The Gas Vans: A Critical Investigation - Holocaust Handbooks

SANTIAGO ALVAREZ, THE GAS VANS 213
in some 8+ m for the entire vehicle, not 4 to 5 m. Although the court
was in possession of these documents (as results from the verdict, pp.
621f.), they seem to have taken from it only what fit into their preconceived
notion.
The high, vaulted roof described in the verdict is a new feature unheard
of so far and not exactly common for moving trucks.
Regarding the conversion to a gas van, the verdict states, based on
statements made by the defendant Wentritt (pp. 619f.):
“He cut the exhaust pipe open and inserted a T-piece into it.
Then he drilled a hole of some 50 to 60 mm into the floor of the cargo
box, through which he inserted a connector piece. This connector
piece was welded [to the floor], and inside the cargo box a U-shaped
pipe system was connected to it, sporting small holes in regular distances.
All that was need now in case of necessity was to make a
connection with a screwable hose between the T-piece in the exhaust
pipe and the connector piece in the floor of the cargo box, both of
which had threads. It was then possible to conduct the exhaust gases
without difficulties through the connector piece into the pipe system
and from there into the truck’s interior.”
Without difficulties – except that without a cap or plug the gases
would have escaped out of the tail pipe instead of taking a 90° turn and
streaming out of the small holes of the U-shaped pipe system – a complicated
device as useless as tits on a boar.
The next step in the expertly planned and executed construction of
these vans was their testing, about which the court writes:
“After he had done his work, the defendant – as he admitted –
brought the vehicle […] personally to the Institute for Criminological
Technology in Berlin [Kriminaltechnische Institut, KTI]. There a
chemist performed a gas analysis by putting a measuring device into
it for a longer period of time while Wen.[tritt] let the engine run. The
defendant Wen.[tritt] did not learn anything about the results. Even
the witnesses Dr. Lei.[ding], and Dr. Hof.[fmann], whose position
and assignment within the KTI has already been described, have reported
about the gas analysis […]. Dr. Lei. himself performed it in
the courtyard of the KTI. The description of the gas van given by
these two witnesses matches the Saurer prototype converted by
Wen.[tritt].”
This is all very impressive, with the one catch that all Saurer trucks
had Diesel engines; hence their exhaust gases while idling in some