CHEMICAL WARFARE TRAINING, ORGANIZATION, AND ACTIVITY IN THE SOVIET ARMY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060116-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 31, 2011
• Sequence Number: 116
• Publication Date: June 22, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASS!;71'_-AT ION
CCNF]D rTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Chemical Warfare Training, Organization, and NO. OF PAGES 5
Activity in the Soviet Army
chemical warfare laboratories
The laboratories were iu the Lefortovo now Baumans
Rayon of Aoscov, near the present Military Chemical Ilefense Academy. The labora-
tories were )order the Chief Military Chemical Administration of the Soviet Army
(Glavnoye Voenno-Kh!micheskoye Upravlenie RKKA) in Moscow. The VTA (Voenra
T~khai:`,iskaya ~ktd. Military Technical Academy) in Leningrad also existed
at that time and ot'f rea courses for the cuenical, cv.wui..tticne, eng1oeerina_
and armored services. in 1932, this academy was abolished and separate military
academies were set up fa., 2he technical services.
c nimn, Avina from exposure to some isoa as er
haps yperite Jmustard gay.
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NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED 9ELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
Oo-K-2079
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There were about 25 chemists at the installation andl it was an
important activity. Of course these laboratories would be old fash-
ioned and the science undeveloped compared to present conditions.
Dissemination of toxics by meanu of aircraft was considered the beet method in
theory; in practice little was done in this field. Only liquid toxics were to
Le dteae:cinated from aircraft. As this was considerea the most efficient method,
defense against it was stressed. The liquid gases which were to be disseminated
from aircraft were of two types: a) "stoikiye (long lasting, ie two or three
dayo), such as lewisite and yperite; and b) "ne etoikiye" (temporary, ie about
one hour), which would poison enemy personnel but not the locality. Considered
as methods and equipment of secondary importance were chemical mortars, chesa-
?' Shells (to be used rriinarily by divisional artillery), and metal
possible that they mi ht used. It was always stated that gas would be used
only in retaliation. one should not place too
much reliance in this statement.' InRtruction was given concerning the use of
flame and smoke. There was only ine type of flame thrower, a portable unit which
could be carried on a man's back. The same unit was used in tanks. "Neutral"
smoke ..as used for camouflage purpo _ nd irritating smokes wc.c utilized to
produce tears and difficulty in breathing.
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4.
There were two types of independent chemical service units: the chemical company
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and the chemical mortar battalion. The Soviet Army T/0 provided in theory for.
quite a few chemical units. Quite frequently, prior to mid-1941. the unite were
actually to be found in the army. Both the.chemical companies and the chemical
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mortar battalion were assigned to army and were to be att
needed. The battalion was to be used only in the offense
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would engage in such activities as decontamination,
In theory, there was to be a
chemical platoon in regiment and a chemical company in division. In practice,
ui.its such as division and regiment generally had-only an officer with the title
of "nachalnik khimaluzhbi" (chief, chemical service), who was assisted by one
other chemical officer. The "nachalnik" was charged with having a plat. ready,
in case of need, to form quickly a chemical platoon or company. Some _hemical
equipment, was available in the "til" (rear area). Each soldier had a gas mask.
Each company had an NCO who acted as chemical instructor, teaching the soldiers
use of the gas mask and decontamination rocedu- The NCO instructors were
taught by the "nachalnik khimeluzhbi." the chemical ;latoon was
a defensive unit only, charged with such tasks as econtamimtion EZ._1 use of
masks. In areas behind the combat zone, organized chemical units were available
in case of ne3d. During World War II, or at least up to mid-1942, there were no
chemical units on the front; only the "nachalniki khimsluzhbi." At.least one
reason fqr this was that. transportation and other facilities were lacking except
for the most vital operations, and the chemical service apparently was, not con-
sidered to be in this category. The military districts each had one or more
independent chemical companies. The one in Central Asia was located in Dzhambul.
In theory, it was to expand into two or three chemical companies on mobilization
and be attached to army. However the chemical unite
were left behind because of the lack of transportation and other facilities.
c emi?al service. Major General (fnu) Vershinin LEis rank was equivalent to 25X1
that of Brigadie-: General in the US Arm attained his rank after World War II.
He is not the same person as the Marshal of the Air Force of the same name.
In 1939-1941, Vershinin was a colonel in charge of the chemical troops of the
Central Asian military district, The troops consisted of one chemical company,
plus the chemical officers attached to unite of the other arms, such as the infan-
try. Vershinin was about
Major General (fnu, Viazanichev reached
tnis ran prior to or a ar I. He was a senior. instructor of tactics.of chemi-
cal troops at the Chemical Academy. On 20 Jul 41 he was assigned as "Nachalnik
Khimichiaki Sluzhbi Severnovo Frontal' (Chief, Chemical Service, Northern Front).
information on. two.offlcere yho were connected with the
6. Chemical reserve officers attending the Frolichecamp were given a four months'
course, from 1 June until 1. October,.. About 30% of instruction hours was devoted
to general tacos ar.Q tactics of chemical units; this included study of topogra-
phy. The balance of theoretical instruction dealt with theory.(primarily organi-
zation) and practical doctrine of the chemical service. Manuals were used as
textbooks. Practical work at Frgliche was extensive. Each office; student
played the role of an enlisted man, in that he performed all the tasks whi;:h a
chemical service soldier was expected to *now. No real eases were used at Fro-
__ch_, except during one or two demonstrations. Practical work consisted or
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a-tivities. One was the use of decon' urination equipment. Two-wheeled
carts and trucks sprinkled "khlorngya izvest" falcium hypochlorit27 in order
to decontaminate an area. Decontamination showers were also used. There were
tank trucks designed to sprinkle.liquid poison gas. There were metal gas cylin-
ders. Gas masks were of course available. There were "diinovii shashki" (smoke
cacri),which were designed to be ignited and left.burniig in position. There was
a tank company, consisting of 10 T-26 tanks equipped with flame throwers, for
use against personnel and pillboxes. In addition,. there was a chemical mortar
platoon, equipped with 122 mm mortars. In regard to textbooks available for
students and for instructors, they were the same. They consisted of manuals on
the organization and functions of the chemical service, of technical booklets
for each type of chemical equipment and decontamination procedures, and of train-
ing booklets prepared by the Chemical Ace emy. The training booklets dealt in
detail with such subjects as chemical sunnort-for infantry division in the
attack, in defense, and on the march. the reserve officer stu-
dents were individuals who had previously already studied chemistry anu related
subjects and were brought to Froliche in order to be orienter: to the military
service.
7. The military faculty of the Military Chemical Dc- ase Academy was a,,,-,ended only
by army officers. The two technical.facultiee outained their studc:.;s direct
from high school and appointed them lieutenants. These students, during their
first simmer at the Froliche camp, were taught,basic tactics. The senior stu-
dents frcr", the technical faculties of the Chemical Academy who were attending
Froliche had, of course, already been studying science
for to thei,? curriculum at Froliche
assume they also had practical work. Their stay-at
roliche was normally from 15 May until 15 September.
25X1 8. Soviet chemical warfare equipment capable of offensive use included mortars,
metal gas cylinders, smoke cane, chemical artillery shells, flame throwers,. 25X1
end any substitutes for VAP (Vilivnii Aviationii Pribori - Airborne Spraying
Equipment). Defensive equi rt consisted of gee make (basically Similar to
the Garman masks decontamination
protective clothing of variour types.
same type of.flane thrower was used whether it wac carried by the individual 25X1
soldier or tank-mounted. In either case, the flame thrower was esn.ideved,to
be a pert of the-chemical service. The flame thrower was not effective beyond
25 metere. The-metal gas cylinder was called "gazovi balon dlis gazo psska"
or, simply, "gazovi balon." It could be used when it was either in an erect
or prone position. There were different sizes. It was similar to the cylinders
used for oxygen in hospitals, but lighter and shorter, capable of being. carried
by one man. It was intended to be opened when the wind was blobing in the desired
direction so that the - r would be carried toward tb' enemy. Only non-liquid gao,-
"dephosgen" CdiphosgeneL7 >'as intended to be used in such an operation.
There were also metal cylinders for liquid gas and these were used to fill tank
trucks designed for the gas. In addition, metal gee cylinders were used in com-
bination with crop spraying equipment in aircraft, in place of the non-existent
chemical warfare demopstration carried out by well-trained
troops at Froliche in the.early summer of 1941. The troops, in protective cloth-
ing and masks, first contaminated an area by using tank trucks which sprinkled.
liquid. poison gr+o. The quantity of gas- used, flowerer, was smaller than
under actual combat r_ondit:tona, had chemical warfare been practiced. The area
was then decontaminated by means of "khlornaya izvest" sprayed from trucks.
Decontamination shower tents were erected. Finally, the vehicles were decon-
taminated by means of a chlorine solution. The use of tank-mounted flame 25X1
throwers and smoke cans was also demonstrated.
:.or that type of training, and indeed probably appropriate for testing of atom
')ombs. In theory there were to have beam chemical aircraft bombs for spreading
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of liquid gas, but there were none. Because of the lack of suitable equipment,
the month`s course at Makat consisted mainly of theoretical instruction, which
could have been given as well in Moscow.
11. In,regard to the chemical summer training camp at Froliche, it was attended by
all the students of the Chemical Academy (except, as indicated above, by senior
students of the Academy's military faculty) and by chemical reserve officers.
One tank company was permanently stationed at.Frolich.e. It consisted of the
10 T-26 tanks equipped with flame throwers, which were considered to belong to
the Academy. There were also one chemical mortar platoon, one signal company,
and an administrative company.. There were no units engaged in exercises at
Froliche. Three kilometers south of Froliche there was a small depot for poison
gases which might be required for training purposes. It was empty at times.
There wr.,a a small chemical laboratory at Froliche intended for use only if
something unexpected happened, such as a need to check whether gas containers
were properly sealed. The real laboratories were at the Academy. There were no
facilities for the manufacture of chemical agents at Froliche.
12. In regard to Soviet chemical schools other than the Military Chemical Defense
of the Military Chemical Defense Academy. In the army proper there were from
two thousand to three thousand chemical service officers. In peacetime, there
was a chemical officer in each infantry regiment and artillery regiment, two
25X1 or three chemical officers on division staff, plus chemical units. The Military
Chemical Defense Academy also offered "chemical academic iourses" (khimicheskiye
akademtchiskiye kursi) for captains and majors, prior to their advancement to
25X1 higher rank. The course was offered about every two years, had-only a roxi-
mate:ly 30 or 40 students .and lasted about ei ht or nine months.
in regard to civilian iasti-
trtions, there were chemical institutes ant also universities had chamical facul-
ties. There x^re also military chemical research laboratories, probably all in
Moscow. they.operated more pr lose independently except that
they were all probably under the over-all authority of the military chemical
administration.
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