MAGANESE MINE NEAR URKUT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006100020011-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2009
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: April 5, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/01/23: CIA-RDP80-00810A006100020011-3
CLASSIFIQAM lip
C II RANA Y
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
Hungary DATE DI
STR.
5 April 1(-,155
SUBJECT Maganese Mine near Urkut NO. OF
PAGES
oI_
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
NO. OF E
SUPPLE
REPORT
NCLS.
MENT TO
NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT SO
U. S. C..3 1 AND SY, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15 PRO-
HIBITED BY LAW REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM 15 PROHIBITED.
In June 3," % Woe was a azanese ndse near ti st (i 4%/b 58). abss 20 im was
hilly and wooded terrain, included an open-mine site, th_ee underground-mine a, a
manganese-washing plant, a laboratory, and a technical bureau. An administration
building, garages, a fire station,and repair shops were also available. The
installation had railroad connections. Two of the mines were connected by a cable
railway about 200 meters long.
2G The mine was subordinate to the Ore Mines Department of the Ministry of Heavy Industry.
It was founded in the 1920's; during WW II it was exploited by a company whiok was
partly controlled by German interests. In 1952, the installation was reined to
Hungarian property by the Soviets. A roasting plant was under construction in May 1954.
The construction of an aerial cableway to the manganese mine at Ajka was p]aznedo
The 1954 production target was fixed at 250,000 tons of manganese ore. BY 7 June
1954, the monthly production target was fulfilled only 70 percent. The ore A;Uwd
was shipped by rail to dzd or to Czeohoslovakiao In March 1954, production at one
mine was interrupted for more than three months because the mine was flooded by
water from rapidly thawing snow.
. The manganese mine was managed by mine superintendent Martin Rieger, about 35 years
old, an efficient expert, and a Bulgarian with the name of B. Trajan Gogriffo The
latter was about 45 years old and a graduate from Szeged University. In :a* 1954,
the mine employed about 100 persons who worked in three shifts. Mining a0tiviijes
were mostly mechanized.
[ARMY Ix I0 Approved For Release 2009/01/23: CIA-RDP80-00810A006100020011-3
 Approved For Release 2009/01/23: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100020011-3
Approved For Release 2009/01/23: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100020011-3