▁Gh etto ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁hundred ▁kilometres ▁away , ▁of ▁whom ▁ 1 , 4 5 0 ▁were ▁already ▁dead ▁on ▁arrival ▁from ▁suff ocation ▁and ▁th irst . ▁The ▁remaining ▁new ▁arrival s ▁were ▁march ed ▁n aked ▁in ▁batch es ▁to ▁the ▁gas ▁ch amb ers ; ▁be aten ▁with ▁wh ips ▁to ▁s que e ze ▁t ighter ▁inside . ▁▁ ▁Cl os ure ▁and ▁dis m ant lement ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁camp ▁operations , ▁all ▁prior ▁mass ▁gra ves ▁were ▁un ear th ed ▁by ▁a ▁mechanical ▁d igger . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁direct ▁orders ▁from ▁the ▁Naz i ▁leadership ▁( poss ibly ▁from ▁Him ml er ), ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Kat yn ▁mass acre ▁of ▁ 2 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Polish ▁soldiers ▁was ▁discovered ▁in ▁Russia . ▁At ▁Kat yn , ▁the ▁German - led ▁ex hum ations ▁by ▁the ▁international ▁Kat yn ▁Commission ▁revealed ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁mass ▁murder ▁by ▁exam ining ▁preserved ▁bodies . ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁attempted ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁commission ' s ▁results ▁to ▁drive ▁a ▁w edge ▁between ▁the ▁Al lies . ▁All ▁corps es ▁buried ▁at ▁Be ł ż ec ▁were ▁secret ly ▁ex hum ed ▁and ▁then ▁gradually ▁cre m ated ▁on ▁long ▁open - air ▁py res , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country - wide ▁plan ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Son der akt ion ▁ 1 0 0 5 . ▁B one ▁fragments ▁were ▁pul ver ised ▁and ▁mixed ▁with ▁the ▁as hes