WISMAR HARBOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005700520003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700520003-2
Ci.ASSWICAT1ON :3HCR FT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPO
?+ MRMATION REPORT CD
COUNTRY art awma,w
St~*CT visor nrlw
3. Ifagbof nt1 one
4. Storage facilities
5e' oslle ons with the interior of the country
6.
Transhipment capacity
7.
Supply facilities..
8.
Harbor surveillance
9,.
Fire ?brvice 10
I O E.L
firmed f oVa"
DATE DISTR. 24 February.1555
NO. OF PAGES I'
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
%=EMENT TO
PM NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Importance' o?tEhe ?ty and Eearbor
-of only local importance. Harbor installations
Wr Ty E, M-T74, tan s
e
i
,
spec
al t e , have been
considerably
expWded by*#he1-GDFA &
N 2%V
the establishment of large stock and Sassnit
W'i(rt1a pop{i`lionofabout 32,0 0 inhabitants in 1948.
i :.
40 - Aud"
b. ' main turno* ' tuck goods.
Export: Pot~sh, g auVr
~ tie Mui r, salt.
Con@bmer goods were rare.
Import: Grain, fertilizer rtefhe shipyard,
small u3ntiti
Q at, goods.
STATE X1 NAVY NSRB DISTRIBUTION
ARMY IMIAIR FBI
3'
CLASSIFICATION MET
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c. 5tatistics%
Year Number of Vessels Import Export
in Tons in Tons
1938 1,848 188,084 87,613 1;. 275,697
1948 2,510 56,592 704,451 * 761,043
1949 1,026 74,753 897,056 * 971,809
1952 - 175,439 ** 781,060 + 956,499
* Exported goods were mainly reparation goods for the USSR
*# Breakdowns Grain
Fertilizers
Ores
Lumber
Mixed cargo
Miaoellaneous goods
Breakdown: Potash
Glauber sal'
Sugar
Briquettes
Lumber
Mixed cargo
A'iscellaneous goods
88,996 tons
39,914 tons
16,486 tons
8,938 tons
7,285 tons
13,616 tons
533,636 tons
74,224 tons
72,997 tons
35,395 tons
28,089 tons
729 tons
35,990 tons
In comparison to the pre-war conditions the relation of imports and
exports has completely reversed. ".,chile imports remained approximately
unchanged, exports have increased tenfold.
Imported goods arrive mainly from states on the Baltic Sea and the
North Sea.
Exported goods include potash and lumber destined for,ootmtriea on the
Baltic Sea and the North Sea, while sugar is shipped to the USSR.
frost ships calling at Wismar are motor sailers of 400 to 600 GRT and
ordinary Baltic freighters; big ships call at Wismar only occasicnally.
d- Labor Conditiops
Until the end of 1953, shipping business was almost exclusively handled
by the Soviet controlled Derutra firm. In January 1954, the entire
business was placed in the hands of the recently founded firm of
"Hafengemeinachaft Wismar VEB" (Wismar Harbor Community Corporation,
Nationalized Enterprise), also called VEB Seehafen (Maritime Harbor
Corporation, Nationalized Enterprise).
A sufficient number of longshoremen is always available and work is done
in two shifts. In September 1953, Derutra employed 540 persons and
the harbor 900.
2. Nautical Data
n . Approach
Beginning in 1950, the approach channel to the harbor through the
"Grosse Tief "channel from Pee:: Island was considerably deepened. The
aims to be attained were a total length of 14 sea miles of the channel,
a depth between 8 and 9 meters, awd a bottom width of 40 meters. I
total of seven dredges and 4 land reclamation suction dredges were in
operation, The amount of material to be dredged to accomplish the
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task was estimated to be 25,000,000 cubic feet. The operations were
scheduled to be completed by the end of 1953. The new 1954 program
was cancelled, allegedly for lack of funds.
After completion of these operations Wismarwas to be able to accommodate
seagoing ships of up to 9,000 GRT. In this casetit would also be
necessary to renew all quay berths which, in their present state,
cannot berth ships drawing more than 7 meters.
The approach channel is perfectly lighted and therefore enables the
vesseb to enter or leave port in the dark.
b. Mooring berths are available between the mainland and Poel island;
they are well sheltered with depths between 8 and 9 meters on the
outer roads, and 6 to 7 meters on the inner roads.
c. There are no tides. Continuous northerly or southerly winds cause
the water level to rise or to fall. by 0.5 to 0.8 meters above or
below mean water.
Formation of ice in the Bay of 117ismar is more frequent than in all
other places of similar size on the Baltic Sea because of the shallow
water in the Bay of Wismar. During the winter of 1939/40, navigation
to Wismar was closed for 59 days because of thick ice.
d. Pilotage in Wismar is compulsory. The pilot station is located at
Timmendorf on Poel Island? The pilot cutter stands near the
marking buoy.
Harbor Installations.
The police regulations for all ports of the CDR are laid down in the
"Seehafenordnung" (I::aritime harbor regulations)of 1 September 1953.
The harbor area proper comprises the water areas and the adjoining quays.
The town borders of Wismar are indicated in Annex 2 to the "Maritime
port regulations".
The harbor area is divided into three harbor districts:
Harbor district Is The area around the potash basin, also called industrial
harbor and the coal basin, the entire district being
called Overseas Harbor.
Harbor district Its The harbor area around the Old Harbor.
Harbor district III: The harbor area around the Shipyard or Lumber Harbor.
a. Quay Arrangements
The quay arrangements consist of four harbor '?:asins with a total
quayage of about 1,800 meters. Most of the quays are now reconditioned.
From north to south, the following quay installations are available:
1. Potash of Industrial Harbor
North side:
New potash tipping plant (3); quayage about 200 meters with 8 meters
depth tit quay. Unloading plant with 5 unloading installations and
tracks. Potash is dumped directly into the ship holds from the
care over conveyer belts. Potash depots are capable of storing up
to 20,000 tons of potash ,.1), and were to be expanded to a total
capacity of 40,000 tone.
An extensive track system (4) consisting of 2 arrival and 2 departure
tracks services the installation.
South sides
The quay, about 150 meters lonL,, is mainly used for shipping potash
in bags, which arrive by rail and are carried aboard on conveytc
belts. Depth at the quay is 8 meters.
"aritime terminal slaughter house with refriperat,rig rooms. '10)
The old buildings were razed.
Railroad sidings and junction roads run along the quay?
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H. Coal and Overseas Harbor
North Side:
T.ia:tnly intended for the import of iron, and pulp wood, and the
shipment of sugar and other export goods.
The quay was rebuilt over a length of about 300 meters, the
remaining stretch needing repair. The water depth alongside the
quay has been deepened to 8 meters. The new 150 by 40-meter
storing shed (7) which is completely finished was to be expanded
toward the east.
2 old 5.3-ton loading bridges
I small 5-ton loading bridge (7a)
I 15-ton revolving crane (7b)
'hose old cranes were to be replaced by modern half-gantry cranes
in 1954.
ti fuel depot with a total capacity of 1,000 t'!?s was to be erected
In the area between the potash and coal Piarlacti.r.
Two tracks run along the entire length ;' the quay, and a third
track connected with the arrival track, is located at the rear of
the new shed.
.)":;)th Side:
:.rain shipping i.nstaliations. A small teat basin is at the west corner.
The quay is 185 meters long with ?a water depth of f meters. l'o tracks.
!Torah-East Side:
A ateel sheet piling, 265 meters long, and an old wooden quay, '75 meters
long. Depth at quays: 8 meters in the north-western section an..
6 to 7 meters in the inner section.
Three grain elevators (silos): One of 10,000 tons rapacity,, the other two
of 3,009 Bach (11).
Several small, old sheds.
Nio cranes.
Several tracks run along the quay and pass the elevators.
South Sides
Lumber leading installation.
Total length of quay about 600 meters, with a steel sheet piling over
a length of 125 meters. The remainder consists of a wooden walling.
Water depth at quay is between 6 aoad 8 meters.
Several old sheds.
Two old 5-ton cranes (15) are located at the western end of the quay.
A fishing harbor with a small. fish building (16) is located at the
:inner section (southern end) of the harbor.
Railroad tracks run along the quay.
IV. Lumber or Shipyard Harbor
ast Side:
Lumber shi- nent.
~,uay, about 500 meters loci, reconditioned. "Water at quay 8 meters deep.
Open-air lumber yards.
One crane recently erected.
A track runs along the rorth end of the quay; elsewhere tracks run
only between the two adajoir.+ne harbor tasins,
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-5-
'Jest and South Side: New quay plant of the "Mathias-Tiesen-7erft" (shipyard) with a
total quayage of about 800 meters and a water depth at quay of
S meters.
The vast majority of transhipping operations take place in the overseas
Harbor., that is, in the two northern hasiris where nsw equipment
has been installed. These two basins are rather busy, whereas
transhipment operations in the other two basins, except for the
shipyard quay, are rather insignificant.
b. No bridiJes or locks are located in the harbor zo-,i
r... A shipyard capacity was established by ;,.., USc.I ? ,4r 19945 b,,.( the founding
of the "24athiaa-Thesen-'::'erft", which is now a ri 1 ,ializei plant almost
exclusively executing orders for the USSR. The n--~...' erected shipyard
instal.latior;$ .extend along the west side and the s-uth side of the
:lumber and si9.zpyard harboryand the building slips and a graving dock
under-consthiction are located in the western part of the shipyard
area on they Bay of :"l.ismar. The personnel wor4,int; at the yard totals
between e'X?OU and 9,000 employees.
r
d. Cranes an/! Transport Installations.
The potash tipping plant is equipped with modern conveyer belts and
tipping devices for potash transh.pment.
Forth Sidel of the Coal ilarbor.
Two 5.3-tQn shipping bridges with hoists. Daily apacity 400 tone.
One 5-ton.`coal loading bridge (7a).
One old 15-ton revolving crane (7b).
The erection of the half-pcri-al cranes was planne' for 7 )54.
South Side of the Old harbor:
Two old 5--ton gartry cranes '15).
East Side of the Lumber or Sh yard arbor.
One crane of unknawn lifting pow,-tr.
Crane eq~,i.pm nt is inadequate e.x~.,ept fer the .potash tipping plan .;
ships +.herefc:re freq:;ent;y must use their own ~Aoad-Lrg gear.
~~. Tugboats rand Li.ghters
No data on the number and horsepower of the tugboats are known. They
eeern to meet all requirements.
Lighter's are not needed.
tit rage Facilities.
a. Sheds (6).
All old sheds were scheduled to be razed.
A large and. new 150 by 40-'meter shed 7), equipped with all modern
installations needed, has been erected on the site between the potash
and overseas harbor. Its expansion was scheduled but has not been undertaken
ye'.. A total of sic sl..eds, each 300 meters long, was scheduled to
se bui:s..t. Th?: