"The testimony came from Hermann Freiderich Graebe, former manager of a Ukraine construction firm who now works in the United States. Graebe saw the pogrom in Rowno, in the Ukraine, in July, 1942, and again in Dubno in October the same year. "It was at Dubno that the Germans piled the victims into a mass grave, then machine-gunned them, Graebe said in his affidavits. He swore that 1,500 persons were killed daily. "The people got off the trucks and undressed upon the orders of an SS man carrying a riding or dog whip," he said. "They had to put down their clothes in piles, sorted according to shoes, top clothing and under clothing. "I saw a heap of shoes totaling about 800 to 1000. "Without screaming or weeping these people undressed and stood around in family groups, kissed each other, said their farewells and waited for the SS man who stood near a pit thirty meters long and three meters deep. "During 15 minutes I heard no complaint or plea for mercy. I watched a family, a man and woman both about fifty, their children about one, eight and ten, and two grown daughters, twenty to twenty-four. "The old woman with snow-white hair was holding the year-old child in her arms, sighing to it and tickling it. The child was cooing with delight. A couple watched with tears in their eyes. "The father was holding the hand of the boy about ten, speaking to him softly as the boy fought his tears. The father pointed to the sky, stroked the boy's head and explained something. "In a tremendous grave other people were closely wedged together, lying on top of each other. Nearly all had blood running over their shoulders from their heads. Some were still moving. They lifted arms or turned heads to show that they were still alive. The pit was already two-thirds filled--I estimated it contained about 1,000 people. "An SS man sat on the edge of the narrow end of the pit, his feet dangling into it. He had a tommy-gun on his knees and was smoking a cigarette. "The naked people went down into the pit and climbed over the heads of people lying there to the place where the SS man directed them. Then I heard a series of shots ... the next batch was already approaching." At Rowno, Graebe watched the liquidization of the ghetto: "I saw dozens of corpses of all ages and sexes in the streets," he said. "At the corner of a house lay a baby less than a year old with its skull crushed. Blood and brains were spattered over the house wall. "I noticed a farm cart with two horses. Dead people with stiff limbs lay on the cart; their legs and arms projecting over the sideboard."[39]