Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)

Evidence Code: PS-501

Citation: NMT 1 (page 1797)

HLSL Item No.: 2459

Notes:The letter by Becker, 16 May 1942, is followed by various administrative documents.

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

PS-501: Collection of four documents on execution by gas

Red Series Doc Descriptions

PS-501: Secret report from Ss untersturmfÜhrer Dr. Becker to Ss ObersturmbannfÜhrer Rauff, 16 May 1942, on gassing processes and gas wagons.

Doc Book Tables of Contents

PS-501: Letter of 16 May 1942 from SS Untersturmfuehrer Dr. Becker, Kiev, to SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer Rauff, Berlin. "I ordered the vans of group D to be camouflaged as house trailers by putting one set of window shutters on each side of the small van and two on each side of the larger vans, such as one often sees on farm houses in the country. The vans became so well known that not only the authorities but also the civilian population called the van "death van" as soon as one of these vehicles appeared. It is my opinion the van cannot be kept secret for any length of time, not even camouflaged."

Teletype and letter re: gassing in v<ill>ans, dated May, 1942.

Letter of 16 May 1942 from SS Untersturmfuehrer Dr. Becker, Kiev, to SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer Rauff, Berlin. "I ordered the vans of group D to be camouflaged as house trailers by putting one set of window shutters on each side of the small van and two on each side of the larger vans, such as one often sees on farm houses in the country. The vans became so well known that not only the authorities but also the civilian population called the van "death van" as soon as one of these vehicles appeared. It is my opinion the van cannot be kept secret for any length of time, not even flaged."

SS Lt. BECKER Letter to Berlin dated 16 May 42