UNDERGROUND BASES OF THE SOVIET BOMBER COMMAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500170082-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2000
• Sequence Number: 82
• Publication Date: August 20, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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SECURITY IRFORMAT I O++
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
Underground Bases of the
Soviet Bomber Command
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE) 25X1A
-
DATE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
1. It ie no longer possible to keep secret the location of underground air bases fo+
long range Soviet bombers. The long r?:nwaye going out from the hangars cannot
be ,,.::cenled from air observation. The idea of underground bases is not new,
!nut the fact that a nation has actually built dozens of them is somewhat unusual.
5'+?ntice know that such bases are extremely costly. It is also obvious that the
arlweys must remain on the surface of the ground. But the oaunt erbalanaine fact
1.5 that it, is easier to repair darLaged runways than i,. is to repair damaged heavy
barbers. The underground bases are mainly for the protection of the aircraft, not
so much for concealment.
2. Th. Soviet Union has the problem of constructing enough underground bases to
put her entire heavy bomber fleet under cover. The magnitude of this problem can
be doterm.ined by taking a look at the number of known Soviet heavy barbers. There
are 400 six :n_otor planes type 31 (also called TuC-75) and about.l,loo four motor
planes types Te?-70 (or Tu-4) and Tu-709 bombers of the medium class. The lust
model is of about the same size as the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and looks somewhat
like the B-50, while the first model locks more like the Convair B-36 Conqueror.
The underground bases built up to now in the USSR have an average capacity of 100
to 120 heavy bombers apiece. Many, however, have room for fewer aircraft, and, if
we take into account the fact that each base will probably hove to accczmodate a
number of escort fighters we can figure that the Soviets would have to build at
least 15 of these bases. Besides this the Long Range Fomber Command (ADD) has to
lv:vc: refueling points for each of its three air armies and the Arctic Fleet. We
can e flume that some of these refueling points must also be underground for protection.
Sixty '.i.nderground airbasee of this kind would be too few for the USSR. In
U,,t on n_z USSR alcme, about two dozen ur.TiargrounC, ai bases can be cote^_ted. We can
`r -:n 11-115 whet a terrific building program has to be fulfilled by the Soviets.
3. 'ih- ha1cars are built. with reinforced concrete. For small and lighter
r, n:;t.ruct. o, b-:ck colt:-mne are placed under lighter roofs. In a few cases the
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hangars are blasted cut of rock, and the hangar walls are formed by the natural
stone. The capacity of the large bases is, as was stated earlier, between 100
and 120 long-range bombers of the four-motored models. Smaller bases hold up to
35 airplanes and have, usually, only one hangar. In one known airbase, ther-
are underground hangars for. 50 bombers, and separated from these hangars are
other hangars for 70 fighter-escort planes. In the repair shops, there is usually
a capacity of between 20 and 50 4rplanes, Very often, there are also hangars
on the s'irface nearby. The hangars are usually l-uilt in two or three groups. In
one case, the underground facilities are ever~500 m long. The average length is
200 to 250 M. A specific hangar has the dimensions 200 by 50 by 12 in. The
thickness of the steel-reinfcreed ceilings is estimated at one to 1.5 in. Over the
roofs of the hangars there is often from five ',to six m of earth. The half-sunken
hangars have roofs from 2.5 to si? m thick. The underground fuel tanks in one
airbase are covered with one m of steel-reinforced concrete, and five m of earth.
These fuel tanks are located several km from t.'he airport, and are distributed over
100 is. This fuel reservoir consists of fiftean 100 ton tanks.
4. Examples .2 Underground Maass:
a) The :Military District of Leningrad:
1) Puthkin e T e D1ets,ove Se : 25 km soutu of Leningrad. Several
hangars in the Puehkino Hills which border the southern side of the airbase.
Ten concrete runways, some of them twolthousand m long. Underground fuel
and ammo depots. The hangars are designed for 50 benbers and 70 fighters.
The base has an area of six x four km.
2) rchlusse bt+ra: At the mouth of the Nev's. on lake Ladoga. The underground
hangars are on the eastern edge of the 'seven r, three km airbase.
3) Tesno: 60 km southeast of Leningrad. Hangars with built-in catapult
installations.
4) 1{raspgtvn rasa (f me Grit t.gchi_na): S km southwest of Leningrad. Several
undor(rovnd hangars. 15 used for parachute training. There is a flight
schoil in the vicinity.
5) o (pis] On the Sov_et-Eston1v..j t dor. Two groups of underground
ha Lgar_ equippee_? with attached repair ar.,.po and fuel tanks and a narrcw-
gauge railroad mach goes to the am?lunit~ion depot. The surface area is
throe x 1.5 ion. There err two or threw concretc runwuyr and the hangers
ttcco:nn:ocnto 1.00 heavy bombers.
6) jjgQ: 52 ,..n , :s,t southeast from Leningrad. Several underground hangars.
Fuel and munitions depot lie to the eaetl of the field.
b) Tha Special Diotr!rt . t :i ( nia, Ito+.via, Llthuan
1) 'Ihljin -Inanamae: Estonia. The underground hangars are blasted out of
the li*nostone. The surface of the field his so hard that it can be used
by heavy bombers witl?our, concrete pavine.i On the same rise in ground
eastward from Tallin is the airbase of Uelemiste. Its underground hangars
are designod for different models of aircraft. Because this airbase is
on the sea coast there is a possibility that it is used for seaplanes as well.
2) RSga-Snilve, itvla: Three groups of underground or paittal1y buried
hangars for two-motored bombers. The base serves also as a field for a
r. ruby aircraft factory. The airfield had to be banked up to make it free
fr :n floods.
i a: Underground hangar:: und,>r construction.
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4) Ventspils,atvia: Two underground hangars from 200 to 250 T, long.
Underground shops.
5) *"eltzava, I tvia: A new base with underground hangars over 500 m long.
6) ustnils-Nord, loatyia: ii gars on the surface but covered with earth.
It is actually a well-protectad fighter base.
7) Kaunas, I .thuania: Surface and under round hangars for heavy bombero.
The underground hangars handle 35 four-motor bombers apiece, the surface
hangars take 18 bombers each. A new base has been built northeast of the
city. It has large underground hangars.
c) The y1litarv D trict Qf Mo?,ccw:
1) Fodolak: About 40 Ian south of Moscow. Underground hangars, fuel and
munitions depots.
2) Sebesc -East: On the Latvian border, west of Velikie Luki. Hangars
dug into the ground and 15 underground fuel tanks.
3) Sherbakov (Ryjisk): On th Sea of Rybinsk southeast of the city in the
direct vicinity of the new turbobomber factory and the old aircraft
engine factory No 26. The underground hangars a:.d shops are 250 in long.
There are also hangars on the surface.1 This base is used by four and
two motored bombers.
4) Kal_vazi_n-South: On the right bank of Tithe Volga northeast of Moscow. The
area is five x three Ion and there are several concrete runways with the
underground hangars on the southerr.ad
ge of the air base. The flying
pfr sonnel are accommodated in a nearby estate.
5) Moscow-Sheherb aka: 20 Ion south of I?'oscov on the Oka river. Underground
hangars for heavy bombers. Several concrete runways. Ai.rbase officers
are in an old estate.
6) $;l la: 120 km southeast If Moscow, on the Oka River. Large underground
fuel supply area. rtfteen 100 on tanks covered by one m of eoncrets and
five m of earth. !oty di tance between tanks lOG in. Railroad branch. line.
7) Riasan-Dye " ev : Southeast of : oseocr, on the i%,oscow-Rostov P.ailway.
Underground hangars capable Icf holding 100 heavy barbers. The hangars
have catapult equipment built in. lately there has been two regiments
(about 80 airplanes) of two-motor bombers and one regiment (about 40
airplanes) of four-motor barbers. The surface area of the airbaae is five
x three kilometers.
8) T-a- .off-East : On the railroad line Moscow-Ryazan-Saratov. Two groups of
underground hangars, one with a capacity of 120 heavy barbers. Underground
ft:..i r,'ca in the vicinity of the hangars, with fuel being pumped to the
hangars t`irough a pipeline 'y a pumping station, which is located four km
away on the railroad line. The airfield, which is situated in a forest, is
;otu km long and two wide. Theo are several concrete runways designed'
for use by heavy bombers. Statianod here are two regiments of flour-motor
bombers, one . egiment of two-motor bombers, and two echelons of escort
fighte? a.
d) !elf?: y D1stt?ict of Ku~byshev_Unlnn 1)i ter i r_t )
1) KuibvsbCv-NQrth: At the confluence of the Volga and Aanara. Underground
i.cuigars noiuing about 50 fighter planes. Evidently, this airfield is
connected with one of the underground aircraft factories in thf,1 vicinity
of the city.
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a) ~tar_ y District of Kiev?
Ki wSouthwest: Capital of the Ukrainian SSR. Air force garrison with
two airfields, both about five by two km. Both fields are equipped with
underground and surface hangars. The new airfield, which is used by
four-motor bombers, has concrete runways two thousand m long. The old
field is used for the training of parachute jumpers, and has several
runways 1,500 m long.
2) rAev-Shitomir: About 20 km west of Kiev o:. the road between Kiev and
Shitomir, are several airfields. One of them has underground hangars.
3) Kallnovlkv: North of Vinn.iea. Cne of the largest airfields in the
Ukraine;' Fquipped to handle heavy bombers and equipped with underground
hangarsiand workshops.
Military --t
1) Kobrin: East of Brest-Litovsk. Five large underground hangars, with
attachediworkshops, More than 100 airplanes, mostly four-motor bombers,
are of ton', at this field. The area is five km by thror km.
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5. There are also sa
imples of the construction of underground airfields in the
Satellite states., Such are the bomber bases in northeast Hungary, and in the
oil fiolde riser Ploesti, Rumania. There also will be built similar fields in
East Germany. Nn
own are Tutow and the area ar ound Gottbus.
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