POLISH AND SOVIET TROOPS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN BRESLAU (WROCLAW)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004501090006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2007
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 25, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/08/04: CIA-RDP80-00810A004501090006-9
Cl?iSSIFICATIONV CCITT E: . u.1
COUI ---------
REPORT
Polish and Soviet Troops and Military Installations
EVA3_UATIO . C " TRIM, ,..; ,
DATE ?F ONTE * o _ . .....
25 June 1954
DATE OBTAINED ..T--..DATE PREPARED-
REFERENCES.
REMARKS
This is UNEVALUATED
1. Prior to October 1.953, Breslau was heavily occupied by. motorized
Polish Army unite. Fotor vehicles were much in evidence in the streets
of the city and at the various iilitary supply installations. The
motorization cf4uni'ts had essentially improved in recent years. The
Polish Army was mainly being equipped with Polish made motor vehicles.
Originally troops at Breslau had only had old Soviet ZI'S-5 rotor
vehicles and Studebaker trucks. Later, numerous Czech six--wheeled
Skoda trucks were imported. After the starting of Polish rotor vehicle
production, the troops were supplied with Lublin trucks which corresponded
to the Soviet GAS-3 rsotor vehicle,, The units also used Polish--made four
wheeled Star-20 cab-over-engine trucks with Otto engines. Tank trucks
were still primitive and consisted of truck chassis mounting tanks.
Ambulances were mainly Ifs type vehicles supplied from East Germany.
Soviet-made jeeps were generally used as sedans. Motor vehicles
designated "model Warszaw.& which were built in Poland under license
and corresponded to the Soviet m,~del Pob :da were wed act limousines.
Old worn-out Soviet rotor .vehicles were shipped to a re;.airshop in
Poznan (P 53/X 26) where they were released for civilian purposes.
2. Prior to October 1953, a signal depot of the ith Polish Military
District was located in the area of the former Kuerassier Kaserne, on
the south side of former Kuerassier Strasse. This installation presumably
Lad code number 1683. Barracks were set up in the area of the installation,
because some of the permanent buildings previously available there were
destroyed. Equipment stored in four sheds included cables,radio sets
with spare parts, telephones with accessories, switchboards, distribution
boxes, relay boxes, etc. Only guards were observed at the depot.
The large motor vehicle repairshap of the 4th Military District
designated WZM 4 was located in the area adjoining the barracks
installation to the west and extending as far as the railroad line.
?iil i.tary special sts and civilians were seen at this shop.
3 , Prior to mid-1953, a Pol:: officer candidate (Choraz) school was
observed at the former 'W:3yrsch `(aserne, between ual. Kap_el.iskowa and
ul . KoaA3rgwa, , in the Karlowitz Eorough in Breslau? From 120
to I.Xi s^3d er wear: n? pauletf nounting one star were observed
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COIN'F IDjiasT IAL,
narehing out of the installation. They wore field uniforms, carried
entrenching tools and canteens, and were equipped with subm=achine
guns. Source believed that the officer candidates were infantrymen.
The total of troops stationed at the Installation was undetermined.
4. An engineer officers' school was located at a forrier inn in the Oswitz
Eorough, on the northwestern perimeter of the city. In the fall of
1953, the trainees nurbered AL. to 100 r"en, The officer candidates wore
normal array uniforms with red service color and dress uniforms with
dark-blue trousers with wide redstripes. They held practices at the
training ground between the eastern ank of the Oder River and Oswitz
Porough,. Soir!e storage slheds were located in this area which was
restricted and grown over with trees. Pontoonsand bridge equipment V We
stored in the open. Practices observed at this site during the sumier
of 1953 included construction of.pontes '-tricd.ges, exercises with pneumatic
7, about 20 Polish tanks in the barracks area on the 25X1
boats, and training for :drivers.
5. Fri or to the sur rer of 1953, the former "ll -er Kaserne'? in the center
of Vie city, which was bounded by Podwal e Swidnickie, Sadowa,
Swiebodcka and Teczowa Streets, was occupied by the "WP:" and a
rilitary rotor transport unit ender the
designation of "Samochodowa" cor:?pany. The unit which was equipped with
nurerous trucks, sore sedans and motorcycles was not directly
suLordinate to the 4th ?Uitary District. Only sore buildings of the
installation were still usable.
6. In the cur 'er of +:953, one telephone company, one notor transport
company and one military construction company were stationed at a
barracks installation on the No ?ailed luergerwerder and the north side
of ul. Ksiecia ryitolda, which had house nuriber 60. The telephone unit,
whose soldiers wore army uniforms with red service color, was in
charge of the r;i.litary telephone net of Ereslau. The motor transport
company Vhich was mainly equipped with heavy trucks and special-purpose
dump trucks made shipments for military construction projects. 4
west side of-ul. Obornicka in Rosental Borough. No other Polish armored
vehicles were observed in }3reslau prior to October 1953.
The former Heereezeugar# (army ordnance depot), housed a major depot
billeting equipment. It was guarded by soldiers. Items stored at the
installation included furniture, ovens, safes, radiators, electric
equipment, pipes and fittings, niecical equiptrent, etc.
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9. d`rior to 1953, the large fuel depot on the south side of ul. Kwidzynska
near the former Rhenania Ossag harbor in the northeastern sector of the
city was used for military purposes. The depot was guarded by soldiers,
had at least four large round overground fuel tanks, about 15 meters
high -.and served purposes of routine sun-cly.F
10, The Polish military post hospital was *located in the- modern :?uildtncrs
on the east side of ul. Slezna., opposite Po1udnio,,ry PF.rk. Soldiers
hospitalized at the installation included peen from the stations of
Oppeln (P 5l/J 17) and Glogau (0 52/B 77). Prior to about 1951 the
hospital was located on ul. Traugutta. After it had roved, the old
billets were reoccupied by Polish soldiers.
CCNFID N~TIAL,
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CONFIDTITIAI
11. The administration building of the military athletic association of
Breslau, whose abbreviated designation was CWKS (Centralny Wojskowy
Klub Sportovy), was located on the southeast side of ul. Rac%awicka,
at the point where ul. Orla branched off in the southwestern sector
of the city. The athletic installations of the station were located
in the quarter bounded by ul.RaclawicIa, ul.. Orla, ul. Powstancow
Slaskibh, and the railraod line. The ivate apartment of General
Straszewski fnu c of the 4th E
District
was at building No 12 on the southwest side of ui.
Cr'a, not far from the administration building of the military
athletic association. 5
14. Prior to 1953, a Soviet motor-vehicle repair shop was located on the
east side of the highway leading to Breslau north of the city, on the
12. In the fall of 1953, troops wearing khaki uniforms with blue service
color were observed in military billets located in an old multi-
story brick building on the south side of ul. Saperow, just south
of the former Kuerassier Yaserne. A KBW (Internal Security) unit
was quartered at the installation.
13. Tate in the spring of 1953, Soviet troops were observed in a barracks
installation on the west side of ul. SoXtysowicka in in Karlowitz
Borough. The installation included quartering buildings, garages and
administrative offices. Soldiers wearing red and black epaulets were
observed at the site. Source saw an infantry 'company which was
equipped with light machine guns and 2'axim type heavy machine guns
leaving the installations A'motorized AT unit with at least six guns
with conspicuous long barrels was also observed. Soviet troops also
practiced in the training area north of the installation. The
installation also housed a department store for Soviet officers and
their dependents and vicilians working for the Soviets in Breslau.
P. horticultural establishment run by the Soviets was located south of
the installation, The Soviet station laundry was also located in this
area. A large Soviet-star emblem was fixed to the building of the
former Priesterseminar (priests," seminary), immediately northeast of
Plac G. Danilowakiego (formerly Dabrizius Flats). Some sedans were
parked in front of this building. Soviet officers were also seen there,
southern Perimeter of ~bhlanowitz.
the labor force of this installation totaled
4UU people o worked on two shifts. Military motor vehicles were
overhauled and fitted with engines at this installation. Sore Soviet
billets, a department store and an athletic field were located
opposite the workshop on the west side cf the road.
15. Prior to the fall of 1953, the former Fionier Kaserne in Kosel Borough
was occupied-by Soviet troops of an unidentified branch of service. A
small training ground was located between the barracks installation
and the eastern bank of the Oc?er River. A newly constructed boat house
which stored several boats was.observed on the bank of the Oder River.
16. Other barracks installations and supply installations occupied by
E'oviet troops were
Opperau.
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orient. The signal depot is reported for the first tLee
Cogent. Polish Infantry Officer School No 1 is confirmed
in this installation,
LCMoment. It is believed that the Cann mentioned Is the former
restaurant "Hoffxanns Tanzsaele".
4.l Comment. This installation had been gutted by fire and was
not yet reconditioned in 1951.
Coraaent . Polish newspaper reports prior to December 1953
m+entianed General Strasze?'sski (fnu), as commander in chief of the
4th Military District
Approved For Release 2007/08/04: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004501090006-9