The Revolt at Sobibor
SS men at Sobibor
The only case involving a mass escape from a concentration camp was the revolt at Sobibor. A Soviet prisoner of war organized an underground group of revolters to carry out their escape. About three hundred prisoners escaped and about two hundred were never recaptured.
The uprising began on October 14, it was a routine day beginning with the roll call and the prisoners reporting to their work duties. Many prisoners that were conscious of the revolt efforts began removing money and valuables from their secret storage places hoping they could trade it in the outside world to help increase survival. Feldhendler was an Underground Committee member and was in charge of the operation in Camp II. According to his plan, a fellow upriser, Tsibulsky, and his team would hide in the storeroom and wait for the SS men to enter to try on coats. The first SS man entered and picked his coat as usual. At this time, Tsibulsky and another prisoner of war emerged from their hiding places and killed the first officer with a blow to the head with axes. The body was disposed of in a bin and covered in clothes. Wulf's pistol was taken by Tsibulsky.
The uprising began on October 14, it was a routine day beginning with the roll call and the prisoners reporting to their work duties. Many prisoners that were conscious of the revolt efforts began removing money and valuables from their secret storage places hoping they could trade it in the outside world to help increase survival. Feldhendler was an Underground Committee member and was in charge of the operation in Camp II. According to his plan, a fellow upriser, Tsibulsky, and his team would hide in the storeroom and wait for the SS men to enter to try on coats. The first SS man entered and picked his coat as usual. At this time, Tsibulsky and another prisoner of war emerged from their hiding places and killed the first officer with a blow to the head with axes. The body was disposed of in a bin and covered in clothes. Wulf's pistol was taken by Tsibulsky.
German official funeral
The operation in Camp I began at the time the commander of the came, Niemann, rode his mare into Camp I. He left his horse to one of the workers and entered the tailor shop. Niemann was fitted in his uniform while Shubayev, another Underground member, came up from behind and disposed of him in similar fashion to that of Wulf. The liquidation of the SS men continued and the Obersharfuhrer, Goettinger, was killed in the shoe-maker's shop.
The next step in the process was to cut the telephone wires leading from the administration buildings to the cities outside of the camp. It was also Feldhendler's task to shut off all electricity to the camp. These duties were carried out by Schwartz, a prisoner who was an electrician from Czechoslovakia. So far, everything had gone according to plan, at 5:00 PM the evening roll was called. Pechersky, the uprising commander, describes the tension amongst the prisoners in Camp I:
"People came streaming from all sides. We had previously selected seventy men, nearly all of them Soviet prisoners of war, whose task it was to attack the armory. That was why they were in the forefront of the column. But all the others, who had only suspected that something was being arranged but didn't know when and how, now found out at the last minute. They began to push and jostle forward, fearing they might be left behind. In this disorderly fashion we reached the gate of Camp I.
The next step in the process was to cut the telephone wires leading from the administration buildings to the cities outside of the camp. It was also Feldhendler's task to shut off all electricity to the camp. These duties were carried out by Schwartz, a prisoner who was an electrician from Czechoslovakia. So far, everything had gone according to plan, at 5:00 PM the evening roll was called. Pechersky, the uprising commander, describes the tension amongst the prisoners in Camp I:
"People came streaming from all sides. We had previously selected seventy men, nearly all of them Soviet prisoners of war, whose task it was to attack the armory. That was why they were in the forefront of the column. But all the others, who had only suspected that something was being arranged but didn't know when and how, now found out at the last minute. They began to push and jostle forward, fearing they might be left behind. In this disorderly fashion we reached the gate of Camp I.
Revolt at Sobibor
A squad commander, a German from Near Volga, approached us. "Hey, you sons-of-bitches," he shouted, "didn't you hear the whistle? So why are you pushing like a bunch of cattle? Get in line, three in a row!"
As though in response to a command, several hatchets suddenly appeared from under coats and came down on his head..."
At this point, the secretive part of the revolt ended. The killing of a squad commander had been seen by the guards and automatic fire from the watchtower opened on the prisoners running for the main gate. The prisoners who had run past first killed the guard posted there, but further escapes were cut off by the fire of Frenzel and other guards. Pechersky and the other Underground Committee leaders had lost all control at that point. Prisoners ran around in all directions and the escape through the main gate was completely cut off due to gun fire. Many prisoners ran towards the mine fields and fences. The prisoners who ran over the fields first were killed, but the ones following survived since the mines were already detonated. The most dangerous gunfire was from the two watch towers located in the southern corners of the camp. Many armed escapees tried to fire back in order to help the remaining revolters. The killing of the eleven SS men and two or three guards was reported back to the highest authorities in Berlin and produced great amounts of turmoil. Even with all the confusion, over half of the prisoners who were in the main camp succeeded, escaping into the forests. However, the remaining prisoners in the camps were not so lucky, they were ordered to be hanged.
Pechersky and his group succeeded in crossing the Bug River and three days later they met Soviet partisans and joined up with them. Other groups, including Feldhendler's, were able to hide in the forest while the German forces searched the area. In the end only one third of the fleeing prisoners were captured, the rest escaped.
As though in response to a command, several hatchets suddenly appeared from under coats and came down on his head..."
At this point, the secretive part of the revolt ended. The killing of a squad commander had been seen by the guards and automatic fire from the watchtower opened on the prisoners running for the main gate. The prisoners who had run past first killed the guard posted there, but further escapes were cut off by the fire of Frenzel and other guards. Pechersky and the other Underground Committee leaders had lost all control at that point. Prisoners ran around in all directions and the escape through the main gate was completely cut off due to gun fire. Many prisoners ran towards the mine fields and fences. The prisoners who ran over the fields first were killed, but the ones following survived since the mines were already detonated. The most dangerous gunfire was from the two watch towers located in the southern corners of the camp. Many armed escapees tried to fire back in order to help the remaining revolters. The killing of the eleven SS men and two or three guards was reported back to the highest authorities in Berlin and produced great amounts of turmoil. Even with all the confusion, over half of the prisoners who were in the main camp succeeded, escaping into the forests. However, the remaining prisoners in the camps were not so lucky, they were ordered to be hanged.
Pechersky and his group succeeded in crossing the Bug River and three days later they met Soviet partisans and joined up with them. Other groups, including Feldhendler's, were able to hide in the forest while the German forces searched the area. In the end only one third of the fleeing prisoners were captured, the rest escaped.