. NMT04-T0215
Volume IV · Page 215
| [Austausch...] dienst], incorporated
association in Berlin. I kept this position until January 1945. At the end of
the year 1944 I was transferred to Norway, and at the beginning of 1945 I took
up the office of commander of the security police and of the security service
in Oslo. I remained in this position until the end of the war. 2. I have been a member of the NSDAP since July 1931, my Party number being 581,277. I have been a member of the SS since 18 November 1934, my SS number being 107,364. I was a member of the SA from November 1931 until November 1934. 3. During the time I was chief of the Einsatzkommando 11b, a number of Jews were executed. I can still remember exactly an execution which took place in Simferopol, a few days before Christmas. The 11th Army had ordered that the execution in Simferopol should be finished before Christmas. For this reason the army placed trucks, gasoline, and personnel at our disposal. I personally drove with the chief of the Einsatzgruppe D, Otto Ohlendorf, to the place of the execution which was situated outside of the city. The place of the execution was isolated in order to avoid that the civilian population would unnecessarily become witness of a spectacle. Already previously — I don't know anymore whether immediately before the execution or already in the internment camp — money and valuables were taken away from the persons to be executed. Immediately before the execution the outer garments, that is, heavy winter overcoats and similar things, were taken away from the persons to be executed. They kept their other clothes. The persons to be executed were then assembled near the place of the execution and were posted in small groups before an antitank ditch, their faces turned away from the ditch. The execution commando [squad], which in the individual case was composed of 8 or 10 men of the police company attached to us, was posted on the other side of the antitank ditch and the persons who were designated to be executed were shot dead from behind as quickly as possible. 4. In the spring of 1942 a gas truck was placed at the disposal of my unit, but I did not use it for executions. In my opinion an execution by shooting is more honorable for both parties than killing by means of a gas truck. This is the reason why I refused to use the gas truck. I have read the foregoing deposition consisting of 2 pages in the German language and declare that it is the full truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have had the opportunity to make alterations and corrections in the above statement. I made this declaration voluntarily without any promise of reward and I was not subjected to any duress or threat whatsoever. Since I did not make this deposition under oath, but confirmed it only with my |
