MERSEBURG AIRFIELD INSTALLATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A046800540001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 13, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This mat rial contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, 0.8.0. Sacs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which In any manner to an unauthorized person Is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY East Germany
SUBJECT Merseburg Airfield Installations
REPORT
DATE DISTR. I
NO. PAGES 1
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(report
which gives information under the following headings: (1) Runway
and Taxiway, (2) Radio and Radar Equipment, (3) POL Dump, (4) Housing,. and
(5) Telephone Communications. The following attachments are also in-
cluded:
Attachment.P:
A sketch showing the runway and its extension in
It
B:
relation to searchlights.
A.bliss#stihdfzatttio~rie~and~.an
It
C:
A sketch of a radio truck with aerial.
it
D:
A sketch of a radio truck with antenna and a box-like
It
E:
attachment.
A sketch of tanks at the POL dump.
it
F:
A sketch of possible concrete shelters.
it
G:
An overlay map of Mersebur airfield
STATE
1(Notes
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EAST GERMANY/U_, .S.S.R.
AIR
MERSEBURG AIRFIELD
(18 - 23 December 1958.)
and amendments as followst
RunwarX and taxi track.
1. At point No. 2 on the map an additional track connecting runway
with taxi track has been drawn in.
2. The extension to the western end of the runway (marked No. 3 on
the map) is some 50 metres long. It has been levelled but not concreted and
is of the same breadth as the runway.
3. Some 70 metres west of the western end of the runway there are four
searchlights in a row, pointing towards the west (marked No. 4 on the map).
The sketch attached at Appendix 'A' shows the runway and its extension in
relation to the searchlights.
4. Some 700 metres further west there are four more searchlights
standing in pairs (marked No. 5 on the map).
5. In the area marked (F) on the map no building activity was observed.
Ratio and Radar equipment.
6. At the point No. 11 on the map there stands an old water tower
some 15 metres high. On the roof of the tower there are two red position
lights and a wireless aerial some 3 metres tall. At Appendix 'B' is a
sketch of the tower and aerial.
7. A little north of the eastern end of the runway, at position No. 6
on the map, stand two W/T trucks with box bodies and rod antennae. The
antennae are some 6 metres tall and have on the top a three-cornered piece
some 0.5 metres in height.
8. The only difference between the two W/T trucks is that one has a
parasol-type antenna on the roof as well as a rod antenna, while the other
has a rod antenna only. Attached at Appendix 'C' is a sketch of the truck
and antenna.
9. Some 400 - 500 metres west of these two trucks another W/T truck,
at position No. 7 on the map, is standing. The antenna on this truck is
some 6 - 7 metres high and split at the top into two smaller, vertical
antennae, some 1.5 metres long.
10. On the side of the lower part of the antenna an upright box-like
object is attached which overlaps from the bottom of the antenna to the
box body of the truck. Attached at Appendix 'D' is a sketch of the truck
with antenna and box-like attachment.
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11. At position No. 8 on the map standa a KNIFEREST array and W/T truck.
Until October, 1958, a similar array was located at position No. 7 on the map,
where one of the W/T trucks now stands. It is not known exactly when it was
moved.
12. At position No. 9 on the map, midway between Nos. 7 and 8, stand
two box-bodied trucks with no antennae.
POL dump.
13. The POL dump is in the position marked (B) on the map, south of the
taxi track and south-west of the hangars, and consists of 16 tanks in three
groups. In the middle stand two tanks together on cement bases, with a
further group of 7 tanks on each side. The two tanks in the middle have an
estimated capacity of 20,000 litres each. A group of smaller tanks to one
side have an estimated capacity of 10,000 litres each, while the other group
consists of larger tanks each holding an estimated capacity of 25,000 litres.
Total capacity of the dump is therefore estimated at 285,000 litres.
14, Beside the two middle tanks which have cement bases stands an
upright wooden box which may contain a F___]pump. Attached at Appendix IEV 25X1
is a sketch of the POL dump.
15. Between the POL dump and the taxi track there are some 17 - 20 round
earthworks-type erections some 2 metres in height. They are erected singly
or in pairs and are scattered around in no discernable pattern. In some of
them Bement walls can be seen through the earth, suggesting that they are
concrete boxes or shelters with earth thrown up around them.
16. The diameter of these boxes or erections at the top is some 2.5 metres..
The lid or cover on top appears to be of metal from which short tubes can be
seen emerging like valves or connections.
17. Where they are in pairs the space between the two is some 7 - 8
metres. This space is filled in or covered over with earth, in the midst of
which can be seen openings rather like hatchways through iahich access is
presumably gained to the interior.
18. No tubes, wires or pipes could be seen connecting any of these erections
to each other. Attached at Appendix IF' is a sketch of a pair of them,
showing the earthwork and opening between.
Housing.
19. At a point marked (C) on the map, east of the hangars, there are
25 - 30 large, stone, 2-storeyed buildings with 9 windows along the front on
each storey and 3 windows along the side. These are taken to be living
accommodation for Russian families as a number of small children were playing
in a playground nearby.
Telephone communications.
20. Telephone line No. 1, marked as (1) on the map, roaches the airfield
coming from the west. The line runs along outside and not inside the air-
field perimeter fence (marked as No. 16 on the map). The line has 14 wires
and appears to go in the direction of the houses at position (C). It was not
possible to ascertain whether the line in fact ends there.
21,/.....
C E~? CINA
~M.
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21. Another line to the airfield comes from the north and the number
of wires in it varies. From the airfield to a point near the signal station
(marked as position No. 12 on the map) the line has 32 wires. From that
point on it has 30, from which it may be assumed that two wires go in an
underground cable to the signal station.
22. Of the 32 wires 26 on 3 Dross traverses come from the housing
estate marked as 13 on the map and the remaining 6 on one cross traverse
from the airfield installations.
23. From the signal station onwards this line, marked as No. 8 on the
map, has 30 wires on 4 cross traverses as far as the MERSEBURG - HALLE road.
24. When, however, the line reaches the distributor post on the west
side of the SAALE it only has 26 wires (see point marked 26 on the map).
From this it is assumed that the missing 4 lines go by underground cable
to a building occupied by Russians and marked as position No. 17 on the map.
This building is a small, single-storeyed, rustic-type house and though
occupied by Russians has no overhead telephone wires leading to it.
25. From the distributor post west of the SAALE the line splits up
into two lines, numbered(13) and (15) on the map, with 16 and 10 wires
respectively.
App r1' io s./...
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APPENDICES.
Run?:i::j :xtunoion and searchlights (seu paras. 2 - 3 of report).
Water tower with aerial (see para. 6 of report).
iw/T truck with antenna (see paras. 7 - 8 of report),
W/T truck with antenna (s;e paras. 9 - 10 of report).
I E' POL dump ( see para. 13 of report).
'F' Earthwork-cerent erections (see paras. 15 - 18 of report).
'G' Wap of 1 SEBURG Airfield with key as follows
1. T, .RSEBDRG - LAUCUSTADT road.
2. Tr;..ryK connecting runway and taxi tr.ck.
3?
Runway extension.
4. Four searchlights.
5 (t~~~ic~) Two pairs of searchlights.
6. Two W/T tr-iaoks.
7. One W/T tr'_tok.
8. Onc: :/T truck aad 2IFEIREST array.
I. Two
Fatchtowera.
'.with pcsltior.
310 z i.n~_; ~t ;;e .
~~oot.
Two V:coden huts.
Airfieli perimeter fur:ee.
Single-storeyefi buay'din occupied by Soviets.
POL lamp area are.
Russia family quarters.
Area whore no building activity taking place.
Telephone iinos.
SECRET CONTROL
U. SM +rFIC,ALS ONLY
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