The Gas Vans: A Critical Investigation - Holocaust Handbooks

100 SANTIAGO ALVAREZ, THE GAS VANS
minutes with agitated hot air of 80 to 90°C. The hot air is generated
by an equally mobile heat exchanger (heat source: steam) and is
pressed through the goods to be disinfested with a strong fan. Subsequently
the same chamber is charged for some 20 to 30 minutes
with streaming, pressurized steam of 110°C and 0.5 atmospheres.
Afterwards the steam is removed by agitated hot air of 80 to 90°C,
and in addition the goods are post-treated and dried for some 15
minutes with agitated hot air. In this way an impeccable degree of
disinfestation is achieved while being very gentle to the fabrics and
avoiding a change in shape of the goods to be disinfested.”
Since modern devices weren’t always to come by at the eastern
front, improvised solutions had to make do at times. In this regard the
Heeresdienstvorschrift (German Army service regulation) 195/6 of
1942 concerning hot “air” disinfestation devices mandated the following
about a makeshift solution:
“III. Disinfestations
[…]
c) Disinfesting with exhaust gases
Disinfestations with [hot] exhaust gases from combustion engines,
preferably Diesel engines (no Otto [gasoline] engine for their
increased danger of carbon oxide), requires the following accessory
parts, which can be improvised:
1. 1 distribution funnel,
2. 1 bendable metal hose
3. 3 rolls of asbestos tape of thickness 3, 4 and 5 mm, each 3 m
long.
For disinfestations with exhaust gases in the E-Baracke 42 [disinfestation
shed 42] a 100 HP Diesel engine suffices. The engine is
to be mounted close to the shed, and the exhaust gases are to be lead
toward the middle of the shed by means of a flexible hose pulled
over the exhaust pipe and sealed with asbestos tape. The entry opening
of the hose into the shed is to be protected with asbestos against
fire hazard. The distribution funnel is to be suspended from the ceiling
in the middle of the shed at about ¾ height with the tip pointing
downward. The exit opening of the metal hose is to be affixed beneath
the center of the funnel so that the exhaust gases are spread
out evenly in the shed. The doors are to be closed firmly. The engine
is to be loaded with some 60% of maximum load. The disinfestation
procedure is otherwise identical to the hot air procedure.