MISCELLANEOUS MILITARY INFORMATION ON ASHKHABAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A054700240001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 27, 1960
• Content Type: REPORT

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Miscellaneous Military Information
on Ashkhabad 6-14
INFORMATION 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.Q. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY USSR (Turkmen SSR)
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ
informat
REPORT(
DATE DISTR. 27 June 1960
NO. PAGES 1
REFERENCES RD
50X1-HUM
(report containing miscellaneous
^? +rP 55th Artillery Regiment of the First Motorized Rifle
data on military personalities,
information on the role of the military in the 1948 Ashkhabad earthquake,
and an annotated sketch of the town of Ashkhabad */
(Note Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
FORMATION REPORT FORMATION REPORT
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CODUTRY:
SUN Jj CT :
DATE OF INFO:
PLACE ACQUIRED:
USSR (Turkmen SSP
"iscellaneouspInformation on Ashkhabad
1. The First i.otorized Rifle Division (Pervaya ITotostrel'.kovaya
Divizya), which was subordinate to one of the armies of the Central
Asian Iiilitary District (Srednie-Azyatskiy Voyenniy Okrug), had its
headquarters in Ashkhabad / 37-57, E 56-227, capital of the Turkmen
SSR. One of the division's regiments, the 55th Artillery Regiment,
belonged until 1947-1948 to the reserves of the Supreme Command of
the Soviet Army. This regiment consisted of three batteries (Divi-
zyony) : one of 152 mm howitzers, one of 100 mm antitank guns, and
one signals and reconnaissance unit. The regiment also had its own
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training school for noncommissioned officers (Serzhantskaya Shkola).
2. Until the end of 1948, the 55th Artillery Regiment had been
stationed in a military camp near the settlement of i3ilcrava, about
nine kilometers from Ashkhabad. As a result of the violent earth-
quake of December 1948, all the installations at the camp were
destroyed, including the brick buildings with walls one meter thick.
The regiment was on maneuvers in the Tashkent area at the time, so
that there was only a.).0-man detail in charge of the camp and equip-
ment. After the earthquake the regiment was moved to Kagan LIJ 39-43,
E 6)-327, near Bukhara 5 39-48, E 64-25, taking over a camp which
happened to be unoccupied at that time. A year later it returned to
Ashkhabad and was quartered in a camp located at the entrance to the
town, on the west side of the road from Kizyl-Arvat L11 3E-58, ; 56-157.
Until 1950 the men were accommodated in large tent camps. In addi-
tion to the 55th regiment, a motorcycle battalion and an antitank
battalion were stationed in the same area.
3. The earthquake mentioned above occurred at about midni,r;ht
on 5 December 19148. It lasted about 30 seconds and co_isisted of
alternate horizontal and vertical tremors. Its seismographic rating
was nine. The town of Ashkhabad ..ra.s completely destroyed, except
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50X1-HUM
for the electric power station which showed only a few cracks. In
addition, there was general damage within a radius of 70 kilom ters.
The quake took a heavy toll of lives in the town; according to local
estimates, 150,000 persons were killed and 12,000 injured out of a
total population of 220,000.
4. On the morning after the earthquake, the commander of the
Central Asian military District, General Petrov (fnu), arrived on
the scene, declared martial law and announced that he was assuming
command of the rescue and clearance operations. For this -urpose,
man.-),r military units and a. great quantity of equipment were iiw iedi-
ately brought into the torn. One of the results of the earthquake
was the breaking up of concentration ca :ps and prisons, and when the
escaped prisoners began to Plunder private and goverment Property,
the conn-nanding general issued a special order to his troops to
safeguard this property. At several points on the outskirts of town
the array put up tent cams for the civilian population who had lost
their homes, as well as for their own accommodation. Inside the
town the army established military kitchens which provided free
meals to the population for a period of two weeks. A special head-
quarters for the rescue operations was set ur by General Petrov in
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the town - also under canvas - which was in direct radio communication
with I-Loscow for the duration of the operations. These operations
lasted five to six months, during the course of which the army, with
the help of r^ilitary transport, cleared the town of all ruins. The
reconstruction and rehabilitation of the town began in slid-1949 and
proceeded at a rapid pace.
5. About 40 Ica west of Ashkhabad there was the summer resort of
Firyuza IJ 37-56, E 58-01: which had a civilian airfield with regular
air traffic in the summer months. Halfway between Ashkhabad and
Firyuza there was a camp occupied by a Frontier Guard unit which
was referred to by the soldiers as "Komendatura".
Personalities
6. Col. Akselrod (fnu) was deputy coiamander in charge of
political affairs of the 1st Motorized Rifle Division in Ashkhabad.
7. The following officers served with the 55th Artillery Regi-
50X1-HUM
a. Col. Abraraian (fnu), commanding officer of the regiment,
T
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b. Maj. Meir Davidovich Matushenko, who had been a
battery commander in the regiment
S.E R T
. Capt. Medvedev (Thu), quartermaster officer
d. Capt. Oriayev (fnu), a battery commander in the
e. Lt. Col. Steshenkov (fnu), chief of staff of the regi-
f. Lt. Col. Yefremov (fnu), deputy commander of the regi- 50X1-HUM
~PP. W
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Legend to Sketch of Ashkhabad
1. Military camp (artillery units)
2. Race track
3. Silk factory
4. Town power station
Textile factory
6. Grain stores (Zagotzerno)
7. Municipal park
8. Stadium
9. University buildings
10. Prison
11. Frontier Guard headquarters
12. Garrison hospital
13. Broadcasting station
1)4. Infantry camp
15. Officers club
16. Public park (in the care of military personnel from the adjoining
officers club)
17. Medical institute
18. Republican hospital
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irT
19. Infantry officers school (for national minorities)
20. Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR
A. Prospekt Stalina
B. Pervomayskaya
C. Gogol Street
SEC RIOT
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