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NUERNBERG MILITARY TRIBUNAL
Volume V · Page 1014

cigarettes and toilet articles. He then made the following significant statement: "It was our specific intention that these people be able to recover somewhat so that they would regain a better physical condition and be able to perform their work better." He stated that he made a written report to the defendant. Pohl concerning this inspection, together with his recommendations. (Tr. pp. 3186-3193.) The defendant admitted that approximately 3 or 4 weeks after the Dora inspection he was again requested to send additional food, which he did. He stated that upon Kammler's request he also sent food to a camp near Linz. (Tr. pp. 3194-5.) The defendant was asked:

Q: "Did your department maintain and supervise training kitchens at Oranienburg, Dachau, and Beneschau?

A.: "We had three training kitchens, one at Dachau, one at Oranienburg, and a third one located at Beneschau, near Prague. These three training kitchens were also subordinated to me. I was the immediate superior; and I visited these three kitchens. I supervised and directed the training curriculum there."

The courses at these training kitchens included instructions as how not to prepare food. (Tr. p. 3236.)

He testified that office B I was dissolved in April 1945, owing to the condition of the war. When asked if he participated in the destruction of records of Amt B I, he answered: "Before we left Berlin we destroyed superfluous files, which was a routine matter and an order. The remaining files we took with us to the mountains. We burned them there." (Tr. p. 3254). He stated that the records were destroyed for the purpose of keeping them from falling in the hands of the enemy. He denied any knowledge of prisoners of war and nationals of other countries being confined in the concentration camps. He denied all knowledge of the "Reinhardt Action," and the program for the extermination of the Jews, of the medical experiments which were conducted in the concentration camps, of the euthanasia program, and of inhumane treatment and atrocities. He offered documents and the testimony of the witnesses, Walter Hoyer and Arnold Ertel in corroboration of his contentions.

The Tribunal concludes that the defendant Tschentscher was not a mere employee of the WVHA, but held a responsible and authoritative position in this organization. He was chief of Amt B I, and in this position had large tasks in the procurement and allocation of food. Conceding that he was not directly responsible for furnishing food to the inmates of concentration camps, he was responsible for furnishing the food to those charged with guarding these unfortunate people. According to his own admis- […sions]

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