Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

Discussions on the Holocaust and 20th Century War Crimes. Note that Holocaust denial is not allowed. Hosted by David Thompson.
Post Reply
David1819
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: 08 Jun 2014, 01:47

Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#1

Post by David1819 » 30 Aug 2014, 18:47

By working in such environment on a regular basis and close proximity to the gas chambers are there any reports or evidence that the Hydrogen Cyanide effected the men operating the facility since the Gas had to be ventilated out the building?

JKernwerk
Member
Posts: 1338
Joined: 23 Dec 2010, 18:43

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#2

Post by JKernwerk » 30 Aug 2014, 22:00

Most of that work was done by camp inmates.
Google for operation Reinhard.
JK


little grey rabbit
Member
Posts: 745
Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 05:26

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#3

Post by little grey rabbit » 10 Sep 2014, 07:25

Usually Reinhard refers to non-Hydrogen Cyanide camps (although the Germans themselves did not always make this distinction)

There is this account from Auschwitz
http://www.phdn.org/archives/www.mazal. ... ac0025.htm
Once I was slightly gassed because the mask I was wearing was not fully gas-tight. I felt nothing at the time but two hours afterwards I had a bad headache, a pain in the meninges and a burning pain in the lungs. At first did not go to the KB [Krankenbau / hospital block] but went out of the block into the birch alley [between Block 3 and the protective wall of the Stammlager] to breath deeply while doing some knee bends. The headache went away fairly quickly, but when I coughed a little blood came up. Doctor Wasilewski diagnosed inflammation and dehydration of the throat. After being hospitalised, I was cured in two months...
I believe there is also a memo from Hoess regarding a commando getting sick from exposure during the delousing of a barracks, but that is just from memory.

Paul Lantos
Member
Posts: 304
Joined: 19 May 2013, 16:25

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#4

Post by Paul Lantos » 12 Sep 2014, 03:30

One of the guards in Chelmno died in a gas van after getting stuck in there with the Jews he was pushing in.

User avatar
RACPISA
Member
Posts: 836
Joined: 27 Apr 2003, 19:21
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#5

Post by RACPISA » 29 Sep 2014, 15:41

From The Kingdom of Auschwitz by Otto Friedrich pages 17-18:
"Zyklon B was packed in small, 2 pound containers which at first resembled cardboard disks, something like beer coasters, always a bit damp and gray," said one of the defendants, Arthur Breitweister, who had worked in the Auschwitz administrative office. He told how the gas containers had to be pried open with a hammer. "Then we went into the rooms and scattered the stuff," Breitweister said. "Zyklon B worked terribly fast. I remember one of the SS men going into a house that had already been disinfected. The ground floor had been aired out in the evening, and the next morning the man wanted to open the windows on the first floor. He must have inhaled some fumes, because he collapsed immediately and rolled down the steps, unconscious, into the fresh air. Had he fallen the other way, he wouldn't have lived.

User avatar
wenty
Member
Posts: 1601
Joined: 02 Dec 2002, 00:41
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#6

Post by wenty » 30 Sep 2014, 04:04

There are isolated instances of such things happening but as JKernwerk pointed out, most of this work was done by special squads of Jewish prisoners under the supervision of the SS.

Cheers,
Adam.

David1819
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: 08 Jun 2014, 01:47

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#7

Post by David1819 » 30 Sep 2014, 20:27

wenty wrote:There are isolated instances of such things happening but as JKernwerk pointed out, most of this work was done by special squads of Jewish prisoners under the supervision of the SS.

Cheers,
Adam.
True however they where still present, By supervising alone they would still be in close proximity. I thought Jewish prisoners "sonderkommando" where only used to direct the victims to the "shower" to lower suspisions of the inmates. Then remove the bodies afterwards the SS where still in charge of dispensing the gas capsules.

Just to point out I am discussing hydrogen cyanide here. Carbon Monoxide from an engine is not strong enough to kill or harm somebody in open air unless done intentionally, only in a closed off room could it work. Hydrogen cyanide on the other hand is far more potent

User avatar
wenty
Member
Posts: 1601
Joined: 02 Dec 2002, 00:41
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#8

Post by wenty » 02 Oct 2014, 11:26

Hi David,

I guess it begs the question of how close would a human need to be to a gas like Zyklon B before it could potentially kill them? It seems that its effects wouldn't have been as extreme out in the open - where the SS were - as it was in an enclosed space where there was a lack of fresh, circulating air.

Cheers,
Adam.

history1
Banned
Posts: 4095
Joined: 31 Oct 2005, 10:12
Location: Austria

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#9

Post by history1 » 04 Oct 2014, 12:51

RACPISA wrote:From The Kingdom of Auschwitz by Otto Friedrich pages 17-18:
"Zyklon B was packed in small, 2 pound containers which at first resembled cardboard disks, [...]" said one of the defendants, Arthur Breitweister, who had worked in the Auschwitz administrative office. He told how the gas containers had to be pried open with a hammer. "Then we went into the rooms and scattered the stuff," Breitweister said. [...]
Just to keep facts correct, his name is Arthur Breitwieser.

User avatar
wenty
Member
Posts: 1601
Joined: 02 Dec 2002, 00:41
Location: Australia
Contact:

Re: Did any SS men die or become sick from gas exposure?

#10

Post by wenty » 05 Oct 2014, 06:24

Interesting, History1. Further to my last post, it also begs the question of what precautions were taken by the people who were administering the gas.....did they wear masks, gloves, etc? I'm sure i've read about this before but it slips my mind at the moment.

Cheers,
Adam.

Post Reply

Return to “Holocaust & 20th Century War Crimes”