Red Baltic Fleet School

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65-00756R000600480001-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 30, 1945
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP65-00756R000600480001-3
Report No: TY.-619
Date of Report: 30 Nov 45
Date of Info: -
Source: -
Eval: -
Red Baltic Fleet School
Location:
Type:
When Established:
Teachers:
Students:
Living Conditions:
Curriculum:
G GR M YA u \+ \Ia 3q
Hotel Astoria, LENIICRAD.
Agent training school. First independent, later under Red Army.
In or Prior to 1941.
Included former Estonian Communist leader, LAURISTEN, and the
Russian boxer STEPULOV/.
Approximately 200, 50 of whom were women. Students were
recruited secretly from among mobilized and evacuated
Estonians in ships and factories, many of whom were unsym-
pathetic to the Soviet cause, and only allowed themselves
to be recruited in order to return home.
The food was good, although many townspeople went hungry.
Students were allowed comparative freedom of movement.
During the entire training period, the student lived with
a sailer who brought him what he needed. He could only
go out evenings accompanied by the sailor. He was allowed
to attend movies.
Radio telegraphy, use of compass, etc. This took two to three
months, after which time the student was allowed to travel
into the country - still accompanied by the sailor - to
practice what he had learned. There he practiced shooting
a rifle and pistol, grenade throwing, laying knd detonating
mines, and skiing. This training took about a month, after
which he had learned to send with a speed of 120 words per
minute and had enough knowledge of radio equipment to be
able to build a set out of spare parts.
Memory training was stressed throughout the course.
Students learned how to circulate pamphlets and how to feign
death when wounded. It was stressed that students should
read all available newspapers and keep informed about
local affairs. At the end of the course, a written test
was taken. Students continued to practice what they had
learned while waiting for an assignment.
For those who only needed to be familiar with the immediate
surroundings of the locality to which they were being sent,
the training period was shorter. It included conspiracy,
recruiting of agents, and the above-mentioned train .ng,
except for radio telegraphy.
At first each officer had up to ten persons (unknown to each
other) to instruct. The teacher knew his pupils only^by
cover names. As the number of teachers decreased and the
need for agents grew, a new method was introduced. Specially
constructed schools were begun, so arranged that the instructor
could teach ten pupils simultaneously. Thestudents were
separated by partitions, thus remaining unknown to one another.
Agents who were scheduled to work together met for the first time
at the departure for their mission.
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP65-00756R000600480001-3
 Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP66-00756R000600480001-3
Type of school In the Ho el Astoria.Former dwelling of leading
r, tonian Comer nists. Question as to whetehr Staff for Agent
Commitment. Presum subordinated to the NOD (F'Sr.0 420)
Reported in 194'
KARPLTSEV, Capt. Trainer(FSRO 420)
KIROV (rec t d KF RROW) A rent recruiter as of 194 2 (FSRO 420)
NE LBAUM,Edrar,coverna ie for KULTO(?3 1942 info(FSO 420)
NFSTFROV, Capt/Lt. Trainer in 191 2 (SRO 420)
VAKHA, Ale t recruiter in 1942(FSRO 420)
YIDCHOV, S.M. Trainer in 194 (FSRO 120)
NKVD School
GFIiZNYA lJlitsa,39
aka B rzen Street, 49
in the Hotel Astoria
FSRO n420,Yg 12484, Abwehr records,Handbuch Feind ND Nord. 25 Dec 1942
I Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP65-00756R000600480001-3