MILITARY ACTIVITIES AND SHIPMENTS IN THE AREA OF THE FOURTH GDS MECZ ARMY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A007400570001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 27, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP80-00810A007400570001-0
VALUATIO
DATE OF CONTENT.
DATE OBTAINED
REFERENCES__._
PAGES 2
REMARKS.
PLlkCE- 0BTAINE~
DATE PREPARED,
ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
1. .,. fhe f. ollowrinr; air activity was observed at Briesen airfield between
4 and 12 ;.:ay 1955:
r ' 4 4i a . There was no flying at night. After 2300 hours, IL-20s took
off about every 2 minutes for individual flights. Approximately 15
aircraft were in the air at the same time. Except foi' 2 aircraft,
all of the IL-28"s flew without position lights. The' airfield and
runway lights had not been switched on.',A red jearchlight was in
operation at the eastern end of t.e runway. Darin air activity,
several of the aircraft fired 5 individual rounds from their machine
iiriued about 0210. The
guns. Targets eabre not noticed. Flying discont40
weithor was overcast with a strong southwesterly wind.
5 t'av. At 1840, hours, two transport aircraft took off in a heavy
thunder showed/and flew circles over the field at an altitude of
800, to 1,000 lheters. From one of the planes which was flying at a
slightly lower altitude than the other one, six men parachuted at
intervals of about 15 seconds. After the aircraft had flown another
circle, an additional six parachutists jumped. ',When the rain stopped
at about 2000 hours, heavy night flying began after the pattern
observed in the preceding night. This tire, however, all aircraft
used their position lioht4 and the runway lights werq also in
operation. Flying discontinued about 0148. At 1700 25 I.L--aas*'and
two LI-2s ..,ere observed parked on the hardstands al$nU the southern
w
taxiway. `
.yea One LI-2 took off five times between 1400 and 1900. 71'eather
was.5 10 overcast and the cloud base was at 2,0;:0 meters. :)uring
each flight by the LI-2, 14 parachute jumps were made; a total of
77 parachutists were observed during; the five fli-,hts which were
made at intervals of one hour each.
11 'a At about 1300, five uiG-15s w.ich up?roached from the east
crossed the airfield. After banking several times in the vicinity-
of the field, they continued their flight to the west. Between 20u0
i4
CiASSIFtCATION
28 June 1955
'ci
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:;inu V! 5O intensive ni:;ht flying 4&a Iont :, ;~.ct t em, our or hive
"::mutes One l 1l:lt? t:)oa Off, . 'j~fl6.re were l') c i i i1i i ^?'' ft SEerI a1c. t
at, tie sarn tire: oP, this a:;.t &ctivit t:ho
i.ld V r,df aI s .L;hts lasted about 20 r.ir.utes, Airf-Ae..i ar:d runway
I ~,~tilt3 Sieve noy uvt':v~Jl a:-id & L'eC'c S?tATCa..t.'..??at ut 'ththe
eas rrl en"4 of t r',,n 7ay &s in oneratioi 2 a .x?czaft used t :ir?
posit j.!.) n } i;;4ts and $TAAjc ,ec on tt:o write ttil'iine, 1a nt ; before
t} ey I.,? i d -
volilr ?6rlt. Briesen airfield is still "obctipied by a bomber
regiment equipped with about 30 IL-28e. It is believed that the
parachute jurors were made within the framework of scheduled training
for f1yir r$i~Fifle
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COUNTRY-
TOPIC
CLASSIFICATION S., C
East Germany
REPORT
Military Activities and Shipments in the Area of the Fourth
Gds Meos, ,Army
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAIN
REFERENCES
PAGE
REMA
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1. On 13 May 1955, it was learned that an airfield was to be constructed
in the,Rroechlendorf Wichmanndorf-Been area, about 12 km southwest
of Prenzlau. The clearing of a wooded area of approximately 200 25X1
hectares lead already started. Farmers were reportedly no longer
permitted to work on their fields.
2. Between 16 and 18 May. a total of approximately 30 trucks with
barracks sections from Capp Vogelsang or Kannenburg were seen an route
unlo
Wio
to
t of Beenz and that the area between Kroeohlendorf-
villages wer
tanks
Bee
oh was reportedly being erected northwest of
led by Soviet troops with tanks. Three T-34
observed. Residents ffbm the adjacent
restricted to their houses after 2100.
3. grior to t!P area south of the Kannenburg look at the
Tomplin training grounds had been evacuated and relinquished, except
for several buildings just south of the look. Soviet sentries were
still observed near the look. The camp north of Grosser Lanken See
was still occupied.2 During the nights of 17118 and 26/27 l
firing pradtioes were held at the Templin training groun
4. At midnight on 24 May, a shipment with 8 canvas-covered tanks was
seen at the Eberawalde freight station. The shipment was no longer
observed there at 1100 on 25 May.4
5. At 2030 on 30 Mav. 6 T-54 tanks and, from a boxcar, an escorting
detail and equipment were unloaded at the Satzkorn railroad station.
The shi meat had arrived from
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eztilau. A Boitzenburg resident stated that the trucks were
.PLAN 08TAINED
Beans had been confiscated by the Soviets and was 25X1
tank training area. The area included woods and
DATE PREPARED 27 June 1955
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6. On 31 MaY, 4 T-34/85 tanks, 1 radio or repair shop truck, 1 sidecar
motorcycle, 1 field kitchen and approximately 10 boxcarloads of
soldiers were entrained or detrained at the Bernau railroad station.6
7. On 1 and 2 June, the Luftnachrichten Kaserne (4241) in Bernau was
apparently not occupied to capacity. The absent troops were probably
stationed in the training area near Sohoenow from which locality noise
of battle and reports of guns were heard almost daily. 7
8. On 9 June, a train with 10 tanks, trucks and 5 boxcars with soldiers
want from Templin to Berlin-Kaulsdorf
Comment. It cannot yet be determined whether an advanced
airfield or a training grounds for units from the Prenzlau post was
being prepared in the area southwest of Prenzlau. It is possible that
dismantle buildings from Camp Vogelsang or Hammelspring were being
used. See Comment 2.
Comment. The information indicates that Camp Hammelspring
south of the Kannenburg look had been dismantled, while Camp Kannenburg
north`-of Grosser Lanken See was still in existence and was possibly
occupied by firing details of the 6th Gds Mecz Div. The cantonment
buildings from Camp Hammelspring had presumably been shipped to the
area northwest of Beenz.
Comment The firing presumably involved units of the 25th
an iv stationed in the Neue Kaserne northwest of Vogelsang
(south of 4823) and/or units of the 6th Gds Mecz Div.
5.
6.
on . The train probably carried a tank firing detail of the
s Mecz Div, which presumably went to Templin. The transfer was
confirmed by other reports. Firing details of this division had
repeatedly been entrained for Templin prior to late May.
C?mmen,s, This arrival of T-54 tanks for the 10th Gds Tank Div
nfirmed by several sources.
omment. A tank firing detail of the 6th Gds Mecz Div which,
according to railroad records, had transferred to Templin on 18/19
May, presumably returned.
Commen. Exercises of elements of the 6th Gds Mecz Div in the
Sc oenow post training area west of Bernau had repeatedly been
reported by several sources during the month of May.
omm nt A firing detail of the 68th Gds Tank Regt of the
ds Meoz Div which ~ was transferred
to Templin on 20 May, probaly returned on this train.
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