1ST VPL DIVISION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002200210020-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: November 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

o
CLASSIFICATION S ,CR'}T
Approved For-Release 2006M1VMT=IK4;1MW-I
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
:;OUNTRY last Gerrrnny
:IUBJEC1 1st Vri, Division
PLACE
ACQUIRED
',ATE Of
INFO-
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t WC' 794, Of' TF46 U. A. CODS M. AMENDED, 1T5 7FitiN9.H 51DR OR AE'.YEt
ATIO"t OF IT% 1j TIN7 TO OR RECSIPT 84 AN UNAUT14DRUCO PIERSON
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:uv:a:~r .-
10A002200210
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 13 NtIvember 1953
NO: OF PAGES 6
NO.OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW?
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1~ In late Y ay 1953, the regiments of the let VPL Div had generally completed
training with Yak-18s and subsequently with Yak-llso Only a few pilot;
still practiced with these two aircraft types with which each student pilot
must pass an examination. In Cottbus,, between 17 ana 24 Iay, Soviet flight
instructors made practice flights in eight U- iG--15s with VP pilots ::a the
student seat. In Bautzen on 26 May, no riC-l5 or U -TUG-15 were as yet
available,, although the runvay was completed and the first I iG-15s ware
due to arrive by 24 tay. In Dresden-Klotzsche, no jet planes had been used
for practice flights prior to 26 11,ay. To date, the three VPL regiments have
not conducted any joint exercises with unite of the Soviet Air Force ':.or
have cross-country flights been made to airfields occupied by the Soviet
Asir Force, Flight training has only involved cross-country flights of a
range not exeeding 75 km, without intermediate landings, or approximately
as far as the nearest VPL airfield. As only practice flights were radn by the
1st VPL Div, the planes were issued only small quantities of fuel making an
escape impossible and control by radar sets apparently unnessary. No
training with weapons, air-to-ground firing or bombing was observed, Previously,
student pilots had not received any practice with the carbines a '-
2 . Candidates for a near pilot training course were not available. It appeared,
however, that the training of new student pilots was envisaged. On 23 May,
former pilots of the German Air Force were inspected as to their fithees
for fly-I g. 30 forrtier Gerran pilots were to be retrained
in a short course. However, only 23 candidates were inspected by a commission
nonsisti.ng of Soviet medical officers and the medical officer of the VPt
divi.6irn., Fifteen of the candidates were found fit, 30
experiericed. fliers wore required as coi u anding officers of VPL units, as
replacerents for =."fleers who were to be released for health reasons or
because they were belie'] politically unreliable, The training course for
these officers was to be held In Kamen, at first with Yak-18s ands, after
August? with 11G-15s . 2
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3, Contrary to the praetiz a previously followed in. the Gerr:_an Air Force,
where the best pilots were retained as instructors, in the VPL
students were made flight instructors who were unsuited for piloting
IIiG-15s. Included among the student pilots were men who did not seas
great store in flying a MiG.15, preferring to pilot a conventional
piston plane which they believed to be a much easier jobs.
4 The 100 one-seater and two-seater jet planes which had been sent tca (ot;bus
1.11W,.a dQVI-1,iRitia1v ennsianed to VPL units
the MiG-15 and 13 MiG-15 planes had been taken over n
1st VPL Div in mid May 1953, and that the first liG-15s had been asst~mbled
dd11 ViG{i yr vi...-..??~ ..~ _ --
instruction during late May 1953. The barracks installation, at Kams az
included a building which housed6a school for technicians being trained in
accordance with Soviet methods.
&., The flight personnel of the 2d VPL Fegt practiced at Dresden--Kiotmahe;
airfield. A bus from Kamenz was observed parked at Dresden-Kl.otzscheo
The technical supply division was stationed in Augustusba in late May
1953. 7 Sonnenstein near Pirna was also occupied by VFL, allegedly for
research purposes. 8 No information has been received that Leipzit4ubckau
and Schkeuditz airfields are to be occupied by VPL. There were rirs that
the division headquarters from Cottbus was to be transfer-redd to Bat.tsen or
5. Parachuting was not included in the pilot training program This was
attributed to a desire to avoid pilots abandoning their planes prematvurely,
The previously reported parachute jumps were planned to test now par*,a hutes
of German make. However, no information has been received that parachuting
was actually conducted. The "Dovidat" parachute unit, issued parachutes to
the flying personnel butt he parachutes had to be turned in again at the
end of flying activity.
6. The 3rd VPL Regt was stationed at Bautzen airfield? The commanding officer
of this regiment, Captain Sedlaczek (fnu) was relieved a few days b?fore
2!; May by Senior Lieutenant Knoeppel (fnu) of the same regiment. 5 The
runway at the field, which allegedly had a length of 1,800 meters d a
width of about 60 meters, was entirely covered with runway mats by *wit
mid-May 1953 In late May, work continued on the taxiway which was to be
covered with runway mats, width of which was to be 12 meters. The scheduled
construction of barracks buildings and hangars had not been started, prior to
24 Maya Only some temporary buildings were available at the field:,
7. The 2d VPL Regt was stationed at Kamenz airfield. It had to transfer to
Dresden-Klotssche as the runway mats on Konen% airfield had to be r4anoved
because of the swampy subsoil. Kamens airfield was suitable only f ,-A.,
by ground personnel of the division. 3
T)rewitz. 9
9. One supply battalion each was assigned to the three VPL regiments.
The three battalions were not merged into one regiment rcr were tht.y
controlled by a central agency of the VPL division. Howeverq
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25X1 a special technical headquarters was being organized in
Bautzen. This headquarters, which was directly assigned to the Supreme
Comxrand of the VPL, moved to Augustusbad on 24 April 1953. Major Baldn#,us
(fnu), forrerly eorinanding officer of the 3rd Supply Fan in Bautzen, %n
appointed corn anding officer of this technical headquarters. Captain Zveak
(fnu) succeeded Vajor Baldamus as C.O. of the 3rd Supply Bn at Bautzen.
10. The signal ocho.-:' of the VPL, which was directly subordinate to the VP1,
headquarters in Johannisthal, was headed by Senior Lieutenant Schaefer
(fnu). In January 1953, the signal school moved to Augustusbad from where
25X1 it was then transferred to Kamenz in April 1953. Officer candidates we ?e also
trained at this school. After graduating from its courses the officer
25X1 candidates were promoted with the rank of lieutenants
training c-urse on tactics, aerial navigation annO righter Co 1
me ods was to be started at the school in June 1953.
11. The co + nn-Its of the lat MEL Div received their mail via post of"Uce
boxes.
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12. As reported previously, the organization of new VPL units and the orctLp&tion
of new airfields, which were originally planned for August 1953,1were postponed to 1954, allegedly because of financial difficulties.
13. the Sao*rif eta
still exercised authority over all questions porTRIM116 ED MIT aetiviri.;y
within the let VPL Div but that all other activity is regulated by thil,
German officials.
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16. Run r mats, each 3.04 meters long and j9 cm wide, arrived from Zvickttu
and Leipzig from an unknown consigner,. They were packed in piles of 3)
plates, each pile weighing 600 kilos. The runway and taxiway at Bautan
airfield were covered with these grass green runway mate, the longitJiinal
sides of which had punched holes and hooks, about 10 cm apart,, for
attachment. The runway had 19 of these plates laid side-by-side. An a;rerage
length of 150 to 180 meters was covered every day. The number of worlaars
involved in this project was not known. 15
17. VPL recruits were previously given basic military training at the Sch-,ol
11500" in Kamenz, for a period of about 3 months, During that period, :-t
decision was reached in regards to the recruit's qualification as a pilot3
motor vehicle driver etc. Prior to February 1953, recruits ware inspa:ted
as to their fitness for flying by a Soviet commission from Kamenz. Afl
officer training course in Augustusbad started on 1 December 1952 and
allegedly was to last half a year. The program of this course includO-t
about 30 lessons on chemical warfare agents. The pilots were EM, NCO9 and
officers.
18. The Noffke Signal Battalion did not perform G-2 functions at the VPL
headquarters but was responsible for telephone communication, issuing
code designations for individual installations every 4 weeks a
$ G-2 section existed at the Ministry of the Interior.,
25X1 1, [ J i . The information on the status of training of the V'L
clots of the 1st VFL Div agrees with previous reports
25X1 from Cottbus? Bautzen and fcamenz airfields.
25X1 20 q2 anto_ This is the first information on retraining by fortis!
German pilots in short flight courses, On account of the fact that
25X1 commanding officers of VPL units were previously selected mostly on t tie
ground of their political reliability it appears credible that expnrlanced
officers of the for. mer German Air Force are to be utilized at an inc* aased
rate. This measure is expected to increase the morale of the VPL p(wuonnel~
I IComment. The arrival of MiG-15s at Cottbus airfield was pre rlt,us:ly
reported,
25X1 4y o fte itm Parachute jumps were repeatedly observed in Cottbus,
particularly in early May 1953. Captain Dovidat is known to be the otmmending
officer of the parachute section in Cottbus. He is said to be also the chief
of a special training course at the mechanics school of the division in Kamenz,
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5.1 _lCommento Information on the improvement work at Bautl.en airfield
25X1 has beenrepeaaedly received. The statements as to the dimensions of the
auxiliary rune .y approximately agree
25X1 liowever, it is believed that the runway is slightly longer than 2 mE=ters 0
The information that the commanding officer of the 3rd VPL Fegt was rei _eved
by Senior Lieutenant Knoepfel is received for the first tine 0 Knoepfel was
25X1 previously known to be the adjutant of the ragi.ment0
25X1 6 t orrent The training at Dresden-lUotzsche airfield of elements of
the 2d V M Regt from Ptamenz airfield has been previously reported severta
t imes ., The unit left Dresden-Klotzsche in early June 1953
7 O.C+c aenf The organizat:.on of a special technical heap quarters 'to!
which the three technical supply battalions Are subordinate has been
reported previously, Captain ZeekNk is reported
for the first time.
8.1 jLozm_zent s According to avr?ilable information, a construction bur sou
for the future East German aircraft industry is stationed at Sonnensteiks
Castle near Pirna, where special courses in signal communte.. tions,
meteorology and engineering a?e also held,
25X1 9. ~ ! ant The VPL o rrtions staff from Berlin4ohsnnisthal .
transferred to Cottbus. 25X1
25X1 10. L___jCoMLent 4 Information on the signal school of the VPL and on Augustusbad
was previously received 25X1
Senior Lieutenant Schaefer was previously reported as the scheduled chief of'
the VPL signal school. 0 This is the first 25X1
information that Srmwkersc ie3 o e radar section,
l3a Q n x The correcfinaes of these statements cannot be deterrii,nod. If
they are correct, they would account for the training of former member$
of the German Air Force in order to obtain experienced ormsuding off Isere .:
See paragraph 2 of the present report0
14. o e t; , Lieutenant Colonel Bitterlich is the chief of staff of
e st VPL Div in Cottbus0 The furlough certificate mentioneddlows the
VPL personnel are only permitted to stay in Berlin for the least
possible time,
15 0 ~Ccamment,, The statements concerning the runway mats agree with par (TT ous
information, except for the grass green paint which is mentioned for We 'tars l:
time., For sketch of runway mat,, see Annex,
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Cross 3ecttion of R nway Mats 1J ed at Bautzen - rt ~^. d
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Top View Shrwi.ng; 1 ethod of Attachment
1_)r,tail Sketch Showing Arran^;ement of Hole;
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