Blechhammer
Part of Provinz Schlesien of Greater Germany[1]
Located in Upper Silesia
325px
Blechhammer map of Bahnhofslager/Judenlager[clarification needed]
Coordinates 21|N|18|18|E|region:PL_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki name=

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South plant 50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.3°N 18.25°E / 50.3; 18.25{{#coordinates:50|18|N|18|15|E|region:PL_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki||

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Nearby camps & plants:
Korzonek camp
Heydebreck plant
Cosel plant
Odertal plant 50°25′N 18°8′E / 50.417°N 18.133°E / 50.417; 18.133[1]:160{{#coordinates:50|25|N|18|8|E|region:PL_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki||

name=

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In use 1942-1945 (50,000 POWs)[2]
Battles/wars Oil Campaign of World War II
Events 1944-05: flak guns added [2]

1945-01-21:[3] The March (1945)
1945-01: Soviet occupation [3]
Post-war: Area recovered by Poland


The Blechhammer (English: sheet metal hammer) area was the location of Nazi Germany chemical plants, prisoner of war (POW) camps, and forced labor camps (German: Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher).[4] Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942,[5] and in July 1944, 400-500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer. The mobile “pocket furnace” (German: Taschenofen) crematorium was at Sławięcice.) and Bau und Arbeits Battalion (BAB, English: Construction Battalion) 21 was a mile from the Blechhammer oil plants and was not far from Katowitz and Breslau.[6] Blechhammer synthetic oil production began April 1[when?] with 4000 prisoners.[4]

Chemical plants
Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of Sławięcice) and Blechhammer South at Azoty (5 miles (8.0 km) from the[clarification needed] labor camp)[5] were nicknamed "Black Hammer" by Allied bomber aircrews.[7] The facilities were approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) apart with each occupying a 3,000 x 5,000 ft area in open country.[8] Similar to the Gelsenberg plant,[5] the Blechhammer plants used bituminous coal[1] in the Bergius process to synthesize Ersatz oil.[9] In June 1944, the United States Army Air Forces considered Blechhammer one of the four "principal synthetic oil plants in Germany",[10] and after the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 7,082 tons of bombs on Blechhammer, the Blechhammer plants were dismantled post-war by the Soviets.[1]
Evacuation
The March (1945) evacuated POWs (one camp went to Regensburg,[11] BAB 21 [6] went to Landshut)[6] and on January 25, labor camp prisoners were force-marched for five days to Bergen Belsen[5] (about 20% died enroute).[7][verification needed]. Small group managed to escape (see František R.Kraus).

The "7 Company" was the guard battalion for Blechhammer,[8] and the 1945 Belsen Trial convicted Blechhammer staff members Karl Francioh and Ansgar Piche.

POW Camps:[11] BAB 21 (E794), 40, 48; E3,[12] E714,[13] E769, Camp 139 [9]

30px External images
16px Map of oil plants
16px North damage
16px BAB 21 group

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Stranges, Dr. Anthony. "Fischer-Tropsch Archive". Washington, D.C.: Fischer-Tropsch.org. http://www.fischer-tropsch.org. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
    ----- (2003). "Germany’s Synthetic Fuel Industry 1927-45" (pdf). Fischer-Tropsch.org. http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/primary_documents/presentations/AIChE%202003%20Spring%20National%20Meeting/Paper%2080a%20Stranges%20germany.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
    "Synthetic Oil Production". p. 160. http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Tom%20Reels/Linked/B1870/B1870-1118-1191%20Item%2011D.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
    Schroeder, W. C. (August 1946). "Report On Investigations by Fuels and Lubricants Teams At The I.G. Farbenindustrie, A. G., Works, Ludwigshafen and Oppau". US Bureau of Mines, Office of Synthetic Liquid Fuels. http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Bureau_of_Mines/info_circ/ic_7375/ic_7375.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  2. "Former PoWs Remember horror". Daily Mail. 4 May 2005. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-347226/Former-PoWs-remember-horror.html. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  3. Gregory, Mackenzie J.. "Norman "Nobby" Hayes was on the Voltaire". Ahoy - Mac's Web Log. ahoy.tk-jk.net. http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/Letters/NormanNobbyHayeswasontheV.html. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  4. "Glossary of ITS terms and abbreviations". Registry of Holocaust Survivors. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. http://itsrequest.ushmm.org/its/Glossary.pdf.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Schwarzfitter, Jacob (August 28, 1946). "Voices (Jacob Schwarzfitter)". Interview Archive. http://voices.iit.edu/frames.asp?page=schwa&ext=_t.html&path=Interviews/. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Hutson, Fred (April 2006). "Fred Hutson". Tommy's Log: The Logbook of Tachus (Tommy) Constantine McNamee. MurrayArmstrong.com. http://www.murrayarmstrong.com/tm/hutson/hutson.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  7. Script error
  8. "June 1944". 461st Bombardment Group Missions. http://www.461st.org/Missions/June1944.htm. Retrieved tbd. "Mission #52"
  9. Ludmer, Henry (c. March 28, 1946). "Oil in Germany" (pdf). No. 6, Vol. XLVII. University of Toledo. pp. 259–63. https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/3612/1/V47N06_259.pdf. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  10. Cruickshank, Earl (tbd--Air Force Historical Study (AFHS) No. 103) [1944--Army Air Forces Reference History (AAFRH)-3]. "The Ploesti Mission of 1 August 1943". p. 3. http://afhra.au.af.mil/numbered_studies/studies3.asp. Retrieved 2009-05-09.[dead link]
  11. 11.0 11.1 Jones, Chris (19 September 2004). "Message 1 - blechammer, el tahag and chieti". WW2 People's War - Dad's Journey. BBC.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/92/a2046692.shtml. Retrieved 2009-04-21. "the main one referred to as 'E3' in the Stalag labour system was to be found there, though the others in and around the area include: BAB 20, 21, 40 and 48; and E711, E711A, E769, E793 E794 (these last two were renamed BAB20 and 21)"
  12. (German)"Anlage zu § 1 Verzeichnis der Konzentrationslager und ihrer Außenkommandos gemäß § 42 Abs. 2 BEG". Bundesministerium der Justiz. http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/begdv_6/anlage_6.html. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
  13. "The Wartime Memories Project - STALAG 8b (344) POW Camp". World War Two 1939-1945. WarTimeMemories.co.uk. http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/stalag8b.html. Retrieved 2009-04-21.

External links

fr:Blechhammer pl:Blachownia Śląska (Kędzierzyn-Koźle)