MILITARY INFORMATION FROM THE KINDEL TROOP TRAINING GROUNDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002100810001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 23, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/09: CIA-RDP80-0081OA002100810001-8 11ti
CLASSIFlCAflON SECRET,
COUNTRY ---REPORT
Military I ormation from the Kindel Troop Training Grounds
IODIC
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONT
DAT OTAINE
REFERENCES
PAGES
grounds .
were seen en route to the training
all German craftsmen employed at the
installation had been dismissed, 2
CLASSIFICATION SECRET;
against an infantry unit which was enc1rc a an captured,l , On 4 July, 50X1-HUM
troops and materiel loaded'at the Eisenach railroad station. at 10:15 q m.
and leaving owK = other at 6to pom,. included: 17 trucks, 8 trailers,
4 motorboats ntoons, 1 sedan 3 boxcarloads of logs, 54 amphibious
troops were seen with the shipment,
le At 11:30 a?m on 2 July 1953, 20 x 122-rim guns fired at practice targets
in the Kindel training area. On 3 Jule 40 T-34 tanks fired at practice
targets while driving. Subsequently, a si.mulated.a,tack
vehicles and 4 boxcarloads of troops and billeting equipment. About 500 50X1-HUM
b an
bordered crimson epaulets, and left toward Gotha at 10:15 pemo
DATE PREPARED 23 July 1953
.ENCLOSURES (No. & -nPE)_._?
A second shipment loaded 3n,
d ea n ward Gotha at 9 p.m. included 22 trues
I2 sedans)
12 infantry guns sic, presumably mortars),, 5 large and 12
small pontoons and ''billeting equipment. At 5:30 p.m. on7 .July, a troop
train was loaded with 2,8 trucks, 4 sedans-,,2 radio trucks, 8 jeeps,.3
field kitchens, 2 heavy mortars, 8 mortar carriages, and billeting equipment
The train included 19 boxcars occupied by 35 officers, 12 women and about
750 troops, mostly wearing red-bordered black epaulets and some black- 50X1-HUM
On 6 July, rotor vehicles
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/09: CIA-RDP80-0081OA002100810001-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/09: CIA-RDP80-0081OA002100810001-8
SECRET,
2. At the Sophienbad in Eisenach, laundry from the troop training grounds 50X1-HUM
was Cleliyered as xsr evinualy Motor vAhi cl pa mean An rnvtas to thA training
on 17 and 18 June, numerous units-left the
x.n e roop train ng grounds by road. Beginning 26 June, the troops
started returning. On 17 June,, there was no strike in Eisenach, however,
inertial law was declared there in the afternoon by Captain Kurentsov
(fnu), commander of the temporary headquarters., At 5 a.m. on 18 June?
at least 14 trucks, occupied by troops wearing steel helmets and anied
with submachine gulls; 4 jeeps, and 1 armored scout car were near the 50X1-HUM
komendatura. During the period of martial law from 17 to 26 June, these
vehic~es were either in front of the kosiendatura or patrolled the tellin-
jeeps~ occupied by a colonel and a lieutenant colonel
(were identified, After martial law had been lifted, the trucks
were no longer observed in3the town. Jeeps and armored scout cars were
seen there until 29 June. 1
1, I cent Beginning early July, intensive training activity was 50X1-HUM
also ooob_served at other troop training grounds. The number of tanks
roughly corresponds to the equipment of the 57th Gds Mtz Rifle Div. No
other tank units are stationed at Kindel.
Comment. The majority of the -rotor vehicle observed durin650X1-HUM
the loadings belong to the 57th Gds Mtz Rifle Div, It is fairly definitely
believed that the 67th Engr Bn, reinforced by other elements of the division,
was entrained for Dessau. On 3 and 4 July, three shiprzents of engineer units
of the Eighth Gds Army were dispatched toward Thuringia from Dessau? It is
believed that, as in 1952. engineer units were rotated to Dessau-Alen. .
30
GEC cent Available information indicated that, except for the
o a. a of the 57th Gds Mtz Rifle Div employed in Eisenach, no other
troops were detached from the Kindel troop training grounds.
S. FET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/09: CIA-RDP80-0081OA002100810001-8