Newsgroups: alt.revisionism
Followup-To: alt.revisionism
Subject: Holocaust Almanac: Chelmno's Gas Wagons (4 of 5)

[Translation]

Archive/File: camps/chelmno/gas-wagons/sonderdruck.0387
Last-Modified: 1996/03/08

Page thirteen, p. 415
---------------------

As  construction plans for such an equipment  were  provided
only  for this type of van - they should be added/built into
the   vans  already  in  operation  subsequently  -  we  may
conclude,  that the whole order for thirty chassis consisted
of  Saurer-vans.  This consideration is  corroborated  by  a
letter from Becker to Rauff on 16th May 1942:

     "While the vans of the first series can be used in
     not too bad weather, the vans of the second series
     (Saurer)   are   completely  immobile   in   rainy
     weather." [92]

It  becomes apparent, that Becker distinguishes between  two
series  of vans; moreover, the description "Saurer" for  the
vans of the second series is only meaningful, if all vans in
this series were of them same type. Hence , the _Referat  II
D  3a_  issued an order and delivered the Saurer-chassis  to
equip them with the superstructures/boxes/containers in  the
end  1941  and  in April 1942 already 20 of  them  had  been
delivered [93].

The  sources and witnesses say that gas-vans of the  Saurer-
type  were  operating only in January 1942 [94], i.e.  later
than the smaller vans.

Considering  the  necessary time for the construction  works
[95],  the order 1737 cannot be issued before December 1941.
Becker's distinction relates therefore not only to the  size
of  the  vans, but as well to the date of their construction
and  of their operationing. This means that for starting six
smaller vans had been built and were used, but already since
December  1941,  one only built larger vans of  the  Saurer-
type,   firstly,   as   one   intended   to   provide   each
_Sonderkommando_ of the different _Einsatzgruppen_  with  at
least one van, and secondly to expand and extend the gassing-
capacity.

That  the  latter aim was foremost is shown by the  note  of
27th April 1942, which discusses several possibilities ("tip-
up  equipment for the box-superstructure", "facility to tip-
up  the  bottom-grate", "facility to move  in  and  out  the
bottom-grate") to achieve a quicker discharge of the 'cargo'
(=gassed  people)  [97]. Even when it turned  out  that  the
large  vans  couldn't  be used in the  open  ground  in  all
weather  it wasn't thought of using smaller vans as  in  the
beginning,  only the box-superstructure should  be  slightly
shortened [98].

_Referat  II  D  3a_ was not only responsible for  technical
matters   but as well for the operationing/handling  of  the
vans/transportation   park  of  the  security   police   and
consequently for the gas-vans.

Page fourteen, p.416
--------------------

This  is  elucidated not only by the official tasks  of  the
_Referat_, but as well by the work of _SS-Untersturmfuehrer_
Becker   [99].  On  Rauff's  order  he  travelled   to   the
_Einsatzgruppen_  to supervise the operationing/handling  of
the  gas-vans  and  to  mend  occurring  faults/difficulties
[100].

According to his own statements, he was thus travelling from
mid  January to September 1942 [101]. During this  time,  he
was  in  perpetual  connection  with  Rauff,   and  reported
continuously  about  his  supervising/observations  and  his
actions/work [102]. His reports provided basis of "technical
alterations/improvements" which should be  applied   in  the
construction of vehicles which were still to be built [103].

Becker's  intervening wouldn't have been  necessary  if  the
group   Rauff   had   been   responsible   only   for    the
production/construction/preparation of  the  vans.  Becker's
task shows that the group II D3 was as well responsible  for
the  operationing/maintenance/handling of the vans. This  is
as well certified by the sources.

On  15th  June  1942, the Commanding Leader of the  Security
Police  and of the SD in _Ostland_ [administrative  district
in  occupied  SU,  comprising parts  of  Lithuania,  Poland,
Byelorussia  -  around  Vilna,  Baranowicze,  Minks,  Sluzk]
addressed  a  request  to Rauff for an  additional   van  of
Saurer-type [104].

In  the same place, he ordered "another 20 exhaust-hoses  to
be  send along, as the existing were already untight".  From
Becker's report we may infer that the failure of a  van  had
to  be reported by wireless telegraph to the _Amt II D_  and
that  the vans had to be sent to Berlin in the case of  more
involved repairs[105]. The note in the file on 5th June 1942
reports  that  a  gas-van  was  exploded  in  Chelmno.  This
incident  caused  Rauff to order new  experiments  on   gas-
samples by the KTI.

In  the  same  place, the "services affected by  this  [got]
special  instructions" and smaller alterations to  the  vans
were   undertaken  to  prevent  [the  building-up]  of  high
pressures in the box-superstructures [106].

_SS-Gruppenfuehrer_    Harald   Turner,    head    of    the
administration staff with the military commander in  Serbia,
had  requested  and  got a gas-van in  April  1942  for  the
killing of the Jews of Belgrad [107].

On  9th  June  this Saurer-van was sent back to Belin  after
completed  "special task" [108]. After due  repair,  it  was
sent to Riga conforming to the request on 15th June [109].

Often  the gas-vans have been seen on intermediate stops  on
their way to the East, e.g. in Breslau or Krakau [110].

The  Leader of _Einsatzgruppe D_, Ohlendorf, testified  that
the   gas-vans   didn't   belong  to   the   transportation-
park/rolling   stock  of  the  _Einsatzgruppe_,   but   were
commissioned/leased to them from Berlin [111].

Page fifteen, p.417
-------------------

With  the  gas-vans, the drivers, who had got a training  to
the  handling  of  the vans [112] were sent along.  Gas-vans
drivers  testified that on order of the operative leader  of
group  II  D 3a they had fetched/got the vans in Berlin  and
brought them to their operation location/area [113].

This means, that _Amt II D 3a_ was not only responsible  for
the     construction    of    the    gas-vans,    but     it
directed/orchestrated  centrally  from/in   the   RSHA   the
operations  of  the  gas-vans  [114],  providing  the  vans,
drivers,      and      exchange     parts/equipment;      it
controlled/supervised and coordinated  the  operationing  of
the vehicles.

For finishing, a conclusion of the results:

In  the  period of four months, on order by Himmler,  a  new
killing  method, the gas-van, was developed in the following
sequence of actions/events:

- 15./16.8.1941 Himmler's order.

- 16./18.9. Experiments in Minsk and Mogilev.

- Early October, order given to _Amt II D 3a_

- 3.11. experimental gassing in Sachsenhausen.

- Late November and in December first usage of the vans.

In  this  the  RSHA  cooperated closely with  the  following
services:

-  the KTI; here emerged the idea to build gas-vans; and  it
was responsible for the "chemistry part" of the experiments.

-  _Referat  II D 3a_; it prepared two series of  vans,  six
smaller ones (Daimond and Opel-Blitz) and the thirty Saurer-
vans;  it  directed and supervised the operationing  of  the
vans, centrally from Berlin.

In  the development of the gas-vans, the experience gathered
during  the  "Euthanasia", which was stopped  officially  in
1941  was  purposively  applied/used  in  technical  matters
("_Kaisers Kaffee_"-vans) as well as with the staff employed
(KTI, Becker, Lange). Unlike the case of "_Kaisers Kaffee_"-
vans,  a  participation of Fuehrer's chancellery  cannot  be
stated/found here. This staff worked during that time on the
development  of  another  method  which  was  used  in   the
destruction centers since 1942.

"Technical  developments"  were  a  precondition   for   the
perpetration of the premeditated/intended crimes. The  step-
wise   perfectioning   of  the  killing-methods   were   the
development of the gas-van was only one step in  the  sequel
of national-socialist killing methods, result in the killing
of ever more people, mainly Jews.

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