TANK NCO SCHOOL OF THE KVP IN ZEITHAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001800220004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 18, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: June 10, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved,:
2003/08/06 : CIA-RDP80-00810A00
CO iNTRY
ILLEGIB
^MEIDENTIAL
CLASSIFICATION
ast Germany
Tank1410486h
UTITY-INZRMATION
EL09X21004154x1
--------
_REPORT NO.?
25X1
m: for tt%t4 _..1.140 0,40per 141
OF COWEN,'
0TAINED
FERENCES
PIA.'1ES
44:
---;416fax_4 ?5X[I
t _
REMARKS_
25X1
25X1
25X1
2.
-4C
_1#5_
the tank NCO echool in Zeithein numbered about 185 officers and
1,co20 12& The school was subornate to the KViTo An Zeithain? which also controlled
o school of about 300 officers, a 7th Special Company of 8 officers and 100 EMp a
motor transport can of about 7 officers an6, 60 EM and a maintenance company of
abeut 7 officers and 60 BM? The tank sehool was orgenizod into four battalionst each
of which numbered 4.0 officers end 480 EMj
Officers observed at the schoo? included Vajor General Arno von Lens14, of the
Uirtstry of the irterior; Major Neoinekv (Thu) commander of the Kiln in Zeithain;,
ex-o.eficer about 42 years old; Captain Schulz (fnu) politncal officer of the KY?!);
lieutenant Colonel Fisener (fm) comnernrier of tlle 00 candidate sc-eool; Captain
hel (fnu)t deraty; Captain Herold (fnu), ccEmander of the I :an; Capi,ein Kobelt
(fnv), commander o: the II Bn; Ferior Lieutenart Paffratil (fnu)t political officer of
the II Bn; Senior Lieutenant SchaeZe (fnu), clessifiedematerial officer of the II Bn;
Lieutenant Nowebeueo (fnu)t signal officer and FAT eecretary of the II Bn; Zunlor
Lieutenant Engert (fnu), commander of the 1st Co of the II 1.1n; Lieutenant all (fnu),
deputy political officer of the II Bn and commander of the 2d Co of the II Bn;
Junior Lieutenant Ziokmann (fnu)t deputy commorder o.! the 2d Co; Junior Lieutenant
Yore (Thu)t political officer of the 2d Col Junior 'Aeutenent Auerbach (fnu), officer
CR:, special aesignment of the 2c1 Co; Junior Lieutenant li.chter friu) leader of the 1st
Platoon of the 2d Goj Junior Lieutenant Neidahl (fnu), leader of the 2d Platoon, who
Led held the rank of senior lieutenant in, Prora and was demoted; Juntor Lieutenant
Retechke (Thu)1 leader of the 3d Platoon; and Junior Lieutenant Rasch (fnu), leader
of the 4th Platoon, Two Soviet OvAierst whoewcal ;bhp uriiimuns of KV 2 captains end
came from a branch 4Lfl:Xia?reinpl.(iife tVhkfrift-va.s stationed visited the
RCO candidate school about every four weeks and Alscussed training matters with the
,ermaanders of units? A Soviet officer, who wore a Kile uniform with the rank insignia
of a major generaL was adviser tothe headquarters of the KVPD in Zeithainc
. The school had 35 old 1L-34 tanke, another tank which .as similar to the model T-34
tank but was equipped with three hatches, 16 Edith nmmunition tractors, about 1.4
meters high and about-3,5 meters long, and three BMW sedans and some Horch-Inesel
loeueks.?
25X1
CI ASP1FICATION CC FIDENTI L.
Approved For Release 2003/08/06 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001800220004-4
25X1
Training included practices at compeny and battalion level andd
'was excellent with the II Bn and was fair with the other attalions.
Maneuvers involvinE Soviet units were scheduled to be held in the fall of 1953.
Tactical instruction for one week included one 2?hour class per day oa joint
action of combined arms. Problems of tactical instructeon included an attack
on West Berlin. Measares suggested by the company comraander on this occasion
and subsequently discussed by the trainees called for Attack on West Berlin
from the west and the east (east sector) by two tank units each of 116 tanks
with ten accompanying infantrymen to each tank ands, from the south and the
northd by infantry task forces each supported by 80 tanks and artillery units
after bombing by the air force and with employment per kilometer of front
line of 1d000 barrels including tenksp AA guns d artilleryd mortared ae guns
and AT guns. It was believed thet West Berlin could be taken after two days.
15X1
Approved For Release 2003/08/06 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001800220004-4
25X1
? Ceers'IDENTIATI
2 ?
25X1
5X1
50 About 70 percent of the EM at the NCO carldate school were 18 to 20 years
oidd and about 30 percent were 21 to 22 years old. Almest all men of the Is,
III and IV Brie came from Saxonyd Sexony?Anhalt and Thuringias while most of
the men of the Il Bn came from Firndenberg and Berlin.
25X1 25X1 )2? c meg-1 I 'also mentioned the tank
,0 candidate SC2100i under Lieutenant Colonel Fischer (fnu)d in Zeitheinc
Major Generel /Imo von Lenski is chief of the administration for tank and
mechanized troops at the Ministry of the Interior.
25X1
CONFIDENTIAL,
Approved For Release 2003/08/06 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001800220004-4