《Sons of Skanderbeg》 7 Chapter 1 Skanderbeg - The Albanian Hero Skanderbeg in Albania means " A Warrior King of Albania. A Protector and Nationalist. A national hero of Albania". It has become a myth for generations It was made a underground resistance in memory of its heroic origin. The name Skanderbeg was even used by the invading German SS Division Skanderbeg in Tirana, Albania. Skanderbeg is the title of an Albanian hero, George Kastrioti, or Castriota, Albanian Gjergj Kastrioti (born 1405, northern Albania¡ªdied Jan. 17, 1468, Lezh?, Albania). His name, Iskander was given to him by Sultan Murad II after Alexander the Great with the rank of bey (hence Skanderbeg). Skanderbeg is sometimes called the Dragon of Albania. His father, Gjon Kastrioti, lord of middle Albania, and his mother Vojsava was from Macedonia. Gjon was a resistance leader who fought the invading Ottomans but eventually submitted and honored Sultan Bayezid I. Gjergj (or Georg) , like his father Gjon were taken hostages by Ottomans to the Sultans court and converted Georg into Islam to assure Gjon''s loyalty to the Sultans. George Kastrioti studied at the military school in Edirne, Turkey. During his campaign against the Hungarians, Skanderbeg took Kruje Castle and declared war against the Ottomans wielding his flag bearing the double-headed eagle which had long been used as the symbol in the Albanian flag and in the Balkans as well. Skanderbeg over powered the large army of the Ottoman empire led by Ali Pasha in 1444 and succeeded by two more victories over Moker in 1445 and Oranik in 1447. Thinking that the Ottomans would be able to siege Kruje Castle in 1450, a hundred thousand soldiers were sent just to be held back by the rapidly spreading disease which forced them to retreat and abandon the planned siege before the advent of winter season. Venice is significant in the history of Albania that at the beginning of the Albanian upheaval, Skanderbeg was supported by Venice. Skanderbeg''s forces were recognized to be a support force between Venice and the Ottoman empire. However, Skanderbeg''s rise to power on the borders saddened Venice and considered him as a threat to their interests. Hence, their relations worsened and the dispute over the fortress of Dagnum triggered war between Albania and Venice in 1447-1448. The Venetians even offered rewards to anyone who could assassinate Skanderbeg and sought every means to overthrow him. The Ottomans were even invited to stage a pre-meditative attack on Skanderbeg simultaneously pushing Albania to a double-conflict with the Ottomans and Venice from the East. However, Skanderbeg was so powerful that he defeated the Ottomans led by Pasha and the Venetian forces in which the latter offered a peace treaty. The Ottomans did not give up taking Kruje Castle, but this time by attacking Albania from all sides, thus severing all supply lines and reducing Skanderbeg''s strength of mobility. Skanderbeg abandoned the Turkish service during the defeat of the Turks at Nis, in Serbia in 1443 and joined his fellowmen in Albania against the Islam forces. He successfully repulsed almost 13 Turkish invasions in 1444 -1466 and likewise, in 1450 he victoriously fought the army of Murad II, thus, making him a hero throughout the Western world. And yet, the Ottomans were defeated but at that time Skanderbeg was stricken by malaria and died without seeing the triumph over the Ottomans. Had it not for Skanderbeg''s ability, the Albanian resistance would not have had lasted another 10 years until its fall into the Ottoman Empire in 1478, henceforth the resistance''s legacy became part of the dominant empire until 1912. Skanderbeg embraced Christianity and formed a league of Albanian princes in which he was appointed leader. He obtained support from Naples, Venice and was named by Pope Calixtus III, Captain-General of the Holy See. The Advent Of World War II It was said that World War II was the bloodiest conflict that the world has ever experienced with a death toll of more than 50 million and it was said to be a sequel of World War I after an unsettled conflict left behind 20 years later. The conflict virtually involved many parts of the world during the years 1939-1945 between the Allies- France, Great Britain, US, USSR, and Axis powers - Germany, Italy, and Japan. In the advent of the German dictatorship of Adolf Hitler in 1939, the latter''s aspirations to extend his sovereignty over Poland was his initial ambitious scheme that would be carried out by force but first thought of neutralizing the possibility of hostile reaction by the Soviet Union being the nearest of its neighbor that would pause a great threat to him. Germany and the Soviet Union negotiated and resulted in the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union in Moscow. However, a secret protocol of the Pact disclosed the partition of Poland between them in the event of any possibilities. Likewise, Hitler''s action could be hampered by the Munich Pact that guaranteed military support from France and Britain in the event Poland was attacked. The story continued. On the other side of the coin was Asia. Japan, an Axis ally of Germany aspired to conquer the entire Asian continent by launching its first leg of invasion against China in 1937. Hence, war in Europe sparked and spread like a wild fire. As German occupation continued engulfing the European continent with atrocities, so were the resistance forces began to be organized in many localities of the states to defend their lives with dignity and sovereignty. The Resistance Movement An organized group of socialist-elite soldiers from Albania called Skanderbeg which had been operating in France at the outbreak of war was mobilized and dispersed in strategic locations to monitor and weaken the German defense against France and ultimately assassinate Hitler and his key officers. Some of these socialist soldiers consisted of Jewish-Albanians who had been spying the German forces since its entry to France. Their German was good as well as their English. Consequently, Hitler''s high military command was undeniably composed of half-Jewish-German military- Generals, Colonels, Majors and Captains . Some of them could hardly bear the atrocities the Waffen SS did to the Jews when they enforced Hitler''s Final Solution - the Holocaust. But it was all dictated by the Fuhrer to carry out with which they had to live on, otherwise, they would have their lives sacrificed for sympathizing with the Jews. And yet, for the sake of humanity the resistance had to perform a noble mission in exchange for their lives than to live in shameless victory with an evil dictator. Somewhere in Berlin, Germany, a clandestine resistance movement within the Nazi military and other government departments had cropped up to formation and collaboration involving Jewish militants against Hitler''s Final Solution and Holocaust. The movement was organized and led by couple Erzen and Jora Kelmendi, both Jewish-Albanians and educated in Germany to become ace pilots before the outbreak of war. In the advent of forming a resistance movement, they had learned and committed to pact of life and death; and whatever happened to everyone in their respective regional mission, be it successful or failure, everyone should struggle to escape to Czechoslovakia for a group gathering to join a mother resistance group that would liberate the country or weaken the German forces by assassinating or eradicating Hitler''s top officers. From Czechoslovakia, they would proceed and settle to their mother land, Albania. Their main objective was to merge with a dominant resistance movement to liberate the nation from Italy and fight the invading forces of Hitler. Albania could be the country where Jewish persecution was not that brutal than in Poland, Croatia, Yugoslavia and other European states that were occupied by Germany. Likewise, they could start a new life when Albania was already liberated from invaders. Erzen was Major and Jora was Captain in their early thirtees(30''s). With them were a number of Jewish-Albanians working in the Nazi Party such as Sander Bogdini, a former Petty Officer of the German Navy who migrated to France and went back to Germany to join the navy in the early 20''s , he later became Navy Commander. German Army Captain Qamil Leka, who had been collaborating with Nazi SS Officers in Vichy when Marshall Petain flaunted his allegiance to Hitler although France was still at war against Germany. Qamil''s parents were both Albanian-Jews who migrated to Germany when he was a young boy. Qamil Leka decided to go back to Germany to resume his assignment under the German military High Command for an isolated mission upon learning the organized movement to defend the Jewish people from persecution . Aaron Dewishi, German-Jewish Army Major assigned in the armory of the German military command to strategic European regions where German military was launching military offensive. Aaron''s father was Albanian-Jew and his mother was German-Jew who settled in Germany where Aaron was born. Ariel Schrobber, an Albanian-German-Jewish SS member who was unfortunate to be identified by a racist-regional commander as having both Jewish parents and as a result got dismissed from service. His Father was Albanian-Jew and his mother German-Jew. However, he was fortunate enough to be given a chance to survive the execution. Samron Frasheri, Albanian-Jew, whose parents migrated and settled in Germany. Frasheri was born in Albania and returned to Germany when his parents were already old. He studied at the German military school and served the Armed forces after his studies. German military Adjutant Samron Frasheri was promoted to the rank of Colonel when Hitler invaded France where the former was instrumental in cracking down oil reserves at the French oil depot for refueling German Panzer tanks. In appreciation of Frasheri''s performance, he was commended by his immediate superior for rank promotion. However, he was supposed to abandon his position when he learned that all Jewish soldiers were to be dismissed from the service and suffered the consequence of being a Jew. But, later realized that the incident was regional and that servicemen could find an option to leave, however, if they were found guilty of collaboration and treason they would be executed on sight. To help save millions of Jews from racism and persecution, he decided to join the movement. Frasheri was clandestinely passing highly classified and collaborative information to the group . Deep within them was animosity to Hitler''s policy of Final Solution and Holocaust to the millions of Jews confined and murdered in the concentration camps in Auschwitz, Poland and Jasenovac, Croatia. Major Wilhelm Schellnetz, an Albanian-German-Jew whose parents were expelled from German government service when they were suspected of collaborating with the Jewish militant organization. Likewise, General Guxim Dosier a German-Jew with both German-Jewish parents, studied at the German military school and served its Armed Forces after graduation. Dosier who had compassion with the Jews was closely working at Nazi-German Military Headquarters where he was handling vital documents and other confidential information about Hitler and the Nazi Military Affairs. By clandestine messages and undercover network, they were able to communicate and formed collaborative organization to work for a common goal. Some even worked in other German Offices. Racism and Anti-Semitism Under Nazi Germany Racism or the so-called anti-Semitism intensified and became even more highlighted during the Third Reich as Hitler denounced inferior races other than the Aryan which he considered as a master race. Hitler was aware that there were several German-Nazi officers and Waffen SS in his army and he could hot deny the fact that some of best and valuable officers were half Jews. General Erhard Milch an aviator during peacetime was commissioned in the German Air Force and a deputy of General Herman Goering as chief of the Luftwaffe(air force) . However, Hitler might be caught or suspended with this issue by just sighing, " I will tell you and decide who is a Jew ." In fact, there were around 15 or more Jewish-Generals and a hundred thousand soldiers comprising the Nazi military and at least 20soldiers were awarded the Knight''s Cross, the highest German decoration given to the Jewish soldiers Some Jews in the German military practiced their religion during the war. However, when a decree against the Jews for the Final Solution was proclaimed upon the invasion of Poland even the German soldiers of Jewish descent serving in the army were discharged from the service and would have to run for their lives or escape somewhere to survive and evade persecution. A former Jewish soldier, named Ariel Schrobber was dismissed in from the eastern front of the German military command before the Poland invasion in 1939 . Upon tracing from a document gathered by a Gestapo, he was identified by the race researcher as a direct Jewish descendant of both Jewish parents.. Gestapo, a secret police of the Nazi Germany and the most elite police-detective with keen legal knowledge and skills in sleuthing was the most nasty among the Nazi service unit. To give him a chance he was exiled in a remote area in Poland where he had to survive the rigors of life among the Jews. He found himself walking in the ruins of a certain town in Poland where he had to deal with strangers whom he did not know whether Nazi collaborators or common people. " I know who you were and who you are now " sighed a mustached man who looked like in his late 40''s. " How?" he asked. " Your dusty coat with faded buttons less your name plate." " Some more ?" " You''re a Jew " " Are you going to shoot me? He asked. " Oh no. Don''t worry. Me and my friends are Christians and we don''t care about your religion. This is war¡­ " The man invited Ariel inside the ruins where there were around six armed-men. The man introduced himself as Aaron. They gave him a loaf of bread " What have you been doing here ?" Ariel asked " We''re resistance members and we''ve been fighting the invaders since then. Some of my men were killed by the strong German forces. Panzers have left this place in ruins. " " Where do you think you''re going now?" Aaron added. "I am confused," Ariel replied " Will you still fight for the Nazi ?" Aaron asked. Aaron''s glaring eyes were so inviting to mean joining his group. " Think about it?" he added. " I have nowhere to go. How can I help?" Ariel asked " You''re a big help for us" Aaron delightedly replied. " While your German is good I will give you a challenging mission." Aaron said. The following morning they fixed themselves and started to tread their way out of the ruined towns trying to avoid inimical elements while vigilant of the threat of the SS soldiers but most particularly the vicious eyes of the Gestapo. " What have you got there?" Aaron asked. " My identity documents" he replied as he put out his folded documents. " Can I use these ?" he asked. " Yes. Our German contact is a Jewish Maj. Wilhelm Schellnetz in Krakow. He will take care of everything. Take money for the ticket" Aaron asked. They hid and left their weapons along their way when approaching the railway station where a number of SS soldiers were patrolling the vicinity while they kept an eye to men in coat and gentle hat, the Gestapo. They began to disperse and walk in separate ways in the station after securing each own ticket. " Where are you heading ?" The ticketing Officer asked. " Krakow." Ariel replied. A man in gray coat slowly approached him as he sensed it was a Gestapo. He spoke in German and asked to see his documents ( in English) "So, you''re a dismissed soldier and waiting for your fate" he asked sarcastically. " Yes. And I am heading to steel plant in Krakow to make myself productive." While the Gestapo was interrogating Ariel, Aaron approached them " And whose authority is sending you to Krakow to work there?" he continued. " Excuse me, Sir. That gentleman is assigned to work in Krakow since he is a former SS soldier. He is given a chance to work and live by the German military command in Germany." Aaron said. " And who are you to interrupt my job?" he asked and stared sharply at Aaron. But Aaron was firm and continued to explain to convince the police. He knew that Gestapo was so keen and smart to know the rules. " Do you have any identity papers?" the Gestapo asked. Aaron showed his legal identity documents while the Gestapo keenly read and evaluated its contents. The Gestapo paused for a while as he looked straight to the eyes of Aaron with doubt and skepticism. "I am the emissary from Krakow who will assist him to get there. Sir, it will be clear and highly appreciated if you will allow me to call the military detachment in Krakow and let you talk with the Deputy commander." Aaron asked. " You''re challenging me to hear the truth. Then, proceed." He asked as he handed back the documents to him. Aaron folded and quickly kept it inside his coat. Aaron stepped forward to the telefon corner that was approximately five steps away from where they were standing. In a few minutes he was able to contact Major Wilhelm Schellnetz, the deputy commander while the Gestapo continued his irritating inquisitiveness to Ariel about his documents. Aaron called his attention and got the phone and began talking with Schellnetz. Aaron approached Ariel and waited for the Gestapo. After a while the Gestapo handed down the telefon and approached them. " Alright, you win this time. But don''t be so sure of yourselves. You may go." He said. The two left him without a word when the train was seen approaching. Not so far were their members about to ride the train who were steps away from the SS soldiers. They made it to the train and moved cautiously in the presence of Nazi inspectors whose arms were strapped with swastika emblem. They had to stop in subsequent German check points for inspection and if necessary they had to get off for refreshment at the station''s coffee shop. 8 Chapter 2 High Profile Espionage Shortly after, they arrived at the German military detachment in Krakow and met Maj. Schellnetz. They were led to an isolated room and began to confer their plans. Aaron explained the status of Ariel being a dismissed SS soldier and agreed with their consensus to deploy him as spy by joining the German invading forces in Poland in the remote area, where Ariel was assigned and dismissed. They believed that his military record would not be traced since he would be recruited by the Command detachment that was not so particular about religion, as long as one was German citizen and qualified to serve the Nazi regime. The impending plan to invade Poland would hastily require more German citizens to enlist in the military for reinforcement in response to any military retaliation by Poles. Schellnetz endorsed Ariel Schrobber to Col. Schneider, his detachment commander, who was not so particular about anyone''s religion, be it Jew, Muslim, Christian, or communist. But there were strict things he would like one to obey and observe: loyalty and honesty. Aaron and his men went to different directions for a mission. His surreptitious move was numbered and cautious in the midst of inimical elements surrounding the area and, yet, he struggled his way to radio Erzen and Jora in Berlin, who were waiting for him. The rest of his men headed to France to recruit more members near the German-besieged cities. In the meantime, in the Berlin High Command, Hitler and the assembly of his top Nazi officers, such as Gen. Herman Goering, Gen. Heinrich Himmler, Gen. Erwin Rommel, and Gen. Reinhard Heydrich, were discussing about the military development and campaign in Europe and Africa. Observant and clever in this event was Gen. Guxim Dosier, who always had his vital documents ready whenever the Fuhrer needed them as he also performed secretarial task taking minutes of meeting for documentation. He had to exercise extra caution in the presence of other military confidants and staff around the Fuhrer. It would be observed and noted that, whenever an assembly was called, Hitler''s adjutants and military confidants would tend to create a double oval formation surrounding the Fuhrer and his top officers. It was an apparent gesture of securing their safety from any possible eventualities wherever they go for a meeting and inspection. But all the events that transpired and all tactical and strategic plans to be enforced by the High Command were being transmitted in a very secure, cautious and surreptitious manner by Dosier. In their smart, technical, and methodical capability, Erzen, upon receiving all top military secrets, was able to monitor the movements of the German forces, particularly in Germany, Poland, and France. Equipped with weapons and sophisticated war machines, Qamil and his rebel-recruits who were deployed to France fiercely fought the German forces to prevent the enemy from penetrating towns and cities. Sophisticated German Panzers and German MG-42 machine guns were the most feared war machines the enemy had that could in any unfortunate encounter would eradicate and totally stop them. Their chances of surviving in any encounter lay in their tactical and strategic planning ability to respond to critical situation, although they had inadequate war machines, just as the enemy had. They blew up bridges, cut lines, planted mines, and ambushed ranking officers along the roads and highways. Likewise, they gathered German ammunitions and all sorts of guns to be used against them. Samron Frasheri remained at the German Military Headquarters in France to obtain more valuable information he could feed to Qamil Leka pertaining to strategic plans of the German forces. In effect, frustrations and anger among the top commanders would become a big issue for which anyone among them could not find any answer. Nevertheless, they did not spend so much time in a questionable issue they could not resolve, but they left it for the meantime since there were other military issues to be undertaken. The Fuhrer and his right hand, Goering, talked about the changing situation within their operation. He warned his confidants and staff, "Be vigilant, and keep an eye." Dosier, not affected and prepared for any eventualities, stayed calm and was at ease, as if nothing was affecting him, or anyone else, within the operation. He moved courageously confident all around taking advantage of his position. Much more, he thought of disseminating vital information to the movement. "The plan is on. Poland is set for invasion," he announced. Invasion of Poland On September 1, 1939, at 04:40, Luftwaffe attacked the Polish town of Wielun, killing at least 1,200 people, and ruining seventy-five percent of the city. Thus, World War II had just begun, as the German pre-dreadnought battleship, Schleswig-Holstein, opened fire at the Polish military depot at Westerplate in Danzig on the Baltic Sea. At around 08:00, without a formal declaration of war, German troops attacked near the Polish town of Mokra, which started the Battle of the Border. Likewise, on the same day, German forces attacked Poland''s western, southern, and northern borders, followed by air strike on Polish cities. The main Axis of attack started from Germany proper through western border of Poland. Attacks originated from East Prussia in the north in cooperation with German-Slovak tertiary attack by units from German-allied Slovakia in the south. All these assaults converged on the Polish capital of Warsaw. After a day, German troops began to storm the gates of Poland, in airfields, cities, towns, and avenues creating massive attack on establishments and parks as the Polish Army exchanged fire. Hostilities occurred day and night while many civilians were caught in a crossfire. Many were killed when drops of bombs pulverized structures everywhere while there was no safe place to go. The invasion of Poland was also known as the September Campaign in which Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent participated; that marked the beginning of World War II. It was one week after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, or the Molotov-Togo pact, ending the Russian and Japanese hostilities in the east on September 16, 1939. Germany and the Soviet Union divided and annexed the entire Poland. The Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland on September 17, 1939 rendered the Polish plan of defense obsolete in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The Polish government concluded, and the defense of the Romanian Bridgehead was no longer feasible, thus, all troops were all evacuated to neutral Romania. On Oct 6, the Soviet and German forces gained full control over Poland following the Polish defeat at the Battle of Kock that marked the end of the Second Polish Republic, though Poland never formally surrendered. In the aftermath of the invasion, underground resistance organizations formed the Polish Underground State within the territory of the former Polish state. Many of the military exiles managed to escape Poland and subsequently joined the Polish Armed Forces in the west. On Aug 23, 1939, Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would come to Poland''s aid. Secretly disclosed in the agreement was the ideological enemies agreed to divide Poland between them. On August 25, Hitler delayed the attack when he learned that Britain had signed a new treaty with Poland, promising military support should it be attacked. Hence, Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland to begin on August 26. Likewise, Hitler turned to propaganda and misinformation to forestall British intervention, alleging persecution of German speakers in eastern Poland. Poland began to call up its troops, fearing imminent attack, but Britain and France persuaded Poland to defer general mobilization until August 31 in a last-ditch effort to dissuade Germany from war. The Polish government in exile. Nazi diplomats and propagandists scrambled to head off hostilities with the Western powers but, on September 2, Britain and France demanded that Germany withdraw by September 3, or face war. At 11:00 p.m. on September 3, the British ultimatum expired and, fifteen minutes later, British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, went on national radio to solemnly announce that Britain was at war with Germany. Australia, New Zealand, and India followed suit shortly thereafter. At 5:00 p.m., France declared war on Germany. Soviet and German troops met on a number of occasions, however, most of their sphere of interests were separated by water barriers. One remarkable event of this kind happened at Brest-Litovsk on September 22, 1939. The city which lay within the Soviet sphere of interest had been occupied by the German 19th Panzer Corps commanded by Gen. Heinz Guderian. But, when the Soviet 29th Tank Brigade commanded by S. M. Krivoshein, the two negotiated that German troops would withdraw, as the Soviet would enter the city saluting each other. Eventually, in Brest-Litovsk, the two commanders celebrated a joint victory parade before the German forces withdrew in a new demarcation line. However, after three days, the parties had a hostile encounter near Lwow-Lviv, Lemberg, when the German mountain infantry regiment attacked a reconnaissance detachment of the Soviet 24th Brigade, which incurred casualties on both sides. Later, the two parties negotiated, which resulted in the consensus that the German troops withdraw and the Red Army troops entered Lviv on September 22. In the meantime, Ariel Schrobber, in a clandestine dialogue, was being urged by Maj.Schellnetz to re-enlist in the German forces in the western front of Poland to obtain information on the troops'' movement while the war was raging in strategic regions. In his willingness to carry on the resistance''s objective, Ariel went to the western front and abandoned his job in the steel plant. "I just can''t loiter around here in this critical time when the SS and Gestapo will not hesitate to kill when they learn about me!" he exclaimed. "That would be a helpful decision. Good luck, and take care," Schellnetz said. Shortly after, Ariel left for the western front to re-enlist for the German Army. In the western front, his personal background would not matter, but one should be more extra cautious of the commanding officer who would know of any German-Jewish soldier and, consequently, assign him in the most critical battle ground. For Ariel Schrobber, the job of spying was just beginning, and he was willing to sacrifice his life for a heroic mission than die without any use. He took up arms and fought side by side for the German forces, but he was still at war with Hitler, as he was cautious of being noticed of sparing some lives of the enemy. He would try to get a chance to score in the radio in the midst of hostilities to relay his message to Aaron. All the German military detachments were in red alert, and mobile, as Schellnetz was tensed in providing information to Dosier in a secure and surreptitious area because of the frequent interruptions in the line that was being used by the SS soldiers in relaying communication. Unfortunately, Schellnetz''s data feeding was being monitored and intercepted at times that caught the attention and suspicion of an adjutant in the radio room. The latter became skeptical and realized of the former''s treachery. Without hesitation, and curiosity, the adjutant attempted to trap his action by his technical knowhow and eventually affirmed his belief of Schellnetz. The latter being unaware that he was already being the subject of suspicion was reprimanded. "It''s all over, Major Schellnetz," Col Schneider said, pointing his Luger while four SS soldiers quickly grabbed the major. Schellnetz kept silent while he slowly put his two hands on the back of his head. Two SS tied his arms at the back as they dragged him out of the building. No trial was served for his offense since it was treason, and the price for this guilt is death. Immediately, he faced the firing squad and against the wall; blazing bullets went through his body. Immediately, Col. Schneider alerted all Waffen SS checkpoints on his way to the Western Front of Poland. He was stopped, arrested, and investigated. "You are under arrest, Schrobber, by order of Col. Schneider," the SS said. "For what valid reason?" Schrobber asked. "For high treason." "That''s impossible, and profane! I was discharged from service and, now, you''re gonna charge me for high treason?" he exclaimed. "Regret being a Jew. You were given a chance to live." Schrobber was confined at the checkpoint for days, until the decision from the military detachment was received. Later, Schrobber was deported to Auschwitz. 9 Chapter 3 Life in Auschwitz Auschwitz was a network of concentration camps and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas during World War II. It was first built to hold Polish political prisoners who began to arrive in 1940. As they arrived, families were disembarked together and brutally split up as a Nazi doctor ordered each one to create one of two lines. "Split into two straight lines. Young and strong men to the right and, to the left, women, children, and older men who are too weak and unfit to work," a Nazi doctor ordered. "Where do we lead these young men on the right?" asked a Nazi Kapo. "Where else but to the labor camp?" he replied. "But first, before you proceed, you should know the stages. Lead these people to the camp, strip them off their personal belongings, and have their hair cut and their heads shaved. Then, give each one of them striped prison outfits and a pair of shoes. However, there is a huge pile of shoes there that are not paired according to their sizes. Let them find the right pair that will fit their feet," the doctor continued. After they were dressed up with striped prison outfits, the prisoners fell into line and, in an orderly fashion, they walked toward the registration booth of the camp. Then, they had their arms tattooed with a number, and were transferred to one of Auschwitz''s camps for forced labor. The newcomers were then thrown into cruel, hard labor, terrible world of camp life. Schrobber, being strong and young, was able to carry on the forced labor trying to trick the guards in the camp. After the first week at Auschwitz, the newcomers would find out the doomed fate of their loved ones that were lined up on the left. Consequently, some of them never recovered at all. "Where are we going?" asked an old man. "I don''t know. All I know is that they wanted us cleansed and disinfected. Let''s just follow what the Kapo says," another old man replied. Later, the Kapo gave instructions. "All right, everybody, strip! All males, to the shower room, all females to the other and, those with children, hold them tight to the shower room! Now!" the Kapo shouted. "Where do we go after the shower? one elderly inmate curiously asked. "Well, you will go to a workplace, but you have to be disinfected first," the Kapo added. They were led to a large room that looked like a large shower room with fake shower heads on its walls. Apparently, they were all hesitant to take the shower, but they slowly proceeded, as ordered by the Kapos, who ushered them to the ante-room. The Kapo suddenly shut the doors of the chambers. The prisoners sensed that something went wrong. "They abruptly shut the door? Look, up on the roof! They have extended a host of gas smoke!" one middle-aged woman exclaimed. Then, everyone became panicked and began shouting for help as the billows of smoke became thicker and engulfed them to death. Women held their children tight as they could, slowly fell holding their neck and mouth grasping for air and died. It was instant, and they were killed quickly. Upon realizing that it was not a shower room, victims crawled over each other, struggling to breathe fresh-clean air. Others would scrape the doors until their fingers bled. Some elderly even exclaimed, "You murderers, you tricked us!" Some even clanged between an open space of the door and scratched the walls with their fingernails, but it was no use, and they all and got asphyxiated to death. The people on the right would be prisoners of the camp, and most would later die from starvation, exposure, forced labor, and torture. A group of prisoners would be selected for assigned tasks. "You, what''s your name?" the Kapo asked. "Ariel Schrobber," he replied. "Join the selected few in the train to gather up all the personal belongings that have been left by your co-inmates. Sort them from the huge piles and store them inside the warehouses," he continued. Inside, the train appeared before them; different personal belongings were left behind by the prisoners. The items included; clothing, eyeglasses, medicine, shoes, books, pictures, jewelry, and prayer shawls, which would be packed and shipped back to Germany. Schrobber tried to introduce himself to an SS officer who looked friendly and approachable. "Really, you were once a Panzer operator but were dismissed because you are Jewish?" an SS Officer asked. "Exactly. It so happened that it was a Fuhrer''s order, but I still believe that not all regions enforced the same policy," Schrobber replied. "Just make it good and come what may. Come, and I will make you a Kapo in consideration of your being a German serviceman," the officer said. "Thank you," he replied. Schrobber was led inside a camp of Auschwitz 1 and saw the horrible situation of the inmates. "This is a prison within the prison, where law violators pay for their rebellious acts, or disobedience. This will be one of your assignments here. I will leave you and proceed to your duty," the SS officer said. Schrobber began to roam around and checked the inmates in their daily activity. He observed and talked with other kapos, implementing the rules and carrying out their duties. During the night, Schrobber was assigned to oversee inmates in their sleep and likewise, see that nothing unusual was happening. "What''s going on inside there?" Schrobber asked as he tried to extend his face in-between a narrow window of the cells. "We''re making our way on how four persons could all sleep at the same time in a 1.5 square-meter-size floor area. But we could do nothing but to sleep standing, overnight, until we see another day along others doing a hard labor," one inmate lamented. "That''s around sixteen square foot size of an area. Holding four persons? That''s a terrible punishment," Schrobber hissed. He made another ten steps to the next cell and tried to visualize the dark room through its palm-sized opening at the door. "Anybody home? Is anyone there?" he whispered. "Yes, we are here," an exhausted inmate answered in a low tone. "What happened? What''s up?" he asked. "We''ve been here for two days now for attempting to escape. We are given no food, nor water, as we are destined to die from starvation, and dehydration," an inmate added. In his compassion and sympathy, Schrobber sneaked a tiny canteen of water, just enough as the size of the tiny opening at the door would allow to wet their lips and tongue. Later, he went down the staircase made of stone that led him beneath to another dark cell. But he came across another Kapo. "What''s the rush?" Schrobber asked. "All the prisoners confined in those closed cells have expired," the Kapo replied. "What''s the cause?" he asked. "Suffocation. They have used up all the oxygen in the cell," he added. "Wait a minute. Tell me some more reasons why inmates die soon, as they should not," Schrobber curiously said. "I know you, Schrobber. You were dismissed because you''re of Jewish heritage." "Yes. Now I know you, Lubrecht. An SS from Austrian German Command," he said. "Why do you have to know more? Are you affected? Do you have sympathy with those bastards? You should remember that you are tasked to check the inmates, day and night, and nothing other than that!" the Kapo exclaimed. "You must remember that you are also human being who is tasked, whether they''re still alive, or dead. Thus, you must account for them otherwise. When the war is over, everyone will be subject to war crime," Schrobber insinuated. The Kapo paused and looked at him, "All right, for the sake of argument, sometimes a candle is lit by other SS in the cell to consume the oxygen faster than the inmates inhaled it all. Sometimes, to see their death in a cruel manner, SS hang them with their hands behind their backs for hours, thus dislocating their shoulder joints. Then, they die," he explained. They continued talking about the methods of torture the Nazi employed to the prisoners within the camp. In order to get even more information from the Co-Kapo, Schrobber talked in a friendly and persuasive tone. "You are ahead of me as Kapo. How''s your life here?" he asked. "Being a Kapo, or head of the block, we are housed near the entrance door where two rooms are situated. We are well-fed here. You, too, are housed in the opposite zone and treated well. It''s good you''re given a chance," Lubrecht added. "I should have been dead by now, had it not been for a comrade. How about the incoming inmates, where are they housed?" he asked. "When selection has been done for prisoners for work, they are housed in wooden, or brick, barracks. Brick barracks are constructed in autumn of 1941. The Nazi intended the barracks to house forty prisoners but, very often, more than 700 would be placed in each of them. Hence, the total number of prisoners to each barrack depends on the number of transports arriving. They sleep in sixty spaces with three bunks in each space. "The barracks have earth floors, and few sanitary facilities. Each barrack has two stoves with a brick heating flue running between them. However, fuel is not provided. As a result, many prisoners die during the extreme cold of the Polish winters. The barracks had once been stables where walls are thin and have gaps at the bottom and top which let in the bitterly cold wind. "However, barracks have no windows but, instead, have a row of skylights at the top of the roof. Each block has wooden three-tiered bunks where prisoners slept under thin blankets or rags on mattresses," Lubrecht continued. "I learned about the extreme sufferings of the inmates. How is it hidden from visiting delegations?" Schrobber asked. As they continuously tackled the issue of the prisoners'' life in the camp, more issues were being brought out confidently by the Kapo. "To tell you honestly, our commanding officers have asked us to make the pleasant and orderly sight be visible to the visiting delegations. But, behind this concealment, is the horrible scenario," Lubrecht continued. "Like, for example, what?" Schrobber asked. "You know, I am telling you this, not because you are also a Kapo, but I fear that, in every war, there is victory, and there is defeat. There is end in this war and I fear that, in the event the Third Reich falls, everyone will be held accountable for what he has done," he said. "I know, and it is realistic," Schrobber said. "The barracks are swarmed with various sorts of vermin and rats. Dampness, leaky roofs, and the fouling of straw and straw mattresses by the prisoners who are suffering from diarrhea that makes their living conditions miserable. It was aggravated by a constant shortage of water for laundry, or washing, and the lack of suitable sanitary facilities," he said. "That''s so pathetic," Schrobber sighed. "I can''t blame you for having sympathy with them because they are also your people. But this is the life you and your people should face in this planet," Lubrecht stated. "How about their meals? Do others eat the same meal in the entire camp?" he continued. "Meals received by prisoners are three times a day, which include food with nutritional value that has been an official norm in the Nazi concentration camps. Prisoners with less physical demanding labor assignments receive approximately 1,300 calories a day, while those engaged in hard labor received approximately 1,700. "But most prisoners began to suffer from organic deterioration after several weeks on such starvation rations in the camp, which causes extreme physical exhaustion that even leads to death," Lubrecht explained. **** The following morning, at 4:30 a.m., Lubrecht made a roll call for prisoners, which usually lasted for four hours. "All right, keep moving, and make a row of five with a straight line," Lubrecht commanded. The prisoners stayed outdoors, in a straight-line formation, until the SS officers arrived. However, the guards would ask the prisoners to squat for an hour with their hands above their heads, or levy punishments, such as beatings, or detention, for infractions such as having a missing button, or an improperly cleaned food bowl. They were counted, and re-counted, as it was described how even the dead had to be present at roll call, standing by the support of their fellow inmates until the ordeal was over. **** In the evening, a second roll call took place to determine if a prisoner was missing, hence, others had to remain standing until he was found and known the reason of his absence, regardless of the weather conditions, and even if it took hours. Individual and collective punishments were convened, depending on what transpired during the day, before the prisoners were allowed to retire to their place for the night and get their bread allotment and water. Curfew was imposed two to three hours later. The prisoners slept in long rows of wooden bunks, lying in, and on, their clothes and shoes to prevent them from being stolen. Again, Schrobber made his routine check with a throng of prisoners crowding each barrack as they crammed into the compartments that were fully-packed. So, as a result of a thousand people distributed in each barrack, they were unable to get a good sleep. "What''s wrong with you people there?" he asked. "We find it hard to stretch out completely, as they are all lying both lengthwise and crosswise with one man''s feet on another''s head, neck, or chest. We are stripped of all human dignity by this kind of treatment," an elder prisoner complained. "We can''t do anything for now," he said. "See what others are doing. They shove and kick each other in an effort to get a few more inches'' space on which to sleep a little more comfortably," an inmate added. Schrobber stepped away and saw the prisoners in their identity outfit. He approached a Kapo in-charge of the prisoners who were sewing the cloth. "What are these pieces of cloths sewn for?" he asked. "This is to distinguish one prisoner to the others. We sew triangular pieces of cloth into their jackets below their number called, Winkel," a Kapo explained. "How about the others? What are they for?" he continued. "Red triangle is for political prisoners, while purple color is for Jehovah''s Witnesses, and green is for criminals and so on and so forth," a Kapo added. "In addition, the nationality of prisoners is also stitched into the Winkel. Likewise, yellow triangle is for the Jews," he said. "As I see them from here, Soviet prisoners of war, and others, have their numbers tattooed on their chest and other civilians on their left arm," Schrobber said. "Exactly, it will practically identify and locate certain prisoners," the Kapo replied. "By the way, how is the daily sustenance of the inmates?" Schrobber asked. "Prisoners learn the kind of life to live in this camp. In the morning, prisoners receive a hot drink, but no breakfast. While, at noon, they got a thin, meatless vegetable soup. Likewise, in the evening, they receive a moldy bread as ration, and most prisoners saved some of the bread for the following morning. Prisoners who were subjected to endure medical experimentation were better fed and clothed," a Kapo explained. "I am saddened by the sanitary and hygiene situation of the inmates. How do they take their everyday struggle in their sanitation? I learned that many children have died of Noma, a bacterial infection common among gypsies in the camps. Malnourished children are mostly inflicted with this bacterial infection," Schrobber lamented. "There were poor sanitary facilities and inadequate latrines and fresh water here. It was only in 1943 when latrines were installed after two years when camp construction began. Pests, such as disease-carrying lice and the vermin, are all around the camps, as inmates are inflicted with typhus and other contagious diseases," a Kapo sighed. **** Schrobber was once among the prisoners of war who had experienced the same condition that the inmates were struggling for. One day, he was approached by a Waffen SS who had a file of documents in his leather case. "Ariel Scrobber, you are being relieved of your status as Kapo of the camp by General Hubert Becker, the commandant of the 2nd Panzer Division of the Nazi regiment. After a careful review of your personal record, it was found that you had served in the German Panzer Regiment as tank commander. You are hereby given a chance to re-enlist in the German Panzer Division in Western Poland, provided you will take a full oath of allegiance or loyalty to the Nazi government. Would that be amenable to you?" the Adjutant asked. 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