Blechhammer | |
---|---|
Part of Provinz Oberschlesien of Greater German Reich [1] | |
Located in Upper Silesia | |
Coordinates | North plant
50°21′N 18°18′E / 50.350°N 18.300°E South plant
50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.300°N 18.250°E |
Site history | |
In use | 1942–1945 (50,000 POWs)[ citation needed] |
Battles/wars | Oil Campaign of World War II |
Events | 1944-05:
flak guns added
[3] 1945-01-21:
[4]
The March (1945) |
The Blechhammer (English: sheet metal hammer) (nowadays Blachownia Śląska, district of the City of Kędzierzyn-Koźle) area was the location of Greater German Reich chemical plants, prisoner of war camps, and forced labor camps ( German: Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher). [6] Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942, [7] and in July 1944, 400–500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer. The mobile "pocket furnace" [8] ( German: Taschenofen) crematorium was at Sławięcice.) [9] and Bau und Arbeits Battalion (BAB, English: Construction Battalion) 21 was a mile from the Blechhammer oil plants and was not far from Kattowitz and Breslau. [10] Blechhammer synthetic oil production began April 1, 1944 with 4000 prisoners, [11] with the slave labor camp holding these prisoners during April 1944, becoming a satellite camp of the dreaded Auschwitz extermination camp, as Arbeitslager Blechhammer. [12]
Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of Sławięcice) and Blechhammer South at Azoty (5 miles (8.0 km) from the[ clarification needed] labor camp) [7] were nicknamed "Black Hammer" by Allied bomber aircrews. [13] The facilities were approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) apart with each occupying a 3,000 × 5,000 ft (914 × 1524 m) area in open country. [14] Similar to the Gelsenberg plant, [15] the Blechhammer plants used bituminous coal from Upper Silesian Coal Basin [2] in the Bergius process to synthesize Ersatz oil. [16] In June 1944, the United States Army Air Forces considered Blechhammer one of the four "principal synthetic oil plants in Germany", [17] and after the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 7,082 tons (14,164,000 lbs; 6,424 tonnes) of bombs on Blechhammer, the Blechhammer plants were dismantled post-war by the Soviets. [2]
In March 1945 the POWs were evacuated. One camp went to Regensburg, [18] BAB 21 [19] went to Landshut) [10] and on January 25, labor camp prisoners were force-marched for five days to Bergen Belsen [7] (about 20% died en route). [20][ verification needed] Some small groups did manage to escape (see František R. Kraus).
The "7 Company" was the guard battalion for Blechhammer, [21] and the 1945 Belsen Trial convicted Blechhammer staff members Karl Francioh and Ansgar Piche.
The Blechhammer complex contained a number of POW Camps: [18] BAB 21 (E794), 40, 48; E3, [22] E714, [23] E769, Camp 139. [24]
Life at Blechhamer and the work parties is described in Captive Plans, the POW diary of Reg Beattie [25] and by a Czech survivor, journalist František R. Kraus.
In April 1944 Blechhammer became a satellite camp of Auschwitz, named Arbeitslager Blechhammer, a.k.a. Labor Camp Blechhammer.
Mission #52
the main one referred to as 'E3' in the Stalag labour system was to be found there, though the others in and around the area include: BAB 20, 21, 40 and 48; and E711, E711A, E769, E793 E794 (these last two were renamed BAB20 and 21)
External images | |
---|---|
Map of oil plants | |
North damage | |
BAB 21 group |
Blechhammer | |
---|---|
Part of Provinz Oberschlesien of Greater German Reich [1] | |
Located in Upper Silesia | |
Coordinates | North plant
50°21′N 18°18′E / 50.350°N 18.300°E South plant
50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.300°N 18.250°E |
Site history | |
In use | 1942–1945 (50,000 POWs)[ citation needed] |
Battles/wars | Oil Campaign of World War II |
Events | 1944-05:
flak guns added
[3] 1945-01-21:
[4]
The March (1945) |
The Blechhammer (English: sheet metal hammer) (nowadays Blachownia Śląska, district of the City of Kędzierzyn-Koźle) area was the location of Greater German Reich chemical plants, prisoner of war camps, and forced labor camps ( German: Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher). [6] Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942, [7] and in July 1944, 400–500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer. The mobile "pocket furnace" [8] ( German: Taschenofen) crematorium was at Sławięcice.) [9] and Bau und Arbeits Battalion (BAB, English: Construction Battalion) 21 was a mile from the Blechhammer oil plants and was not far from Kattowitz and Breslau. [10] Blechhammer synthetic oil production began April 1, 1944 with 4000 prisoners, [11] with the slave labor camp holding these prisoners during April 1944, becoming a satellite camp of the dreaded Auschwitz extermination camp, as Arbeitslager Blechhammer. [12]
Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of Sławięcice) and Blechhammer South at Azoty (5 miles (8.0 km) from the[ clarification needed] labor camp) [7] were nicknamed "Black Hammer" by Allied bomber aircrews. [13] The facilities were approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) apart with each occupying a 3,000 × 5,000 ft (914 × 1524 m) area in open country. [14] Similar to the Gelsenberg plant, [15] the Blechhammer plants used bituminous coal from Upper Silesian Coal Basin [2] in the Bergius process to synthesize Ersatz oil. [16] In June 1944, the United States Army Air Forces considered Blechhammer one of the four "principal synthetic oil plants in Germany", [17] and after the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 7,082 tons (14,164,000 lbs; 6,424 tonnes) of bombs on Blechhammer, the Blechhammer plants were dismantled post-war by the Soviets. [2]
In March 1945 the POWs were evacuated. One camp went to Regensburg, [18] BAB 21 [19] went to Landshut) [10] and on January 25, labor camp prisoners were force-marched for five days to Bergen Belsen [7] (about 20% died en route). [20][ verification needed] Some small groups did manage to escape (see František R. Kraus).
The "7 Company" was the guard battalion for Blechhammer, [21] and the 1945 Belsen Trial convicted Blechhammer staff members Karl Francioh and Ansgar Piche.
The Blechhammer complex contained a number of POW Camps: [18] BAB 21 (E794), 40, 48; E3, [22] E714, [23] E769, Camp 139. [24]
Life at Blechhamer and the work parties is described in Captive Plans, the POW diary of Reg Beattie [25] and by a Czech survivor, journalist František R. Kraus.
In April 1944 Blechhammer became a satellite camp of Auschwitz, named Arbeitslager Blechhammer, a.k.a. Labor Camp Blechhammer.
Mission #52
the main one referred to as 'E3' in the Stalag labour system was to be found there, though the others in and around the area include: BAB 20, 21, 40 and 48; and E711, E711A, E769, E793 E794 (these last two were renamed BAB20 and 21)
External images | |
---|---|
Map of oil plants | |
North damage | |
BAB 21 group |