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Murder Story of Novo-Moskovsk Jews at the Samara Bridge
Murder Site
Samara Bridge
Ukraine (USSR)
On March 3 (at the end of March, according to some testimonies), 1942 all the Jews of Novo Moskovsk were ordered to hand over their belongings, ostensibly for transfer, on the pretext that they were going to be resettled in Palestine. After being robbed of their possessions, the ghetto inmates were taken by boat across the Samara River. Some of the Jews were taken on foot to the murder site. There the victims were ordered to undress and were shot at a sand quarry near the bridge. The children were buried alive. The murder was apparently carried out by members of Sonderkommando Plath, headed by the chief of the Kremenchug Security Police office Karl Julius Plath, and by local auxiliary policemen. The number of victims was estimated as being between 200 and 400, according to various Soviet reports and testimonies.
Related Resources
Soviet Reports
ChGK Soviet Reports
From the indictment against Major-General Eckard Hans von Tschammer und Osten, Commander of the 213rd Security Division, January 17-28, 1946
... Furthermore, about 200 civilians of Jewish nationality were shot on the direct command of von Tschammer und Osten, at the bridge over the Samara River....
TsDAHOU, KYIV 1-23-3957 copy YVA M.37 / 178
From the materials of the trial of former German military, SS and police commanders, Kiev, January 17-28, 1946
The witness Pavlishchenko: "...I saw him [Major-General Eckard Hans von Tschammer und Osten]for the second time by shooting of the Jews (The question is about the shooting of the Jews in the city of Novo Moskovsk and about participation in these shootings of General von Tschammer).
QUESTION: You stood there alone or was there a whole crowd of the spectators?
THE WITNESS: There were other people whom I do not know
QUESTION: How they [i.e. the Jews] were brought?
THE WITNESS: They were brought there directly across the bridge, the were brought and placed in front of the sand quarry. There is a pit from which sand being quarried both for Dnepropetrovsk and for out buidling in Novo Moskovsk. There are large pits, it was no need even to dig [the pits]. [The victims] were brought to these pits, the soldiers were lined up and exactly a car arrived with General Tschammer in it. He gave an order and immediately the shooting [started]. The people stayed for about 20-30 minutes at the pits.
QUESTION: Was this operation finished?
THE WITNESS: And that operation was over. They [the bodies] started to be buried, covered slightly by a sand. This was done already by our policemen. About 8 German guards stayed behind [they?] buried [the bodies].
QUESTION: Were there many children?
THE WITNESS: There were many children, there were many children"...
YVA TR.10 / 1230
Samara Bridge
bridge
Murder Site
Ukraine (USSR)
48.632;35.223
Videos
Natalia Levchenko was born in 1929 in Novo Moskovsk and lived there during the war years (Part I)
USC SHOAH FOUNDATION, 38919 copy YVA O.93 / 38919
Natalia Levchenko was born in 1929 in Novo Moskovsk and lived there during the war years (Part II)
USC SHOAH FOUNDATION, 38919 copy YVA O.93 / 38919
Natalia Levchenko was born in 1929 in Novo Moskovsk and lived there during the war years (Part III)
USC SHOAH FOUNDATION, 38919 copy YVA O.93 / 38919