MILITARY INFORMATION FROM PLAUEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001700560002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2005
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 9, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

25X1
Appro ed For Release - -
ASSII=ICATION au~
COUN,TRY~ East (]erraxv
TOPIC-
Military Information froaii Plauen
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED_..
REFERENCES-
PAGES.,...:_2
25X1 PLACE OBTAINED,
25X1
DATE PREPARED 9 June 1953
ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
25X1
25X1
Prior to 1.7 May 1953, the Hindenburg Kaserne, Plauen, was occupied by an estimat-
ed 600 troops wearing black-bordered crimson epau] ets.. including about 15 to 20
percent with art.llery? insignia and about IC percent with signal and motor trans-
port insignia; and by about 25 uniformed women. About 200 to 300. troops organized
in groups of 40 to 6C soldiers daily marched to the post drill ground. '.het troops
were armed with rifles. and submachine guns and, occasion a.l.ly, with entrenching
tools. Beginning in early May, training activity in the installation incroased
slightly. About lpC to 6C troops, organized in groups, daily received individual
drill at the eastern border of the installation. In some cases, airing practice
and gun displa.cment with not more than four 57--mmn AT guns were observed. On 13
May, four 1201.. mm mortars were seen leaving the installation. Motor vehicles seen
2. Prior to 1.7 May, the Koenig-Georg Kasen. ne was occupied by an estimated 35(i troops
wearing red-bordered black.epaulets, inclining about 50 percent with artillery
insignia and, a few, with signal. and rotor transport insignia; and by abort
15 -uniformed women. Groups of 6 to 10 soldiers, drilling without rifles, were
occasionally seen in the installation. Details of 25 to 30 soldiers, somel:.imas
armed with carbines and carrying entrenching tools, were repeatedly seen ] eav--
ing for the post drill ground. Two 122-= field howitzers were in the northeast
section of the installation. A wooden shed, which was to serve
25X1 as motion picture theater or club, was under construction in the northeast,
25X1
Prior to 17 May, the Kirchbach Kaserne was occupied as previously by an es t3rcat?-
ad 18C to 2CC troops. Except for the economic building, two quarterin ; tauld.g.ngs
on Zadera Strasse were occupied. The northern building on Zadera Strasse vas
occupied by about 120 troops wearing red-bordered black epaulets, including some
with artillery insignia; and the southern building was occupied by a signal
unit of an estimated 60 to 80 soldiers. About 66 percent of the troops of the
signal unit wore red--bordered black epaulets, including a few with signal in--
signia, and 33 percent wore black-bordered black epaulets, including a few" with
signal insigna. Since recently, individual soldiers wearing blue-bordered,
black epaulets, inching some with signal insignia, had been observed. Ar air
CLASSIFICATION JECRr r
Approved For Release 2005/06/30 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001700560002-0
25X1
.REPORT
25X1
 Approved For Release 2005/06/30 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001700560002-0
SECiRET,
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
force detail of a lieutenant and five ET'? was in connection with t na1
unit, about 20 troops "ere 25X1
cleaning five 76.2-m . field guns. Radio truck with a ro antenna,
about 5 meters high. was still at the north side of the drill hall. The air
force personnel was seer, with this truck. A wire connected the quarters
of the signal.unit and the drill hall, with a branch-off leading to the
radio truck. Furthermore, the radio truck and the quarters of the signal unit
were connected by a rubber-insulated wire. A tole-.phone line on wooden poles
emerged from the northwest side of the installation toward.Greiz. This itne
could be traced as far as to the Plauen-Syrau airfield. The line had been
strung by Soviets. Six of the 12 wires of the line branched off near the
installation to the radar station on Warthuebel near Neundorf, and another
12-wire overhead line connected the southwest corner of the installation
with the radar station. The Kirchbaeh. Kaserne and the Hindenburg Kaserne
were connected by a 2-wire line, while the quartering building of the signal
unit was connected with the local telephone system by two rubber-insulated
wires and .about 15 other wires. Motor vehicles
4. Prior to 1'7 1iay, the quarters of the former post hospital were occupied by
:icC to 150 troops wearing black-bordered crimson spaul.ets. Unusually many
officers, mostly wearin black-bordered crimson epaulete wire seen. 25X1
Several. de--
tails from the Hindenburg Kaserne marched to the hospital every weekend. 1
they took showers at the hospital.. An average of 1.5 to
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
20 motor vehicles were parked in the hospital area.
a gran of the border police picked. up a Soviet officer. A lieutenant
colonel from the Koenig-Georg Kaserne was recently picked up by a sedan of
,he border police. the VP vehicles belonged
to the border police unit at the Plauen-.Sayrau airfield. Truck
which was repeatedly seen at the hos ital belong-3d to a unit stationed at
the zonal_ border Moto vehicles
were seen en route to the
hospital.
25X1 1 ~ zrnent. The known occupation of I`lauen by the units of the 39th Gds
25X1 Ritz Rifle Div is thus confirmed until mid-May.
25X1 1 --7 The signal unit and the air force personnel observed
belong to Te known radar station of the Fighter Division Grossenhain.
25X1
25X1.
25X1
Corraaent. The observations confirm that the elements of the
39th Gds Mtz Rifle Div employed at the zonal border worked together with
the East German border police.
SECRET/
Approved For Release 2005/06/30 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001700560002-0