Leipzig Concentration Camp

Mass Murder, Leipzig, Germany, April 20, 1945. HSs, burned building in concentration camp with bodies lying in wreckage. CUs, two escaped prisoners from the camp. CUs, partially burned bodies entangled in electrified barbed wire fence. CUs, partially burned bodies in a shed and burned barracks. MCUs, Russian women, enforced laborers, crying near barbed-wire fence. Summary: A detachment from Leipzig concentration camp was assigned work in the nearby aircraft factory. When the US invasion of the city was imminent, the Waffen SS guards prepared to leave the city. Those prisoners who were in good physical condition were evacuated. The sick were told to assemble in the mess hall. From 300 to 400 were crowded into the mess hall and were told they were going to eat. As soon as the building was closed the SS troops sprayed it with machine gun fire. They had saturated the wooden building with kerosene and then set it afire. The Germans also threw hand grenades into the flaming building. Many prisoners scrambled out of the building. The only way of escape was over a high wire electrified fence across a large field. Somehow many of them got over the fence only to be shot by machine gun fire. About 100 escaped. The prisoners were political prisoners from Russia, Poland and France. Note from Signal Corps records: This story ties in with 111 ADC 4059.