1. TROOPS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN SCHWEIDNITZ (SWIDNICA) 2. TROOPS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN COSEL (KOZLE)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A007500010006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 24, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/06/09: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA007500010006-5
CLASSW CONFID l.'IAL
COUNTRY
Polish Occupied 'Germany, Poland
25X1
REPORT
1. Troops and Military Installations in Schweidnitz(25X1
-~ 1~1 CR~
Troops and Military Installations in
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED
REFERENCES
PAGES 3.
REMARKS
DATE PREPARED 24 June 1955 25X1-
ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE).
osel (KozYe)
25X1)
25X1
1. Prior to-June 1954, soldiers of the Soviet Air Force were observed 25X1
in the barracks installation on the south side of Grenadier Stress*
in Schweidnitz (P 51/H 18). A large portion of the upper stories of
this installation which included four buildings was empty. Some windows'
and doors were bricked up or boarded with planks. In the fall of 1953,
the buildings
were apparently also occupied below capacity. Prior to the summer of
1954, soldiers of the air force were also observed in the area of the
former Arras Kaserne which adjoined the above-mentioned-installation 25X1
to the west. Another barracks installation which was called the
Schuetzen Kaserne by the labor force at the Grunau kolkhose adjoined
the Arras Kaserne to the west. Soldiers wearing khaki uniforms and red
epaulets were observed leaving this installation.
2. In January 1954, five or six 85-mm Soviet-made AA guns were observed
in the area of the former Neue Artillerie Kasern.e, also named Barbara
Kaserne, in the northern sector of the city. In the summer of1954, 25X1
Soviet troops were also located in this installation. On 1 May 1954,
the former Alte Artillerie Kaserne, also designated Bolo Kaserne,
quartered Polish troops. All soldiers observed in the installation
were khaki uniforms and red cap bands and were members of young classes.
It was known that the Bolke Kaserne was the only installation at the
station which quartered Polish troops. 1
AROMNWWIMIT AT 25X1
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 soldiers at the station came from Warsaw. Bialystok (S 54/G 49)
and Fast-F-russia. Z
m
uary 1955, a three tanks was observed from
ain in Cosel, of the Kedzierz
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0 54/L .90) railroad line and 3 0 , _ILLEGIB
the Oder River. The height of t
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3. Prior to June 1954, the former Land- and Amtsgerichtsgebaeude
(District and County Court Building) housed the Soviet station
komendatura which was frequently contacted by the officials of
the Grunau kolkhose. Members of the Soviet staff at the Grunau
kolkhose said that this building also housed a supply headquarters,
an air force headquarters, and an army headquarters. The Grunau
kolkhose kept contact with these headquarters for ration supplies.
4. Prior to the spring of 1954, the Soviet restricted area southwest
of the city and on both'sides of the Waldenburg (0 51/H 07) road
The restricted area was guarded an closed with o ars se up
at the access ways. In the spring of 1954, a limited nuigber of
German and Polish civilians was still employed in this area.
5. Prior to June 1954, the former German large warehouses on the
southeastern perimeter of the airfield which were served with a
railroad spur were used by the Soviets for supply purposes. The
installation included three eight or nine-story warehouses, a storage
shed, a new messhall, and a storage area for old vehicles. Heavy
Soviet truck traffic was observed daily at the installation.
Shipments included rations, clothing, and spare parts for. motor
vehicles, weapons and aircraft.
n March 1954, over
100 old trucks and sedans whose usable parts gad been dismantled
were observed at the motor-vehicle storage yard.
6. Prior to early January 1955, the former Infanterie Kaserne in
Cosel (P 51/J 98), 700 meters southwest of the railroad station,.
quartered Polish soldiers on active military service. The soldiers
wore khaki uniforms and red service color. From October 1954 to
January 1955, construction work was done in the area of the
installation. a storage
shed and an unspecified underground installation were under
construction there. the installation
quartered a Polish infantry battalion and an AT unit. These units
were fully motorized. they were subordinate
to a command agency in Oppeln (P 5l /J 17)- In the summer of 1954,.
an undetermined number of soldiers were observed practicing with two
AT guns in the training area south of the installation. At an
unspecified date in the summer of 1953, about 20 guns of an unknown
model were observed in the area of the installation. No other heavy
weapons or armored vehicles were ever observed at the installation
or in the area of the station. After 1952, no essential changes in
the occupation of the installation were observed from outside. During
the summer months, the bulk of the troops went to a summer camp.
a large portion of the
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/09: CIA-RDP80-00810A007500010006-5
meters. Several. tankers were observed at the wharf of the Oder River,
and an undetermined number of tank cars was observed on the railroad
spur to 'the tank depot.
8. In-1952, four wooden barracks and, beside each barrack, a wooden
tower, about 25 meters high, were set up on a.meadow about 1
kilometer eastsoutheast of Wolfswiesen (Lenkau, P 51/Y 08). Each
wooden tower was topped by.a kind of.cockpit with windows. In 1953,
about 100 Polish soldiers who wore red service color occupied the
barracks. A house in Wolfswiesen was also requisitioned. The soldiers
laid black rubber-insulated wires,'5 to 8 mm thick, from the barracks
to each tower. Another wire led to the billets in the area of the town.
Polish'officers who arrived'from the direction of Cosel frequently
came to this unit. No special signal equipment was observed in
connection with the wooden towers. In January 1955, the unit was still
located at the same site.
25X1
Comment. It is known that the former'Alte Artillerie Kaserne, 25X1
also named Bolko Kaserne, is occupied by Polish troops. The unit is
still unidentified.
. Comment. An infantry unit in the former Infanterie Kaserne in 25X1
Cosel is reported for the first time, while an AT unit has been
mentioned'one time in August 1953? AThe AT guns observed possibly also
belong to the infantry unit which is mentioned in the present report.
The subordination of units in Cosel to a headquarters in Oppeln, as
mentioned in the present report, would indicate that these units a
com onents-of the 10th Mecz Div in Oppeln. Since the,units stat
, ion
ve hitherto been carried as component units of the 7th ILLEGIB
their superior headquarters is still undetermined. ILLEGIB
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2008/06/09: CIA-RDP80-00810A007500010006-5