MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN THE SPERENBERG - REHAGEN AREA AND IN THE APPLLENSDORF - WITTENBERG ENGINEER CAMP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008300310002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 12, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP80-00810A008300310002-7
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
NOFOaT
COUNTRY East Germany REPOR
TOPIC Military Activities in the Sperenberg - Rehagen area and in the
Apollensdorf - Wittenber Engineer Camp
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONTENT
DATE OBTAINED
REFERENCES _
PAGES 2 ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
1. In the morning of 13 September 1 25X1
~' 3 955, the loading of a train of 38 boxcars
d eavy-duty boxcar started in the barracks installation on Schumke Lake.
This is UNEVALUATED Information
near Sperenberg Materiel from the Eisenbahn ionier Kaserne in
agen arrive on 7 trucks including and 25X1
insignia. The shipment included tools, boards, beta large number of red
barrels (former fuel drums), billeting equipment and 2 field kitchens. The
boxcars were occupied by soldiers, elements of which probably came from
the installation on Schumke Lake, since the number of engineers quartered
in the Eisenbahnpionier Kaserne would not have gilled 38 boxcars. At 00151
on 14 September, the traintas shunted to the Sperenberg railroad station.
2. After the loading, wheeled amphibious vehicles, as well as track-laying,
amphibious vehicles, were still observed in the installation. The area
between Hege Lake, the old forester's house and the Kummersdorf firing
range was rutted by these vehicles.2 Between l.5 and 19 September, the
installation was occupied by 1,200 to 1,500 soldiers with black, blue-
bordered black and red-bordered black epaulets. At about 1300 on 16 September,
a train carrying 8wheeled and 1 track-laying canvas-covered amphibious
vehicles was shunted into the installation on Schumke Lake. The shipment
was escorted by only a few soldiers. At 0400 on 19 September, a train'
carrying 1 track-laying amphibious vehicle and 1 "bridge anchor" (?)
(Brueckenanker) was seen at the Sperenberg railroad station ready to be
shunted to the installation on Schumke Lake.
3. Between 15 and 19 September, the Eisenbahnpionier Kaserne was occupied by
some 1,000 soldiers who wore red-bordered black and blue-bordered black
epaulets. Temporary buildings were being erected in the installatio It was
noted that an unusually high number of motor vehicles was assembled in the
installation. No guns or N-type radio masts were seen. On 15 and 16 September,
bricks were unloaded from 4 flatcars with side:acks34nd were shipped to the
construction site in the Eisenbahnpionier Kaserne.
25X1
4. On 13 and 15 August, the engineer training site at Apollensdorf ~ near 25X1
Wittenberg was occupied by at least 800 soldiers wearing black-bordered black
epaulets including some with construction engineer insignia. Approximately 25X1
Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP80-00810A008300310002-7
12 October 1955
 Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP80-0081OA008300310002-7
,SECRET
trriruc ed 2 s carry ng
l /c
double T
S
mewhat beyond t
,rucks with bridge
out 4 meters long. The T-beams projected
In addition to these trucks, some 15
material (planking) and 3 assault boats
Aen trucks (presumably for 10 to 12 men) were observed in the installation.`".
a train of 11 RRy-type heavy-duty flatcars
sough of the first shed in the west section of the installation. At least
80 percent of the windows of the installation were lit at dusk. The
construction of a second wooden shed, presumably also a vehicle shed, started
ki. toons_,were seen in the installation. Each pontoon
3 flatcars with sideracks and 2 boxcars, weight of load 500 tons, went.
from Wittenberg to Jueterbog - Altes Lager on 5 September.5
1. I comment. The traih, which was loaded in the barracks installation 25X1
on Schumke Lake on 13 September, was probably identical with shipment
determined whether the unit left for an exercise or a construction
project, or if the unit was transferred. A construction engineer unit
has not been observed in the Eisenbahnpionier Kaserne while Soviet soldiers
with constriction engineer insignia and heavy engineer equipment had
repeatedly/o served in the installation on Schumke Lake. See Comment 2. 25X1
The motor vehicle belong to rear services of GSFG.
2. F__]Comment. The u/i unit with track-laying amphibious vehicles and 25X1
the 35th Engr Regt on the Third Gds Mecz Army were apparently still stationed
in the barracks installation on Schumke Lake until 19 September. The
training area of these units near Hege Lake is known. According to
composition of shipment, the two trains of 16 and 19 September carried new
equipment.. The device referred to as "bridge anchor" was;
3.
5.
undoubtedly a tie removing machine : 25X1
or,possi.oly, a trench digger. The 2-axle device on pneumatic tires was
about 8 meters long and about 2 meters high. The axles were 2 to 3 meters
apart. Two bent jibs with anchor-like points, which could be horizontally.
moved by a spindle, were seen within the wheel track. Devices of this type
have been observed in_the 25X1
installation on Schumke Lake.
Comment. The arrival of bricks and barracks sections tends to indicate 25X1
that the occupation of the installation was to be increased.
Since a departure of the decimeter unit and the units 25X1
31 August on 4 trains'` u ?.ii erved so far, it can he assumed that
weapons and equipment eds. .
by an engineer u-n o approxima ely 800 men since August 1954. The observatior
of at least 60 trucks with pontoons and the strength of personnel indicates, 25X1
a regiment which, according to motor vehicle numbers of the old numbering
system observed in 1954, was directly subordinate to GSFG.
Comment. According to composition of shipment, the shipment on 5 Septembe25X1
may have bean a tank firing detail of the 6th Gds Tank Div;
Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008300310002-7