MIL TRIB III - Case No. 4.
22. The defendants assisted in planning and carrying out medical, surgical and biological experiments upon hundreds of involuntary human subjects, without regard to the lives of such subjects, resulting in the murder, torture, and ill treatment of hundreds of persons.
23. The said War Crimes constituted violations of international conventions, particularly Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 18, 23, 43, 46, 50, 52, 55, and 56 of the Regulations respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, annexed to the Hague Convention of October 18, 1907, and Articles 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 42, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 56, 57, 60, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 76, and 77 of the Prisoners of War Convention (Geneva, 1929), the laws and customs of war, the general principles of criminal law as derived from the original laws of all civilized nations, the internal penal laws of the countries in which such crimes were committed, and were declared, recognized and defined as crimes by Article II of Control Council Law No. 10.
COUNT THREE -- CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY 24.
Between September 1939 and April 1945 all of the defendants herein unlawfully, wilfully, and knowingly committed Crimes against Humanity as defined by Control Council Law No. 10, in that they were principals in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and were connected with plans and enterprises involving the commission of atrocities and offenses, including but not limited to murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, illegal imprisonment, torture, persecution on political, racial and religious grounds, and ill-treatment of, and other inhumane and criminal acts against thousands of persons. These crimes embraced, but were not limited to, the particulars set out in paragraphs 4 to 10, inclusive, and the acts charged in Paragraphs 14 to 22, inclusive, of this Indictment, which are incorporated herein by reference, and were committed against German civilians and nationals of other countries.
25. The said Crimes against Humanity constitute violations of international conventions, including the Articles of the Hague Regulations, 1907, and of the Prisoners of War Convention (Geneva, 1929) enumerated in MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.Paragraph 23 of this Indictment, the laws and customs of war, the general principles of criminal law as derived from the criminal laws of all civilized nations, the internal penal laws of the countries in which such crimes were committed, and were declared, recognized, and defined as crimes by Article II of Control Council Law No. 10.
COUNT FOUR -- MEMBERSHIP IN CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION 26.
All of the defendants herein, except defendant Hohberg, are charged with membership, subsequent to September 1, 1939, in the Schutzstaffeln der Nationalsozialistischen Deutschen Arbeiterpartei (commonly known as the "SS"), declared to be criminal by the International Military Tribunal and Paragraph 1 (d) Article II of Control Council Law No. 10.
WHEREFORE, this Indictment is filed with the Secretary General of the Military Tribunal and the charges herein made against the above-named defendants are hereby presented to the Military Tribunals.
TELFORD TAYLOR Brigadier General, U. S. Army Chief of Counsel for War Crimes Acting on behalf of the United States of America.
Nürnberg, 13 January, 1947
THE PRESIDENT: As the name of each defendant is called, he will stand and answer the questions put to him by the Tribunal and give his answers into the microphone.
DR. SEIDL (Counsel for Defendant Oswald Pohl): Mr. President, before the defendants are heard with reference to the question of guilt, I beg to have the opportunity to make an application on behalf of Defendant Oswald Pohl, which refers to the indictment.
THE PRESIDENT: You have already filed a written motion in behalf of Defendant Pohl?
DR. SEIDL: On the 1st of March of this year I have submitted an application in writing to the Secretary General, demanding on behalf of the defense, a supplement of facts with regard to the indictment. I should like to repeat this application here in open session of the Tribunal and should MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.like to give a verbal argument in favor of it.
THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal has before it your written application or motion and it will be heard in due time but we will proceed with the arraignment on the indictment as filed.
BY THE PRESIDENT:
Q. OSWALD POHL. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, Guilty or Not Guilty?
A. I declare that I am not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
Q. AUGUST FRANK. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
A. You may be seated.
Q. GEORG LOERNER. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 14, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
Q. HEINZ KARL FANSLAU. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: HANS LOERNER.
BY JUDGE PHILLIPS:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, are you guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: JOSEF VOGT.
BY JUDGE PHILLIPS:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: ERWIN TSCHENTSCHER.
BY JUDGE PHILLIPS:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes. -014 MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, are you guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: RUDOLF SCHEIDE
BY JUDGE PHILLIPS:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case in January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, are you guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: MAX KIEFER
BY JUDGE MUSMANNO:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment on January 13th of this year?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to the indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: FRANZ EIRENSCHMALZ
BY JUDGE MUSMANNO:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment on January 13 of this year?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. And how do you plead to the indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.
THE PRESIDENT: KARL SOMMER.
BY JUDGE MUSMANNO:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. And how do you plead to the indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: HERMANN POOK.
BY JUDGE MUSMANNO:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. And how do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: HANS BAIER.
BY JUDGE SPEIGHT:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: HANS HOHBERG.
BY JUDGE SPEIGHT:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: LEO VOLK.
BY JUDGE SPEIGHT:
Q. Did you receivo a copy of this indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. I do not feel guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: KARL MUMMENTHEY.
BY JUDGE SPEIGHT:
Q. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. I declare that I am not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
BY THE PRESIDENT:
Q. HANS BOBERMIN. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
MIL TRIB II - Case No. 4.
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
Q. HORST KLEIN. Did you receive a copy of the indictment in this case on January 13, 1947?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you represented by counsel?
A. Yes.
Q. How do you plead to this indictment, guilty or not guilty?
A. Not guilty.
Q. You may be seated.
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary General will enter on behalf of each of the several defendants a plea of Not Guilty.
MIL TRIB II - Case 4.
THE PRESIDENT: The Court has just signed the Order approving the application of Dr. von Stein as attorney for the defendant Franz Eirenschmalz.
Various motions have been filed on behalf of the defendants Frank, Loerner, Hohberg, Pohl, Pook and Bobermin asking for various types of relief, particularly with reference to the indictment. These motions will be determined by the Tribunal in advance of the trial, and argument on the motions will be permitted, if requested.
Am I right, Mr. McHaney, in stating that it is proposed to start the taking of proof in this case tentatively on March 24th?
MR. McHANEY: That is correct, Your Honor.
THE PRESIDENT: Counsel for the defendants will be advised of that plan and will be ready to proceed on that day, unless otherwise notified in the meantime.
There being nother further before the Tribunal at this moment, the Tribunal will be in recess without day, but with the advice to counsel that the next probable session of the Tribunal will be March 24th at 9:30 o'clock, and in Court Room 581, not in this room.
(The Tribunal adjourned)
Official Transcript of the American Military Tribunal in the matter of the United States of America, against Oswald Pohl, et al, defendants, sitting at Nurnberg, Germany, on 8 April 1947, 0930 - 1630, Justice Robert M. Toms, presiding.
THE MARSHAL: All persons in the Court please take your seats.
The Honorable, the Judges of Military Tribunal No. 2 Military Tribunal 2 is now in session.
Gos save the United States of America and this Honorable Tribunal.
There will be order in the Court.
THE PRESIDENT: Case No. 4, the United States of America against Oswald Pohl and others is before the Tribunal. The Marshal will determine whether all the defendants named in the indictment are present in court.
THE MARSHAL: May it please your Honors all the defendants are present.
THE PRESIDENT: The Prosecution may proceed to its opening statement.
Mr. McHaney, are there copies of the statement you are about to make?
MR. McHANEY: No, Your Honor, they will be filed with the Tribunal at the conclusion of the statement.
May it please the Tribunal, today marks the opening of the first proceeding in Nurnberg devoted exclusively to the trial of persons active in the SS. On September 30, 1946, the International Military Tribunal found the SS to have been a criminal organization. Since that date, four indictments, other than the one in this case, have been filed with the Military Tribunals by the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes acting on behalf of the United States of America. The defendants range from doctors and officials in the German medical services to a Field Marshal in the Luftwaffe, from officials of the judicial system of the Third Reich to the directors of an industrial combine.
Yet without exception each of these cases deals in large measure with crimes to which the SS was a party. In all but one of these cases, the SS is represented among the defendants. Indeed, in the trial before the International Military Tribunal no less than eleven of the defendants were members of the SS.
This points up the tremendous power and influence wielded by the SS in the Third Reich. Even now, nearly two years after the termination of hostilities, the SS if too often regarded as a more collection of racial fanatics, well-drilled fighting men, or concentration camp thugs. Let there be no mistake about that -- Himmler was eminently successful in making the SS an all-powerful elite. Its members were represented in the personal entourage of Hitler in the Reich Ministries, in the Wehrmacht, in the provincial and municipal governments, in industry and finance, in the press, in occupied territories, and in the spheres of education and culture. It has been said with considerable truth that the SS was a State within a State.
It is therefore a matter of importance to investigate the workings of this SS State and to fix the responsibility for its manifold crimes on those men in high positions who kept the constrous machinery running. Justice could not tolerate the trial of sadistic concentration camp commanders and guards, or even industrialists who ran their factories with slave labor, without bringing to account those men of the SS who made such things possible. In this dock sit the principal surviving leaders of the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt), commonly called the WVHA. It was they who procured the material, money, and slaves to support the SS State.
It was they who supervised the lawless jungles which were concentration camps. It was they who were the greatest users of slave labors as Eugen Kogon has said, "No superJew of Streicher's ever accomplished what SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl succeeded in doing: the rationalization of turning corpses into money on a mass-basis."
The crimes which are the subject of this trial run the gamut of "man's inhumanity to man" - the systematic commission of atrocities in concentration camps, the utilization of slave labor under brutal and inhumane conditions, the extermination of the Jews and so-called "useless eaters", criminal medical experimentation on concentration camp inmates, the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto, and the confiscation of property on a gigantic scale. The defendant Pohl and his collaborators in the WVHA were parties to all of these crimes and many more.
Since this case is concerned with the criminal activities of one of the Main Offices of the SS, it is necessary to understand something of the history and organization of the SS in general and the WVHA in particular. To assist the Tribunal in this regard, the prosecution has prepared and delivered to the Tribunal a brief containing basic information on the SS and the WVHA. This has also been made available to defense counsel in both German and English. It includes a glossary of German words and expressions which will be used frequently in the course of the trial, a table of equivalent ranks between the American Army and the German Wehrmacht and the SS, and two charts showing the organization of the SS and the WVHA.
The Schutzstaffeln or SS was the protective Guard of the National Socialist Party (NSDAP). It was formed in 1925 to protect leaders and speakers at Party meetings and above all to protect the person of the Fuehrer.
As the "Fuehrer" or leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler was the "Oberste Fuehrer" or supreme leader of the SS.
In January, 1929, Heinrich Himmler was appointed Reichsfuehrer-SS. As such, he was the commander of the SS and subordinated directly to Hitler as head of the Nazi Party. At that time, the SS numbered only about 280 men and was much less important than the Sturmabteilung or SA, which was a Nazi pari-military unit under the ambitious Captain Ernst Roehm. Patiently and unobtrusively, Himmler set about creating out of the SS an aristocracy within the Nazi Party. He called this aristocracy the German Order of Men (Deutsche Maennerorden). Selection for membership in the SS was based on the doctrine of "Race and Blood." Himmler once said:
"I am convinced supporter of the idea that what matters in the world ultimately is only good blood.... I have approached my task from this angle. It means that actually the only good blood, according to our reading of history, is the leading creative element in every state, and in particular, the blood engaged in military activity and, above all, Nordic blood," At the time of the seizure of power by the Nazi Party in January, 1933, this self-proclaimed "racial elite" was 52,000 strong.
Not, however, until the Roehm purge of 30 June 1934 did the SS become the ruling caste within the Party. On that bloody "Night of the Long Knives", it was the brutalized and ever obedient SS which murdered Roehm and his important collaborators in the SA who were said to be dissident elements in the Party. Thenceforth, the SS assumed the duty of ensuring the continued power of the Nazi regime or, as it was officially state, of "protecting the internal security of the Reich."
The subsequent development of the SS was based primarily upon the tremendous increase in power of Himmler. Wherever Himmler went, the SS went with him. In June, 1936, he was appointed Chief of the German Police in the Ministry of Interior with authority over the regular uniformed police as well as the Security Police, which was defined to include both the Criminal Police and the notorious Gestapo or State Secret Police. In this connection, mention should also be made of the Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsfuehrer-SS or SD which worked closely with the Gestapo. The SD was the espionage agency, first of the SS, and, after June 1934, of the whole Nazi Party. Reinhardt, or as he was known abroad, "Hangman" Heydrich, was the Chief of the SD. Himmler, in his capacity as Reichsfuehrer - SS and Chief of the German Police, appointed Heydrich as Chief of the Security Police on 26 June 1936. This amalgamated the Security Police, a State organization, with the SD, a Party organization.
By a decree of 27 September 1939, the various State and Party Offices under Heydrich as Chief of the Security Police and SD were united into one administrative unit, the Reich Main Security Office or RSHA which was at the same time both one of the Main Offices of the SS Supreme Command under Himmler as Reichsfuehrer-SS and an office in the Ministry of Interior under Himmler as Chief of the German Police.
On a regional level, Himmler appointed a Higher SS and Police Leader for each Wehrkreis who coordinated the activities of the Security Police and SD, Order Police, and Allgemeine SS within their jurisdictions. In 1939 the SS and police systems were amalgamated by taking into the SS all police officials at equivalent ranks.
This unification of the SS and police greatly enhanced the power of the SS. Its power and influence was further increased by the appointment of Himmler in August 1943 as Reich Minister of the Interior, a position which controlled the greater part of the vast German bureaucracy. Finally in July 1944 he succeeded General Fromm as Commander in Chief of the Replacement Army and Chief of Military Armament. He then controlled all forces on the home front.
Parallel with this development of the SS its influence was increased by the practice of appointing important State officials and other public figures to high rank in the SS. Industrialists, bankers, and business men were prevailed upon to contribute substantial sums of money to the SS in order to stand in well with the Party aristocracy. Through infiltration the SS gained influence in every branch of German life.
By 1939, the Allgemeine SS, the original formation of the SS, numbered approximately 240,000 men. In addition, there were two other SS formation - the Special Service Troops and the Death's Head Formations which together had a strength of about 40,000 men. The Special Service Troops ** stitute a force of SS men who volunteered for four years' military service in lieu of compulsory service with the Army. It was organized as an armed unit to be employed with the Army in the event of mobilization.
The Death's Head Formations were selected from SS volunteers and were used to guard concentration camps.
After the outbreak of war, units from both the Special Service Troops and the Death's Head Formations were used in the Polish campaign These troops came to be known as the Waffen or Armed SS. By 1940 the Waffen SS contained 100,000, men, 56,000 coming from the Special Service Troops and the rest from the Allgemeine SS and the Death's Head Troops. Concentration camp guard duties came to be performed primarily by members of the Allgemeine SS. The Waffen SS fought in every campaign with the exception of those in Norway and Africa. By the end of the war it is estimated to have comprised about 580,000 men. Thus, it was numerically by far the larger branch of the SS, the Allgemeine SS having declined in strength to less than 40,000.
The Waffen SS, including the Death's Head Formations, was in effect a part of the Wehrmacht and its expenses were a charge on the State. The Allgemeine SS, on the other hand, was an independent branch of the Party and its finances were ultimately controlled by the Party Treasurer.
Subject to the controlling authority of the Reichsfuehrer SS the work of directing, organizing, and administering the whole body of the SS was carried out by what may be loosely called the Supreme Command of the SS. This Supreme Command consisted of twelve Main Offices. The most important of the Main Offices were the Reich Main Security Office or, RSHA, the Operational Headquarters, and the Economic and Administrative Main Office, the WVHA.
I have already described the amalgamation of the SD and the Gestapo and Criminal Police under Heydrich as Chief of the RSHA. After the assassination of Heydrich in 1942, Kaltenbrunner was made Chief of the RSHA. For his criminal activities in that position, he was tried, convicted and sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal. The Gestapo, among other things, was responsible for the commitment of political prisoners to concentration camps.
Our proof in this case will show the close cooperation between the Security Police and SD and the WVHA not only in matters concerning concentration camps, but also in the extermination of the Jews, the spoliation of property on a gigantic scale, and the utilization of slave labor under inhumane conditions.
The SS Operational Headquarters was the main office of the SS which was responsible for the training, organization and, to a certain extent, the operational employment of the Waffen SS and the Allgemeine SS.
Other important Main Offices were the SS Central Office which handled recruiting for the Waffen SS, propaganda, education, physical training, and so-called Germanic affairs; the SS Race and Settlement Office which was concerned with matters of "race", geneology, and marriage permits within the SS, and the settlement of SS men in occupied territory boundings on the Reich; and the Personal Staff of the Reichfuehrer SS which was an advisory and coordinating body responsible for all matters not within the province of the other Main Offices and for liaison with Government and Party officials.
THE WVHA.
I turn now to a description of the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office and to the position of these defendants in that organization.
Prior to the end of the war, little was known of the activities of the WVHA. In order to appreciate the organization and influence of this office, it is necessary to consider the three original offices which were later united to form the WVHA. These were the Administrative Department (Verwaltungsamt) in the SS Central Office, the Department of Budget and Building and the office of the Inspector of Concentration Camps.
The Administrative Department was for many years located in Munich. The defendant Pohl became Chief of that department in February, 1934.
He was, at the same time, Plenipotentiary of the Treasurer of the Nazi Party. The Administrative Department handled the financial and administrative matters of the Special Service Troops, the Death's Head Units, the concentration camps, and the Allgemeine SS. The defendants Frank, George and Hans Loerner, Vogt, Tschantscher, Eirenschmalz, and Baier were early collaborators of Pohl in various phases of this work.
In addition to administrative tasks, the Administrative Department soon concerned itself with business and industrial undertakings on behalf of the SS and Party. Prominent among these economic enterprises was the German Earth and Stone Works with granite quarries in the concentration camps of Flossenburg, Mauthausen, Gross-Rosen, and Natzweiler In 1940 the German Business Enterprises was formed by Pohl and George Loerner as a holding company. It was commonly known as the DWB combine and it controlled many of the business enterprises run by the Administrative Department, or as it was then known, the Administrative and Economic Main Office. It had a capitalization in excess of 46 million Reichsmarks. The defendants Hohberg, Volk, Mummenthy, Bobermin, and Klein were active in developing and managing these economic enterprises. Concentration camp inmates were used as laborers on a vast scale.
By an order of 20 April 1939, Himmler raised the Administrative Office of Pohl to the rank of a Main Office of the SS. It was called the Administrative and Economic Main Office and abbreviated "WVHA". At the same time Pohl was appointed Chief of the newly created Budget and Buildings Main Office. Thus, after this reorganization, there were three departments under Pohl's jurisdiction - Amt I-Budget, Amt IIBuildings, and Amt III-Economic Enterprises. Amt I and II were said to be identical with the Department for Budget and Building in the Ministry of Interior, of which Pohl was a Ministerialdirektor.
All three of these departments had a very substantial relationship to the concentration camps. Amt I (Budget) was in charge of the allocation and control of prison labor; Amt II (Buildings) was in charge of actual building and construction work; and Amt III (Economic Enterprises) controlled various plants using prisoners.
All of these Aemter had representatives in every concentration camps.
The third precursor of the WVHA which I have mentioned was the Office of the Inspector of Concentration Camps, first under Eicke and then Gluecks. This office was responsible for the control of the SS Death's Head guards and the entire internal administration of the camps. I have already briefly indicated the strong interest of Pohl's organization in the concentration camps. In December 1939, Himmler said that: "The supervision of the economic matters of these institutions (concentration camps) and their application to work is the responsibility of SS Gruppenfuehrer Pohl". This problem of divided authority was finally resolved in March 1942 and the Office of the Inspector of Concentration Camps was subordinated to Pohl. At about the same time, a final reorganization took place which created the WVHA with the defendant Pohl as its Chief. The WVHA was divided into five branches, Amtsgruppen, A, B, C, D, and W.
Amtsgruppe A was the supreme authority for the finance and administration of the whole of the SS. This department negotiated with the Reich Ministry of Finance for funds to support the Waffen SS and other SS activities carried out for the States. It handled the budgets, payments, and audits for all the SS, including the concentration camps. It was responsible for the general supervision and coordination of all SS administration, and for the training and appointment of administrative personnel. The defendant Frank was Chief of Amtsgruppe A and Deputy Chief of the WVHA until September 1943. He was succeeded as Chief of Amtsgruppe A by the defendant Fanslau who had previously been in charge of the Personnel Office. The defendant Hans Loerner was in charge of the office for budgets while the defendant Vogt was head of the auditing office.
Amstgruppe B controlled food supply, uniforms, billeting, raw materials, and equipment for the SS. As for as the Waffen SS was concerned, responsibility for supply was divided between the SS Operational Headquarters and the WVHA. Broadly speaking, the Operational Headquarters supplied arms, ammunition, and other technical equipment, While the WVHA was responsible for rations, clothing, fuel, and personal items of equipment. Among other things, Amtsgruppe I was responsible for the supply of food and clothing to concentration camps. The defendant George Loerner was Chief of Amtsgruppe B and after 1 September 1943, was Deputy Chief of the WVHA. The defendant Tschentscher was deputy to Loerner and head of the office for food supplies. The defendant Scheide was in charge of the office for supply of transport, machinery, and weapons.
Amtsgruppe C was charged with construction tasks of the SS and Police. This included the building and maintenance of barracks, camps and training grounds, field works, and fortifications, and readmaking. All construction work in connection with concentration camps, such as gas chambers and crematoriums, was handled by this department. Amtsgruppe C was the greatest user of concentration camp labor in all of Germany, for outstripeing such industries as I.G. Farben and the Hermann Goering Works. For the year 1942 alone, over forty-four thousand concentration camp inmates were requested for a total of sixty-one building projects.