CHINESE COMMUNIST MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AND ACTIVITIES, TAKLAKHAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2007
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 4, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
CENTRAL ttVfEll1GENCE AGENCY
'rel. m~peMt eo.talo. l.ro~..uoa a*.oun~ cn. rat/ooal n.rn.. of tn. onlse Saw .-1Lnla sn. m..alr~ or se. a~lalap Lws, rlw
lt, IIJ.O. Mes. 7p sat 7M, tee tfanwelaYon or rewatlon of wake m an9 mann.r to an uaavteorb~d w*son la D~1OlMA b law.
COUNTRY ~~
DATE OP INPO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
t~iiaese Communist Military
>~stallationa and ictivit3ea
Taklakhar
4 4ugnet.1955
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
REPORT NO.
HATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
This is UNEVALUATED
Information
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
Few 1CLlitary Fort, Taklakhar
1. In late May there was a ne~- fort at Taklakhar (N 30-15, E 81-10) on the went
side of the F~r*+ai i River. The main apprnach to the tort was via swell-
conatructed bridge across the garnali. The bridge was made of steel girders
surfaced with a triple layer of heavy wooden planks. The tort wan approximately
one halt-mile to t2}e north of the western end of the bridge. '
2. The tort, situated on the top of a hill about 500 feet above the titer, was
approximately two miles from the old Taklakhar tort, which was on the
opposite aide of the river. In May the Chinese Coasnunista were using the
old tort as a storage place and arms magazine.
The new tort was oblong in shape and about three miles in circumference. The
entire area wan enclosed by a masonry wall nix feet high and approximately,
tour miles in dreumference~ This wall was surrounded by barbed wiry seven
feet high and 15 feet deep. There were sentry boxes every 15 yards.
fit. The walls of the tort itself' were 25 to 30 feet highsr;d 6 to 8 teat thick.
The walla were of atone and cement. There were watchtowers about 50 feet
high at each of the t our corners of the t ort, and sentry poets about every
50 yards around the circumference of the tort.3 fitter dark the towers were
illuminated by very powerful lights.
5. The main gate of the tort was made of iron and was on the east side of the
tort. It was 12 teat high and 9 feet thick. ~fithin the tort there were
four mayor barracks for housing troops.. L total of approximately 1,000
troops could be accommodated in these barracks.
6. Other bnildinga within the tort included the following;
a. Three storehouses for material.
b. One ator?house.
0-0-1~-F-I-D-~N-T-I ~--L
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
 Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
C-O~~-F I D-FrN-T-I-A-L
c. One special stronghold roomm (sic).
7. The parade or drill ground was located in the c enter of the fort. Zt was
about 60 or 70 feet (sio)..
6. The ldtch~n and nesa were about 250 yards t rom the fort. The kitchen
consisted of tour large rooms; the seas consisted of eiSht.halla. 1
vegetable trnok garden was aaintained within the tort and was cared for
by the soldiers.
Security and Defense
9. Sentry posts mere at both ends of the bridge over the Karnali fiver. Only 25X1
Chinese Conmu~:st silitary personnel sad a few others granted special passes
of lindted validity w~sre permitted to aross'ths bridge. Civilians carrying
special passes were detained st the bridge long enough to be searched
thoroughly by the ssatry. .Civilians were aub~ectsd to this search each
time they crossed the bridge regardless of how maip times a day they used
the bridge. There 25X1
was another CAeC[pOlnt aoouL cS(7 yams Deyona the oriage enroute to the tort.
10. Four soldiers were on duty at the main gate at all times. a pass was
necessary to gain eatrance to the tort. E~ren during the construction period
non-Chinese laborers wire not used !or work within the tort.
11. During darkness the Chinese Oommunists illuminated the maids and the outer
perimeter of the fort with what appeared to be a brilliant gas-burning
lighting system. The light was very bright and caused considerable awe
among the local Tibetan inhabdtanta.
12. There were 12 antiaircraft positions around the tort. Other antiaircraft
positions were in the surrounding hills. Other types oS artillery were
in place within the tort.
Motorized Military Equipment, Taklakhar area
13. approximately 1tO motor truoka mountiag cannons were brought to and aaaembled
in Kho~arnath (E 30-10, $ 81-20) during the winter of 1951x1955. The cannons
mounted on the trucks w~sre long and measured eight to nine inches at the
muzzles. Occasionally soae of these trucks were seen on the road between
Kho~ar:uth and Taklakhar.
Airstrip and aircraft, Taklakhar
llt. There was an airstrip about one mile tram the fort. Zt was on the s ame
aide of the river as the tort and about one half-mile south of the bridge
that leads to the tort. The afratrip has swell-construoted runway
appracimately 13,000 to 15,000 feet long and about 30 to !iO feet wide. There
was a ~ area ~~t ~? feet long and 35 feet wide surfaced with wooden
planks
C-0-11 F-I-D-&-N-T-I-A-L
Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
 Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3
25X1
25X1
~~~
1,5. A 4hinNa aiYit~ ltixa`'~ ~~M,K oaf ~nr~r tiw or thtxe xee~,it
the ~~r .z oa1.1,. Sh 1~ ~~ 4~,Lies.. Jla~ordi~ to
r~o~s is the ~, tl~ . il~r is !'ros ElRig Prov3aaa~.
i.
~.
Cp
~ liar redo. , tom
8o~cte ~-ra1M-1-3,~- aw1~t tit the.. M, xire ',~a~c 1'~ tse~ 1[i.~e fait that
the. iron ~-t~ >~ 9 fee~i:.~~M~.
~o2,~.iers at ~ t~~IMC .
the .~ of the #ort ~ ~ 1T totitr
1- . ~w~e repo~t#~ed thl.1~ . ti,,elb
hyt a aka.. ~~ .. try a~~T ~ to ~ ~t
~1i~e. Tha asi-i~~a !~-.~ t,A~ ir,Ye ~! rayc ~ic-~ .1-3~00?
to ~~ ooca tae 1,,oa~ .a* to tills ~I~i~-#s~; the o! tlr r~aratiyr,
,~1A to 1W i`eety ~ too a~ra~~-
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2007/10/26 :CIA-RDP80-00810A007600210005-3