TEWLE-IWACEWICZE RAIL STUDY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05694A000300010029-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 7, 2001
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: August 16, 1956
• Content Type: IM

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CONFIDENTIAL
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Declass Review by
NIMA/DOD
GP/I-208
16 August 1956
J08 NO,_ ` CC r ~
'
BOX NO.
FOLDER No,
TOTAL DOGIHE
COPY No.
WATT.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
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This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
I. General Description of the Area
The Tewle-Iwacewicze Area is part of a glacial outwash plain,
generally known simply as the Polish Plain. This particular
portion of the Plain is now USSR territory near the Polish border.
The land is nearly level with numerous shallow pits occupied by
swamps or ponds. Small sluggish meandering streams and angular
drainage ditches do only a fair to poor job of draining this
district. Much of it is subject to frequent flooding. Nevertheless,
large zones are cultivated. The soils vary from sandy and clayey
in the cultivated areas to mucky in the wet zones. Large island
blocks of strip-cut tended forest occupy the higher and coarser
soil areas. The wooded zones grade off into scrub and brush to
grass and swamp in lower districts. Small linear settlements
occupy the better drained and open areas along the main roads and
rail lines.
II. Physical Features
A. General Landscape -- Glacial outwash plain, nearly level
(see I).
B. Soil conditions and overland trafficability -- Soils
are sandy and clayey in cultivated areas, coarse and sandy in
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wooded areas, mucky in swampy areas. Trafficability is good
along graded roads and rail lines and through most forest roads
or trails. Elsewhere, trafficability may be poor due to the
wetness of the soil. All low areas are subject to frequent
flooding.
C. Vegetation -- There are 3 principal types of vegetation:
woodland, brush and scrub, and grass and bog.
A mixed forest, predominantly coniferous, is located generally
on the higher elevation of coarse and sandy soil. The patches of
forest, arranged more or less in island blocks, are strip-cut and
tended like a crop. Smaller areas are logged over.
Generally transitional with the woodland is a zone of scrub
and brush. It occupies slopes and areas of new growth within the
forests.
Transitional with the scrub and. brush zone is an area of
grass and in the lowest elevations, swamp vegetation. Some forest
and scrub areas also have considerable grassy undergrowth.
D. Hydrography -- The district is characterized by poor
drainage. Small sluggish meandering streams and angular drainage
ditches are incapable of adequately draining low areas. Swamps
and oval-shaped bogs and ponds are common. All low sections are
subject to frequent flooding.
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III. Settlement and Economy
A. Density and distribution of population and settlements --
All settlements commonly contain from 50 to )00 buildings. Buildings
are usually closely spaced.
The most common type is the linear village strung out along
a road. Most of these villages are probably all about 1000 or less
population. Tewle, Charki, 3osnowka, Kabaki, and Bluden are linear
settlements. Bluden also has the most extensive railroad yard
facilities. Bereza-Kartuska, the largest town in the area with a
reported population of about 6,000, is more of a. cluster settlement.
It occupies a section between and on both sides of 2 nearly parallel
roads. Iwacewicze, Niechaczewo, and Bronna Gora are rail station
villages. Linowo is the name of 2 localities -- one is a rail
station town and the other a linear village along a road.
Villages are normally spaced about 4 to 5 kilometers apart.
However, this varies considerably, depending upon such factors as
available agricultural land, drainage, and vegetative cover. Towns
are more closely spaced in cultivated areas. As would be expected,
better drained areas are often village sites. However, wooded
districts, even though on higher ground, are not village sites.
The districts of least population are between Tewle and Charki
and between Bereza Kartuska and Iwac.ewicze. The latter district
contains 2 small settlements along the rail line -- Bronna Gore
and Niechaczewo.
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B. Settlement Types (See also IIIA)
1. Individual settlements
a. Agricultural Activity -- Farming is the mainstay
of the Tewle-Iwacewicze area. All of the towns, except to a degree
those along the rail line, are small agricultural settlements.
Individual farmsteads are also noteworthy. Crops, reportedly of
potatoes, barley and wheat, are grown in narrow parallel strips
occupying large continuous tracts. A few small cultivated plots
are surrounded by woods and grassland.
b. Industrial Facilities -- Sawmills, brickyards,
grain mills, and other light processing plants are found at
Bereza Kartuska, Linowo, and Iwacewicze.
c. Military Installations -- Military activity is
evident at Bronna Gora, which contains an ammunition dump; at
Linowo, site of a buried storage (probably petroleum) area; and
at Iwacewicze, site of a reported gasoline dump. Railroad guard
houses trenches, revetments, military vehicle tracks and military
storage areas were observed on= photcgraphy. Destroyed bridges,
culverts and sections of the Tewle-iwacewicze rail line, also
observed on these photos, are all believed to have been repaired.
Small airfields, nea:- Bluden and Iwacewicze, were under construction
Recent reports indicate expansion of the Bluden airfield.
d. Electrification -- None noted.
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IV. Transportation
A. Railroads
1. Roadbed and ballast -- Consists of a light-toned
ballast, possibly limestone, clean, even, and appearing to be
well maintained.
2. The Tewle-Iwacewicze rail line is double tracked.
It is a portion of the Brest-Baranovichi sector on the main
line to Moscow. A single track standard gauge line was under
construction M extending northwestward from the main
line at a. point about midway between Linowo and Bluden.
Narrow gauge lines extend north from Linowo, Bluden, and
Bronna Gora (serving the ammunition dump), and south from
Iwacewicze.
3. Bridges, culverts, overpasses, tunnels -- Several
small bridges and culverts are located along the rail line.
They are indicated on the mosaic overlays. The area, contains
no rail overpasses or tunnels.
4. Electrification -- None noted.
5. Telegraph and Telephone lines -- None noted.
6. Signalling Systems -- Several small signalmen's
huts are located along the rail line. They are indicated on
the mosaic overlays.
7. Facilities (See 8).
8, Railroad stations.
a. Tewle -- station and railroad yard.
b. Linowo -- station and railroad yard.
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c. Bluden -- station, railroad yard, small shops,
turntable, "Y11 turn-around, and rail siding.
d. .gonna Gora -- station and railroad yard.
e. Niechaczewo -- station and railroad yard.
f. Iwacewicze -- station, railroad yard, and
narrow gauge station and railroad transshipment yard.
B. Roads
1. Main highways (hard surface, all weather, 2 lanes wide) --
Iwacewicze.
a..
b.
c.
d.
North and south from Linowo.
Bluden north.
Bereza Kartuska southwest and northwest through
Niechaczewo northwest,
2. Gravel and improved county roads (former post and
truck roads).
a. Tewle northwest through Pruzana.
b. Kabaki southwest.
c. Kabaki to Bluden and Bereza Kartuska.
d. Bluden to Bereza Kartuska.
e. Three roads cross the rail line between
Bereza Kartuska and Bronna Gora.
f. Iwacewicze area south, southwest, southeast
and northwest.
3. Most remaining roads are loose surface and dry
weather only.
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1.
There are numerous tracks and trails especially
through forests and along property and fence lines.
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~pNF1DE~T1P~
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