< Continued from page 2
Planning an Escape
The prisoners worked for six weeks at their gruesome task. Though they were exhausted, starving, and filthy, these prisoners still held on to life. There had been a couple of earlier escape attempts by individuals, after which, a dozen or more other prisoners were killed in retaliation. Thus, it was decided amongst the prisoners that the prisoners would have to escape as a group.
But how were they to do this? They were hindered by shackles, locked in with a large padlock, and aimed at with a machine gun. Plus, there was at least one informer among them.
Several escape plans were considered but all seemed doomed to complete failure. Fyodor Yershov finally came up with a plan that would certainly not let everyone escape, but hopefully would allow at least a few of the prisoners to reach safety.
While working, the prisoners often found small items that the victims had brought with them to Babi Yar - not knowing they were to be murdered. Among these items were scissors, tools, and keys. The escape plan was to gather items that would help remove the shackles, find a key that would unlock the padlock, and find items that could be used to help them attack the guards. Then they would break their shackles, unlock the gate, and run past the guards, hoping to avoid being hit by machine-gun fire.
This escape plan, especially in hindsight, seemed nearly impossible. Yet, the prisoners broke into groups of ten to search for the needed items.
The group that was to search for the key to the padlock had to sneak and try hundreds of different keys in order to find the one that worked. One day, one of the few Jewish prisoners, Yasha Kaper, found a key that worked.
The plan was almost ruined by an accident. One day, while working, an SS man hit a prisoner. When the prisoner landed on the ground, there was a rattling sound. The SS man soon discovered that the prisoner was carrying scissors (to be used in the escape). The SS man wanted to know what the prisoner was planning on using the scissors for. The prisoner replied, "I wanted to cut my hair." The SS man did not believe the prisoner and then began to beat the prisoner, often repeating the question. The prisoner could have easily revealed the escape plan, but did not. After the prisoner had lost consciousness, but was not yet dead, he was thrown onto the fire.15
Having the key and other needed materials, the prisoners realized they needed to set a date for the escape. Though they realized that their job was coming to an end, thus would be soon killed, they were not sure exactly when this would happen. On September 29, for an unknown reason, one of the SS officers, Vogt, warned the prisoners that they were going to be killed the following day. The date for the escape was set for that night.
The Escape
Around two o'clock that night, the prisoners tried to unlock the padlock. Though it took two turns of the key to unlock the lock, after the first turn, the lock made a noise which alerted the guards. The prisoners managed to make it back to their bunks before they were seen. Worried that another such noise would make the guards extremely suspicious, they decided to wait until the guard was changed.
After the change in guard, the prisoners tried turning the lock a second turn. This time the lock did not make a noise and opened. The known informer was killed in his sleep. The rest of the prisoners were woken up and all worked on removing their shackles. The guards noticed the noise from the removal of the shackles and came to investigate.
One prisoner thought quickly and told the guards that the prisoners were fighting over the potatoes that the guards had left in the bunker earlier. The guards thought this was funny and left.
Twenty minutes later, the prisoners rushed out of the bunker en masse in an effort to escape. Some of the prisoners came upon guards and attacked them; others kept on running. The machine gun operator didn't want to shoot because, in the dark, he was afraid he would hit some of his own men.
Out of all the prisoners, only 15 succeeded in escaping.
Notes
1. A. Anatoli, Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel, Trans. David Floyd (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970) 91.
2. Anatoli, Babi Yar 93.
3. Anatoli, Babi Yar 102.
4. Anatoli, Babi Yar 105.
5. Anatoli, Babi Yar 105-106.
6. Anatoli, Babi Yar 106.
7. Anatoli, Babi Yar 106.
8. Anatoli, Babi Yar 15.
9. Anatoli, Babi Yar 109.
10. Yitzhak Arad (ed.), The Einsatzgruppen Reports (New York: Holocaust Library, 1989) 168.
11. Anatoli, Babi Yar 374.
12. Anatoli, Babi Yar 374, 380.
13. Anatoli, Babi Yar 375.
14. Anatoli, Babi Yar 375.
15. Anatoli, Babi Yar 385.
Bibliography
Anatoli, A. Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel. Trans. David Floyd. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970.
Arad, Yitzhak (ed.). The Einsatzgruppen Reports. New York: Holocaust Library, 1989.
Spector, Shmuel. "Babi Yar." Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. Israel Gutman. 1990.
Planning an Escape
The prisoners worked for six weeks at their gruesome task. Though they were exhausted, starving, and filthy, these prisoners still held on to life. There had been a couple of earlier escape attempts by individuals, after which, a dozen or more other prisoners were killed in retaliation. Thus, it was decided amongst the prisoners that the prisoners would have to escape as a group.
But how were they to do this? They were hindered by shackles, locked in with a large padlock, and aimed at with a machine gun. Plus, there was at least one informer among them.
Several escape plans were considered but all seemed doomed to complete failure. Fyodor Yershov finally came up with a plan that would certainly not let everyone escape, but hopefully would allow at least a few of the prisoners to reach safety.
While working, the prisoners often found small items that the victims had brought with them to Babi Yar - not knowing they were to be murdered. Among these items were scissors, tools, and keys. The escape plan was to gather items that would help remove the shackles, find a key that would unlock the padlock, and find items that could be used to help them attack the guards. Then they would break their shackles, unlock the gate, and run past the guards, hoping to avoid being hit by machine-gun fire.
This escape plan, especially in hindsight, seemed nearly impossible. Yet, the prisoners broke into groups of ten to search for the needed items.
The group that was to search for the key to the padlock had to sneak and try hundreds of different keys in order to find the one that worked. One day, one of the few Jewish prisoners, Yasha Kaper, found a key that worked.
The plan was almost ruined by an accident. One day, while working, an SS man hit a prisoner. When the prisoner landed on the ground, there was a rattling sound. The SS man soon discovered that the prisoner was carrying scissors (to be used in the escape). The SS man wanted to know what the prisoner was planning on using the scissors for. The prisoner replied, "I wanted to cut my hair." The SS man did not believe the prisoner and then began to beat the prisoner, often repeating the question. The prisoner could have easily revealed the escape plan, but did not. After the prisoner had lost consciousness, but was not yet dead, he was thrown onto the fire.15
Having the key and other needed materials, the prisoners realized they needed to set a date for the escape. Though they realized that their job was coming to an end, thus would be soon killed, they were not sure exactly when this would happen. On September 29, for an unknown reason, one of the SS officers, Vogt, warned the prisoners that they were going to be killed the following day. The date for the escape was set for that night.
The Escape
Around two o'clock that night, the prisoners tried to unlock the padlock. Though it took two turns of the key to unlock the lock, after the first turn, the lock made a noise which alerted the guards. The prisoners managed to make it back to their bunks before they were seen. Worried that another such noise would make the guards extremely suspicious, they decided to wait until the guard was changed.
After the change in guard, the prisoners tried turning the lock a second turn. This time the lock did not make a noise and opened. The known informer was killed in his sleep. The rest of the prisoners were woken up and all worked on removing their shackles. The guards noticed the noise from the removal of the shackles and came to investigate.
One prisoner thought quickly and told the guards that the prisoners were fighting over the potatoes that the guards had left in the bunker earlier. The guards thought this was funny and left.
Twenty minutes later, the prisoners rushed out of the bunker en masse in an effort to escape. Some of the prisoners came upon guards and attacked them; others kept on running. The machine gun operator didn't want to shoot because, in the dark, he was afraid he would hit some of his own men.
Out of all the prisoners, only 15 succeeded in escaping.
Notes
1. A. Anatoli, Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel, Trans. David Floyd (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970) 91.
2. Anatoli, Babi Yar 93.
3. Anatoli, Babi Yar 102.
4. Anatoli, Babi Yar 105.
5. Anatoli, Babi Yar 105-106.
6. Anatoli, Babi Yar 106.
7. Anatoli, Babi Yar 106.
8. Anatoli, Babi Yar 15.
9. Anatoli, Babi Yar 109.
10. Yitzhak Arad (ed.), The Einsatzgruppen Reports (New York: Holocaust Library, 1989) 168.
11. Anatoli, Babi Yar 374.
12. Anatoli, Babi Yar 374, 380.
13. Anatoli, Babi Yar 375.
14. Anatoli, Babi Yar 375.
15. Anatoli, Babi Yar 385.
Bibliography
Anatoli, A. Babi Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel. Trans. David Floyd. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970.
Arad, Yitzhak (ed.). The Einsatzgruppen Reports. New York: Holocaust Library, 1989.
Spector, Shmuel. "Babi Yar." Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. Israel Gutman. 1990.
SHARE
