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Affidavit
I,
Paul Blobel, swear, declare and state in evidence:
1.
I was born in Potsdam on August 13, 1894. From June
1941 to January 1942, I was the Commander of Sonderkommando
4 A.
2.
After I had been released from this command, I was to report
in Berlin to SS Obergruppenfuehrer Heydrich and Gruppenfuehrer
Mueller, and in June 1942 I was entrusted by Gruppenfuehrer
Mueller with the task of obliterating the traces of
executions carried out by the Einsatzgruppen in the
East. My orders were that I should report in person to the
commanders of the Security Police and SD, pass on Mueller's
orders verbally, and supervise their implementation. This
order was top secret and Gruppenfuehrer Mueller had
given orders that owing to the need for strictest secrecy
there was to be no correspondence in connection with this
task. In September 1942 I reported to Dr. Thomas in Kiev
and passed the order on to him. The order could not be carried
out immediately, partly because Dr. Thomas was
disinclined to carry it out, and also because the materials
required for the burning of the bodies were not available. In
May and June 1943 I made additional trips to Kiev in
this matter and then, after conversations with Dr. Thomas
and with SS and Police Leader Hennecke, the order was
carried out.
3.
During my visit in August I myself observed the burning of
bodies in a mass grave near Kiev. This grave was about
55 m. long, 3 m. wide and 2½ m. deep. After the top had been
removed the bodies were covered with inflammable material and
ignited. It took about two days until the grave burned down to
the bottom. I myself observed that the fire had glowed down to
the bottom. After that the grave was filled in and the traces
were now practically obliterated.
4.
Owing to the moving up of the front-line it was not possible
to destroy the mass graves further south and east which had
resulted from executions by the Einsatzgruppen. I
traveled to Berlin in this connection to report, and was then
sent to Estonia by Gruppenfuehrer Mueller. I passed on
the same orders to Oberfuehrer Achammer-Pierader in Riga,
and also to Obergruppenfuehrer Jeckeln. I returned to Berlin
in order to obtain fuel. The burning of the bodies began only
in May or June 1944. I remember that incinerations took place
in the area of Riga and Reval. I was present at
such incinerations near Reval, but the graves were
smaller here and contained only about 20 to 30 bodies. The
graves in the area of Reval were about 20 or 30 kms.
east of the city in a marshy district and I think that 4 or 5
such graves were opened and the bodies burned.
5.
According to my orders I should have extended my duties over
the entire area occupied by the Einsatzgruppen, but
owing to the retreat from Russia I could not carry out my
orders completely....
I
have made this disposition of my own free will, without any
kind of promise of reward, and I was not subjected to any form
of compulsion or threat.
Nuremberg,
June 18, 1947
signed
Paul Blobel
NO-3947. |
