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

German Police Concentration Camp: GPCC Series

Periodic Summary Report: ZIP / OS5 / 28.12.42


ZIP/OS 5/28.12.42 (Page: 1)
                       M O S T    S E C R E T.
 
 
For Information only.   The Contents of this document may not be disclosed
to anyone other than a duly authorised recipient.  No extract from, summary
of or reference to its contents maybe made except under such conditions as
may be generally or specially approved by the Director, Government Code
and Cypher School.
___________________________________________________________________________

This document is to receive CX/MSS Security Treatment.
 

GPDD No’s.:- 227b, 229a, 232a, 234a, 237a, 244a, 245a, 248a, 251a,
             252a, 271b, 248d, 292a, 292b, 301b, 302b, 303b, 306a, 302d
             306b, 307a, 307b, 307d, 309a, 309d, 310a, 314a, 314b,
             314d, 315a, 315b, 316a, 316d, 316d, 317a, 317b, 320a,
             320b, 321a, 321b, 322a, 322b, 322d, 323a, 323b, 324a, 324b
             325a, 325b, 325d, 326d, 328a, 328b, 328d, 329a, 329b,
             329d, 331a, 331b, 334a, 334b,
_______________________________________________________________________
 
     Covering material received between 25th. November and 25th.
                        December, 1942.

                     S  U  M  M  A  R  Y

I.      The Waffen SS.
II.     Concentration Camps.
III.    Miscellaneous.
 
 
GENERAL:
 
        Reorganisation and reequipment of the SS. Divisions in France
is proceeding.   Wiking continues to fight in the Caucasus defending
excessively wide sectors and short of clothing and equipment.   The
Polizei Div. is being motorised.   Assault gun btys. or tps. are being
formed for four divisions.   The Norwegian and Dutch SS. Legions
have suffered a reverse near LENINGRAD.   Solitary confinement and
preventative custody are prominent in Concentration Camp messages;  typhus
is rife at AUSCHWITZ, LUBLIN AND DEBICA; a new combing out of SS.
Guards is likely in the near future, and the general shortage of man-
:power has several echoes in these and other messages.
 
                 ----------------------
 

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. File (Mr. F.L. Lucas, Hut 3)
9. Col. Hatton Hall.

 
ZIP/OS 5/28.12.42 (Page: 4)
 
II. CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
 
a) General.  New camps for Jews are being set up in the General Gouvern-
ment for which experienced guards are demanded from the existing
camps (317b44:cp.320b 2,4) A camp for special prisoners has been
established at Schloss FEISTRITZMKRIEGLACH/OBERKRAIN and guards
skilled in dealing with special prisoners have been sent there from
other camps (331b 5,27,35,38,39; 328b 9,23,38). Sonderlager LANDSBERG
(321b44) is named as the destination of two Caucasian activists. BAD
ISCHL has apparently been closed down (329b45) Use of prisoners for
public works such as the dam at GROSSRAMING continues(320b34,cp.321b 45)

     While a new camp for special prisoners has been formed, the
existing camps are asked about their facilities for solitary
confinement; how many cells have they, how many needed normally for
Discipline Cases P, how many can be used for examination of special
prisoners (328b33,cf.325b1):BUCHENWALD has 26 cells and NIEDERHAGEN
10 cells (329b6,23).

     A further combing of guards for the front seems likely xxxxx
since returns of fit personnel are twice requested(324b14,331b 14)
The return is to specify whether German or Volksdeutsch, and xxxxxx
whether born 1908 or later, between 1900 and 1907 or before 1900.
38 men from AUSCHWITZ are to be transferred to 1 SS Brigade
(302b 15). The strength of the guards in the various camps is given
in the GPCC figures; the figures for FLOSSENBURG(E5) tally again
with a message of 2 Dec.(317b 1) The canteen strength at BUCHENWALD
on 1 Dec. is given as 754, of whom 485 are sick, on leave, on courses,
or posted elsewhere (316b25); the corresponding GPCC figure (D5)
gives a total of 915, but as the GPCC figures show an increase of
150 between Nov.17th and Nov.20th, of which 100 are known to be
Volksdeutsche (302b 24), it is probable that the total of 754 excludes
Volksdeutsche in training. Other changes in Guard strength between
15 Nov. and 15 Dec, as given in the GPCC are an increase of 30 at
DACHAU (B 5), and increase of 45 at GUSEN (C 4). a reduction from 875
to 96 at AUSCHWITZ (b) and an increase from 1382 to 1891 in AUSCHWITZ
(a), an increase of 70 in LUBLIN (a) Some of the extra guards are
known to have been provided by the SS Depot at DEBICA (304a22)
MAUTHAUSEN and GUSEN guards include 249 Volksdeutsche and Germanic
Volunteers (315b 26)
 
b). DACHAU:  The camp now consists only of Political prisoners and Poles.
The total varies between 10600 and 11000. A report on the treatment
Of weekly prisoners is requested but unfortunately no further
reference to them has appeared (306b30).
 
c). MAUTHAUSEN and GUSEN:  The MAUTHAUSEN figure falls to 5544 on 26
Nov. and rises to 7359 on 14 Dec. When asked about its capacity
On 23 Nov., the camp states that it will be able to take 5000 more
when the new buildings are ready (306b38). On 3 Dec. they are told
to enter Sicherungsverwaehrten in column 8 and women in column 9
(316b 28); this change is duly reflected in the GPCC figures (C 1)
which show 630 Sicherungsverwaehrten and 10 women on 4 Dec. The 630
would appear to be made up of 65 new arrivals and 565 political
prisoners. The figures in this column rise to 2066 on 11 Dec; on 12
Dec. 475 arrive and 1507 depart; on 14 Dec. 1216 arrive; on 16 Dec.
1419 depart. It is difficult not to connect the departures of
Sicherungsverwaehrten from MAUTHAUSEN with the arrivals at GUSEN:
on Dec.12 the new column 8 there is started with 1500 prisoners and
on 16 Dec. is increased by 1400 prisoners. GUSEN therefore seems to
be the permanent repository for Sicherungsverwährten. The total
of prisoners rises from 3986 on Nov.16 to 7187 on 16.Dec., which also
accounts for the increase in guards. During November 321 prisoners
died in MAUTHAUSEN and 351 in GUSEN (315b28) A request for more workers

 
ZIP/OS 5/28.12.42 (Page: 5)

is made by ORANIENBURG on 12.Dec. (325b13).


d) BUCHENWALD. The total rises from 9050 on 18 Nov. to 9235 on 14
Dec. 210 prisoners are dispatched on 16 Dec; possibly these are
referred to in a message of 8 Dec. which states that 200 prisoners
are to be moved from KOELN to OBERENNHEIM (321b10cf. 325b18) 134
deaths in November include one suicide and one prisoner shot
while escaping (314b11)
 
e) FLOSSENBUERG. The total rises from 3418 on 24 Nov. to 3631 on 10
Dec. The largest arrival is 120 prisoners from DACHAU on 8 Dec.
(321b 4) and the largest departure 51 specialist workers to
SACHSENHAUSEN on 11 Dec. (324b43) Prisoners are being used in the
porcelain works at NEUROHLAU (316b 24,38;325 b 4) There are two
reports of executions (292b44,315b32).
 
f) AUSCHWITZ: The numbers rise from 20645 on 17 Dec.(Ed: 18 Nov?) to 24962 on 15
Dec; half of these numbers are Jews and large numbers arrive and
depart every day.  Both AUSCHWITZ and LUBLIN are told to report
nos. of escaped Russians, prisoners of war and civilian workers,
men and women, on 10 Dec. (323b1).  The BUNA works return finishes
on 2 Dec; over 2500 prisoners are employed there (307b6,315b8,21).
The figures for the women’s camp (F3) fall from over 7000 in the
middle of November to 4764 on 9 Dec. and then rises again to
5231 on 14 Dec.  Typhus returns for both camps give 9 women dead
in the week ending 24 Nov., 27 men and 36 women dead in the week
ending 7 Dec. (307b2,321b18): A few SS cases are reported (328b3,32).
 
i) NIEDERHAGEN. The total falls from 900 in mid-November to 780 in
mid-December. The weekly arrivals (of Russian civilians?) have
decreased from 35 to 10.
 
j) LUBLIN. The form of reports is given as 1.Total (including p/w)
2.Arrivals. 3.Departures. Of the total, column A is to contain
Germans, B Jews, C Poles, D Russian p/w (321b30); this is the form
taken by the GPCC figures (J 1) The total decreases from 9000
in mid-November to 7000 in mid-December in spite of a considerable
intake particularly of Jews.  It is worth xxxxx noting that two
typhus suspects are reported in November (279b 27), 1000 portions
of serum are sent (363b19), the LUBLIN doctor is down with typhus
(317b19), and the camp is told to report typhus cases regularly
(321b41).  The figures of the other LUBLIN camp remain unchanged
at about 2800 (J 3)
 
k) STUTTHOF. Total of men has fallen from 2000 to 1500; total of
women has risen from 200 to 300. The last returns give political
prisoners before Germans (329a3,5).
 
l) DEBICA. “In the forced labour camp (Poles and Jews) an epidemic
of typhus is raging.  Out of a total of 800 91 are sick or suspects”
(329a 27).

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