SABOTAGE AT THE 'SURP I CHUK' MILITARY TEXTILE FACTORY IN GABROVO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002900050013-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/11/15: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002900050013-0
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Sabotage at the "Si~rp i Chek!'
Military Textile Factory in Gabrovo
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
REPORT I
DATE DISTR. 24 February 195"
NO. OF PAGES 1
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
25X1
At 9s0c a.m. on 1L. September 195.,. a group of anti-Communists set fire to th1
warehouse of the "Sre i Chuk" m:i litary textile factory in Gabrovo. This Our
had beo chosen for the sabc' aga because a ..of the workers would be at b?eak??
nt and the warehouse would be empty.
2? All except about one million leva (old currency) worth of the ten million leva
inventory of shoes, clothing, and other supplies stored in the building were
destroyed. The fire was eventually extinguished with the assistance of the
Gabr&vo and Sevlievo fire depar'(nen.ts and through the efforts of the workers
themselves.
The workers at the factory were not interrogated individually, but three or four
warehouse employees were arrested and about 160 other employees who were con-
sidered unreliable were discharged 10 or 15 days later. A group of the "unreliables"
were rehired about a week later when they had been found innocent. About half of
those discharged had obtained other jobs in the meantime and could not be retired.
Those who had been arrested were released and it was declared that the fire had
been caused by spontaneous combustion of the acetone used in preparing glue for
the shoes.
The only other sabotage known to informant was the ruining of "Many thousands" of
pairs of Army shoes which one worker had accomplished by making the stiffening
very thin.
11-
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicat..d By "X'; Field nist.if,.t;nn gy .. ...
Approved For Release 2006/11/15: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002900050013-0