RELUCTANCE OF SOVIET SOLDIERS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS RADIO OPERATORS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 31, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 8, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
CONFIDENT=
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
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COUNTRY
USSR/Austria (Soviet Zone)
REPORT NO.
SUBJECT
Reluctance of Soviet Soldiers To
DATE DISTR.
8 January 1954
Be Classified as Radio Operators
NO: OF PAGES 3
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
RD
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Attached is a copy
CONFIDENTIAL
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STATE
ARMY EV
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NAVY
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FBI
AEC
(Note: Washington Distribution By "X, : FIRM 111.*.m.,,tiee By "*"
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
CONFIDENTIAL
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COUNTRY USSR/ Austria (Soviet Zone)
SUBJECT Reluctance of Soviet Soldiers To Be
Classified as Radio Operators
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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REPORT NO.
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DATE DISTR. 10 Doc. 1953
NO. OF PAGES 2
REFERENCES:
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Until April 1952 almo t none of the radio operators
had successfully passed an examinatlon, given
eavu bpring an rail, to become a radio operator 3rd, 2nd, or 1st
Class. Their failure to pass was not due to inability or lack of
experience, but rather to a deliberate attempt to avoid classification
as a radio operator. Reluctance to accept this classification was
based on rumors and eyewitness reports of what had been the fate of
men who had been qualified radio operators during World War II.
According to these rumors and reports, many radio operators had been
shot by their officers as "enemies of the people" or "spies" for fail-
ing to make contact with neighboring units or headquarters. The
operators had allegedly been executed even if the inability to make
contact had not been their own fault but had been due to malfunctioning
of equipment or failure of receiving operators to acknowledge call
signals. Since most of us felt that war could break Out at any time,
we had no desire to be classified as any class of radio operator if
it might mean we could meet the same end, however, many
radio operators who were scheduled for demobilization in the autumn 50o
easily passed the examination with the realization that they would be
in the USSR when and if war broke out. Few of the new recruits, how-
ever, believed the stories; they tried to the best of their ability
to receive radio operator classifications.
2. The stories were numerous of radio operators having been'shot for
no fault of their own during World War I particularly recall 50X1
one incident related to me by a Sgt. At some time ;during
the war, according to this sergeant, a young, inexperienced female
radio operator, 3rd Class, was assigned to him as his assistant. :
One day, after having made contact with headquarters, he left this
girl alone and went out for a brief walk. During his .absence a some-
what inebriated major approached the girl and asked her to make con-
tact with headqudrters. In the meantime, headquarters had changed
C.ONEIDENTI AL.
norAnccifipri in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6
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.CONFIDENTIAL
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to-another wave length and the girl, already frightened by the major's
demanding tone, was unable to make the contact. When the sergeant
returned he found the girl lying on the ground shot to death by the
major. In reply to the sergeant's queries as to what had happened,
the major replied that the girl had obviously been working for the
Germans and had therefore refused to make the necessary contact with
headquarters. When the sergeant protested that the girl was guilty
only of inexperience, the major began to accuse him also of working
3.
for the Germans and began to draw his
said he had been compelled to shoot the
Additional evidence which helped convince
operators during World War II came from
was CO of the radio combanv of the separate
pistol, whereupon the sergeant
major in self defense,
us of the fate of radio
the senior lieutenant who
signal battalion of the
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This officer
delighted in bragging about
ngkilled three radio operators
during World War II because they
were "enemies of the people"; he said
the had fai ek n.,-
0'
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'
contact he had ordered the-
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In, a practice
? ??-zos a assumed the role of head-
zAULtdise, one group of ra?
quarters. The senior lieutenant in charge of the group inquired of
each operator whether he had made his assigned radio contact. When
several of them failed to make contact after a short while, the
officer angrily brandished his pistol saying that if it were actually
wartime those failing to make the radio contact would have been shot
as "enemies of the people".
CONFIDENTIAL
norlaccifiPri in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/31 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000300100001-6