BRANDENBURG-BRIEST AIRFIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000500410003-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 5, 2009
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: February 9, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8
con
~k `a ~,. e~n? -Driest
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED-
REFERENCES-
PAGES _.___.4 ;
REMARKS
l~ _. .
_..,.DATE PREPARED ~, febrlLy
SURES-(NO. TYPE)
end. of the runway. There was fog and rain.
3 November., At-?:30 a.yr.
1 November. Fro 4 to 4:10 p0m., two alert planes took off. Weather was
foggy and rainy in the rorni ng, but in-proved in the afternoon. At 4:15 p.m,,
eight; _planes _were seen at the parking .'sot Of the ].ert i phti year tS e;-
eastern end of the runway.
through 5 January 1953 included:
Air activity observed at Brandenburg-Briest airfield `f ..J. PJ erIbO;r
eight alert planes near the eastern
6~al,d _8
November. No air activity was observed. At 4;15 p.t. on
tdav rrber the,engines cf tke alert pla; =bet g started. ?A
total of 24 1,115-153 or-type 29 planes was observed; 16 of than. were parked
in. front of the flight control station, the remainder near the eastern end
eastern end of the runway. About 3C rreter:; south of the alert planes,
of 3 December. The six alert planes were parked under canvas near the
Slight local training activity was observed on the morning
I l e
,q I"ovember., Only six planes were seen in the parking area of the alert flight.
a van-like truck,, from which a smoking stove pipe projected. No
guards were seen near the alert plane;.
16 Decerber. There was no flying. The weather was foggy and visibility
about 100 rre ters.
17 December. No air activity was observed. The snow ^nnv'er at the field
was 10 to 15 ea deep,
1?3t.3ecembe. 4 At 10:30 a,&., the engines of the six alert planes were
started,. Bett een 10:45 and 10:55 a.n'., two alert planes took off. The
alert p] anes were parked on the ru=nway.
ISLIIe pmb2m. There was a dense fog. No flying was ob.-,erved0
20 December. There was no flying. The weather was rainy aiit1 fnavv,.
J25 YEAR
25X1
25X1
__ RE. Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8
22 sera ke, . At 10;30 amo, 22 MM-15s were observed near the runway~
Individual flying was practiced by all the planes except for the alert
planes from 11. a.rr, to 4:3C p).r, n The cloud base was at an altitude of
I9CCC; to 1,500 neterc; visibility was about 3,5t,C meters.
. ecer:ber. There was no flying. Tk e weather was foggy.,
25 and 26 December, Air activity was observed.
27 December. At IC a.m., the engines of sore alert planes were started.
There was no flying. The weathsr was foggy, and visibility was about
15C vr:eters 4
28 December. The six alert planes were parked near the runway in forest
district 14o 31. At 11:30 a.m., alert plane took off. It landed
again at 11:40 a.r. Further canvas--covered MiG-15s were parked in front
of the flight control station. After 1C a,ir., the weather was fair.
29 DDecen?ber and l Januar~r. There was no flying. The six alert planes
1_2xid ,', January. There was no flying. It snowed on both days.
5 Janiza . At 9 a.ra... eight were towed from the flight control
station to the -curling lot near the runway. Individual flights were made
after 12:20 p.r. . 1
were parked near the runway. The weather was hazy.
2.. On 22 December, I I a soldier wiping the interior .?ralls of
the air inlets of a MiG-15 with a piece of cloth, which had been dipped
into a container. The operation lasted one or two minutes. On 5 January,
there appeared to be difficulties in the starting of 4 et engines. Eight
to 10 trucks and sedans shuttled between the light ooitrol station and
the aircraft parking area. Officers and III: worked on the air inlets of
1Ge-l5s and in the planes. No details could be determined as
about 60 soldiers surrounded the planes. It appeared as if new procedure
for the starting of jet engines was being tested,
3,., Contrary to the procedure observed In 1951, when snow was ciea -ed frron
the runway by soldiers pu:ahi_ng wooden shovels, after
,the first srsowf lls in late 1952 that a salt-like substance was spread
over the runway. On the following day, the snow had disappeared from the
runway 'xcept for a few small patches? The sane substance was spread over
the taxiway,, no ice had formed on the runway.
Fro,:. 18 December to 5 January, snow{ was cleared from the runway by details
from 80 to 300 soldiers using shovels and other tools..A snow plow dawn
by two horses was also observed. On 5 January, the runway was n.omplete_~y
free of snow. 3
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8
SJi CPEI
Y., In rid-December, 1C or 11 aircraft revot i ents were completed at the
field fror:, Tieckower :?:eg along the lanes dividing forest districts Nos
21/3C and 22/31., An estirated 1C aircraft revetments were available west
of Tieckower t4eg in forest district No 39. An undetermined number of
shrapnelprocf aircraft revetments was seen in the southwestern curve of
the taxiway. Yo aircraft were seen in these revetments. Intensive truck
traffic at the field indicated that more revetments were under construction
at the installation. 4
Iim:edi.ately before alert planes -tgook off at the field, one or two jeeps,
each of therm occupied by six to eight men who wore either helmets or caps,
proceeded to these planes.. In light easterly winds, the alert planes were -
parked in forest district No 3C. In strong easterly winds these planes were
moved to the place about 4C meters south of the western end of the runway.
A red disc was seen in the air apertures of the alert .planes. This disc
was rercoved a short time before the planes took off. No flags or break
shoes were observed. The alert planes refueled after each landing. "_ semi-
-underground. low wooden building, 8 x 5 meters, was observed in forest
district No 3C. The building was connected to the swit ahboard by six
wires. The loin wooden building was erected in early 1952, when the number
of alert planes at the field was increased from four to six4 Watch dogs
were used by the personnel staying at this building. Another such low wooden
building was. seen 250 meters south of the western end of the runway., It
appeared that this building was also guarded by watch dogs. In early z o-
vembe;r work on the construction of another low wooden building was started
about 2CC meters south of. the parking area for alert planes in forest
district No 31. The building, which measured about 1C x 5 x 4 meters, had
no basement. 5
6,~ Prior to late 1952, guard details of 20 to 30 men were marched or Trans--
ported from forest district No 4C to the Landesanstalt between 8 and 99 af.rru,
every day.. The soldiers were armed with submachine guns and carried rolled
blankets and. mess kits. The foxholes for sentries available along; the
boundaries of the field were seldom used. No stationary guards were seen.
The northern buds_ndary of the field was patrolled at irregular inter ,.:ls ,
Patrols were also seen on the forest lane between forest districts 20 and
22nd also in forest district No 49. Sentx ; fps were occasionally observed
between the aier?t planes and thp. low wooden building in forest district
No 3C. The gates on Tieckower WeFg were open, probably also at night. No
sentries were seen there. About 250 meters northeast jr .the lane dividing
fore ;t r is'_ricts Nos 49/5C a ditch, 75 err. deep and 100 cr^ wide,
zigzagged along firest districts Nos 4.0/49 as far 'as. forest d.1 stricts
Nos 48/49.. this ditch was not used by sentries
guarding the airfield.
7. The switchboard was guarded by four dogs.. the radio installation previcus-
ly iocuted west of the road to Briest been removed to some undetermined
place. b
8., In December, the !AA errnpl zcerent in the northwestern corner of the field
was unoccupied. However, five of "six canvas-covered sets, probably 37-mm
A ~ guns, were seen by the side of the emj.lace~rent,1, A semi--underground low
wooden building was observed at the emplacement.
On 15 December, 13 jet fighters at the field. Construction
work was going on in the southwestern corner of the installaticn4 Tank
truckl was seen.
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I.., Gmment. 1 fighter regiment e:jui :ped with shout '11-4 N&G-15S Is
the reported period"
s ticned at Brandenburg.--Briest airfield. Air activity was light during;
2., Comment. it was previously reported that 2,iG-15s had starting
i i.culties even during a relatively slight frost. It is improbable
that th wiping of the jet apertures was connected with the starting
pj ocedure
3r. E:::]Qonjent. The spreading of salt is probably done only, when the
show cover on the runway or taxiway is thin, and is designed to prevent
the forrraticn or ace on the runway,
_ _._J.Cor--Yrjjnt. Tieckowey Weg runs from Tieckow tow..rd the southeast
along the e,zstern boundary of the field. The aircraft revetments mentioned
are located south and north of the eastern section of the long runway.
According to previous information, such revetments have mainly beer built
in the southwestern poi tion. of the .field.
~Gomtrtent;. Usually, the alert Manes at the field are parked u t the
eastern end of the long runway. As at other fields, the pilots and tech-
nical. personae? of these planes stay in low wooden buildings in the vi.ci-
ri.tyr of the r:a.rking 1 ot.,
Comment. This information probably refers to the PKV-45 0%F station,
which was previously located west of the field.. It is believed that this
I)'F station roved, to the vicinity of the other B/F station in the approach
lane east of the field.
7. L.Comrrent. It is believed that 6 x 37-mm AA guns are emplaced at the
field..
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/05: CIA-RDP80-0081OA000500410003-8