The Destruction of the Auschwitz Crematoria

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From: mvanalst@rbi.com (Mark Van Alstine)
Subject: Re: Photos deny the story
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 20:25:21 -0700

[Responding to Tom Moran]

The title of this thread should be called "Moran denies the photos" given that Moran completely and unequivocably misrepresents both the photo in Scientific American and the sequence of events that led to the final destruction of the Kremas. Moran's claim that the Nazis did not start the demolition of the Kremas months prior to their actual destruction in January 1945 and the Russian liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau clearly contradicts the eywitness testimony, photographs, and SS reports that detail otherwise.

[Moran]

"Published in "Scientific American" March, 1996, "The Art and Science of Photoreconnaissance" is a aerial photograph of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

"Even though the Holocaust story has it that all the crematoriums were destroyed by the Nazis this photograph taken Jan. 14, 1945, four days before the Soviet liberation of the camp on Jan. 18th, shows three of them intact. Cremas II, III and V.

"...This image, taken as Russian troops approached on January 14, 1945, shows the snow that Elie Weisel, who was in the complex at the time, wrote of in 'Night'. The photograph indicates that the gas chambers have been or are being destroyed and that the evacuation of the complex had begun...." (Scientific American, March 1996; p.84 [caption to photo of the Birkenau camp].)

Kremas II and III were not demolished (with dynamite) until January 20, 1945. They were in the process of being dismantled from October 1944 on, with photographs of this process taken in December 1944 and in January 1945:

"In photographs taken by a further United States photographic reconnaisance on December 21, the sole aim of which was to show the extent of the damage at Monowitz during the bombing raid three days before, many of the electrified fences and guard towers of Birkenau [Mexico] can now be seen to have been dismantled. At Crematorium II the undressing room roof adjacent to the gas chamber had been removed, and the roof and chimney of the Crematorium itself were in the process of being dismantled. The fences around the Crematorium can also be seen to have been removed. Around Crematorium III the fences are also gone, and the whole building surrounded by debris..." (Auschwitz and the Allies, p.332)

"On January 14 the United States Air Force flew its twelfth photographic reconnaisance flight over Monowitz. Once more, all of Auschwitz and all of Birkenau were included. Studying the photographs today, the continuing dismantling of the gas chambers and crematoria is evident...." (_Auschwitz and the Allies_, p.334)

[Moran] "Whatever alibis Holocaust supporters come up with, the Germans could not have destroyed these buildings in the four days and removed all traces. Especially with the approach of the Soviets so imminent. After all it was only four days, which we must realize the Germans would have known that its being overtaken by the Soviets would be imminent, and they would have realized this weeks, even months in advance."

The dismantling of Kremas II and III began in early December of 1944. The Sonderkomando revolt in early October of 1944 detroyed Krema IV and the demolition of Krema IV's walls commenced in mid-October of 1944. The demolition (with dynamite) of Krema II and III took place on January 20, 1944 and Krema V, which was operational until the end, was demolished (with dynamite) on January 26, 1945

[Moran] "If crimes of the magnitude alleged were committed, it is certain the Germans would have tended to matters way before."

They did, as can be seen by the following chain of events (Auschwitz Chronicles, pp.731-805):

"October 14 [1944] ...The Special Squad begins to break up the walls of Crematorium IV, which was destroyed during the uprising [on October 7]"

"December 1 [1944] ...The Crematorium III demolition squad is created in Birkenau. It consists of 100 female prisoners whorked on the demolition of the crematorium.... At the same time a squad of male prisoners is put together for the demolition of the crematorium. The number of persons in it is unknown. The prisoners have to pound holes in the walls of the gas chambers for placement od dynamite charges (APMO, Dpr-Hd/3, p.134, Statements of former Female Prisoner Stanislawa Rachawalowa).

"December 5 [1944] ...The women's squad employed in dismantling Crematorium III increases by 50, to 150.... The woodleand demolotion squad is created in Birkenau, to which 50 female prisoners are sent. The squad works on the grounds of the so-called big sauna and Crematorium IV. It must clear the grounds and fill in and cover with grass all the pits previously used for burning the corpses of those killed in the gas chambers. It must also sift through the human ash remains before they are strewn in the Vistula. Little trees are planted on the leveled ground.... The male and female prisoners attempt to sabotage the orders of the SS and avoid whenever possible removing the ashes of the murdered before the pits are filled in, in the hope that these human remains- some incompletely burned bones -will in the near future prove the crime of genocide that was committed here."

January 15 [1945] ...70 prisoners, former members of the Special Squad, work in Squad 104-B, the crematory disassembly squad, which is employed in the demolition of crematorium facilities. The disassembled facilities are brought to a siding of a connecting railroad track and are trnasported to Gross-Rosen.* The prisoners knock holes in the walls of the crematorium buildings and the gas chambers for the placement of explosives.... 210 prisoners work in the squads demolishing the barracks in the former women's camp** in B-I and B-III ('Mexico'). The squad is designated 105-B Barracks Demolition Squad B-I and B-III."

"* Part of these faciities are found after the war on the so-=called construction yard in Auschwitz."

"** The demolition of some of the barracks in Women's Camp B-Ia-b can be seen on the aerial potographs made on January 14, 1945."

"January 20 [1945] ...The SS division under Corporal Perschel blows up the already partly demolished Crematoriums II and III and abandons the camp."

"January 23 [1945] ...An SS division arrives in the prisoner's infirmary camp in B-IIf in the afternoon...they set 30 storeroom barracks in the personal effects camp on fire.... These barracks burn for several days. After the liberation, 1,185,345 pieces of women's and men's outerwear, 43,255 pairs of shoes, 13,694 carpets, and a large number of toothbrushes, shaving brushes, and other items such as protheses, glasses, etc., among other things are found in the six remaining partially burned barracks."

"January 26 [1945] ...At 1:00 A.M. the SS squad with the task of eliminating the traces of SS crimes blows up Crematorium V, the last of the crematoriums in Birkenau."

"January 27 [1945] ...The first Red Army reconnaissance troops arrive in Birkenau and Auschwitz at around 3:00 P.M. and are joyfully greeted by the liberated prisoners.... On the grounds of the main camp are 48 corpses and in Birkenau over 600 corpses of male and female prisoners who were shot to death or died otherwise in the last few days.

"At the time of the Red Army's arrival there are 7,000 sick and exhausted prisoners in the Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Monowitz camps. Dr, Otto Wolken remains in the camp and is one of the organizers of the assistance measures for the prisoners.... He reports the following numbers of surviving prisoners; Auschwitz- 1,200 sick prisoners; Birkenau- 5,800 prisoners, of whom 4,000 are women; Monowitz- 600 sick prisoners."

[Moran] "It is written the Soviets installed a "Extraordinary Commission" the very day of liberation of the camp and yet no photos are presented on the Holocaust promotional circuit of these buildings, or what was left, lest of course the one and only photograph of "Crema II" which is nothing more than a collapsed slab of concrete. "

Photos of the dynamited Kremas taken in 1945, after the liberation of the camp, can be seen on pages 190-192 of Auschwitz: a history in photographs, as well as on page 261 of Auschwitz: technique and operation of the gas chambers.

In addition, the USAAF air photo, taken on February 19, 1945, shows that Kremas II and III were demolished by explosions. (RG 373 Can F 5367, exp. 3185, Air Photo Evidence, p.66.)

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