-11- |
... BLAST THEM INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE WITH ATOMIC BOMBS |
11 June 46 |
high temperature? When it was exploded it created exceedingly high temperature, so that there could be no defense against it? SPEER: No, that is an error. Actually, ordinary gas evaporates at normal atmospheric temperature. This gas would not evaporate until very high temperatures were reached and such very high temperatures could only be produced by an explosion; in other words, when the explosives detonated, a very high temperature set in, as you know, and then the gas evaporated. The solid substance turned into gas, but the effects had nothing to do with the high temperature. MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: Experiments were carried out with this gas, were they not, to your knowledge? SPEER: That I can tell you. Experiments must certainly have been carried out with it. MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: Who was in charge of the experimentations with the gases? SPEER: As far as I know it was the research and development - department of the OKH in the Army ordnance office. I cannot tell you for certain. MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: And certain experiments were also conducted and certain researches conducted in atomic energy, were they not? SPEER: We had not got as far as that, unfortunately, because the finest experts we had in atomic research had emigrated to America. and this had thrown us back a great deal in our research, so that we still needed another year or two in order to achieve any results in the splitting of the atom. MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: The policy of driving people out who didn't agree with Germany hadn't produced very good dividends, had it? SPEER: Especially in this sphere it was a great disadvantage to us. MR. JUSTICE JACKSON: Now, I have certain information, which was placed in my hands, of an experiment which was carried out near Auschwitz and I would like to ask you if you heard about it or knew about it. The purpose of the experiment was to find a quick and complete way of destroying people without the delay and trouble of shooting and gassing and burning, as it had been carried out and this is the experiment, as I am advised. A village, a small village, was provisionally erected with temporary structures and in it approximatel y 20,000 Jews were put. By means of this newly invented weapon of destruction, these 20,000 people were eradicated almost instantaneously, and in such a way that there was no trace |
IMT XVI |
529 |