TRANSFER OF GERMAN MILITARY DOCUMENT SECTION AND SPECIAL DOCUMENT SECTION, INTELLIGENCE DIVISION, WDGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00706R000100260003-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 11, 2013
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: April 30, 1947
• Content Type: MEMO

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ID 907 ? 30 April 1947
NEMORAOUN FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE:
SUBJECT:
Transfer of German Military Document Section and Special.
Document Section, Intelligence Division, WDGS
1. Reference is made to memorandum your office dated 15 April 1947,
Subject: "German Military DocumentSection and Special Document Section,
Intelligence Division, NDGS, and to telephone conversation of 21 April
1947 between General Sibert of your office and Colonel Ennis, Intelligence
Division, WDGS.
2. Enclosed hprewith are the detailed functions of the two sections,
Regarding German Military Document Section, it is to be noted that
functions which do not pertain to research on captured documents have
been omitted since the organization and physical custody of the documents
will be assumed by the Adjutant General on 31 May 1947.
? 3. Lt Col Jame E. Ligon, Chief, Document Section, Exploitation Branch,
Intelligence Division, is designated as the representative of the Intelli-
gence Division to coordinate with your office in arranging the transfer of
the two sections..
4. Necessary action has been taken to continue on temporary duty with
the two establishments those officers who are scheduled to attend the
August 1947 class of the Strategic Intelligence School until the opening
date of the course.
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE:
2 Encls:
1-Function of GLIM
2wrunctions of SDS
/s/ W. A. SOLOILON
Colonel, GSC
Asst Executive
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APPENDIX
Intelligence Functions of
German Military Documents Section
1. The following functions are naw performed by the exploitation sub-
Oection of German Military Documents Section:
a. Screening of all incoming documents shipments for material of
intelligence value; determining priorities for settling up (by
the archival sub-section) of documents or document collections;
(1) which contain material needed by Special Documents Section
or other intelligence agencies for exploitation or special
projects, (2) which require detailed screening and indexing
for items of intelligence interest.
b. Advising the archival sub-section as to the disposition of
captured cuments which are; (1) of no intelligence or
mili-
tary val :,10O be deposited on permanent loan with otlny
government hgencies, (2) Of primary technical valtgwo be
exploited by the technical services of the War Department.
0. Preparing information abstracts and compiling and maintaining
ani index (known 'as the GMDS Intelligence Catalogue) of all
items of intelligence value contained in documents in the
German Military Documents Section collection
d. Indicating which documents are of particular interest to
agencies maintaining liaison groups with GMDS, such as the
FBI, War Crimes Commission, etc.
e. Coordinating with the War Department (Chief, Information
Control Branch, Security Group, ID, VaIGS) on the security
classification of captured German documents, i.e., the up-
grading or down grading, from the overall classification of
confidential," of individual documents= information
therefrom.
f.
Determining the availability within GMDS of all documents
containing intelligence information on a specific subject
in response to requests from authorized agencies. This
involves searching the collection for, and assembling the
relevant documents for the interested agency, but does not
include the translating of documents.
2. Documents Branch will asAume the above functions and provide a CIG
detachment to operate in the Pentagon in direct conjunction with the
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Adjutant General. The latter will take over the title "German Military
Documents Section," and all non-intelligence functions, such as those of
the archival sub-section. These including receiving, library cataloguing*
shelving* storing, recording, loaning to other agencies, and otherwise
handling and disposing of documents. A detailed plan for coordination and
cooperation between CIG, the Adjutant General, and the Intelligence Division
on such matters as declassification, directives to field collecting agencies,
etc., will be submitted later.
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APPENDIX II
Functions of Special Document Section
1. The mission and functions of SDS may be summarized as follaws:
a. Extracting from captured German and Russian documents factual
information pertaining to the USSR and European satellites.
b. Preparing full translations of selected captured German and
Russian docuMents.
G. Preparing project studies from collated documents an selected
subjects, as assigned or approved by the Chief, Intelligence
Group, ID, EDGS.
NOTE: All current projects will be completed or merged with
the Industrial Card File before the transfer to CIG
except two:
(1) Transportation *nd Communications of the USSR
and European Satellites
(2) Soviet Military PoYential
d. Extracting and translating intelligence information from
current Russian newspapers and periodicals for inclusion in
the above projects or in the Industrial Card
e. Maintaining and operating the Industrial Gard File. This
file contains in fragmentary form all available information
on individual industrial installations in the USSR and
satellite countries. It WAS established by the Intelligence
Division in October 1946, in direct coordination with the
State Department, A-2, ONI and other interested agencies.
Agreement was reached on the essential elements of infor-
mation to be obtained on each plant and on a standard card
format. Since captured German and Russian documents proved
the most prolific and dependable source of such information,
SDS was designated as the central working agency for the
project. The ICF now consists of approximately 17,000 items
which have been produced and circulated, and 15,000 which
are in processof reproduction.
The majority of the information is still extracted by the
staff of SDS from captured documents, which are borraued from
GT.DS and other document repositories and agencies in the USA
and abroad. Information from other sources is carded by the
participating agencies and submitted to SDS For collation*
assignment of ICF number,. reproduction, and dissemination. ,
Direct channels were set up between SDS and member agencies
for all matters pertaining to the ICF and to captured docu-
ments.
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On completion of the card file, it is planned to have compe-
tent analysts examine the information on each individual plant.
After further collation,checking, evaluation, and analysis
of the collected data, they are to produce a current basic
plant list which will be adaptable for use on International
Business Lachines.
2. Documents Branch will assume the functions described in Paragraph 1,
a through d, and will continue the extraction of ICF information from foreign
Tocuments. A plan for the continued operation of the ICF by CIG, and the
possible incorporation of the ICF into the Foreign Industrial Establishments
project, should the latter be implemented, will be prepared by ORE.
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APPEND IX III
WAR DEPARTMENT STATEMENT:
FUNCTION'S OF THE GERMAN MILITARY DOCUMENTS SECTION.
AND THE SPEC I AL DOCUMENTS SECTION AS OF 1 APRIL 1947
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RESEARCH FUNCTIONS OF GEM.-IAN MILITARY DOCUMENT SECTION
1. Mission
The mission of the German Military Document Section is as follows:
a. Organize, maintain and keep accessible an active archive of
captured German military documents.
b. Receive and process incoming document shipments.
c. Screen for intelligence all captured German documents received,
and prepare and disseminate an intelligence index listing items of intelligence
interest.
d. Dispose of non-military records by lending them on a permanent
basis to governmental agencies of primary interest.
e. Make available to the appropriate technical services of the war
Department documents of a technical nature.
2. Research Functions
To execute and implement the above mission, the following researdh
activities are donducted by GMDS:
a. Screens for intelligence and determinespriority for setting up
in the archival sub-section document shipments which:
(1) Contain research material for use in special projects
conducted by Special Document Section.
(2) Contain material to be intelligence indexed.
b. Advises the archival sub-section in the disposition of captured
records whioh:
(1) Are of no military value and are to be deposited on perma-
nent loan with other governmental agencies (Library of
Congress, National Archives, State Department, Department
of Commerce, etc.)
(2) Are of primary technical value end are to be exploited by
the technical services of the Tiar Department.
(The above activities include the appropriate dispositien of phonograph
records, books, motion picture films, still pictures, slides, etc.)
c. Conducts research on captured German documents in order to
produce a card index of items of intelligence value. The exploitation sub-
section also prepares the cards for the "offset" process and arranges them
for dissemination to the following agencies:
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(1) Intelligence Documents File Branch, Intelligence Division,
NDGS
Air Information Division, A-2, USAAF
Central Intelligence Group
Canadian Army Staff
British Army Staff
Joint Intelligence Bureau, London, (British)
Reading Panel, Intelligence Division, NDGS (12 sets for
dissemination within Intelligence Division and Technical
Services.)
d. Call documents of particular interest to the attention of
permanent -liaison groups with GMDS; namely:
.(1) Historical Division, U S Army
(2) FBI
(3) War Crimes Commission
e. Determines the security classification of captured German documents
as orally directed by the Chief, Information Control Granch, Security Group,
Intelligence Division, NDGS. This activity includes upgrading and downgrading
of captured German documents. In this connection, overall classification of
the document collection is "confidential."
f. Conducts searches of the collection for availability of documents
on broad subject requests as opposed to requests for specific documents.
g. It is to be noted thItt GMDS does not translate documents for using
agencies, but lends the original captured documents (or microfilms) for
exploitation.
3. Completed Work in GRIDS
a. Aside from the archival phase which includes setting up the
collection in usable order, the intelligence index (see par 2c) is completed
in part as follows:
(1) 52,200 folders of captured documents have been ex4mined and
indexed for the intelligence contained therein.
(2) 6,200 different items of intelligence value have been, carded
and the information disseminated.
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b. Approximately five (5) percent of a collection of 700 reels of
microfilms have been reviewed and properly intelligence indexed.
4. Mark Remaining
a. 21,000 folders of unreviewed captured documents remain to be
examined and properly indexed in the manner outlined in par 20.
b. Additional shipments arrive from the theater at an average
rate of ten (10) to fifteen (15) tons per month. These, as well as several
major collections in the warehouse, remain to be screened - approximately
500 packing cases of documents.
G. Of the collection of approximately 700 reels of microfilms of
documents photographed elsewhere, fifty (50) percent remain to be viewed
to determine subject matter and ninety-five (95) percent require examination
for the purpose of the intelligence index.
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FUNCTIONS OF SPACIAL DOCUMENT SECTION
1. Mission
The mission of the Special Document Section is as follows:
a.
to the USSR.
Extract from captured documents factual information pertaining
b. Prepare project studies under the guidance of the Chief, Eurasian
Branch, Intelligence Group, Intelligence Division, UDGS, and prepare additional
studies initiated by Special Document Section as approved by the Chief,
Intelligence Group.
o. Prepare full translations of selected captured German and Russian
documents.
d. Disseminate completed projects and translations through the
Chief, Exploitation Branch, Intelligence Group, Intelligence Division, WDGS.
2. Intelligence Functions
a. In accomplishing the above mission, activities of Special Document
Section were initially centered around five (5) major research projects based
on captured documents pertaining to the USSR; namely:
Atomic Energy and Allied Industries
Machine Tool Industry in the USSR
Soviet Railway Transport
Naval and Maritime Shipbuilding in the USSR
Communications in the USSR (telephone, telegraph, cable,
radio, mail, television, radar, courier services.)
b. In addition, the Intelligence Division, MO directed the
establishment of an "Industrial Card File Project." The preparation of this
file of Soviet industrial plants is based on captured documents available in
the German Military Document Section, Washington Document Center and other
document agencies. This file contains in fragmentary form all information
available on Soviet Industrial installations including personnel, working
methods, equipment, output, type of production, etc. When the card file is
completed, competent analysts will examine the information plant by plant and,
after evaluating and collating it, will produce a current basic plant list
which will be adaptable for use on International Business Machines.
c. In conjunction with the project outlined in paragraph 2b above,
a newspaper evaluation sub-section has been established for the purpose of
extracting, translating and disseminating pertinent data from Russian periodicals
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and newspapers.
d. The production of a handbook on the USSR was initiated in January
1947. This project is based on top-level captured German documents as an
overall picture of Russian industry and has been given and arbitrary deadline
of 1 May 1947.
3. Status of SDS Projects
a. Atomic Energy: During October 1946 it was found that all
presently avaMble information pertaining to atonic energy had been exhausted
and the intelligence derived properly disseminated.
b. Machine Tools: Information collected on this subject matter is
being included in the Industrial Card File Project (see para 32).
c. Railway Capacities: This project will provide detailed infor-
mation on Russian railway lines, their capacity, technical data, etc. This
includes a general survey of waterways in Russia. The project is long-range
and incomplete.
d? Shipbuilding: At the time of the establishment of the Industrial
Card File Project (see para 2h) all available information on shipbuilding in
the USSR had been exploited. All future information will be included in the
card file.
e. Telecommunications: In December 1946 it became apparent that
the documents Cin?MriTe-aiing to telecommunications hid been exploited fully.
The telecommunications project was then- merged with the railroad study (see
para 3c).
f. Industrial Card File Project: Data utilized for this project
are based on pre-war ussian material, captured German documents and current
Russian newspapers and periodicals. All available top-level captured German
documents have been exploited and work has begun on law-level German documents
and Russian material. This project is perpetuating and long-range.
ger Newspaper Evaluation: Press reading will continue indefinitely
in conjunctioniaTE-activitiM?Frtaining to the Industrial Card File Project
(see para 32).
CC: Office of Collection & Dissemination (1)
Office of Reports & Estimates (1)
Return to 00
Executive Registry (1)
Central Records (2)
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