- Lager I: Sasha Pechersky was stationed here to orchestrate the revolt in this section of the camp.
Untersturmführer Josef Niemann: The acting commander of the camp rode up to the tailor shop on his chestnut horse, dismounted, and went inside. As he was being fitted for a new uniform, prisoners hit him on the back of the head with an axe. His body was then dragged to the back room and his horse taken back to the stables.
Oberscharführer Goettinger: Head of Lager III, Goettinger was asked to try on a new pair of boots in the shoemaker's shop. While talking to the shoemaker, Goettinger's head was smashed with an axe.
Scharführer Siegfried Greischutz: Head of the Ukrainian guard, Greischutz was killed once inside the Ukrainian tailor shop.
Klat: Klat, a Ukrainian guard, entered the tailor's shop looking for his boss, Greischutz (who had just been killed there). The tailors maneuvered Klat so that his back was to the back room. He was then attacked and killed.
Scharführer Friedrich Gaulstich: Gaulstich was killed in the carpentry workshop.
- After 5:00 p.m.
The prisoners had gathered as usual in the roll call area. At 5:10 p.m. - twenty minutes early for roll call - the roll call whistle was blown according to Sasha's signal. Though Sasha was surprised at how well the plan had gone thus far, he realized that there could not be an orderly march through the front gate. Sasha stood up and addressed the assembled prisoners, saying something similar to "Our day has come. Most of the Germans are dead. Let's die with honor. Remember, if anyone survives, he must tell the world what has happened here."12A Ukrainian guard discovers the body of Scharführer Beckman behind his desk and runs outside where SS men hear him yell, "A German is dead!" This alerts the rest of the camp to the uprising.
The prisoners at the roll call square yell, "Hurrah!" Then it is every man and woman for themselves.
Prisoners were running to the fences. Some were trying to cut threw them, others just climbed over. Yet, in most places, the minefield was still fully in place.
Suddenly we heard shots. In the beginning only a few shots, and then it turned into heavy shooting, including machine-gun fire. We heard shouting, and I could see a group of prisoners running with axes, knives, scissors, cutting the fences and crossing them. Mines started to explode. Riot and confusion prevailed, everything was thundering around. The doors of the workshop were opened, and everyone rushed through. . . . We ran out of the workshop. All around were the bodies of the killed and wounded. Near the armory were some of our boys with weapons. Some of them were exchanging fire with the Ukrainians, others were running toward the gate or through the fences. My coat caught on the fence. I took off the coat, freed myself and ran further behind the fences into the minefield. A mine exploded nearby, and I could see a body being lifted into the air and then falling down. I did not recognize who it was.13
As the remaining SS were alerted to the revolt, they grabbed machine guns and began shooting into the mass of people. The guards in the towers were also firing into the crowd.The prisoners were running through the minefield, over an open area, and then into the forest. It is estimated that about half the prisoners (approximately 300) made it to the forests.
