Nazi Execution Squad photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

Behind the advances of the German army during the war were four Einsatzgruppen – special German commando units. Each consisted of 500 to 1,000 men. Their job was to follow behind the German army, round up all the Jews in the newly conquered towns, and kill them.

The Jews would be herded to the outskirts of town, often to anti-tank trenches. Sometimes the Jews would be forced to dig their own graves.

Forced To Dig Their Own Graves photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

The Nazis would line them up, and force the Jews to undress. Then they would shoot them over the trenches. In one incident lasting 3 days, over 52,000 men women and children were killed outside of Kiev, in the Babi Yar forest.

Shooting The Last Jew Of The Group photo courtesy of Yad Vashem

Listen to a RealAudio account by Mrs. M. (2:52 min.)

We have testimonies of people who were shot and fell into the trenches, but were not killed. They waited until night, when the Germans were gone.

Then they clawed their way out of the pile of bodies. Those who were lucky – who were not killed by the locals – lived to tell their story.

Over 1,500,000 people were killed in this way.

Read an account of the fate of 1,100 Jews in the city of Trembowla.

Mass Murder In Sdolbunov, Ukraine photo courtesy of Yad Vashem