Ref. No.: I ab/ St/Gr 16 07 Journal No. 641/43 secret.
Re: Large-scale Ghetto Operation.
To: The Higher SS and Police Fuehrer East, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer and General of Police Krueger—or deputy.
Cracow
Progress of large-scale operation on 13 May 1943, start 1000 hours.
In combing out the Ghetto and the miniature Ghetto (Prosta) today we found 234 Jews. 155 Jews were shot in battle. Today it became clear that the Jews and bandits whom we are catching now belong to the so-called battle groups. All of them are young fellows and females between 18 and 25 years of age. When we captured one, a real skirmish took place, in which the Jews not only fired from 08 pistols and Polish Vis pistols, but also threw Polish "pineapple" hand grenades at the Waffen-SS men. After part of the inmates of the dug-out had been caught and were about to be searched, one of the females as quick as lightning put her hand under her shirt, as many others had done, and fetched from her bloomers a "pineapple" hand grenade, drew the safety-catch, threw the grenade among the men who were searching her, and jumped quickly to cover. It is only thanks to the presence of mind of the men that no casualties ensued.
The few Jews and criminals still staying in the Ghetto have for the last few days been using the hideouts they can still find among the ruins, retiring at night into the dug-outs whose location is known to them, to eat and get provisions for the next day. Lately we have been unable to extract information on the whereabouts of further dug-outs from the captured Jews. The remainder of the inmates of that dug-out where the skirmish took place were destroyed by using heavier explosive charges. From a Wehrmacht concern we evacuated 327 Jews today. The Jews we catch now are sent to T.II.
The total of Jews caught has risen to 55,179.
| Our strength, used in the operation: | ||
| German police | 4/182 | |
| Engineering Em Service | 1/6 | |
| Security Police | 2/14 | |
| Engineers | 4/74 | |
| Waffen SS | 12/517 | |
| Cordoning forces: | ||
| Day | Night | |
| Waffen SS | 1/300 | |
| German Police | 2/137 | 1/87 |
| Trawniki | 270 | |
| Polish Police | 1/160 | 1/160 |
Our losses: 2 Waffen SS dead
3 Waffen SS wounded
1 Policeman wounded.