4.4 million Zloty; furthermore about 5 to 6 million Zloty not yet counted, a great amount of foreign currency, e.g. $14,300 in paper and $9,200 in gold, moreover valuables (rings, chains, watches, etc.) in great quantities.
State of the Ghetto at the termination of the large-scale operation:
Apart from 8 buildings (Police Barracks, hospital, and accommodations for housing working-parties) the former Ghetto is completely destroyed. Only the dividing walls are left standing where no explosions were carried out. But the ruins still contain a vast amount of stones and scrap material which could be used.
Warsaw, 16 May, 1943.
The SS and Police Fuehrer in the
District of Warsaw.
SS Brigadefuehrer and Majorgeneral of Police.
Copy
Warsaw, 20 April 1943.
Journal No. 516/43 secret.
(Daily reports)
SS Service Teletype message
From: The SS and Police Fuehrer in the District of Warsaw
Ref. No.: I ab/St/Gr—16 07
Re: Ghetto Operation.
To: The Higher SS and Police Fuehrer East, Cracow
Progress of Ghetto Operation on 19 April 1943:
Closing of Ghetto commenced 0300 hrs. At 0600 order to Waffen-SS (strength: 16/850) to comb out the remainder of the Ghetto. Hardly had the units fallen in, strong concerted fire-concentration by the Jews and bandits. The tank used in this action and the two heavy armored cars pelted with Molotov cocktails (incendiary bottles). Tank twice set on fire. Owing to this enemy counterattack, we had at first to take the units back. Losses in first attack: 12 men (6 SS-men, 6 Trawniki-men). About 800 hrs. second attack by the units, under the command of the undersigned. Although the counterattack was reported, this time we succeeded in combing out the blocks of buildings according to plan. We caused the enemy to retire from the roofs and elevated prepared positions into the cellars or dug-outs and sewers. During this combing-out we caught only about 200 Jews. Immediately afterwards raiding parties were directed to dug-outs known to us with the order to pull out the Jews and to destroy the dug-outs. About 380 Jews captured. We found out that the Jews had taken to the sewers. Sewers were completely inundated, to make staying there impossible. About 1730 hrs. we encountered very strong resistance from one block of buildings including machine-gun fire. A special raiding party invaded that block and defeated the enemy, but could not catch the resisters. The Jews and criminals resisted from base to base, and escaped at the last moment across lofts or through subterranean passages. About 2030 hrs. the external barricade was reinforced. All units were withdrawn from the Ghetto and dismissed to their barracks. Reinforcement of the barricade by 250 Waffen-SS men. Continuation of operation on 20 April 1943.
| Units at my disposal: | ||
| SS-Panzer-Gren. Res. Batl. | 6/400 | |
| SS-Cav. Res. Batl. | 10/450 | |
| Police | 6/165 | |
| Security Service | 2/48 | |
| Trawniki-men | 1/150 | |
| Wehrmacht: | ||
| 1 10-cm-Howitzer | 1/7 | |
| 1 Flame thrower | 1 | |
| Engineers | 2/16 | |
| Medical detachments | 1/1 | |
| 3 2.28-cm A.A. Guns | 2/24 | |
| 1 French tank of the Waffen-SS | ||
| 2 heavy armored cars of the Waffen-SS | ||
| ———— | ||
| Total: | 31/1262 |
I put Major of Police Sternagel in command of today's operations subject to my further instructions if necessary.
At 0700 hrs. 9 raiding parties were formed, each 1/36 strong, consisting of mixed units, to comb out and to search the remainder of the Ghetto intensively. This search is still in progress; its first objective will be completed by 1100 hrs. In the meantime it has been ascertained that part of the Ghetto which is no longer inhabited but not yet released and which contains several armament factories and the like, there are several centers of resistance, which were so strong that the tank could not go through. 2 raiding parties defeated these centers of resistance and made a passage for the tank men. In this operation we already had two wounded (Waffen-SS).