HARBORS AT ODESSA, NOVOROSSIYSK, BATUMI, AND POTI, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400080007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: September 1, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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C :N ERAL II~ITFl,JGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
CONFIDENTi;A:L
COUNTRY USSR (Black Sea)/Rumania
SUBJECT
PLACE ACQUIRED
NO. OF PAGES
DATE OF INFO.
THE: APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Harbors at Odessa, Novorossiysk, Batumi, DATE DISTR.
and Poti, USSR
1 epI,eiitber 19511-
2. On page 2, paragraph lb, second section, read Platonovskiy for Platononski.
3. On page 3, paragraph 3,:second section, the river referred to as the Yanouc
is probably the Chakvis (N 41-43, B 41-43),
NAVY Review Completed
CONFIDENTIAL
ARMY.
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
Ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 703
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
REQUI REMENI
REFERENCES
THE. SOURCE EVALUA1OW$ IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
AIR FBI AEC
(NOTE, Washington distribution indicated by "X"; FMId distribution by
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COUNTRY USSR (Black Sea)/R-amania
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DATE DISTR. 8 July 1954
SUBJECT Harbors at Odessa, Novorossiysk, Batumi, NO. OF PAGES 7
and Poti, USSR
DATE OF INFORMATION REFERENCES:
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Odessa Harbor, as of October 1953 (see Annex A)
fi
a. Approach
Entrance to the harbor of Odessa was authorized through the SE
channel (item 1) only. Entrance through the middle and north
channels (items 2,& 3) was forbidden, allegedly because of
mines. There wasa 5 sec. white flashing buoy z sm NE from
the end of the SE mole. The beacon on the end of the SE mole
was a 5 sec. red flashing light. On the SE end of the middle
breakwater (item 4) there was a 5 sec. green flashing beacon.
Anchorage (item 5) for all seagoing vessels was along the
south side of the middle breakwater. The numerous wre?Pks in
this area have been cleared out.
NAVY Review Completed
CONFIDENTIAL
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW
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CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 -
Quarantine Harbor The SE end of this basin is the coal handling
area tem .' There are two berths. Each berth has two 3-ton
movable cranes. There is a small repair shipyard (item 7) in,
the south end of the basin. The rest of the basin handles
cargo and wood.
Platononski. Mole - Used for handling wood. The south side has
two 3-ton cranes and the north side has three 3-ton cranes.
New Harbor - Primary purpose not known. The west quay has
two 3-ton cranes. The south side and north side of the mole
have two 3-ton cranes each.
Miscellaneous
Cape Fontana
lin addition to the
lighthouse, a radio station and a searchlight installation.
installations which appeared to be coastal
r ery un s, but he did not actually see any guns.
2. Novorossiysk Harbor, as of 1952 (see Annex B)
a. Approach
Direct onto red buoy (5 sm, 153?T from Novorossiysk Light).
Then 333?T to green beacon (2 sm', 153?T from same light),
marking entrance. this is the only fair-
way because there is cons era e mining in this area. He
said ships should approach the red buoy holding Doob Point
15? relative on the starboard bow.
b. Fortifications
NW from the red buoys I16 coastal guns.
There are also flak emplacements visible. The area is full
of military personnel and casernes. Coastal artillery units
are apparently also based on Doob Point, but.nothing further
was known.
The only large pier (item 1) on the east side of the harbor
appeared to be in operation. The pier was about 300 m long
and had four 3-ton cranes on each side. There was also one
pier (item 2) on the west side, which did not appear oper-
ational
There was also a
ton floating dock (item in the large western basin.
salvage work in progress
removing wrecks (item along the five-fathom line on the
east side of the harbor.
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A primitive shipyard (item 5) was observed. Only one wooden
building could be seen. No docks, marine railways, etc.
were observed.
CONFIDENTIAL
No naval vessels were observed. A few harboxa.patrol boats
were seen tied up In the cement pier area (item 6).
No radar antennae were observed.
All in all the harbor appeared to be ctuite dead.
Only the beaches on either side of Sudzhukskya Point appeared
suitable for amphibious landings.
3. Batumi Harbor
In 1951 Batumi looked like a deserted harbor.
L[.
tanks looked extremely rusty and un~~sed.
A white lighted buoy flashing every 5 sec. ( item 2) located
500 m SSE from end of northern mole marks the entrance to
the harbor.
b. Observations
The north mole h., been lengthened to curve around the end of
the south mole (see item 1).
First basin - (item )
Second basin ,~ (item 4) - A floating dock (item 5) was tied up in
the east_e of this basin. It appeared to be about a 10,000-
ton dock. Ships could tie u.p on either the north or south side
of this basin. No cranes or warehouses visible in the area of
this basin,
No operational ships were seen. No fortifications of
any kind and no Installations were observed. Everything
in the harbor appeared old and rusty.
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11
this ar=eao ship tied up in the southeast corner of t
he
petroleum harbor, where there is about 150 rn of usable quay area.
There were a few z -? :3 ton motor cranes in this area..
The beach area from the Bartskhana River northward to M. Tsikhis--
Dziri appeared to be very good for amphibious landings. The area
around the mouth of the YaTouc River appeared to be the best.
The prevailing wind seems to be mostly from the southeast off
the mountains,
The eastern side of the petroleum harbor is in very poor
condition and water d-pth 1v very 10%. Ships could not tie u in
Poti Harbor as of 1951 (see Annex C)
a. Approach
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5. The only Russian naval ship observedI Iwas in the spring
of 1952. 'During a bad storm en' route from Novorosslysk sk to Con-
ttahta. southeast of RPyARfnnn1J
a Russian cruiser
south*est steaming at high speed toward Sevastopol.
The cruiser hull looked like the French
Dunkirk class and the superstrr7 ture .was similar
to that o the Graf Spee. It allegedly had 41_gun turret-9.4' two
forward and one aft.
Annex A - Layout of Odessa Harbor, as of October 195.3.
Annex B - Layout of Novor-ossiysk Harbor, as of 1952.
Annex C - Layout of Poti Harbor, as of 19510
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:)N 1DENT'?AL
5
Annex A ?? Layout,
f Odessa Harbor, as of October 1.9531 25X1
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Annex B - Layout of Novorosslysk Harbor, as of 1952,
101
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Annex C - Layout of Doti Harbor, as of 1951 25X1
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