GERMAN ENGINEERS TRIP TO SOVIET UNION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500820290-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 290
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/01/08: CIA-RDP80-00809AO00500820290-6
U.S. Officials Only
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT German Engineerst Trip to Soviet Union
25X1
AMP 104. DI Twt v.s toot. AS PYIMDte. ITS I-- Islo. o. .11t
A party of German engineers visited the Soviet Union in March and April 1954
at the invitation of the Soviet government. actually was an
1, The party numbered six, of whom four were engineers, one an interpreter
from a storage battery works, iitud one a woman. No of the others knew
why she was going to the USSR. She spoke bad German
The date of the trip was:che.nged several times and then su e
for 28 Feb 5J. For baggage, only an extra suit, an extra pair of shoes
and eight sets Qf underwear were allowed to be taken. Toilet articles were
supplied. Baggage had to be delivered at the plant 24 hours before departure.
From there It was taken by passenger car to the Schonefeld Airport.
2. The members of the party were not informed of their destination until just
before departure; then it was merely announced as Moscow. Departure was
fixed for 11 a. m. on 28 Feb 54. At 9 a. m. the party was driven in a'
Soviet passenger car from.the plant to the runway at Schonefeld. Here,
each was given a Soviet passport. The plane started at 1 p. m. and Leningrad
was announced as its destination. The plane landed at Konigsberg (''Caliningrad)
at 4 p. m. It was to have taken off for Leningrad at 5:30 p. m. but waited,
apparently for a mail transport that did not arrive until 8 a. m. on the
morning of 1 Mar 54. Sealed leather bags were unloaded and brought to the
plane. Quarters for the night were in a good, warm room which apparently was
used by airplane crews. It was neat and the bed covers were white.
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 Approved For Release 2007/01/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500M?90-6
SECRET
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3. The airfield lies east of the city and appears to be a military airport. It has
three'j ruzwayys. The one from which the plane took off was about 2.8 ku. la lg,mt concrete
construction. The only planes seen were 2 two-engined transport planes. parked.
There a_-6,43 ogethier eight newly-built hangars at the field, each with a frontage
of 60',to ft, meters. Both these and the administration building are built of concrete.
Thee ac inistration building appears to be deeply cellared, to fudge by the elevators.
Theairport ,administrative offices probably are in the basement. because numerous
?fticers c}.~:~e out of the elevators. Not far from the airfield, to the north, there
a!;lbarra.iks apparently, from which marching songs and commands were heard. The
a,rport dceij not have its own radar Installation. At the end of the runway there
stoodja car about 12 meters long with a rotational radar antenna.
4. -arge passenger car was waiting at Leningrad which took the engineers eL^.d the
interpreter;on a slow rip through the city to an Intourist Hotel near the main
railway station. Du the entire stay In this hotel, only serrica personnel
w?re~.observid, but r. ?.1ther guests. At 11 a.. m. on 2 tar 54 the erc,ineers and
Interpreter' were dri ,'_n in the same passenger car ;:ie university. Here all
the institutes were briefly inspected and a meetir cLs arranged of German and
French students (including two negroes). The German students from the East Zone
reported about their studies and the hospitality of the Soviet Union. These students
came from the universities of Halle, Leipzig and Greifewald. After the German students
had finished their talks, one of the engineers was called on to report on the war
preparations in West Germany and the threat to France from Germany, and also on the
peaceful reconstruction in the DDR. The subsequent discussion lasted until late in
the evening.
5. The nett morning 3 Mar 54 the Kirov works we:.?e visited. Here again receptions were 25X1
arranged inlwhich Soviet workers expressed their satisfaction with the government.
The Kirov works comprise about 25 shops, four of which were shown to the German
engineers, mainly the lathe and drilling departments. To all appearances the chief
manufactures here are generators 25X1
1 machines r.emse:Lves were, in large part, of Soviet mak
To work organization was surprisingly good. The machines ran w ou stop, even
during; `.ne; changing of shifts. The large number of women employed was a striking
featu.?-_ The works has its own power plant, located underground. The shops are
mostly:'; onstructed of a steel framework covered; partly with brick and partly with
cement :labs'. According,to Soviet information a shop of this kind can be built
insid.,Jof two months. A sports school and various clubhouses were also visited.
The 'rape stiun was Inv- viably made in the company of Soviet officials.
6. Tier 3ourney to Moscow on 8 Mar- 54 was by the "Red Arrow' express train. The sleeping
Cr.r oecupied,by the German engineers and a Soviet engineer was otherwise used only
b~ theltrainpersonnel. During the Journey the Soviet engineer explained to the
Germans the purpose of their trip to Moscow. It waz for an exchange of experience
with Soviet experts.
7. In Moscow the group was driven by car to the neighborhood of the botanical gardens,
to a construction site. Excavation work was going on here, said tc be for the metro
(subway). The engineers and interpreter were quartered in a two-story house,
apparently reserved for such uses.. The house also contained two drafting offices,
and a-chemical laboratory in the cellar. For about a week conferences took place
with Soviet engineers over the construction of acid-poor storage batteries of light
weight. In the course of the conversations it was indicated that the Soviet was
interested in an employment contract with the German engineers.
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 Approved For Release 2007/01/08: CIA= p8a-p0809A000500820290-6
SECRET ~,,~ ' 25X1
On 24 Mar 54 the party left Moscow for the neighborhood of Borodino. About 20 km.
before Borodino there is a large storage battery works, which consists) at the
present time, of six large shops servo barracks and two storehouses for materials.
Further construction is to be done in the spring. The existing works are constructed
exactly after the plan of the former Varta works in Berlin-Oberschoneweide. An
outstanding feature is the large research laboratory attached. The equipment is
almost entirely of English origin. At the time of the visit, a new acid pump had
been assembled which likewise was manufactured in England. Punches and shaping
presses sa from the East Zone and were of the same kind as in the Berlin works.
From inspe_i.ion it appeared that there was no sparing of material. Here also,
mainly women were employed.
9. The electroplating department is still in construction and not ready to operate.
Itf1as the German engineers= task to work out scientific and economic methods for
this department. -
.0. The manufacture of magnetic plugs from acid-proof plea ;ic was new. At the present
time storage batteries for 24 volts and 150 ampere-hours are manufactured almost
exclusively. They apparently are a further development of the smaller types
manufactured in. the Varta works. Whether they actually represent such a development
is a question, because the plant has no professed experts. A storage battery of
French manufacture in almost the same design was seen in the research laboratory.
It bore the inscription "Andyar'. These storage batteries allegedly are used for
research and comparison tests.
L1. The plant at present employs about 800 hands. The number will be increased considerably
by next autumn, because the plant will have-an equipment works attached. A large
chemical laboratory is also under construction. Administratively, the plant is
attached to the Molotov works.
3. Three the engir-tiers accepted working contracts for two years, commencing .n
1 Jur --A-. The return journey was by rail via Smolensk and Warsaw.