MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN ORANIENBURG PRENZLAU AND THE TEMPLIN-VOGELSANG AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A007000020007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 5, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/10/31: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA007000020007-8
CLASSIFICATION ?j""""` -
CO1 HTRY East Germany CFiiOR~( REPORT 25X1 04 - TOPIC Military Activities in Oranienburg, Prenzlau and the Templin - Vogelsang Area
EVALUATION LACE OBTAINED
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED
REFERENCES
PAGES 3 ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
REMARKS
PREPARED 5 May 1955
1. At 2200 on 10 April 1955, units from the barracks installation
southeast of Berliner Strasse (4742) in Prenzlau started to leave
for a summer camp. The following soldiers and materiel were entrained
at the Prenzlau freight station: 4 T-34/85 tanks, 3 six-wheel armored
personnel carriers, 2 repair shop trucks, 3 trucks with van-like 25X1
superstructure, 22 trucks with personnel including 8 trucks towing
122-mm field howitzers and 57-mm AT guns, between 2200 and 2315; and
11 T-34/85 tanks, 1 T-34 tank without turret, 8 repair shop trucks,
2 trucks with van-like superstructure, 3 six-wheel armored personnel
carriers, 4 four-wheel armored personnel carriers, 1 armored scout
car and 18 trucks with personnel between 0030 and 0100.
2. Prior to 10 April. there were no indications of a departure of
the units from the barracks installation northwest of Berliner Strasse
(4741) in Prenzlau.
3. No loadings were observed in Prenzlau between 10 and 15 April.
4. At about 0700 on 16 April, all trucks with troops and guns, which
had been entrained on 10 April, returned to Prenzlau from the direction
of Templin. The 15 T-34/85 tanks and 10 armored personnel carriers
did not return.
5. On 16 April. 3 six-wheel armored personnel carriers and some 20
trucks were seen in front of shed No 1 and near the adjoining sheds.
In the west section of the installation, 9 field kitchens and 14
tank trucks were seen, compared to 1 field kitchen and 7 tank trucks
seen between 11 and 15 April.
6. Normal training continued in the barracks installation northwest of
Berliner Strasse in Prenzlau. Driving school with tanks and trucks
was daily observed in the town and the training area on Sternhagener
Weg. A JSU-122 gun, 1 JS-2 tank and 1 T-34/85 tank were seen in the
training area northwest of the installation. On 14 April, 2 T-34 tanks
were unloaded at the Prenzlau freight station and subsequently entered
the kaserne northwest of Berliner Strasser
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fit. ,25X1
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7. The officer dependents' billets on Thorner Strasse were occupied
as previously until 16 April.1
8. During the first half of April, Camp Vogelsang (4823) was occupied
to capacity. It was the impression that additional units had been
quartered there.
9. On 5 April, a column of some 50 trucks with personnel wearing
red-bordered black epaulets, some 20 radio trucks, jeeps, motorcycles
with and without sidecars and 3 field kitchens arrived at the camp from
the direction of Zehdenick.
10. At about 1600 on 11 April, 25 to 30 trucks with pontoons entered Camp
Vogelsang. At about noon on 12 April, 40 to 50 trucks carrying billeting
equipment, bedsteads and straw matresses arrived in Camp Vogelsang.2
11. On 13 April, heavy fire of artillery and rifles was heard from the
area north and northwest of Camp Vogelsang throughout the day.
MiG-15s were repeatedly seen attacking this area-3
12. At about 0800 on 14 April, the following column entered the Sued Lager
(Vogelsang) from the direction of Zehdenick: 3 buses occupied b,}?
officers, 3 empty buses, 3 radio trucks, 3 repair shop trucks, 6
sidecar motorcycles, 4 field kitchens, and 12 trucks carrying boxes
and equipment.2
13. At about 1430, 4 large ZIS-type sedans occupied by at least 1 general
and several high-ranking officers and 5 sedans occupied by officers of
various ranks entered the camp from the direction of Zehdenick. At
about 1600, ailarge ZIS-type sedan left the camp.
14.
Firing and noise of engines, which were heard from the area north
and northwest of Camp Vogelsang, continued throughout 14 and 15 April.
All troops from Camp Vogelsang had presumably left for this area.
The usual supply traffic to the camp discontinued during the period
mentioned-3
15. At about 0900 on 17 April, a troop train passed through the Oranienburg 25X1
railroad station and proceeded toward Berlin. The shipment included
2 T-34 tanks, 2 T-34 tank chassis, 10 guns presumably 122-mm field
howitzers, 4 six wheel armored personnel carriers, 12 BA-64 armored
scout cars, 2 to 3 x 45-mm AT guns, 2 field kitchens, 415 flatcars
with equipment and 12 to 15 boxcars with personnel.
Comment. Observations on 16 April contradict the previous
assumption that the elements of the 25th Tank Div, which departed
on 10 April, started to leave for a summer camp.
LCorunent. The increased occupation of Camp Vogelsang, as well 25X1
as the columns observed on 5, 11 and 14 April, confirm the assumption
that the units of the 25th Tank Div which left Oranienburg between 8
and 12 April, are stationed in Camp Vogelsang with the bulk of the
division. 25X1
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Comment. Major elements of the units of the 25th Tank Div
stationed in Camp Vogelsang engaged in firing practices.
Comment According to composition of shipment, units of
the 10th Gds Tank Div, which had left Satzkorn for L chen at the
un on April
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