RIVER CROSSING EXERCISES IN THE NEURUPPIN AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A038100250001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 22, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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H
REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
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.
SUBJECT River Crossing Exercises in the
Neuruppin Area
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
(report which
gives information on the following: (1) Construction of a large building at
the Panzer Kaserneo (2) Location of a Soviet post office, (3) Shipments to
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from Neuruppin (4I-) A detailed description of river crossing exercises on
,
Molchowseeo A sketch showing the assembly of 'a: bridging section and pcQa.ons
is also included.
STATE ARMY NAVY I IX AIR FB1
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#,I.)
AEC
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M
EAST GERMANY L
MILITARY
Soviet activity, Including river crossing exercises,
NEURUPPIN
(ltd Aug - 12 Sep 57)
NEURUPPIN
KASERNE
At 1700 hours 3 x T-34/85 and 5 x T-54 drove from the PAl`ZER KAS RNE
(BS 2205) via GENTZRODE towards the WITTSTOCK training area.
A Ia=n hu ldina for quarters is under construction at the PANZER
The old ry +^?-.,n+ "WPA iDr_npmRX"
post office.
At 1200 hours 2 x flats were loaded, each rith 1 x JS-3, at NEURUPPIN
station. They were attached to a train that left at 1235 hours towards NEUSTAIT.
At 1000 hours the following vehicles from GENTZRODE drove to the western
bank of the MOLCHOW SEE
8 x ZIS-151, each with a pontoon.
2 x ZIS-151, with metal bearers, approximately 6.5 metres long.
2 x ZIS-151 with wooden planks, 20.25 ems. wide, 4 metres long
and 6-8 oms. thick.
(d) 1 x ZIS-151 with a motor boat.
The pontoons are described as follo:,rs:
(a) Metal pontoons, 4 witr.out-away bows and 4 with straight bows
and sterns,
(b) Approximately 18 metres wide 40 3-3.5 metros long..
(c) Completely covered in, with a square opening in the middle of the
upper surface the NO of A manhole-
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8. On the east and west banks of the bottle-neck of the MOLCHOW SEE there is
a permanent bridge pier, used for exercise purposes. This is approximately
5 metres long, 3 metres of which project over thQ water and are supported on
stakes. The platform running surfaces are of wooden planks and are approxi-
mately 7-8 metres wide. 25X1
Approximately 5-8 metres from the west bank bridge pier
to the river's edge and launched the pontoons.
10. Thirty men, black/lilac sbds., began to assemble in the water a bridging
section 13 metres long, i.e. about 3 of the width of the lake at this point.
The assembling of this bridging section proceeded as follows:
(a) A pontoon with cut-away bows and a pontoon with straight bows were
manoeuvred into position, end to end, by means of a pneumatic boat
and were screwed together. Along each of the two longer sides of the
pontoons 3 iron plates, each 40 ems. long, were screwed into position,
so that approximately 20 cros. protruded beyond the sides of the pontoons.
(b) Two other pontoons were similarly treated.
(c) The four pontoons thus treated were then fastened together by iron bars)
about 1 metre in length, and equally spaced. These iron bars wore
bolted to the iron plates mentioned in para. 10 (a) above.
(d) At right angles to these iron bars, i.e. running parallel to the sides
of the pontoons, wooden planks were laid so that the running surface
of the bridging section wvas about 4 metres in width.
(e) The.distanoo between each pair of pontoons was about 1.5 metres.
11. Assembly was carried out in such a way that the bridging section, when
completed, stretched lengthwise, parallel to the side of the lake. A motor
boat than moved into position between'the second and third pontoons (see
diagram) and was held firm by a tow rope fastened to the first and fourth
pontoon, i.e. to the two outside pontoons.
12. The entire bridging section, comprising 4 pairs of pontoons, was then
manoeuvred, using the motive paver of the motor boat) alongside the western
bridging pier and fastened to it. Later the section was pushed to the eastern
pier and fastened to it also. No vehicles were driven onto the bridging
section to test it.
13. The following were the principal timings:
(a) From the unloading of the material to the completion of the bridging
section (inclusive) - 35 minutes. This does not include the positioning
of the motor boat in the middle of the bridging section.
N.B. All material was off-loaded manually. No cranes were used.
(b) From the fastening into position of the motor boat to the fixing of the
bridging section to the western pier (inclusive) 5 minutes.
14. This exercise was carried out in heavy rain.
15. At 1100 hours on 12 Sep 57 a bride, this time using open pontoons, was
erected at the same place an. stretched right across the lake.
SECRET
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16. This bridge, consisting of 3 sections, which wore assembled one after
the other by a group of 40 - 45 soldiers with black lilac sbds., was
manoeuvred into position and fastened as in the exercise described above.
Twelve minutes were needed to off-load the necessary parts and to assemble
the first suction.
17. After completion the bridge as tested by 3 x JS-3, which were driven
across one after the other - only one on the bridge at any one time.
SEICIET
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