The below are quotations from:

_AUSCHWITZ:  Technique and Operation of the Gas Chambers_
Jeane-Claude Pressac
c. 1989, Pressac-Klarsfeld
Published in 1989 by The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation, New York

They concern what Pressac calls "criminal traces," which are pieces of
evidence which directly and unambiguously point to the use of the
Auschwitz Krema as killing machines, instead of the more-mundane uses
which Holocaust-deniers assign them.

This information was found in Pressac's (indexless!) book, and was typed
in, by Harry W. Mazal (hmazal@txdirect.net).


Page 231
--------

The description of the building [Document 50] associated with the
deed of transfer for Krematorium II [Document 49] shows that
Leichenkeller I was fitted with a 'Gasdichte Tur/Gas-Tight Door'
[Document 51] and the basement inventory [document 52] also lists
4 'Drahtnetzeinschiebvorrichtung{en}/Wire Mesh Introduction Devices'
with 4 'Holzblenden/Wooden Covers' (incorrectly attributed by a
Bauleitung clerk to Leichenkeller 2. See the explanation in Part II,
Chapter 8).  These apparently 'neutral' terms, designated without a
shadow of a doubt, the heavy mesh columns into which Zyklon-B was
poured in the form of pellets, the top of which, outside the roof,
were closed by wooden covers. This proves that Leichenkeller I of
Krematorium II was fitted out as _a gas chamber using Zyklon-B_.
It is not possible _with these documents alone_ to prove that it
was 'homicidal.' But Messing's designation of Leichenkeller 2 as
the _Undressing Cellar_ together with the fact that in the ceiling
of Leichenkeller 1 _about 20 emplacements for dummy showers_ still
exist in the ruins (these are not shown on the Krematorium II
basement inventory, whereas the 14 of Kr III are), introduce the
missing 'human' element. We now have the set:

   (undressing cellar) + (gastight door + 4 mesh columns
   + 4 covers + about 24 dummy showers).
   which no longer corresponds to:
   (corpse cellar 2) + (corpse cellar 1),
   but to:
   (undressing room) + (homicidal chamber).

Still, on 31st March, a letter written by Kirschek and signed by
Bischoff reminded the Auschwitz DAW (German equipment workshops)
of the order of 6th March for one 'Gastur/Das Door' 100 by 192 cm 
to be made for Leichenkeller 1 (the gas chamber) of Kremaorium III
(See Part II, Chapter 8).


Page 286
--------

The following modifications were made to adapt the Liechenkeller of
Krematorium II to suit the new role of 'special treatment':

1.- An access stairway...

2.- The direction in which the double door ... opened was reversed.

3.- This double door was subsequently reduced to a single _gas tight_
door.

4.- The drainage system of Leichenkeller I was separated from the other
drains in the West of the building and run direct to a sewer outside
the building.

5.- The efficiency of the Leichenkeller I ventilation system was tested
after introducing Zyklon-B in March, 1943.

6.- A wooden wall was built in front of the corpse chute...

7.- 4 heavy wire-mesh columns with lidded chimneys above the the roof
for pouring Zyklon-B were installed in Leichenskeller I (PMO  file
BW 30/43, page 2).

8.- 24 wooden dummy showers were installed in the ceiling of Leichenkeller
1 (PMO file BW 30/43 Page 24 for the Krematorium III).

9.- The 3 water taps in Leichenkeller 1 were removed.

10.- Benches with clothes hooks on the wall above them were installed in
Leichenskeller 2.

11.- The area of Leichenskeller 3 was reduced (drawing 1311 of 14/5/42)
then this morgue was eliminated altogether...


Page 350
--------

Photo 6
[PMO Archives, file BW 30/34, page 92, Microfilm 1060]

Delivery note of the _Deutsche Ausrungtungswerke/German Delivery
Works, an establishment actually based in Auschwitz, where there
were two shops: metalworking and woodworking, and usually known 
as DAW. It was a subsidiary of the WVHA-SS (SS Economic and
Administrative Head Office). The DAW  used prison labor, and in
June 1942 there were about 600 prisoners working there to produce
metal and wooden items (such as doors and windows and their
fittings) for the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and for the personal
use of the SS. The 'criminal' equipment of the Krematorien
(gas-tight doors and windows, Zyclon-B  introduction columns,
dummy shower heads) were produced by the Auschwitz DAW.


Page 353
--------

The Ruins of Leichenskeller I (gas chamber) of Krematorium II

Photo A: (photos and assembly by the author)

View of the second central supporting pillar (the pillars are 
numbered 1 to 7 from south to north) of Leichenkeller I of
Krematorium II, looking south/north and part of the east side
of the ceiling. In the center are the emplacements of the
third and fourth dummy shower heads. On the extreme right
are the remains of the wooden battens stapled to the ceiling
to which the wooden fresh air ventilation duct was fixed.


Pages 432/439 
-------------

[much text editing done by me as it is very long; photos refer to
photostatic copies of original documents - HWM]

CRIMINAL TRACES FOR KREMATORIUM II

1.-   'Vergassungskeller/gassing Cellar'     [photo 1]
   [PMO File BW 30/40, Page 100]
   Letter of 29th January 1943, from SS Captain Bischoff...
   to SS Major-General Kammler in Berlin ... in which the
   word 'Vergasungskeller' is used.

2.-   '10 Gasprufer/gas detectors'        [photo 2]
   Telegram sent on 26th February 1943 ... by Second Lieutenant
   Pollock ... requesting immediate despatch of 10 'gas 
   detectors' for BW 30 (Krematorium II)...

3.-   '1 Stck Handgriff fur Gastur D 12/handle for gas tight door...
   [photo 3]
   order 162 requesting the making of '1 handle for gas[tight]
   door, 12mm (diameter)' for Birkenau Krematorium II. It was
   completed on 10th March.

4.-   'Auskleideraum/undressing room         [photo 4]
   Letter of 6th March 1943, from ... Jahrling ... regarding the
   possibility of preheating Leichenskeller 1 of Krematorien II
   and II ...

5.-   Auskleidekeller (4 mentions)        [photos 5,6,7]
   Auskleidekeller II (1 mention)
   These ... timesheets concern the installation of the ventilation
   systems of Krematorien II and III,  in their Leichenskeller 1,
   Leichenskeller 2, and Ofenraum...

6.-   Gastur 100/192 fur Leichenskeller 1/gas(tight) door for...morgue 1 [
   ...order of 6/3/43 concerning the deliveryof a gas tight door
   100x192 ... with peephole of double 8mm glass with rubber sealing
   strip and frame...

7.-   '1 Gasdichteur/1 gas-tight door        [photos 9,10]
   ...It forms part of a series of 'criminal traces' demonstrating
   that certain rooms in Krematorien II, III and IV were made gas
   tight.

8.-   4 Drahnetzeinschiebvorrichtung/4 Wire mesh introduction devices. 
[photo 11]
   
9.-   4 Holzblenden/4 wooden covers       
   [File BW 30/43, page 12 for both]
   ...

10.-  Auskleideraum/undressing room          [photo 4]
   ...   

11.-  Gastur/gas [tight] door          [photo 8]
   ...order of 6/3/43 concerning the delivery of a gas tight door...

12.-  Auskleidekeller [two mentions]/undressing room  [photos 12 & 13]
   In his time sheets (already cited for Krematorium II under point 5)  
   a fitter employed by Topf & Sons ... indicated that 'corpse cellar'
   of Krematorium III had become an undressing cellar, as was the
   case in Krematorium II.

13.-  Flascheisen fur Gasturbeslage/         (photos 14 & 15)
   flat iron bar for (1)(5) sets of fittings for gas tight doors.
   ...Metalworking shop order of 16th April 1943...

14.-  Beschlage fur 1 Stuck Gastur/fittings for 1 gas tight door [photo 16]
   ...as per Order 957 and as already delivered...

15.-  1 Gasdichtetur/1 gas tight door        [photos 17 and 18]

16.-  14 Brausen/14 [dummy] showers
   [File BW 30/43, page 24)
   Inventory (photo 18) annexed to the handover document for 
   Krematorium III dated 24th June 1943 (photo 17), signed by the 
   head of the Bauleitung, Bischoff, and one of his officers,
   Kirschneck [File BW 30/43, page 20]. As the verso of this
   document is not known at present, it is not known whether
   the presence of a 'Gasdichtetur' in the basement is noted
   there, as on the verso of the handover document for Krematorium
   II.  The mention of a '2 year' guarantee is incorrect, two
   firms having refused to give such a guarantee to the
   Bauleitung. Messrs. Topf, who built the furnaces, considered that
   such a period weas incompatible with the planned incineration
   rates, and the reservations expressed by the Topf engineers
   who were perfectly aware of the 'abnormal' functions.

[Photo 17 is a letter which attaches the handover document (photo 18).
The letter is addressed to the Zentralbauleitung der Waffen SS und
Polizei. The actual handover document is (apparently) not itself dated.
-HWM]

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