Blechhammer

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Blechhammer
Part of
Provinz Oberschlesien of Greater German Reich[1]
Located in Upper Silesia
Blechhammer map of Bahnhofslager/Judenlager[clarification needed]
CoordinatesNorth plant 50°21′N 18°18′E / 50.350°N 18.300°E / 50.350; 18.300

South plant 50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.300°N 18.250°E / 50.300; 18.250
Nearby camps & plants:

Korzonek
camp
Heydebreck plant
Cosel plant

flak guns added[3]

1945-01-21:[4] The March (1945)
1945-01: Soviet occupation[5]

Post-war: Area recovered by Poland

The Blechhammer (English: sheet metal hammer) (nowadays Blachownia Śląska, district of the

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]

Chemical plants

Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of

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]

Evacuation

In March 1945 the POWs were evacuated. One camp went 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,

Belsen Trial convicted Blechhammer staff members Karl Francioh and Ansgar Piche
.

Camps

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.

See also

References

  1. .
  2. ^ a b c Stranges, Dr. Anthony. "Fischer-Tropsch Archive". Washington, D.C.: Fischer-Tropsch.org. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
    "Germany's Synthetic Fuel Industry 1927-45" (PDF). Fischer-Tropsch.org. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
    "Synthetic Oil Production" (PDF). p. 160. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
    Schroeder, W. C. (August 1946). "Report On Investigations by Fuels and Lubricants Teams At The I.G. Farbenindustrie, A. G., Works, Ludwigshafen and Oppau".
    US Bureau of Mines, Office of Synthetic Liquid Fuels. Archived from the original
    on 8 November 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
  3. .
  4. ^ Gregory, Mackenzie J. "Norman "Nobby" Hayes was on the Voltaire". Ahoy - Mac's Web Log. ahoy.tk-jk.net. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  5. ^ "I.G. Farbenindustrie - Blechhammer". Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  6. Holocaust Survivors
    . United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  7. ^ a b c Schwarzfitter, Jacob (28 August 1946). "Voices (Jacob Schwarzfitter)". Interview Archive. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Pressac". www.mazal.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  9. ^ "Wyniki wyszukiwania-Urząd Miasta Kędzierzyn-Koźle-www.kedzierzynkozle.pl". Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  10. ^ a b Hutson, Fred (April 2006). "Fred Hutson". Tommy's Log: The Logbook of Tachus (Tommy) Constantine McNamee. MurrayArmstrong.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  11. .
  12. ^ Bohnstedt, Douglas (2004). "Blechhammer - 15af.org" (PDF). 15thaf.org. 15thaf.org. Retrieved 25 January 2018. In April 1944 Blechhammer became a satellite camp of Auschwitz, named Arbeitslager Blechhammer, a.k.a. Labor Camp Blechhammer.
  13. .
  14. ^ "June 1944". 461st Bombardment Group Missions. Mission #52
  15. .
  16. ^ Ludmer, Henry (28 March 1946). "Oil in Germany" (PDF). No. 6, Vol. XLVII. University of Toledo. pp. 259–63. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  17. ^ Cruickshank, Earl (1944). "The Ploesti Mission of 1 August 1943". Army Air Forces Reference History (AAFRH)-3. Air Force Historical Study (AFHS) No. 103. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2009. [dead link]
  18. ^ a b Jones, Chris (19 September 2004). "Message 1 - blechammer, el tahag and chieti". WW2 People's War - Dad's Journey. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 21 April 2009. 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)
  19. ^ "Winter 2004". www.prisonerofwar.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Blechhammer".
  21. ^ "Auschwitz-Birkenau - Auschwitz III-Monowitz Concentration Camp". en.auschwitz.org.pl. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Anlage zu § 1 Verzeichnis der Konzentrationslager und ihrer Außenkommandos gemäß § 42 Abs. 2 BEG" (in German). Bundesministerium der Justiz. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  23. ^ "The Wartime Memories Project - STALAG 8b (344) POW Camp". World War Two 1939-1945. WarTimeMemories.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  24. ^ "6. DV-BEG - Einzelnorm". Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  25. .

External links

External images
image icon Map of oil plants
image icon North damage
image icon BAB 21 group