Auschwitz Crematoria Capability

[offline Sailor]

Using Mattogno's numbers, the four crematoria in Birkenau, Krema II, III, IV & V, have an estimated total daily maximum cremation capability of 1200, or on a yearly basis about 350,000 cremations.

This is enormous, considering that the camp had at the end of 1942 only about 120,000 inmates.

What may be the reasons for such a huge cremation capacity?

[offline Hannover]

Without seeing the specifics of his conclusions, some questions come to mind:

- Is this 24 hr., round the clock operation? ...which was utterly impossible

- Is this ALL of them in operation at the same time? ...which never happened...they went offline frequently, some were kept offline

- Does he say where the huge piles of coke, that would have been required for such capacity, were stored; they do not show up in photos of the period?

- What time per corpse does he state?

- Does he say that more than one body per muffle was practiced regularily? ...which SS Kurt Prufer (the builder) stated would damage the ovens

- Does his number conform to "eyewitness" assertions?

IOW, how does he come up with this number?

Hannover

[offline Sailor]

- Is this 24 hr., round the clock operation? ...which was utterly impossible

Mattogno's number is based on 20 hr/day operation. He estimated 4 hours for each day to cool down the furnaces, to clean out the ashes and to heat the furnaces back up to temperature. Seems reasonable.

- Is this ALL of them in operation at the same time? ...which never happened...they went offline frequently, some were kept offline

Yes, the capacity he estimated for the whole crematorium complex is for the operation of all crematoria at the same time. It is a theoretical capability at maximum load.

- Does he say where the huge piles of coke, that would have been required for such capacity, were stored; they do not show up in photos of the period?

Mattogno did not say that the creamatoria where operated this way. The 1200 cremations a day are a maximum capability of the whole installation.
If I hook up an electrical motor rated 10HP to a pump that requires only 1HP, the 10 HP motor will only furnish 1HP, even though it is capable to give 10HP.

- What time per corpse does he state?

He came up with 60 minutes cremation time and 20 minutes after-burning of the bones. After the 60 minutes the muffle could be recharged with another body, which is in line with the manufacturer's operation manual, M. says. He rounded his numbers slightly up to allow for the cremation time of children.

- Does he say that more than one body per muffle was practiced regularily? ...which SS Kurt Prufer (the builder) stated would damage the ovens

M. used in his estimate the cremation of only one body per muffle at a time.

- Does his number conform to "eyewitness" assertions?

No, his numbers are theoretical.

IOW, how does he come up with this number?

Krema II: 15 muffles * 1 hr/body * 20 hr (operation) = 300 ~ 400 with children cremations/day
Same for Krema III: 400 cremations/day
Krema IV: 8 muffles * 1 hr/body * 20 hr (operation time) = 160 ~ 200 with children
Same for Krema IV: 200
Total = 400+400+200+200 = 1200 cremations per day.

All of above can be studied and reviewed in the article The Crematoria Ovens of Auschwitz and Birkenau by Deana/Mattogno
http://codoh.info/found/fndcrema.html

We are not talking about how the crematoria were actually operated, but why the decision making SS officers decided for such a huge capacity. What did they have in mind? (Why would I want to connect a 10HP motor to a pump that requires only 1 HP?).

fge

[offlinesteve]

For a good explanation of Auschwitz crematory capacity relative to the number of deaths, read Butz's book, Supplement 3. In a thread here, Hannover just gave a link for downloading the book. Read pages 409-417.

I'll try to give the gist of Butz's arguement.

Some argue that the cremation capacity of 52 muffles (the number at Auschwitz) was so high that the only possible reason to have contructed them was for purposes other than anticipated 'normal' deaths. (ie, exterminations)

Now, Butz reasons that you can discuss theoretical cremation capabilites all you want, but, the best way to come up with a good estimate is to look at crematory use at camps where it is already ackowledged that only 'normal' deaths occured. So, he uses Buchenwald and Dachau as examples.

Then, he examines the number of deaths at Dachau and Buchenwald compared to the number of muffles each camp had. Now he examines the time period when the decision as to how many muffles were to be contructed was made, which would be 1942-1943. It is seen that
the number of projected muffles at Auschwitz (52) relative to the
number of deaths, for the period just mentioned, was actually less than the ratio of muffles/deaths at Dachau and Buchenwald. Meaning, the decision to build 52 muffles at Auscwitz was not excessive after all.

A truly brilliant arguement on Butz's part.

Again, it is best you read the specifics for yourself.

Steve

[offline Hannover]

I would seem this 'capacity' (if correct) then was not ever achieved, and was not possible to achieve given the inevitable breakdowns, liner replacements, cleaing/maintenance etc.

It's a non-argument.

- vH

[offlinesteve]

That's part of Butz's arguement. That is, theoretical capacity is one thing,
actual capacity achieved is another.

If my car travels 60 MPH, and I live 60 miles from work, theoretically, I may be able to get to work in an hour. But, we all know that is nonsense.
There are stop lights, stop signs, slow drivers, etc.

How this relates to crematoria is easy: There are breakdowns, slow workers, general slow ups, etc.

To actually use the theoretical capacity as some type of justification for the outrageous numbers presented is ridiculous.

Steve

[offline Sailor]

I will check out Butz, I have his book. I would like to add this:

1. If I have to connect a motor to a pump that requires half the time 5 Hp and half the time 10 Hp, then the motor has to be sized for the maximum demand: 10 Hp.
When the decision was made to design and build the crematoria in Auschwitz the camp went through a serious typhus epedemic, I believe with up to 400 dead per day. That was just about the capacity of Krema II according to M. The crematorium was sized for the worst case: 400 cremations a day.

2. If they have to go through a major repair job in say Krema II, like replacing the fire bricks, in the middle of a typhus epedemic they would be up the creek. Direct burial of the dead is out because it would poison the groundwater (which was also used for drinking). This may have been a reason to build Krema III. Plus talk was to increase the camp to 200,000 inmates.

3. I believe that the crematoria in Birkenau also served other sub-camps belonging to Auschwitz, if I remember correctly there were 40 camps associated with Auschwitz. And if one looks on the map of the camp: The railroad tracks lead all the way up to Krema II & III.

Before the decision was made by the SS about the size and capacity of these crematoria there must have been quite some correspondence about this within their organisation. We are talking serious money here. What ever happened to this correspondence I wonder?

fge

[offline Hannover]

Sailor sums it up pretty well with:

Before the decision was made by the SS about the size and capacity of these crematoria there must have been quite some correspondence about this within their organisation. We are talking serious money here. What ever happened to this correspondence I wonder?

The holocau$t Industry certainly wouldn't want the public to see those documents.

Imagine --- in wartime, all the necessary communications, authorizations, funding, material allocations, orders etc.; but somehow the documents are not available. Most curious.

- Hannover