1. WARSHIPS IN THE BARENTS AND WHITE SEAS 2. SHORE LEAVE AT MEZEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008400250004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2008
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 16, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/01/25: CIA-RDP80-00810A008400250004-1
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Lavu*, Tttle 25X1
18, U.S.C. Sees. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
S-F-C'-R-F-T
COUNTRY USSR (Arctic)
SUBJECT 1. Warships in the Barents and
White Seas
2. Shore Leave at Mezen
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
1. At about 0400 hours GMT on 4 August 1955, a naval vessel was 15 miles north 25X1
of Kildin Island on a course for the Kola Inlet. It was 300 to 400 feet long,
with an overhanging bow, a bridge with a large structure on it, a mast, a
break in the deck, a funnel, another mast, and another funnel (see sketch No.
1). In the forenoon on 5 August, a submarine s on a southeasterly course 25X1
west of Svyatoy Nos. and was about 350 feet long,
with a flat bow, and a_ comparat..veIy; high conning tower with a multi-barrelled
gun at the forward edge.
north of the Gorlo. There was a fairly light fog. The fog lifted a little
and a naval vessel then passed right by ship on a northerly course.
It was about 400 feet long, with a raked, streamlined funnel, and a. break in
the deck between the bridge and the funnel. The vessel towed two gunnery
targets. At 0400 hours GMT on 18 August, two westward bound formations of 25X1
minesweepers were between Cape Teriberskiy and Svyatoy Nos. Both formations
sailed in column and each consisted of seven or eight vessels. The first
and last vessels in each column were somewhat larger than the other five or
six. The larger vessels were 100 to 120 feet long, with a raised forecastle,
a gun forward of the bridge, a mast and funnel abaft the bridge, and some 25X1
equipment on the afterdeck. The smaller vessels were 20 to 30 feet shorter
and were flushdeckers, with an antiaircraft gun on the foredeck, and a
large drum on the afterdeck. At 0300 hours GW on 19 August, ten identical
MTB's were on a southerly course at a speed of at least 30 knots due south
of Nikodimskiy Point (N 66-07, E 39-08). They looked completely new. They
were short and wide, barely over 40 feet long, with a rounded bow,
a low open bridge amidships, a signal ma
e or e bridge, a low oval funnel abaft the bridge, and a 2bAl
AIR I v FBI AEC
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by
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3. At 1700 hours GMT on 22 August, a formation of seven vessels was on a northerly
course off the mouth of Kola Inlet. The formation consisted of three destroyers,
two minesweepers, one merchant vessel, and one depot ship. One destroyer sailed
a couple of nautical miles ahead of the merchant vessel. The other two des-
troyers flanked the merchant vessel. The depot ship sailed astern of the
merchant vessel, and astern to starbord, the minesweepers sailed in column. The
destroyers looked like small destroyer escorts of the usual English type with
one mast and one funnel. The minesweepers were small vessels, with clipper
bows, flush decks, a gun forward of the bridge, a relatively long bridge which
ended in a point with a searchlight or radar on top, a signal mast at the after
edge of the bridge, a machinery housing with a low funnel abaft the bridge, a
gun abaft the housing, and a low, extended grillwork structure at the stern.
(See sketch No. 2.) The depot ship had a peculiar superstructure. It extended
almost the entire length of the ship and had two or three stepped decks.
4. In Mezen there was no muster of the crew.
Sketch No. 1:
Sketch No. 2;
Minesweepers in Formation off Kola Inlet
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