EXPLOSION IN THE LEGNOWO AMMUNITION FACTORY NEAR BYDGOSZCZ

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000500210011-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2009
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: March 9, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/09/15 :CIA-RDP80-00810A000500210011-1
CENTRAL INTELLL.GENCE AGENCY
This Document contains information attecttag the Na-
tional Defense of the Ualted Btates, withtn the mean-
ing of Title 18, Becttone 793 sad 794, of the U.B. Code, as
1 N FORMAT ION REPORT amended. ate treasmiesioa or revelation of itsooatents
to or receipt bq an unauthorised person is prohtbited
bq law. The reproduction of thta form !e' prohibited.
~ECRE2'/`CONTftOL - tJ, S. C7~'ICIALS QNLY
,,; ~ SECURITYn INFORMATION
COUNTRY
Poland
SUBJECT ~xplC~sibn in the LegnQwo Ammunition
Factory near Bydgoszc2
Comment:'- Another report stated that the explosion occurred about 25X1
~ 1~Novem er,~ and s far are we~E~ knawn~. it has acci~.enta~. and not sabbotage.
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
9 ~~eh 1953
25X1
25X1
1. Between 14~ and 16 November 1952,-there was an explosion in the ammunition factory
at Legnowo~ near Bydgoszcz.. The explogic~n ~icourred: in the building where gun
piswder is produced. , The -shack caused a detonation iri the T.~3.'To stores,.
One thousand eight hundred persdne lost their 11ves. This high death-toll '3s
explained by the fact that at the moment of the explosion there was a change~of
the shift in the factory and, two shifts of workers were present ~+~tmultaneoualy
in the factory grounds,
Immediately after the expiasior~ the area df Legnowa was surrounded by military
units. Roads leading to Bydgoszcz were claBed by military sentries,, who checked
the documents of pexaons leaving.. the tO~m, 81mi,lar controls were carried nut
at the Sydgoszc~ railroad 'station and at other railroad stations. in the. neighborhood..
Many suspects were arrested in $ydgasz~cz itself , According to ruinos~s circulating
in the town~the explosion was caused by sabotage of Americana agents. ~Z'h.e state
of emergency inn 8ydgr~i;GZCZ' 'lasted .for' about l0 days! after v~hich everything returned
to normal. ..
As a result of the exp~lcrsicm at least half the window panes in Bydgoszcz were
blown out and cracks-appeared in many housed
sRET/eoN~oza ~ u, s. c~:FICIAZS oNZY
STATE x ARMY X NAVY 3? AIR
(No?~ Washtnpron Distributien Inditahd 0y "X"~ Field Distribution by "#".)
REPORT
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REFERENCES
AEC ORR ~;V X
Approved For Release 2009/09/15 :CIA-RDP80-00810A000500210011-1