Cracow
Progress of large-scale operation on 14 May 1943, start 1000 hours.
The raiding parties formed today went to work within the areas allotted to each of them under orders to force open further dwelling dug-outs and to catch the Jews. In this way a considerable number of bandits and Jews were caught, especially as some traces had been discovered during the night which were now followed up with good results. The night patrols clashed with armed bandits several times. These bandits fired a machine gun and small arms. In this operation we had four casualties—3 Waffen-SS men and 1 Policeman. Repeatedly, shots were fired from the Aryan part against the external barricade. In the skirmishes about 30 bandits were shot and 9 Jews and bandits, members of an armed gang, were captured. One dug-out was taken during the night, the Jews captured, and some pistols, among them one of 12-mm caliber, were captured. In one dug-out inhabited by 100 persons, we were able to capture 2 rifles, 16 pistols, some hand grenades and incendiary appliances. Of the bandits who resisted, some again wore German military uniform, German steel helmets and "knobeloecher." Apart from the carbines, we captured 60 rounds of German rifle ammunition. One raiding party had a skirmish with a gang, 10 to 14 strong, on the roofs of a block of buildings at the border of the Ghetto (Aryan part). The bandits were destroyed; we suffered no losses.
The captured bandits repeatedly testify that still not all persons in the Ghetto have been caught. They confidently expect that the action will soon be over, and that they will then be able to continue to live in the Ghetto. Several bandits stated that they had long been in a position to kill off the leader of the action, the "General," as they call him, but that they would not do so, since they had orders to that effect to avoid the risk of a further intensification of the anti-Jewish measures.
Today again some concrete buildings in which the bandits find refuge time and again were blown up by the engineers.
In order to force the bandits in the sewers to come to the surface, 183 sewer entrances were opened at 1500 hours, and smoke-candles were lowered into them at an ordered x-time, thereupon the bandits, seeking escape from what they supposed to be poison gas, crowded together in the center of the former Ghetto, and we were able to pull them out of the sewer entrances there.
I shall come to a decision after tomorrow's operations regarding termination of the action.
Today SS-Gruppenfuehrer and Lieutenant General of Waffen-SS von Horff was present during the operations.
| Our strength, used in the operation: | ||
| German police | 4/184 | |
| Engineering Em Service | 1/6 | |
| Security Police | 2/16 | |
| Engineers | 4/73 | |
| Waffen SS | 12/510 | |
| Cordoning forces: | ||
| Day | Night | |
| Waffen SS | 1/300 | |
| German Police | 2/138 | 1/87 |
| Trawniki | 270 | |
| Polish Police | 1/160 | 1/160 |
Our losses: 5 wounded, 4 Waffen SS, 1 Police