TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION AND CONTROLS OF SOVIET TROOPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008600760005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 20, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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MFOO RAI MK REPO RV ONFOQMATOO I RE Pon
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY East Germany/USSR
SUBJECT Travel., Documentation and
Controls of Soviet Troops
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRE
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 20 December 1955
NO. OF PAGES-4
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED Information
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G AJ USSR
MILITARY
/C. E./POLITICAL
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(Permit).
may travel to East BERLIN for any reason whatever without a special Propusk
No member of the Soviet Occupation Forces either officers or O.R. a
Tra;*el from Soviet Zone to East BERLIN - for. Soviet Forces.
3. Officers and O.R.s occasionally go to BERLIN on duty or on. oonduoted
excursions.
leave.
whose individual. names would be listed on both documents.
the group would have one'Propusk and one Movement Order covering all the members,
as a member of a group excursion, it is probable that the officer in charge of
Order (Komandirovoohnoe Udostoveren~ie) if he travelled on duty.. If he travelled...;
1+. In addition to the Propusk, an officer or O.R. would require.a Movement
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groups of about 25X1
twenty men having, gone on excursions from units in other towns.
few other nits stationed in the capital.
5.,- Officers travelling to BERLIN on duty would most likely be from
Intelligence, Signals or Administrative (Intendantskie) units, as there are
7. - Its ti?cle is something like "Propusk na svobodryj v'ezd v sovetakij
sektor goroda BERLIN" ("Permit to allow entry into the Soviet sector of BERLIN")!
It is blue/green in colour and has a broad red diagonal stripe across it. It
is always s!.gned by the Chief of Staff of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
(Nachal'nik Sht ba Gruppy Vojak v Germanii). The signature iaa
that of (General; TAI There is also a rubber stamp with a Field Post Number
on it (presur.iabl the F.P.N. of the Group). Blank Propusks - already signed -
.-are sent to the H.Q. of each Army in Gerrmiany, but not to lower levels. Each
unit has to apply through the normal channels to Army H.Q.'for the issue of
Propusks, which may only be granted by the O.C. of the respective-Any. if,
for example, the NORDI-IAUSEN Komendatura wished to obtain a Propusk, application
would have to be. made to Army H.Q. via the District Kcmendatura (Okruzhnaya
Komendatura)? :,..:
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Travel to German Zonal Frontier Areas - for Gerr.ians.
8. Along the Soviet side of the Soviet/Western zonal frontier in Germany
there are two zones to vhich travel. for Germans (t:.apart from tr'anait) is allowed
only with a Permit
?(a) a zone 500 rietres deep adjoining the frontier;
.(b) a zone 5 kilometres deep behind (a).
The Permit for (a) is white, for (b) blue-green in colour.
9. Until the end of 1953 or early l951+ the Permits, which were. issued,
signed. and stamped by the East German Police,. had to be approved by the local
Soviet Komendant. Without his stamp the Permit was not valid. In many cases
the Kome ,dint arbitrarily vetoed travel to the frontier zones.
10. Since the end of 1953 or early 1954 it has no longer been necessary to
obtain Soviet approval for the issue of Permits, which-is now done entirely by
the East German Police.. The Soviet authorities are no longer either consulted
or informed about the issue. The Permit, vlnioh is printed in German and Russian,
contains :
(a) Full name of holder;
(b) Description of holder;
(o) Mode of travel and route;
(d) Signature and rubber stamp of the local Chief of Police.
11. When applying for a Permit to visit a frontier zone the intending
traveller should obtain a letter of invitation from the persons (friends or
relatives) whom he wishes to visit, certified by the local Mayor, and produce
it with his application to the Police. The only other reason for which a
Permit is issued is in connexion with employment, in which case a certificate
from the employer is reouired. Permits are, however, now readily granted when
the above-mentioned supporting documents are produced. On public holidays, such
as Easter and Christmas, many people succeed in travelling'without Permits.
Travel on German Trains - for Soviet Forces.
12. On most, if not all, German trains in the Soviet Zone of Germany one coach
is attached - usually in the middle - for the exclusive use of the Soviet forces.
All personnel using it should be in possession of either a Movement Order
(Komandirovoohnoe Udostoverenie) or a Leave Pass (Otpusknoj Bilet) in addition
to a railway ticket. There is, however, normally no document check in these
coaches (except on the outskirts of BERLIN or near the frontiers).- A German
ticket inspector usually. comes round to check tickets only.
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Controls and Checks carried out by Soviet Komendaturas.
17. Up to the end of 1953 or early 1954 officers of the Soviet Komendaturas
were empowered to check the documents of any Russian or German - in uniform
mufti - whom the believed to be actin suspiciously,
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(a) A'German civilian who had been loitering for over an hour outside the
Komendatura was brought inside the Komendatura, questioned, and asked
for his documents. These were in order. As nothing suspicious
could be. proved he was soon released.
(b) On the day following STALIN's death in March 1953, when official
mourning had been proclaimed in the Soviet Zone, three drunken
Germans were singing rowdy songs and enly making a nuisance
of themselves in the street. general
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on patrol ]took the Germans to the Komendatura on the 2bAl
grounds that ey were being disrespectful ("Za neuvazhenie").
The German Police were called. The drunks were soon released.
One cf them, who had no identity documents on him, was first
fined 15 Ostmarks on the spot.
18. In general, if a German seemed particularly suspicious after preliminary
questioning at the Komendatura, the normal procedure would be to summon the
German Police. In serious oases, such as suspected espionage, the Komendant
would also telephone the Osobyj Otdel (Special Section) at NOHRA. If a non-
Germ= civilian should be detained, there would technically speaking be no
need to inform the German Police.
19. After the end of 1953 or early 1954, when the MR had been granted a
greater measure of sovereignty, the Soviet Komendaturas were bound to summon
the German Police at once for the questioning or document checking of any
German whom they wished to detain.
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Soviet Komendatura Patrols in NJP.f`iAUSEN
20. A patrol, usually consisting of one Duty Officer and two O.R.s, patrolled
the town of NORDHAUSL.\T every evening between about 2030 and 0100 hrs, and on
Saturdays and Sundays between about 2000 and 0200 hrs. Daytime patrols wei:
21. In addition to their normal duties, the Komendatura officers had -
efter the rising of 17th June, 1953 - each been allotted a number of points
in NORDEAUSEN the security of which they were supposed to supervise in the
event of any repetition of strikes, disorder, sabotage. etc.
Documentation of Soviet Personnel in Ge:n.arxv
22. Office-:?s - Must always carry with them their Identity Document
(;Jdostoverenie Lichnosti). If in a place where they are not stationed, must
also have either (a) Leave Pass (Otpusknoj Bilet) or (b) Movement Order
(Komar.dirovoohnoe Udostoverenie).
23. O.R.s' Must always carry with them their Army Book (Sluzhebnaya
Knizhka). They are not, normally.allowed'out of barracks except between about
1500 and 1800 hrs on Saturdays and between 1000 and 1800 hrs on Sundays, and
then only in groups of two or more. The senior ;nan in charge of the group
must have a walking-out pass (Uvol'nitel'naya Zapiska), on which the date and
time of leave of absence are marked; the pass is usually signed by the officer
in charge of the formation (i.e.,.platoon, company, battalion,'etc.) to which
the bearer belongs, and is stamped with the unit stamp with F.P.N. (Note: A
walking-out pass in the USSR is valid for up to 4.8 hours, but in Germany usually
for not more than 12 hours.) If an O.R. is in a plane where he is not stationed
he-must have, in addition to his Army Book, either (a) Leave Pass or (b) Movement
Order. It is very rare to see an O.R. in public alone.
5EWRET,
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24. Civilians attached to the Soviet Army (."Vol'none e") - Must always
carry on them their external passport (Zagraniohnyj Paspo~. If in a place
where they are not stationed, must also have (a) Leave Pass or (b) Movement
Order.
(NOTE: Only officers are allowed to enter public German places, such as cafes,
etc. An O.R. in one of them would be immediately questioned.)
26. In NORDHAUSEN - a frontier area where there were large numbers of
uniformed German frontier and other police - police checks took place most
nights (especially at week-ends) in most restaurants (especially at the H.O.
GaststL.tte). Normally only uniformed Germans were asked for their documents,
and had to produce their walking-out pass (Ausgangsschein) and Identity
Document (Personalausweis). The checks were carried out by the Volkspolizei,
Grenzpolizei and Trcnsportpolizei, each of whom checked their respective service.
27. It is very rarely that Genaan civilians are asked for their documents,
even if they are not known to the local Police.
28. At closing time (usually at 2400, 0100 or 0200 hrs) the local
Volkspolizei in NORDHAUSEN visit most restaurants to ensure they are not
overstepping the limits.
29. Document checks of Germans very seldom take place at NORDHAUSEN railway
station,.although Volkspolizei are usually on duty there.
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