The Gas Vans: A Critical Investigation - Holocaust Handbooks

SANTIAGO ALVAREZ, THE GAS VANS 359
Just as no reference can be found to an extant “gas van” in the pertinent
literature, no indication exists in any publication that such a device
has ever been found. The investigation of such a van would have made
conclusions possible regarding the reality of these “murder vans” as
well as their operational mode. Instead we are being fobbed off with
vague, imprecise declarations which do not stand up to scrutiny, and we
are served a hodge-podge of witness statements whose improbability
inevitable have to puzzle us.
For the second category of vehicles mentioned by Choumoff, the
“gas vans operated with Zyklon B,” the difficulties with the engine do
not apply, since here the exhaust gases would have been emitted normally.
As a matter of fact, it can be stated with certainty that such “gas
vans” did indeed existed, but merely as disinfestation vans, as I have
described in chapter 2.3.
This leads us to the more general question of “Zyklon B gas chambers,”
which isn’t the topic of this study, though. Yet we cannot but indicate
that Choumoff describes the technique to insert the gas into the
cargo box only very cursorily:
“The gas was […] thrown into the interior of the vans from the
driver’s cabin during transit.” (p. 39)
“The conversion [of a police van into a gassing van] consisted
mainly of sealing the interior of the van.” (p. 42)
“A tin container containing the Zyklon-B gas was thrown in during
transit from the driver’s cabin.” (Ibid.)
[Comments by the present author: Imagine the scene: two SS men
sit on the front seat of the truck. One of them wants to open a Zyklon B
can, for which a massive can-opener has to be hit with a hammer. However,
in order not to poison themselves, both SS men have to don gas
masks at first. Since that cannot be done while driving, they have to
stop in order to don the masks. Once properly protected, the two continue
their journey. However, since the gas mask severely restricts the
driver’s field of vision – not to mention steamy glasses – the truck is at
a high risk of having an accident. Next the co-driver opens the can.
While the truck lumbers along, driven by a half-blind driver around
corners and through potholes, how many Zyklon B pellets will the codriver
spill into the driver’s cabin in the process? Then he opens the
window to the back of the truck and tries to pour in the poison. How
much of it will the inmates throw right back at him? And if they stand
cram-packed right up to the window: how is the co-driver going to get