MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA OF THE MECHANIZED DIVISION EGGESIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005900490002-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 29, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: January 12, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
COUNTRY East Germany REPORT
TOPIC M#.litary Activities in the Area of the Mechanized Division Eggesin
EVALUATION 25X1 I
25X1
DATE OF CONT 25X1
DATE OBTAINED LDATE PREPARED 12 January 1955
REFERENCES
PAGES 3 ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
REMARKS This is UNEVALUATED Information
1. ember 1954, the strength of the mortar regiment of 25X1
ion Eggesin was estimated to be 550 to 600 men. It was
d to bring the unit to an authorized strength of 800 men by
1 December. The arrival of enlisted replacements for this purpose was
awaited.
2. The regiment was organized into the headquarters, the command platoon,
and the lst through 3d Bns. Each battalion included the headquarters and
three companies, each company included three platoons. Ordnance in stock
totalled 56 x 120-mm mortars.Ten trucks were used as supply vehicles,
and about 80 more 1trucks were housed andsserviced near the billets of
the 3d Mecz Regt.
3. Officers of the mortar regiment included Lieutenant Colon
regimental der; Captain Kneiphoff (fnu), chief of st
Hess S Captain Kastner (fnu), polit"iaal officer;
Capta officer; Senior Lieutenant enka (fnu),
or Lieutenant Alten (fnu), cnde# of the
comman
L
2d Bn; and Senior Lieutenant Moos (fnu), commander of the 3d Bn.
Effective after 1 December, two lieutenants of the regimental headquarters
were scheduled to be reassigned and Senior Lieutenant Rosenke was to be
detached to a school.
On 1 December 1954, the AAA unit in Altwarp which was commanded by Major
Rau (fnu) was observed at a roll call. In numbered about 400 officers and
enlisted men. Major Rau discussed the new training directives. Between 27
November and 2 December, 10 officers who included Captain Petrov (fnu),
the previous chief of staff, andCaptain Schaedlich (fnu), the previous
political officer, were reassigned to other units or schools. On 30
November and 1 December, a total of 9 recruits received their uniforms.
In late November, 8 trucks which werepersonnel carriers were supplied
to the init. All other motor vehicles and guns were onblecks in the
garages.
6. From 15 to 26 November 1954, the strength of and the driving-school
activity at the driving school unit in Altwarp were unchanged. 25X1
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
 Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
At a roll call of the 2d Mecz Regt which held in Karpin on 2 December,
it was announced that only fatigue duty would be done until 20 December
1954. Reenforced training would be resumed only after New Year's Day
when the furlough period was over. The status of training which was
affected by the harvesting activity was to be improved rapidly. It was
announced that for each soldier of the first leave group who failed to
return from leave, a soldier of the second leave group would be obliged
to give up his furlough.
Prior - imp
Colon ie "a
major
staff of the 2d Bn of the d Mecz Reg , was tease gi1 to 1
headquarters. Major Schwenke (fnu), the previous director of training of
the 2d Mecz Regt, became commander of the 3d Mecz Regt and was succeeded
by one Major Johns (fnu).,. Senior Lieutenant Paul (fnu) was reassigned
from the 2d Meoz Regt to the 3d Mecz Regt. Captain Kaulmann (fnu),
previous finance officer of the 2d Mecz Regt, and Senior Lieutenant
Friedrich (fnu) were reassigned to the Neubrandenburg Registration
Department. Major Schumann (fnu), the previous commander of the
artillery battalion, and Captain Scharf, the previous commander of the
tank battalion of the 2d Mecz Regt, were detached to a school for twelve
months' training which was allegedly to prepare the trainees for their
four years' instruction at the Moscow college. Major Grund (fnu), the
preaous chief of the Schwerin billeting office, became technical
director of the 1Eggelin billeting office; this reassignment was
a disciplinary measure.
SECRET
.10, The units stationed in Karpin were allgedly to be brought up to authorized
strength on or before 1 January 1955. For this date, the billeting office
of the 2d Meoz Regt had scheduled the provision of 56 bedsteads for each
of 30 bedrooms.
11. In early December, the signal platoons of the battalions of the 2d
Mecz Regt were asembled into a signal company which totalled 64 men.
The signal personnel of the regimental headquarters stayed in the command
company. On 11 December, the regimental school numbered exactly 118 men,
mainly recruits.
12. On 28 November 1954 an atomic defense course terminated in Karpin. No
details were known.
13. The construction of a gas defense training room commenced in the area
of the 3d Mecz Regt.
14. In late November, preparatory measures for a major building project were
observed in the area of the former brickyard on the southeastern perimeter
of. Eggesin. A field railway was already in operation at the site.
15. Motor vehicles which were parked under shedroofs in Section A of the
Spechtberg installation in late November 1954 included 65 tanks and SP guns,
6 three-axle armored personnel carriers, and 6 model BA-64 armored scout
cars. Seven T 34/85 tanks were serviced in the provisional workshop.
Permanent garages for trucks were under construction.
About 250 recruits who arrived at Karpin prior to 12 December were divided
up and assigned to the units.
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
 Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
25X1
25X1
-3
16. Sixty-nine t c $P guns were parked under shedroofs in Section B
of the instat"la . "leted garages housed about 50 trucks.
17. Eighteen T 34/85 tanks were housed in garages in Section C of th~
installation which was occupied by a tank instruction battalion.
18. In the Karpin installation, the construction of Section F was allegedly
planned in the area southeast of Section E of the installation. The new
section was allegedly scheduled to house an artillery ordnance repair
base for Mechanized Division Egges.in. Prior to 1 December, no
construction activity was observed,
Comment. The present report substantiates previous statements
dating from early November. This regiment may have an
authorized strength of 800 men although a corresponding Soviet regiment
included only two battalions and is believed to have an authorized
strength of about 600 men. Previous reports from the Eggesin billeting
office have mentioned an authorized strength of 107 officers 155 NCOs and
597 enlisted en, or a total of 859 men.
recruits.
u
Comment. The present report indicates that the strength of th AAA
regiment is still the same as reported in September and October 1954. If
all the discharges have been covered by the present report, the discharge
omment. Most officers who are mentioned in the present report
have been known in their previous appointments. One Major Johns (fnu)
has been known as commander of the 3d McQz Regt prior to the summer of
1954. He has possibly been superseded by Major Schwenke (fnu), who has
good qualifications, and has taken over Schwenke's previous appointment
as deputy commander of the 2d Meoz Regt instead. Senior Lietau
Lieutenant Paul (fnu) has been the previous commander of the 1st Bn
of the 2d Mecz Regt.
Comment. A previous report
dating from about 8
haA manti nnad f het thi a ,wti n? 'h0a han"
report generally agrees with previous
statements) _ ^datingm.late October.
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
No ID kX
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
 -f-
COUNTRY
IU
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
CLASSIFICATION -3"CLT
'i., tars Activities irk the Area of the Mechanized Division Eaesi.n
CF,TION
OF CON T
OBTAINED
"F
.EFERFNCES
GS
_,:.....E14CLOSC1Rk'S (NO.
a `fed`, - .-- k%' .#-.
Dot'eu('oe3!'1 1 riia
o bev
6 Di53s4n Pk
aik ed'~yp inrif" s
Gras organiza t h` a 1q s~ t cc eal- p11"!t ,
T1. r 91 6"
at~ci 1 he" s t " rbu ;-''A ' B> Ia fi - a~t'1' Ib i ' 1* th.,, IIA a~rgti~tr zq t,d nd
tree
t .i companies '-eaMeMjft., $n%1%d A tl#ee uhfin Or mr c xi**k
a PW mo+t .r 4 q ca ! e e~ kd e4 Y v $ii l' s; t-
a tftbout 80 tno 1' a c' '~ rr dr" ie Alto-- i410t r %!
the 3a iecz Reg~C.
Officers-' f 'the ibx e.r regiment included Lieutenant Coah:nul August Schaefer,,,
.regimental commander; Captain Kneiphoff (fnu), chief of staff; Captain
H s ~ 0138 ttoo bffi 9 ;-'Capt4Yh ta' rg3O 4 M u%' pollt'iciY 19f
Captairi?#tJ'~{ 3 he upp y %ftlc*p,' 9bniork Li+dQil~?iarlNt %$ ' a1 . (fnu) ,
,oi inO.i~+er so# IBrr;? serrttrs 11611111111111 1 . (fnu)r, cr ande:r of the
Senior Lieuzenar; i. Moos (nu) , commander of the- id Bn, `,
Ef'fec'tid'e" after A.-Debeafflb
were so%ec ral4S.e8?ate 16s `rte
detached to a school?
tr 1ieu'tenlt` off' tho reginter1t81 1*vdquT zters
dt ahc4ll~l~l !utenent Rosenke was to be
5 On 1 Decem near 1954, the AA,~ unit in A1twarp :?7hicn was commanded by Iiajor 25X1
Rau (fm.z) was observed at a ro''".1 ca.IL In numbered about 400 officers and
enlisted ?yen., :Iajor Rau discussed the new traininv directives. Between 27
November and 2 December 10 offers who included Captain Petrov (fnu),
the previous chief of sib aptain Schaed:lich (fnu), the previous
political officer, were signed to other units or schools. On 30
November and 1 Decemter., a total of 9 recrul is received their uniforms
In late November, 8 trucks which wereiaersonnel carriers were supplied
to th..; ipit, Al,:. other motor vehicles and runs were on blocks in the
-a -age s
? to 26 November 1954.. the strength of and the drzvinm- ;oo::
v z is 4.t t'.h- dr4v: nc n A t:n ..rp we rE; unchanged.
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900490002-5
25X1
I
25X1
25X1
t4en 0 e ' tie%m~'Aa' ir;bn '*o'Y% 1
Lek 1 tlArill M ''t :" 1't -as .11
A2r mp*.i Ih 4O y
 Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900490002-5
.it a roll call of the 2d P.`ecz Regt which 'field in Karpin on 2 December,
it was uni.ounced that only fatigue duty would be done until 20 December
1950.1 :teenforced training would be resumed only after New Year's Day
whe: the furlou-rh period was over, The status of training which was
a.f rected by the harvesting activity was to be improved rar.i.J1y. It was
..!ounced that for each aolAer of the first leave group w:-1o failed to
return from leave, a soldier of the second leave Troup r,rould be o;,liged
to give up his furlough,,
prior to 11 December, the follo?.ing officers were promoted or reaa;,i;;ned:
Colonel Siegfried ::eiss , division commander, was promoted to the rank of
r.!:: jcr general.,, Senior Lieutenant Freudenberg (fnu),, the previous chief of
staff of the 2d Bn of the 2d i.,ecz Hegt, was reassigned tc the regi*!evital
head.,ua.rterso .'ajor Schwen.ke (fnu), the previous director of training of
the 2d :ecz Regt, became corn=.antler of the 3d iiecz ReLt and as succeeded
by One :;ajor Johns (fnu). Senior Lieutenant Paul ;fnu) was reassigned
from the 2d :.:ecz Regt to the 3d :.'ecz hegt, Captain 'Caulmann (fnu),
previous finance officer of the 2d :Iecz Rey:;t, and Senior Lieutenant
Friedrich (fnu) were reassigned to the :Ieubrandenbur- Registration
Departr:vent, :ajor Gchumann (fnu), the previous cor_i.mander of the
artillery battalion, and Captain Scharf, the ;previous commander of he
tank battalion of the 2d :ecz Regt, were detached to a school for twelve
months' training which was allegedly to prepare the trainees for their
four years' instruction at the :?oscow college. Major Grund (fnu), the
pr ious chief of the Schwerin billeting office, became technical
director of the :Gge-in billeting office; this reassignment was
a '.isciplinary measure/
9, about 250 recruits who arrived at Karpin prior to 12 December were divided
up and assigned to the units.
10 The units st:.tioned in Karpin were allgedly to be brought up to authorized
strength on or before 1 January 1955, For this date, the billeting office
of the 2d ':'ecz Regt had scheduled the provision of 56 bedsteads for each
of 30 bedrooms.
1]? In early Dec,r,-)ber, the signal platoons of the battalions of the 2d
.ecz Regt were ambled into a signal company which totalled 64 men.
The signal personnel of the regimental headquarters sta,ed in the command
company., On 11 December, the re` imental school numbered exactly 118 men,
mainly recruits,
12? On 2-', aovem!her 1954 an atomic defense course tern:inated in Karpin, No
details were known, y
13, The construction of a
of the 3d ;.:ecz Regt,
defense training room cormienced in the area
14 In late November, preparatory measures for a major bgilding project were
observed in the area of the former brickyard on the southeastern perimeter
of :ggesin, L field railway was alread.- in operation at the site.
15, :.rotor vehicles which were parked under shedroofs in Section A of the
Spechtberg installation in late November 1;54 included 65 tanks and S2' Uuns,
6 three-axle armored personnel carriers, and 6 moJel 3A-64 armored scout
cars., Seven i 34/S,5 tanks were serviced in the previsional worbshop.
Perr.ianent garages for trucks were under construction,,
S' CR_'T
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900490002-5
 Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900490002-5
1e t:,aks and! ,inns , crc r _ed un_'.'~r shedro: tion
is in Se
o" VVie in_ taJ 1 tion, Co^1%-~ieted ,;a.ra,Les ';.,used. about 50 trucks .
_h 'c '~". T jLji5 tan., :3 :.ere h used in atraes in Section C . , t'e U Z.,
ins t:: I..1, ion r:hic`h was occu,)ied by tank insr,ruction t. t* licr,',
I.. rile Kaf)i 1n-3 1f3.11 :tior.d t.PB onstru tion o. .`3e;,.'tt1o, 1 ? , .. s i.ito:,-c
1.Y: E in ti1F area 3oL:i.hp st Oi JAut1o: E of t:e in. -a11,-tio Tlho YE'N
::e( :I0Y1 ^ _.., ..ll' `;F?:.il;' s i d '-_led to : use. :in! .~.rti.1.Ier;, ordri.i ice .t :_..iT.
J;:se for eC;",antzed i v 310:1 :s,-,;esino "rior to I December, no
,`(ins ' i'iic t aon aat.ivi ty was ohcierved..,
~err;:ent., TI-.e present re :ort su':,otc,n',iates ',revicus tate;.:ents
datin- from early ^.ove fiber. This re i^.ent may have an
rii`.,hcri ;Pd strenTth of 800 non -:!though a, corres or.ai' , `_iove* r. n-rim
~=A ..,ent
i:cludes tvr battalions and is ? believed to have an authorized
strenv'.h of about 600 l,ene Previous reports frcn the EC.resin oilletin,
office have -.entioned an authorized strenr;th of 107 officers, 155 'COs ".-Id
57 e.:1 isted sen, or a total of fi59 ;en
Comment. The present re,-crt indicates that the stren-th of the '_,:
re,, i ent i3 still the same as reported irl? September and October l95 .. If
a1:t the discharges have been covered 'oy t ].e present report, the dicc'na.r?e
Comment , :,`oat of 'icers .v;o are mentioned in '.he present report
have been known in-their previous a2,, ;ointments. One :'ajor Johns (fnu)
has been known as commander of the 3d !Iedz Rep;t prior to the surmer of
1;54, lie has possibly been superseded Major Schwenke (fnu)? who has
good qualifications, and has taken over Schwenke?s previous a ,-ointrient
as deputy cor;.;andcr of the 2d I'ecz Uegt instead,. Senior Lie
Lvr)ut2nant Pa.:l (fnu) has been the previous commander of the 1st 3n
of the 2d i.;ec:~; Re;tn
L__~,^orir.ent,. A previous report dating; fro:., about 8
November, has mentioned that,?this course of instruction has been
Comment.. The present report ;enerally ajreos vi
3tter,erts datin; from late October,
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
NOI)EX
Approved For Release 2008/02/29: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900490002-5