THE RUDOLF REPORT

7. ZYKLON B FOR THE KILLING OF HUMAN BEINGSnide in morgue 1 of crematoria II and III during the alleged gassingswould have had an effect on the masonry which would have been atleast as great as that occurring during disinfestation. High rates of hydrogencyanide absorption would have to be expected during these periods,particularly on the cool and moist masonry of cellars in crematoriaII and III. The duration of the gassing period would have dependedabove all on the subsequent ventilation, which will be examined below.7.3.1.3.2. Excursus 1: Poisoning or Suffocation?Because eyewitness statements about the amount of Zyklon B arerare, and since humans are more sensitive to HCN than insects (seechapter 7.1.), some scholars opine that only small amounts of ZyklonB were used for the alleged mass murders in Auschwitz, for example J.Bailer, 54 W. Wegner, 49 and G. Wellers, 55 who assume an applied concentrationof 1 g per m 3 (0.083 Vol.%) or less.The few witnesses statements we have, however, claim that severalkilograms of Zyklon B were used. 469 In his book, Pressac frequentlyrefers to a HCN concentration of 12 g per m 3 or 1 vol.% usedfor executions. 470 He backs this up with many witness accounts, accordingto which four to six 1-kg cans of Zyklon B were allegedlypoured into the ‘gas chambers’ (morgues) of crematorium II and III,which indeed corresponds to a concentration of 1 vol.%. 302Pressac, on the other hand, assumes that 95 to 98% of the entireZyklon B delivered to the camp were used for the original purpose, i.e.,for delousing clothes and rooms, 471 for which he relies on statementsfrom the Nuremberg tribunal. 472 Pressac justifies this with the fact that,in relation to other concentration camps, where doubtlessly no exter-469 J. Buszko (ed.), op. cit. (note 465), p. 118: 6 to 12 kg; Léon Poliakov, Harvest of Hate,Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn., 1971, p. 205: 5-7 kg; an analysis of the eyewitness statementshas been undertaken by D. D. Desjardin: “Kenneth Stern’s Critique of The LeuchterReport: A Critical Analysis”, online: codoh.com/newrevoices/nddd/ndddstern.html. Theanalysis does not, however, take account of the slow release of hydrogen cyanide by the carriermaterial. See also Desjardin’s interview with F. Piper, op. cit. (note 164), where Pipertalks about 6 kg per 1,400 victims.470 J.-C. Pressac, op. cit., p. 18.471 J.-C. Pressac, op. cit., pp. 15 and 188.472 Office of Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, British Military Tribunal, trial against B. Tesch etal., Hamburg March 1-8, 1946, Document No. NI-12 207, quoted acc. to: U. Walendy, op. cit.(note 157), p. 83. Note: No staff member of the former Zyklon B producers was ever convicted,because there was no evidence linking them to a crime: Degussa AG (ed.), Im Zeichenvon Sonne und Mond, Degussa AG, Frankfurt/Main 1993, pp. 148f.211