SOVIET AND EAST GERMAN ARMY ACTIVITY IN THE HALLE AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A033200700001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 14, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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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.G. Sea. 70.9 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorised person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY East Germany
SUBJECT Soviet and East German Army
Activity in the Halle Area
DATE DISTR. 1i- March 1957
NO. PAGES
REQUIREMENT
NO.
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE A
DATE ACQ.
25X1
and East German Army activities in the Halle area between 21 December 1956
and 26 January 1957. The report gives the following information:
1. 'Observations of Soviet engineer and tank troops at the Heide Kaserne, Halle.
2. Equipment of the engineer and tank troops.
3. Joint training of all arms, Soviet and East German Armies, in training areas
near Halle.
4. Large-scale excercise on the Brandenbergen beginning 24 January 1957 of all
arms of the Soviet division in the Heide Kaserne, Halle.
5. Arrangements for training of officers of the East German Army; Soviet
advisers with the East German Army.
6. Soviet rail transportation exercise,, 21 through 24 December 1956.
STATE ARMY X NAVY X
(Nob: Washington distribution indicated by "X field distri
bution by "#".)
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. JAA~
tF taET
(21 Dec 56 - 26 Jan 57)
EAST GERM4
MILITARY
SOVIET & EGA ACTIVITY IN HALLE AREA
equipment s3'e below.
1. PERSONNEL
HEIDE Kaserne 25X1
About 400 Soviet troops and 50 Soviet officers
(a) (Engineers) left the barracks for the Engineers Camp
along the SAALE c-a.nal. For equipment see below,
(b) By 26th January there were no Engineer Troops left
in the HEIDE Kaserne.
(e) 29th and 51st Decembers A tot,--.l'of about 200
Tank troops yrith th :ir ofj'lcers arrived at thFor e HEIDE 25X1
Kaserne from 'v`~8hi LITZ Kaserne
2. EQUIMM
(a) The Engineer tro.,ps in party 1(a) took with them:
16 Amphibious tanhe>
4 Large amphibious troop carriers
4 Assault boats
24 Lorries with trailers, loeaded with 40 large
pontoons inside which was tucked
40 smaller pontoons.
2 Lorries with cranes mom ted on them.
(b) 2 large amphibious troop carriers and 2 amphibious
tanks are undergoing repair at th : H.LIDE Kaserne.
(0)
The troops in pars 1(c) above took with them to
the HEIDE Kaserne:-
12 x T54s
16 x JS3s
8 x Towing vehicles with trailers on which were
mounted radar equipment covered with
tarpaulins.
(d) 26th January: On the railway tracks neax the
J$TERBOG Training Area Soviet Pioneer troops (Bautrupps)
were soon training with portable railway lo-ding dr ps.
Reeonnaissanco cars and lorries were being
3. GENERAL ACTIVITIES
fa)
Soviet/E. German Joint Traini
Since the middle of January Joint training of
all arms has been taking place on the training areas
near HALLE. Live ammunition is being'used. Soviet
instructors
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instructors are demonstrating the newer weapons to the
EGA, though it is noticeable that the EGA instructors,
giving basic training to their own troops, use only
older type weapons and vehicles such as T34s.
(b) Soviet Army Training on the BRANDBERGEN near HALLE
(i) Since 24th January a large scale exercise of all
arms of the division in the HEIDE Kaserne has been
t:king place on the BRANDBERGEN by night and day.
Civilians in the troop movement areas are turned back
by Soviet sentries.
(ii) Light and Heavy Tank formations are being exorcised
in the combined use of r ,ad ar and wireless. The infantry
taking part have "Walky-Talkies" on a scale of one to
16 men.
(iii) On 24th January an EGA stuff c:L.r with two senior
officers was soon at the exercise, c;ho appeared to be
observing it.
4. SOVIET ARRANGEVLENTS FOR TRAINING OF E.G. FORCES
(a) It is reported that training is given by the Soviet
Forces to E.G. officers at the follorring academies:-
Navy LENINGRAD
Air-Force - MOSCOW
Army - DRESDEN
(b) It is rumoured that EGA officers will no longer
be sent on courses to USSR, but only to the Military
Academy at DRESDEN. Staff training lasts five years,
but for o.dinary officers, one year.
(c) Throughout the EGA Soviet Army instructors in EGA
uniform are attached from company level upwards. Soviet
liaison officers to the EGA wear Russian uniform.
in (iii) below left ANGERSDORF Station
RAIL MOVEMENT
ANGERSDORF R-.ilway Station
(a) 21st to 24th December a Soviet rail transport
exercise took place.
(b)) 21st December: A train with the load detailed
25X1
25X1
25X1
but without any details of destin:,tion
being disclosed to the railway staff.
(o)-) 24th December: It returned intact
and the troops and vehicles as below
were off-loaded, and returned to the HEIDE kasorne:-
12 JS3s
16 T54s
About 200 Soviet troops with 26 officers.
26th December: The Engineer troops and equipment
listed in paras 1(a) and. 2(a) wore observed to arrive
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and entrain at ANGERSDORF Station.