German Footage of a Homicidal Gassing with Engine Exhaust. Part 7: Tactical Symbol & Homicidal Gas Van

 German Footage of a Homicidal Gassing with Engine Exhaust

Part 1: Provenance

Part 2: Location

Part 3: Responsibility (I)

Part 4: Responsibility (II)

Part 5: Responsibility (III)

Part 6: Forgery Allegation

Part 7: Tactical Symbol & Homicidal Gas Van 

 

 

If there were still anyone in the world who harbored even the slightest doubt about the authenticity of the film footage showing the Nazi gas killing operation at the psychiatric hospital in Mogilev, those doubts should now be dispelled.

 

Mogilev gassing footage

Recall that the truck, whose exhaust pipe is connected to the building wall, bears a tactical symbol and a numerical designation on the rear side of the flatbed (see Figure 1). Until now, these markings could not be clearly identified  - but that has changed.

 

Figure 1: Still of Mogilev gassing footage with tactical sign on the truck

 

As reported in another blog post, the only known photographic evidence of a Nazi gas van using engine exhaust for killing was recently published. In one of these photos, the gas van used by Sonderkommando 7a of Einsatzgruppe B is seen from behind with its doors closed. On the left rear door of the box body, a tactical symbol and the designation "VIIa" are clearly visible (see Figure 2).

 

 

Figure 2: Photograph of homicidal gas van of SK 7a (from: Cameron Munro, "Engineered for Mass Murder – The Nazi Gas Vans: 1939–1945")

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the crucial point: The exact same tactical symbol appears on the truck shown in the Mogilev gassing footage - just in that case, it is followed by "IX" (see Figure 2). The symbol was apparently used to mark vehicles of Einsatzgruppe B, while the number denoted the specific Einsatzkommando or Sonderkommando.

 

 

 

Figure 3: Comparison between rear of Mogilev gassing truck (left) and SK 7a gas van (right)

  

The truck used in Mogilev therefore belonged - at least temporarily - to Einsatzkommando 9 of Einsatzgruppe B. Since the license plate visible on the vehicle can be linked to Einsatzkommando 8, it may be that the truck originally served with Kommando 9 and was later transferred to Kommando 8.

The tactical symbol on the truck provide further evidence that it belonged to Einsatzgruppe B - and thus confirm that the footage is indeed authentic documentation of a gassing operation carried out by Einsatzgruppe B at the psychiatric institution in Mogilev.