TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO-177
PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 133
MINUTES OF CONFERENCE AT THE REICH MINISTRY OF AVIATION, 20 MAY 1944,
CONCERNING METHODS FOR MAKING SEA WATER POTABLE
Personal Staff RF-SS.
Filing Department, File No./220/5
Technical Office
GL/C-E 5 IV No. 26860/44 secret
Berlin, 23 May 1944
[Handwritten] W 29.6
[Handwritten]:
Just received
for reading given
to RF [Himmler]
[Signature] R. Br. [Rudolf Brandt]
Reichsarzt SS 4/July
Minutes of the conference on 20 May 1944 re methods for making sea-water
drinkable
Present:
* * * * *
10. Oberstingenieur Christensen German Air Ministry—
GL/C-E 5 IV 120047/28
11. Stabsingenieur Dr. Schickler dto. 120047/4335
12. Stabsingenieur Berka E-Tra Vienna
B 23566
13. Stabsarzt Dr. Becker-Freyseng Chief Medical 278313
Service
14. Unterarzt Dr. Schaefer Luftwaffe Medical
Research 27 83 13
Institute
I. On 19 May 1944 a preliminary discussion was held at the Reich Air
Ministry—GL/C-E 5 IV. Present were the following persons:
GL/C-E 5 IV Obersting. Christensen
dto. Stabsing. Dr. Schickler
E-Tra. Stabsing. Berka
L. In. 14 Major Jeworrek
Chief of the Medical Service Stabsarzt Dr. Becker-Freyseng
[Office]
dto. Unterarzt Dr. Schaefer
Herr Pahl.
At this meeting Captain (med.) Dr. Becker-Freyseng reported on the
clinical experiments conducted by Colonel (med.) Dr. von Sirany and came
to the final conclusion that he did not consider them as being
unobjectionable and conclusive enough for a final decision. The Chief of
the Medical Service is convinced that, if the Berka method is used,
damage to health has to be expected not later than 6 days after taking
Berkatit, which damage will result in permanent injuries to health
and—according to the opinion of N. C. O. (med.) Dr. Schaefer—will
finally result in death after not later than 12 days.
External symptoms are to be expected such as drainage, diarrhea,
convulsions, hallucinations, and finally death. As a result of the
preliminary discussion it was agreed to arrange a new series of
experiments of short duration. A commission was to be set up for the
arrangement of these series of experiments. This commission should be
set up together with the High Command of the Navy at the conference on
20 May 1944.
The series of experiments should include the following:
1. _a._ Persons to be given sea-water processed with Berka method.
_b._ Persons to be given ordinary drinking [Shorthand notation]:
water.
One copy to be submitted
to the ministry.
_c._ Persons without any drinking water at all.
_d._ Persons given water treated according to the present method. (0.7
liters of drinking water for 4 persons and 4 days.)
For the duration of the experiments all persons will receive only an
emergency sea diet such as is provided for persons in distress at sea.
_Duration of experiments_: Maximum 6 days
In addition to these experiments a further experiment should be
conducted as follows:
2. Persons nourished with sea-water and Berkatit, and as diet also the
emergency sea rations.
_Duration of experiments_: 12 days
Since in the opinion of the Chief of the Medical Service permanent
injuries to health—that is, the death of the experimental
subjects—have to be expected, as experimental subjects such persons
should be used as will be put at the disposal by the Reichsfuehrer SS.
Herr Pahl reports that due to the latest improvements in the I. G.
Farben method, smaller quantities of iron are needed for the
construction of the manufacturing equipment than were originally
provided for and estimated by I. G. Herr Pahl reports further that if
the Wofatit equipment which has to be constructed could not be used
later for the manufacturing of the sea-water preparation another use
would be quite possible. As to the silver problem GL/C-E 5 IV will check
whether the necessary quantities of silver are available.
With GL/C-B 5 it is to be determined whether the same quantities of the
preparations will be required as heretofore.
II. At the main conference on 20 May 1944, Stabsingenieur Dr. Schickler
will report on work done since the last conference, especially re the
results of the preliminary discussion described in part I.
The navy emphasizes that it is considered to be of great importance to
obtain a method which under the given conditions could be introduced at
once without undue delay. In the opinion of the navy the results
obtained at the clinical experiments are sufficient, since they are
mainly interested in being able to nourish their men 3 to 5 days with
the preparation. A longer nourishing period up to 12 days would probably
only be necessary in very few cases. But in spite of this the High
Command of the Navy agrees that the series of experiments, as proposed
by the Chief of the Medical Service in paragraph 1, should still be
carried out.
These series of experiments should be finished and reported on not later
than the end of June. During this period all preparations are to be made
for the commencement of production according to the Berka method at a
date not later than July 1st 1944, and also, if the I. G. method should
be introduced, for the start of the construction of the necessary
manufacturing equipment by the I. G.
The commission which has to determine the conditions for the series of
experiments still to be conducted is composed as follows:
Professor Eppinger, Vienna, Representative of the Chief of the
Medical Service of the Air Force