Gas Vans
Karim Taal
Overview
Gas Vans were an addition to the many gas chambers used to eliminate the Jews. These mobile chambers were equipped with air tight compartments that were loaded up with people. From there the exhaust fumes from the engine were pumped into the van. The carbon monoxide caused suffocation and also monoxide poisoning which resulted in death. The gas van was invented by the Soviet Union in 1936 by Isay Berg. Before gas chambers and vans the victims were shot one by one. This was too much for the executioners so the solution was to tie up multiple of them, plug their mouths and throw them inside an enclosed van disguised as a bread truck.
Inside Vans
When 70 –90 people were inside the vehicle, the doors were closed and the loaded truck headed for the furnace located 200 meters away. While travelling Laabs the driver left the vent open so that the exhaust gases passed into the sealed compartment and killed the people inside in about six minutes.
Gas Van
Because the size of the van allowed many to fit, this was saw as a way to kill many Jews at once.
Diesel Bus Chamber
This was not a quiet process, the drivers could hear the victims' screams, which they found distracting and disturbing.
The Nazi Gas Chambers
Media Evaluation
This video presents the many different ways the Nazis killed the Jews. The variation of shooting them one by one to loading 70-80 people in a van and exhausting them to death. In the end the goal of the Germans was to eliminate the Jews and they had to find a solution to this. Gas vans and chambers were most practical and efficient in completing the task. When they would shoot them one by one it was a lot for the execution to handle. With the vans they could kill many with ease. Like mentioned above, the only downside was it was very loud as the victims were slowly dying. The Nazis came up with many different inventions with the intent of complete annihilation.