approached him. Heydrich was also in a position to lend the necessary technical support to the KTI. He approached _SS-Obersturmfuehrer_ Rauff, head of group/department II D3 (technical matters), with its subgroup/sub-department being led by _SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer_ Pradel. He [Pradel] testified in his trial that Rauff had told him: " This is an order by Heydrich which has to be carried out." [44] In this sense, we may also understand Rauff's deposition on 28th June 1972 in Santiago de Chile:"I think, it is impossible that Pradel undertook the development of the gas- vans on his own. He must have had an order either by me or someone with a higher position."[45] Page eight, p.410 ----------------- Wentritt, head of the repairing-shop/park in _Referat II D3a_ testified concerning this: "Still in 1941, I was summoned to the head of the group/department, Major Pradel. He declared/told me, that the execution squads in action suffered often from nervous break-down (respectively were close to it), so that a more humane killing method should be used. We needed therefore - as Pradel stated _ closed/sealed vans/motor vehicles."[46] Pradel ordered Wentritt to test/investigate whether it was possible to lead motor-exhausts in the closed/sealed superstructure of a van. When Wentritt answered this in the affirmative, Pradel communicated the positive/affirmative answer to Rauff and got back with the order to contact Heess. Heess detailed, how such a van had to be constructed and how it should operate. On Rauff's order, Pradel and Wentritt visited the _Gaubschat_-factory/company in Berlin-Neukoelln, which was specialized in the production of sealed/closed box- superstructures [47] where they pretended, that they needed the vans to transport the dead victims/corpses of a spotted fever epidemic. They made an agreement that the RSHA should deliver the chassis to the factory "which had to put a box- superstructure on top of them." [48] The order was given directly by Rauff, probably in a letter/in-written form [49]. But Pradel's attempt to purchase chassis was a failure, so that an intervention by Rauff was necessary. He testified on 19th October 1945: "In so far as I can recall I only supplied 5 or 6 [[chassis]]." [50][English in original] When the chassis had been delivered to the Gaubschatt company, Wentritt informed himself several times about the on-going construction work and fetched the first van himself. He provided this van with the following alterations in the workshop of _Referat II D 3a_, as the matter was classified as "_geheime Reichssache_"[highest level of secrecy]: "At the exhaust-pipe an exhaust-hose was fixed which was led from the exterior to the bottom of the van. In this van we drilled a hole with diameter of about 58-60 mm, the diameter of the exhaust-pipe. Into the interior of the van, above the hole, we welded a metal pipe (exhaust pipe), which was connected or could be connected to the exhaust-hose. Upon starting the motor, the exhaust went into the exhaust-pipe and from there into the exhaust-pipe in the interior of the van, where the [exhaust-]gas was spread." [51]
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