TNA Ref: HW 16/10: WW2 Decrypts - Bletchley Park:

German Police Concentration Camp: GPCC Series

Periodic Summary Report: ZIP / OS3 / 29.10.42


ZIP/OS 3/29.10.42 (Page: 1)
                     M O S T    S E C R E T.
 
TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY: NEVER TO BE REMOVED FROM THE OFFICE.
 
THIS DOCUMENT IS TO RECEIVE CX/MSS SECURITY TREATMENT.
IF FUTURE CIRCULATION IS NECESSARY, IT MUST BE PARAPHRASED,
SO THAT NEITHER THE SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION NOR THE
MEANS BY WHICH IT HAS BEEN OBTAINED IS APPARENT.
 
                      =======
 
GPDD No’s.:- 210d, 216d, 219d, 236d, 238a, 243a, 246d, 247a,
             248a,d, 250d, 253 a,b, 255d, 256d, 258a, 259a,
             260d, 261b,d, 262a, 264a,b, 267b, 268a,d, 269d.
==============================================================
   Covering the period up to 17th October, 1942.

                 S  U  M  M  A  R  Y

I.      Personalities concerned.
II.     The Waffen SS.
III.    Concentration Camps.
IV.     Supplies.
V.      Norway.
VI.     Finland.
VII.    Miscellaneous.
 
GENERAL
 
          The SS Panzer Corps includes the SS Div. Totenkopf,
the newly formed units of which are in the ANGOULEME area, and
have prepared quarters for the Division which is returning from
Russia: the division is to have a second Tank Bn.   The Wiking
division suffered severe casualties during the first week of
October in the Caucasus.  The Prinz Eugen Division is now in
Jugoslavia and has suffered casualties which are to be made
up with Balkan Volsdeutsche trained in Germany.   Concentration
camp labour has been used to clear bomb damage in COLOGNE.
 
References are to G.P.D.D. Nos. unless otherwise stated.

                       -------------
 
DISTRIBUTION LIST:
 
1.  M.I.14(d)
2.  Major Leathem
3.  Squadron Leader Oeser.
4.  Wing Commander Jones.
5.  B.P.I.E.
6.  Lt.Col. Lithgow
7.  File.
8.  Col. Hatton Hall.
9.   File (Room 9)
10.  File (Spare)
 
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[TOP OF PAGE 5 NOT TRANSCRIBED]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
III.                     CONCENTRATION CAMPS
 
a) General
 
          The large influx of Russian civilians, Jews and Poles continues
and it is reasonable to suppose that deaths from typhus are still high
in AUSCHWITZ and probably in other camps such as NIEDERHAGEN and HINZERT.
Concentration Camp prisoners are being used in large numbers in COLOGNE,
and there is evidence of a cutting down of outside commitments to increase
the number of prisoners available for war work (261b/22, 259b/18).  A new
camp is intended at DEBICA (264a/4). SACHSENHAUSEN evidently contains
Englishmen as it has asked for an English interpreter. (262b/21, 264b/2).
Some light on conditions in Concentration camps is shown by the instruction
that a visiting labour commission is not to be shown either “special quarters”
(Sonderunterbringung) or, if it can be avoided, “prisoners shot when
escaping” (262b/33). Concentration camp guards are to be provided with
Czech rifles instead of German rifles. (261b/18, 262b/10,29). AUSCHWITZ
is being used as a training (and testing?) centre for Volksdeutsche from
Hungary and the Balkans (see under SS Div. Prinz Eugen).
 
          The detailed figures of prisoners in Concentration camps
are studied below, in addition on Tuesdays and Fridays PDV figures are
received for DACHAU, MAUTHAUSEN, AUSCHWITZ, BUCHENWALD, FLOSSENBÜRG,
NIEDERHAGEN and LUBLIN, and KVF figures for MAUTHAUSEN. The probable
interpretation of these figures is given by the following equations:
 
a) NIEDERHAGEN.   PDV figures are in the neighbourhood of 67;136. Total
                  of Kommandanturstab and Totenkopfsturmbann in May was
213 (84/11).
 
b) FLOSSENBÜRG:   PDV figures for 4 Sept., 123,331.  Canteenfund figures
                  for the Kdtr.stab and Totenkopfsturmbann, 101;331
(226b/8).  If it is assumed that 22 members of the Kdtr.Stab are not
eligible for the Canteenfund, the same identification is possible.
BUCHENWALD and LUBLIN have an extra column, perhaps for another camp at
BUCHENWALD and the new camp at LUBLIN.  MAUTHAUSEN has in addition KFV
figures, perhaps for GUSEN.  The following table gives the average strengths.
 
      DACHAU MAUT=  GUSEN BUCHEN= FLOSSEN= AUSCHWITZ NIEDER LUBLIN
             HAUSEN       WALD    BÜRG               HAGEN  ______
                          a    b                            a    b
Kdtr,  225    230         180       123       220    67     184
Stab,
T.     550    560    570  520 100   331      1270    136    225  359
Stuba.
 
ZIP/OS 3/29.10.42 (Page: 6)
 

b) KL. DACHAU. (G.P.C.C.:B)
 
          The increase noted last month continues until 18th Sept. when the
camp contains 11614 prisoners against 10911 at the beginning of the month;
after that there is a net decrease of about 1500 before 20th Oct.  The
increase is caused by large arrivals on 11,17,18 Sept. and the decrease
by departures of 523 on 21st Sept. and 1021 on 25th Sept.  The columns
for German political prisoners, Jews and Poles rise only from 7654 to
7704 between Sept. 1 and 18th;  therefore the bulk of the increase, as
can be seen by looking at the figures in detail, comes from Russian
civilians.  Two-thirds of the decrease after 18th Sept. is also due to
the departure of Russian civilians, but the remaining third comprises
263 German political prisoners, 148 Jews and 214 Poles.  The only outside
evidence for departures is the dispatch of 35 workers on 1st Sept. to the
SS Clothing Factory. (223b/26).
 
c) KL. MAUTHAUSEN (G.P.C.C.:C)
 
          The figures vary little between the beginning of September and
the middle of October, the total on 2nd Sept. is 6120 and on 20th Oct. is
6172.  The HUG figures, also received from MAUTHAUSEN, are arranged in 8
columns like the GPCC figures and internal evidence suggests a camp in
the neighbourhood; they vary between 4473 on 3rd Sept, 5186 on 11th Sept.
and 4623 on 20th Oct.  The columns for political prisoners, Jews and Poles
show little variation. Russian prisoners of war jump from 125 to 775
between 10th Sept. and 11th Sept.: it would appear therefore that 650
of the 819 arrivals are Russian prisoners of war and the rest are
civilians.   A message from FLOSSENBÜRG states that during September
650 Russian prisoners of war were transferred to KL. MAUTHAUSEN (253b/17);
these must be the 650 prisoners which appear in the HUG figures – it
follows therefore that, as the GPCC figures are firmly established as MAUT-
HAUSEN, the HUG figures must belong to GUSEN which is controlled by
MAUTHAUSEN.
 
d) KL. BUCHENWALD (G.P.C.C.:D)
 
          The total at the beginning of September is 9888 and at the end of
September 10075.  During the month 183 prisoners (classed as antisocial,
political, criminal, Jews, homos., Poles, Russian civilians, trainees,
Protectorate) have died “natural deaths” (253b/22).  During the month
on the twenty six days recorded 1580 prisoners arrive; notable departure
figures are 154 on 2nd Sept., 357 on 11th Sept., 609 on 16th Sept., there
are no striking changes in the figures for political prisoners, Jews and
Poles.  In October, the total sinks from 10074 on 1 Oct. to 8921 on
20th Oct.  Large departures of 414 on the 9th Oct. and 631 on 14th Oct.
(both largely Russian civilians) may in part be accounted for by the 350
and 500 prisoners employed on Air Raid clearing and other work at COLOGNE
(261b/25, 262a/32, 264/1); nothing as yet explains the departure of 408
Jews on Oct. 19th. BUCHENWALD (253b/36) had 626 Russian prisoners of war at
the beginning of September and 598 at the end of the month;  518 are at work,
3 have been removed to a Special Camp for Operation Z which is to be filmed;
25 have died. (An Operation Z was also undertaken at SACHSENHAUSEN in
May – 90/8).
 
e) KL. FLOSSENBÜRG (G.P.C.C.:E)
 
          The total of prisoners decreases by 850 during September; the
chief decrease is the transfer of 650 Russian prisoners of War to
MAUTHAUSEN/GUSEN on 10th. Sept. (253b/17); the rest of the decrease is
in the political prisoners column.  20 Russian prisoners of war died
during September (253b/17). The number of Russian prisoners of war in Oct.
falls from 395 on 1 Oct., to 375 on 8th Oct., 360 on 9 Oct., 340 on 10 Oct.,
311 on 12 Oct., it is known that on 8th Oct. 15 Russian prisoners of war
were executed (261b/1).

 
ZIP/OS 3/29.10.42 (Page: 7)

f) KL. AUSCHWITZ (G.P.C.C.:F)
 
          The total falls from 22,355 on 1st Sept. to 17,365 on 30th
Sept. and 16966 on 20th Oct.  The number of German political prisoners
varies between 496 and 553; the number of Jews falls from 11837 on 1st
Sept. to 6475 on 22nd Sept., the number of Poles falls from a maximum
of 8489 on 2nd Sept. to a minimum of 6470 on 19th Oct.  No figures for
deaths have been given this month and therefore it cannot be said what
proportion of the daily departures, which amount to 2395 on 7th Sept.,
1429 on 8th Sept., and otherwise vary between 550 and 47, are due to
death: it is however known that at least 11 SS men have been taken into
hospital on suspicion of typhus during October (253b/3; 261b/3; 267b/4;
259b/13).  As about 2,000 men in the total are always unaccounted for,
it is difficult to be certain as to what categories the arrivals and
departures belong.  But on 7th Sept. the numbers of political prisoners, Jews
and Poles have fallen by 1, 2020, 284 respectively, a net loss of 2305;
the net loss in the total column is 2379; therefore it is clear that the
majority of the departures are Jews.
 
          A more difficult question arises in October: 400 Volksdeutsche
arrived at AUSCHWITZ on the 12th (264b/15), 500 more were to come soon
after the 16th (GPD/1124/19), and during the same period transports
of Jews were arriving from Holland, Poland, and Czechoslovakia (259b/1).
on the 12th 433 arrive, 248 leave; the figure for Jews is up by 185; on
the 14th 401 arrive, 248 leave; the figure for Jews is up by 269; on the
21st 331 arrive, 116 leave, the figure for Poles is up by 226.
it seems therefore clear both that the Volksdeutsche are not included
and that the arrivals and departures in AUSCHWITZ are chiefly Jews but
sometimes Poles.
 
          VPA figures are also available for September and early October.
The VPA figures follow the form of the STUTTHOF returns i.e. the same as
the ASUCHWITZ returns but with an extra column for the total of the
preceding day.  The camp decreases in size from 16649 on 1 Sept. to
6774 on 20th Sept., although the new arrivals total well over 3,000
the last column, presumably Russians, remains steady at between 1200 and
1300, the Poles increase from 786 to 1011, the decrease therefore lies
between the Germans, the Jews and the unrecorded balance.  Internal
evidence proves that this camp is near AUSCHWITZ; as there is known to
be a women’s concentration camp at AUSCHWITZ, where 1525 women died in
August (223b/24), it is likely that these figures refer to it.
 
g) SONDERLAGE HINZERT.
 
          During September 1 prisoner died a natural death and 20 were
executed (253b/1). On 15th Oct. HINZERT reports 596 prisoners of which
125 are working on the westwall, 65 on other war work, 113 are being exam-
ined by the Gestapo and therefore cannot be used, 60 are camp servants,
72 are sick, 18 are hospital orderlies, 143 are in quarantine (267b/27).
 
h) KL. NIEDERHAGEN (G.P.C.C.:I)
 
          The camp receives a regular weekly consignment of 20 to 50
men who appear in the total but not in the columns, therefore they are
probably Russian civilians, whom the Camp was given leave to take in
May (90/6).  The Camp increases from 688 on 1 Sept. to 831 on 20
Sept.  Departures are 80 over the whole of Sept. and this may be due
to deaths (cf. 253b/2)
 
i) KL. LUBLIN (G.P.C.C.:J)
 
          Departures and arrivals on the whole balance.  The following
corruptions should be noted. 30th Sept. col.5 should be 7369, 1 Oct. col.1
should be 8724, 5 Oct, col.7 should be 73.  VPA figures have been
received from 6 Oct. and give a camp which grows from 542 to 932 by 20th
Oct. and only contains two classes of inmates.
 
k) KL STUTTHOF
 
          The figures received up to 25 Sept. show no material change.
Since then no figures have been received and it is known that considerable
extension or rebuilding is taking place. (268a/16).

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