MILITARY TRAINING OF STUDENTS AT BRNO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY FOR CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400450010-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: May 17, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains Information affecting the Na-
INFORMATION REPORT tlonal Defense of the United States within the, mean-
Ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
C-0-N-F-I -D-E -N-T -I -A-L
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
Czechoslovakia
Military Training of Students at
Brno Technical University for
Construction Engineering
REPORT L_
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
17 May 1955
7
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
ARMY review completed.
SATE X
C-0-N-F-I -D-E-N-T-I -A-L
Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
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Engineering
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COUNTRY Czechoslovakia DATE DISTR. 15 Feb. 1955
SUBJECT Military Training of Students at Brno NO. OF PAGES 6
Technical University for Construction
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
2.
4.
Introduction of Military Classes
ng neer ng (Vysoka skola in7
the Technical University for Construction
students there recei vPd mi l i i-7lrtr i Y,_
enyrsxeno stav:ttelstvi), Brno.
hours y .---- - - ~ ?~ wN V V - vc1~CFl~nCl Vycr1QVa) SIX
per week. These instructions were part of the regular school
curriculum all four years. class received their VV on
Mondays from 1300 hours to 1900 hours.
Regular academic courses at the University lasted for four years.
Each year group numbered approximately 200 students. In the fresh-
may, ^Iee-
'
h
er
w were about 1v female
students
e entire school about 30 female students, Female
students were
t
mo
re aired to take military instruction
...,. J ~wuvcx wj.%j&4 woo InDroaucea
into all schools of higher education in Se
t
b
p
em
er 1951 and stated
that this fact was publicized in newspapers at that time. Because
of this military-education course, students of higher education
were not subject to compulssory military service. Students attending
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universities and university-level technical schools were considered
students of higher education.
military-education classes were conducted by Army officers
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0,
on active duty. Classroom instruction was conducted by-majors and
captains, while close-order drill was under the supervision of a
reserve'lieutemant, a sophomore at the same school, on an inactive
duty status. About six Army officers comprised the military edu-
cation staff.
Classroom Methods and Notebooks
discipline was
classrooms set
for the entire
the military-education classes. However, military
No uniforms or weapons of any type were issued to students during
maintained in the classrooms. There were about eight
aside in which military instruction was carried on
student body of the Technical University..
7When an officer instructor entered a classroom, the group leader
called students to attention and reported to the instructor in a
Military manner. The instructor always took roll call at the
beginning of each class. Whenever a studentwas=cat1ed on, he had
to stand at attention and give his name, which was always prefixed
with "vojin" (soldier).
8. No textbooks were issued to students and no visual aids were utilized
permitted to make notes on loose sheets of papers they could use
only the notebooks designated for that purpose. Students were told
by their instructors that the loss of a notebook,3or any part thereof,
and disclosure to other civilians of subjects taught was punishable
by a military court martial and expulsion from school.
during the instruction, although the blackboard was utilized to
Illustrate certain points. Each student was issued a loose-leaf
iOtebook in which he entered his notes.
The pages of the notebook were numbered.by each student at the time
of issue and the total number of pages was entered '02 the last page.
This number was verified by the signature of an officer. After
classes, notebooks were collected and kept in a locked steel cabinet
located in the military-education classroom. Students were not
Division of Students into Classes
10. There were approximately 200 students in the freshman'. class of the
Brno Technical University for Construction Engineering. This student
body was divided into two groups, A and B. according to fields of
specialization. Furthermore, each of groups A and B:was subdivided
into classes, with approximately 30 to>35 students in each., and
numbered as class A-i, A-2, etc':
11. Military instruction was always given to two classes, such as A-i
and A-2, at the same time. For the purpose of military drills,
students of each class were divided into tour sgt4adsi9.,with eight
to nine students in each squad. Every class had,,itsown commander
and an assistant commander, with a leader for each squad. These
positions were held by members of the Union for Cooperation' with
the.Army (SVAZARM - Svaz pro . ,6po;upraci s :armadou) or members of
the Communist Party. No student participating in the,military-
education classes, including the student class and squad commanders,
held any rank.
Summer Training
12. Upon the completion of the second and fourth years at the Technical
University, students had to undergo one month of military training
during their summer vacation. At these times they were issued
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uniforms and weapons. For such summer training periods.. students had
to report to the Military Summer Training Area in Labava' (N 49-43,
E 17-31) . in Moravia and to certain other idertt fled- milita
garrisons.
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Commissioning of Students
13. According to the instructors, students of Brno Technical Uhive.rsity;
at the time of graduation w
t
were being trained as anti-atv& ?mr* ..aaa,.,... :4?"-? "& '~n@ unive~rslty
140
with F ere
o.be comm ;ssioned as reserve officers
ranks commensurate with their progress in mi l d t skry dLuc A -jan
Courses of Instruction
atttended the fallowing militaliry education class,`es and drills,
Military Law and Discipline
Infantry Weapons
Map Reading
AAA Firing Instructions
Chemical Warfare
Close-Order Drill
Combat Tactics, General
Approximately three hours
Approximately four hours
Approximately two hours
Approximately four hours
Approximately four hours
Approximately twelve hours
Approximately four hours
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Mil. tar Law and Discipline
15. Military law and discipline were explained., as well as the rights
and duties of soldiers and military trial procedures.,
Infantry Weapons
1 6.
only the
-2 4 CZ-Model rifle was tau ht
, Th
.
e nomenclature of this weapon was
given to students and they
its practiced taking it apart and assembling
i7. This class was conducted at the nea.rby.Foresters'College, located on
Lesnicka Street, Brno-Cerise Pole (see page 6, point 3). At this
school, one of the classrooms was used as an arms roots. The rifles
were issued t
o students through a small door-type window by a soldier
on duty. While being handed rifle
racks in the awns r
e
oam; No name 3or ;a gna XVewar keno atr'the
L8. The rifles used during this class were old weapons and had bores
filled with lead. A large hole was also drilled through the bolt
chamber. The rifle barrel itself was marked with two bands about
three centimeters wide. The bands were muted red and were located
at the tip and near center.
Ma-p Reading
necessity of knowing how to read maps, and the history of maps. the
Students were-issued no military maps during this cl ss,~ norpwas
there any classroom map used.for practical demonstrations.
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a
Y read 4.ng, one of. an introductory
pe. The instructor stressed the milit
attended only one class in m
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AAA Firing
20. In November 1953, class received AAA firing instructions
at an unidentified military barracks located in an unidentified
military garrison in Brno-Cerne Pole (see page 6, point 4).
Students were transported there by a 31-ton Praga RiD Army truck
driven by a soldier. The three 85-mm.S-T-88 Soviet AA-guns with
which students were trained were located in the yard of the above-
mentioned military installation. The instructor was not assisted
by any soldiers in demonstrating the servicing of the piece.
Students were simply divided ihto crews pf seven men each, and they
alternated in giving commands and taking the various positions of
each crew member. recalled gun-crew positioras'to have been
as follows: azimuth setter, elevation settero fuse setter, leaders
ammunition carrier #1, ammunition carrier #2, gun commander.
military gases
were divided into several groups according to their effects.
Sniff sets were not used for practical demonstration, nor were
students issued any gas masks. The students were told that gas
masks were going to be issued later and that they would go,through
a gas-chamber exercise. Students were further told.that in case
of war they would be issued capes (plastenka) for protection
against gases disseminated by aircraft.
T/3L tank was furnished with a flame-thrower,
them the desired information. He did tell them, however, that each
uhspalm , but the officer in charge of the class was unable to give
some of the students requested information on
the effective range of which was,800 m. No mention was
made or atomic or bacteriological warfare.
Close-Order Drill
23. Close-order drills were conducted on the Fair Grounds in Brno-.
Pisarky (see page 6, point 2). These drills were conducted under
the command of a sophomore Technical University student who was
a reserve Army lieutenant on inactive status.
ach individual'student was given
a chance to give commands and drill other students.
General Combat. Tactics
240 During the instruction on combat tactics it was explained to the
class that the infantry division was divided into three groups
before combat. was unable. to recall the functions
of each group but remembered that the third group remained in
reserve,
25. In pincer movements only infantry troops were to be utilized, while
in wedge--type advances both tanks and foot soldiers were employed.,
An offensive action was always preceded by intensive artillery fire
Warfare in woods was very slow and disadvantageous.
26. Combat tactics employed by the Soviet Army a ainst the Germans in
World War'II in the battles of Jaslo (Poland) and Dukla. (a mountain
pass in Czechoslovakia) were described during one of the Combat
Tactics classes., According to the instructor, artillery played the
most important and decisive role in these two campaigns.
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Le.end: Inst llatto s and Areas Utilized for Student s'_-Mi]itar
re st in Brno -see page
l o Technical University for
Construct
ou Engineering
(Civilian)
2. Fair Grounds
Located, since the fall of 1953, on Na
Forici Street, left bank of the river
Svratka, near the bridge connecting
Krizova. and Konev streets.
Students of the Technical University
for Construction Engineering took their
close-order military drills at this
location.
? Foresters' College Located on the corner of Lesnicka and
Zemedelske streets.. Some lectures for
Technical University students were
given there.
The class on nomenclature., stripping,
and assembling of rifles, as described
in paragraph 17 of this report, was
conducted there. Militar training
was also given there to'Foresters'
College students.
4. Unidentified Military The class on AA-gun firing for the
Installation at Brno- Technical University. students was
Cer
P
l
ne
o
e conducted at this location.
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Installations and Areas Utilized
f 'Military 'gaining of Students,, BRNO
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