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AUSCHWITZ:
Technique
and Operation
of
the Gas Chambers © | |
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Page 217 |
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| On the morning of 29th January, two days before the planned date
for bringing Krematorium II into service (31st), Bischoff,
Kirschneck and Prüfer, probably accompanied by other Bauleitung SS
and representatives of all the civilian firms working on the
Krematorien, went to Birkenau and thoroughly inspected worksites 30,
30a, 30b and 30c. In the afternoon, Kirschneck drew up a detailed
report of the inspection [Documents 24 and 24a]. As soon as
he had finished. Prüfer read it and coolly rewrote it, simplifying
the text to “erase” some of the obvious delays. Prüfer entitled the
shortened text “Prübericht / Inspection report” and gavel it to
Bischoff [Documents 23 and 23a]. Then Bischoff, in response
to a request made the previous day by the SS WVHA in Berlin for a
progress report, sent the Prüfer report off to his chief, Kammler,
informing him that Krematorium II was completed [Document 22]
and claiming it was operational, which was far from the case. He
wrote that he expected the building to be ready for official
handover on 20th February, whereas the actual date was 31st March.
This “victory communiqué” brought Bischoff immediate promotion: he
was made a Major the next day, 30th January. Bischoff had very
cleverly maneuvered his superior, and the delays that inevitably
appeared were attributed to Prüfer and hence to Messrs Topf, which
was only fair. However, in his letter Bischoff made an enormous
gaff, explaining to Kammler that though it had unfortunately not
been possible to remove the formwork from the ceiling of
Leichenkeller 2, because of the Silesian cold, this was of little
importance, because the “Vergasungskeller” could be used in
its stead [as a normal morgue]. There was the fateful word,
“gassing cellar”, written by Bischoff himself and designating
Leichenkeller 1, as can be seen after cross-checking with
Kirschneck’s report and Prüfer’s simplified “inspection report”.
This is the first of the “slips” that SS and civilians could not
help making, involuntarily or otherwise, as the criminal conversion
of the Krematorien progressed, since in the course of their work
they had to give precise designations to the homicidal
installations. The afternoon of 29th January 1943 was extremely
busy, because in addition, Bischoff and Prüfer considered the
possibility of constructing a SIXTH INCINERATION INSTALLATION,
KREMATORIUM VI based on the principal of open air incineration
ditches and the experience gained with them in the Birkenau woods
between 20th September and 30th November 1942. Prüfer was to produce
the drawings and Pollok was to follow progress for the Bauleitung
(Volume 11 of the Hoess trial, Annex 1, page 58]. Prüfer being a
fast worker, both in business and in designing furnaces, it is most
likely that on his return home from Auschwitz, and according to his
habit, he produced the plans for this project at home (2 Herman
Göringstraße, Bischleben) and during his free time (hence probably
on Sunday 31st January). The drawings of this envisaged new
cremation installation have not come down to us. It was designated
as an “offene Verbrennungskammer / open cremation chamber” or
“großer Ring Einäscherungsanlage / Big ring incineration furnace”.
Pollok reported that its dimensions were “48.75 by 3.76 meters”.
Bearing in mind that that this “furnace pit” was most probably
circular, these dimensions could apply to the overall installation
or to the diameter and depth of the pit. In the latter case, the
surface area of the “furnace” would be 1,865 m² and the cubic
capacity approximately 7,000 m², which is absolutely gigantic and
technically quite utopian. In order to remain exploitable within the
limits of human strength, the diameter would have to be no more than
about fifteen meters. |
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[In the author’s opinion, the foundations and the
circular wall would have been poured in reinforced concrete, the
whole being protected by a thick layer of firebrick, On the bottom
there would have been short pillars of refractory material, about
one meter high, supporting a framework of refractory beams on
which the corpses would rest. Firing by coke or coal would be
effected through three (or more, depending on the diameter of the
pit) openings spaced equidistantly around the circumference, in
the form of trenches sloping from ground level to the floor of the
“furnace pit”. It is very possible that Prüfer would have
considered improving the efficiency of this internal site by
installing pulsed air blowers, which would have enabled him to
sell more of his own firm’s products. Operation would have been
cyclical: the hearth would be lit, corpses would be thrown on to
the grid of refractory material, then, when the space between this
and the floor of the pit had become choked with ash and clinker,
it would have been necessary to let it cool and clean it out
completely before beginning a new cycle. The advantages would have
been great incineration throughput for very little fuel
consumption. The disadvantages: a fire visible day and night for
kilometers around, terrible heat, the danger in case of sudden
gusts of wind, an unbearable smell and, above all, the work of
cleaning out and recharging the furnace pit, would be exhausting
if not mortally dangerous. The fact is that optimal operation
would require that the pit should not cool too much between
cycles, to enable the following cycle to start easily, which would
mean that the prisoners cleaning out the pit and preparing it for
the next firing would be forced to work in a very hot furnace.
Even though this project never came to anything, its principle was
not forgotten, and was put into practice in a primitive way in the
open-air incineration ditches dug near Krematorium V and Bunker
2/V. In the author’s opinion, the future Krematorium VI would most
probably have been installed in the birch wood, 300 meters north
of Krematorium V. The reader may be interested to know that for a
long time one of the Birkenau guides used to tell visitors that
Krematorium VI was planned to be electric. The victims
would have stepped on a conveyor belt and been taken into the
Krematorium where they would have been electrocuted and
incinerated in a continuous production line operation. The
location was to be in B.III, which was an error of only 200 to 300
meters, since Krematorium VI would probably have been to the west
of B.III, in the woods. This poor guide was in fact only repeating
what had been written by a Soviet journalist, Boris Polevoi, in
“Pravda” on 2nd February 1945. Legends die hard.]
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On Monday 1st February, a team of bricklayers, civilians and
prisoners, working for Messrs Robert Koehler, completed the
three-flue collective chimney of Krematorium III [Documents 26
and 26a].
On Tuesday 2nd February, the newly promoted SS
Major Bischoff sent the Prüfer report to Hoess, to inform him of
progress on the four Krematorien [Document 25]. This letter
shows that Hoess did not participate in the visit to the worksites
on the morning of Friday 29th.
On 3rd February, Kirschneck
sent a telegram to Topf, listing their fitter, Messing's,
requirements for the air extraction systems for the whole of
Krematorium II. At 4:15 pm, Topf senior engineer Schulz telephoned
from Erfurt, saying that the requested material would be despatched
without fail on Saturday 6th February.
On 5th
February, Prüfer wrote to the Bauleitung regarding Messing’s
request, saying that he was having the blowers and ducting taken
from a consignment intended for another camp and confirming that
they would be on a wagon that should arrive at Auschwitz on 6th
February. Asking the Bauleitung to excuse this delay, he announced
that two other foremen were shortly to arrive at Auschwitz, Holick
(already on his way) and Seyffarth, and that a specialist fitter
would later be arriving to help Messing to install the ventilation
and air-extraction systems. On the subject of the “large circular
incineration furnace”, for the supply of which the Bauleitung had
[already!] received an estimate, Prüfer gave them until 9th February
to confirm the order, so that he could immediately start on the
manufacture of the metal parts. Krematorium VI was never built for
the simple reason that KL Auschwitz had no need for it. With five
Krematorien and a total of 52 incineration muffles, the cremation
capacity was more than adequate with respect to its real needs, to
the extent that in July 1943, just after the official handover of
Krematorium III (the last to be completed), the three two-muffle
furnaces (6 muffles) of Krematorium I were taken out of service. The
same day, Huta sent to Herr Stephan, their foreman at Krematorien II
and III, a letter concerning the complaints made by the Bauleitung
on 27th January. Hula exonerated him with respect to the non-use of
frost protection agents during the is pouring of the concrete roof
of Leichenkeller 2, a practice the firm was against in all
circumstances, but asked him to give his reasons for forgetting to
dig the pit for the corpse lift of Krematorium III sufficiently
deeply, while its dimensions were perfectly indicated on Bauleitung
drawings 1173-1174 and 1301 and that of Krematorium II had already
been correctly completed.
On 8th February, Messing, who had
still not received the ventilation material required for Krematorium
II, stopped work there, and in order not to waste time, fitted the
anchors for the 8-muffle furnace of Krematorium IV, probably being
engaged on this until and including 10th February.
On 10th
February, work began on piercing the opening for and building the
western access stairway to Leichenkeller 2 (future undressing
room) of Krematorium III, under the supervision of Huta
foreman Kolbe. This was done in six days, being completed on 15th
[PMO file BW 30/38, pages 25 to 27]. It is not known when
this operation was carried out for Krematorium II. The only mention
of its realization dates from 26th February, or eleven days AFTER
that of Krematorium III was completed. This paradox cannot be
explained without further documents. The same day, the Bauleitung
telegraphed Topf to again confirm the orders for the “mechanical”
installations (five 3-muffle furnaces and the ventilation systems)
for Krematorium III and two corpse lifts (one for II and the other
for III), as well as a provisional mechanical good shoist (for
Krematorium II), all this material being for immediate procurement
or manufacture and to be delivered as soon as possible in order for
Krematorium III to be ready for service on 10th April [Document
27].
On 11th February, the Bauleitung finally received,
apparently five days late, the wagonload of material promised by the
Topf engineers Schulze and Prüfer. On checking its contents, Messing
found that the blower for Leichenkeller I and the air extractor fan
motor for Leichenkeller 2, both for Kr II, were still missing. This
time, things had gone too far, and it was Jährling, a civilian
Bauleitung employee, who asked Topf to explain themselves. He
recalled that on 21st January Topf had announced that ALL the
ventilation and air extraction equipment (for Krematorium II) would
be despatched on 22nd, whereas when this first wagon arrived there
were so many parts missing that Messing was unable so continue his
work. In response to a telephone enquiry, Prüfer had maintained that
the material had in fact been sent. As nothing further arrived, the
Bauleitung had, at Messing’s request, sent a telegram to which
Schulze had immediately replied by telephone, saying that the parts
had not yet been manufactured but would be sent on 6th
February. Prüfer had confirmed in writing on 5th February that the
material should in fact be delivered the following day, adding that
it had been taken from another consignment! On 10th February,
the Bauleitung, still having received nothing, had cabled to Topf
the confirmation of orders for equipment for Krematorium III. The
arrival of the second wagon on 11th February with the material still
incomplete had caused another telegram to be sent, and also a letter
concerned essentially with the lack of the blower and its motor for
Leichenkeller 1 (the future gas chamber), “for which the need is
most urgent”. However, Messing recommenced work on installing
the ventilation systems of Kr II and continued uninterrupted until
13th March. The Bauleitung SS, having triumphally announced to their
superior in Berlin, Kammler, that Krematorium II was completed, were
very annoyed that it should still not be operational for lack of the
ventilation essential for its operation. The fault lay with Messrs
Topf, and in particular with Prüfer, who promised instant miracles
to the Bauleitung, whereas in fact things dragged on and material
failed to arrive, However, Prüfer’s failure to keep his word was
very largely due to the incompatibility between his genuine desire
to rapidly manufacture and sell his firm’s products and the ever
increasing shortages of all sorts of goods and materials in Germany,
which frequently slowed or halted production. Still on 11th
February, the Bauleitung had Jährling send Topf the order for the
delivery and installation of the waste incinerator for Krematorium
III (this matter being not yet settled), for a price of 5,791 Reichs
marks according to the Topf quote of 5th February.
On 12th
February, Messrs Topf sent a first letter [Document 27]
acknowledging receipt of the telegram of 10th concerning Krematorium
III and the corpse lifts, then, in a second letter repeating the
text of the telegram of 10th, it attached that of 11th concerning
the fans and motors for Leichenkeller 1 and 2 of Krematorium II
[Part II, Chapter 6]. It announced that Prüfer would arrive al
Auschwitz in the afternoon of 15th February, and the despatch of a
replacement motor for Leichenkeller 2. The same day, the
consignment note for the shipment of the missing parts was
drawn up, and the Bauleitung received on 14th February. Through the
intermediary of Pollok, Bischoff informed Kammler at the SS WVHA in
Berlin of the difficulties encountered with Topf, thus putting the
blame for the delay in the coming into service of Krematorium II
onto this firm. In addition, still through Pollok, Bischoff informed
Camp Commandant Hoess of the project for Krematorium VI, stemming
from the experience gained with open air incineration ditches. The
Bauleitung envisaged a work force of 350 prisoners for its
construction, almost as many as were employed on the construction of
the four new Krematorien. This project was, of course, never
implemented because the additional cremation capacity was not
required.
On 17th February, the Bauleitung Drawing Office
produced a general plan of the Birkenau POW camp, drawing 1991,
showing the three construction stages in their final form (total
capacity of approximately 100,000 prisoners) and equipped, for
the first time on any
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AUSCHWITZ:
Technique
and operation
of the gas chambers
Jean-Claude Pressac
© 1989, The
Beate Klarsfeld Foundation |
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