SOVIET ARMY SUPPLY SYSTEM

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2
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RIPPUB
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S
Document Page Count: 
5
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
March 22, 2002
Sequence Number: 
3
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 14, 1952
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2.pdf468.58 KB
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CLASSIFICATION SECRET ro 4 . l Approved For Re6eE_NTRALOjIYTELLIO ;;; I ] ?ff0. 25 1 INFORMATION REPORT COUNTRY USSR/Poland/Germany (Soviet Zone) SUBJECT Soviet Army Supply System PLACE ACQUIRED DATE ACQUIRED BY SOURCE THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INRORYATION OFFECDISC THE NATIONAL DEFENSE O F THE U N I T E D S T ATf I . SITUPS THE YEANINO OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 783 AND 704r or THE U.S. CUED, A! AMENDED. ITS TNONSN ISSION ON REYE LATIDN OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAB. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM I! PROHIBITED. 25X1X 25X1A 5X1A 25X1A C" D NO 25X1A UAIL MIN. If Feb 1952 NO. OF PAGES 5 NO. OF ENCLS. (LISTED BELOW) SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 25 1. Q. Is the term "Class I Supplies" ever used within the Soviet Army to denote food, rations, and fodder? A. No. Likewise, it follows that the Soviets do not use the US Army system of classification glasses I-37 to denote the different types of supplies. However, the terms Categories I-V are employed to indicate the life or current condition of any article. Thus: Category I refers to an item just produced,and stored at the factory. Category II refers to an unused item in storage at a warehouse. Category III refers to an item in need of some slight repair. Category IV refers to an item needing a major repair. Category V refers to an item that is ready to be junked as valueless. 2. Q. In a previous study, you have described "Ration #2". Can you give details of any other rations and tell when they would be used? A. Ration #1 is given to flying personnel, while Ration #2 generally is provided for everyone else. Actually,.however, 12 different ration norms are in existence. I am only able to provide additional information on Rations #1 and #12D Ration #12 is an issue of rations in kind for military personnel going on TDY to cover the period of travel time involved going to and from the new assignment. Rations for the total travel period are given upon the initial departure. Ration #12 is a dry ration with an average weight of about 950 grams per day. It would consist of: ~ECRETI CLASSIFICATION SECRET 13eT DisrRISMIGN Approved For Release 2002/08/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2 SECRET 25X1 SECRET 25X1 A Approved For Release 2002/08/07 CIA-R ef47f000100220003-2 800 grams of bread 40 grams of butter 35 grams of sugar 75 grams of pork fat ("sow belly"), or 130 grams of bologna, or 1 0 grams of canned (potted) meat TOTAL: 950 grams (counting the pork fat which is the usual meat item) The weight of this ration is increased to 1,005 grams if the bologna or canned meat is issued in place of the pork fat. Ration #1, for flying personnel, is the same as Ration #2, described previously, which is the customary ration for everyone else, with the following additions: chocolate, condensed milk (or a milk product, such as cottage cheese or cheese), butter, and a larger amount of meat. Ration #1 is also superior to Ration #2 in that it has a better assortment in quality. Full information on all rations can be found in the Soviet Army Circular, GIU #8, Main Quartermaster Directorate (Glavnoye Intendantskoye TTpravleniye). 3. Q. Do you have any knowledge of the Ministry of State Food and Material Reserves (also known as the Ministry of State Reserves), such as responsibilities, organization, and operation? How does it tie in with the military stockpiling and storage effort? A. The Ministry of State Food and Material Reserves is a purely civilian agency whose primary responsibility is the collecting of taxes in kind from the population (ie, meat, grain, food, etc.). The Ministry of State Reserves operated warehouses all over the country. The taxes are stored temporarily in these warehouses under the Ministry of State Reserves. The Army will then take over gush supplies as are needed through the Chief Directorate of Intendance which is part of the staff of the Chief of Rear Services. Control of such supplies may be assumed by representatives of the Army without the supplies ever leaving the warehouses, or then again the supplies may be sent to new warehouses under the control of the rear services. Since the Ministry of State Reserves is a civilian organization, approval of the transfer of their supplies to the army must first come from Moscow. According to the source, the Army requests additional rations from the Chief of Rear Services, who in turn submits his request to the Ministry of War in Moscow. The Ministry of War contacts the Ministry of State Reserves which issues an order requesting certain warehouses under its jurisdiction to release a specified amount and type of supplies to the rear services of the Soviet Army. The Chief of Rear Services, through th Chief Directorate of Inten- dance, is responsible for all military stockpiling. 4. Can you explain what is meant by mobilization reserves, and how do they differ from state reserves? What is meant by "the system for industrial mobilization"? What types of storage facilities does it maintain? A. Mobilization reserves are those reserves held'by military units themselves. They consist of all the various kinds of reserve supplies and equipment needed to bring or expand the peacetime T/0 to the wartime T/O. About a one-third reserve is needed to bring most units up to full strength. These reserves may be called either Mobilization Reserves or NZ (Neprikos- Novennizapas) -- Untouchable Reserve. The term Mobilization Reserves is a flexible one. It also may include food reserves although they are actually under the Ministry of State Reserves. The difference between Mobilization Reserves and State Reserves is that the former are actual military reserves while the latter are of a civilian nature. The bookkeeping for mobilization reserves is kept entirely separate from the other supplies of a unit and is given the highest security classification. SECRET, SECRET 25X1 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/08/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/08/07 CIAR000100220003-2 The system for industrial mobilization is the strategic plan for the Soviet Union, in case of war, to provide for a state committee of defense headed by Stalin and other high ranking government officials. The chief task of this committee would be to mobilize the resources of the country to meet the needs of the front. Upon declaration of war, this committee becomes the supreme command. All economic facilities would come under its control. It would assume responsibility for storage in the factories. The factories would. probably continue under the control of their respective peacetime ministry b.t'they would convert according to a previous plan, There is no ministry at the present time for the storage of material and equipment reserves, such as the Ministry of State Reserves for the storage of food reserves; however, it is to be expected that each industry sets aside reserves of its production. 5. Q. How are Central Storage Depots of the Ministry of War administered? What types of supplies and equipment do they hold? Approximately how many are assigned to each military district? What is the relationship between a central depot and the commander of a military district? Do you know the location of any? What would one be like? Describe the installations. What is the primary purpose of central storage depots? A. Central Storage Depots are controlled from Moscow by the Ministry of War. They are located throughout the country on the basis of need from the military point of view. There is, therefore, no set number per military district; but rather they vary among the military districts according to their need. Central Storage Depots are under military command, but chances are that the personnel for the most part consists of voliintary,civilian workers. The military district commander has no operational control over the central storage depots in his district. He has, however, an administrative control.in the sense of providing payments, keeping records, etc. I know of one central storage depot located in Brest-Litovsk and known as Glovni Sklad (Main Depot) which services the Soviet forces in Germany and Poland. It accumulates all types of supplies. Storage in each warehouse is according to a definite plan. Norms are established for all supplies in storage at the depot, and all warehouses must be ready for an inspection of these norms at any time. Thus, if 20 sacks of flour are removed from the warehouse, then 20.more must immediately ,be brought in to replace them. What is meant by "lst and 2nd echelons" of the rear? What types of supplies are usually included in each? Are they only used during tactical situations? A. The lst echeloh refers to the warehouses nearest to where the troops are fighting, as well as the type of supplies contained therein while the 2nd echelon refers.to those warehouses farthest away from the front lines. All types of supplies are contained in each echelon's warehouses. The type of supplies to be found will depend largely upon the need in each individual circumstance. Those items in the first echelon are things which normally move along with th-. troops. The supplies in the 2nd echelon are those which are more or less stationary and accumulating. The 1st echelon moves along with the troops as they advance, while the 2nd echelon remains stationary until the distance between it and the front is so great that transportation becomes a problem for the movement of Its supplies. Then the 2nd echelon is moved to a point closer to the fighting troops but still behind the lst echelon. The 1st and 2nd echelons are used extensively in time of war; however during peacetime they are only employed in connection with training activities, 7. Q. What are the refills of POL kept on hand by various units? A. In addition to the gasoline in the tanks of the trucks and other vehicles (amounting to one refill in itself),' two other refills are kept on hand. One refill is kept at battalion level, while the second refill is at regimental level. 8. Q. Give a detailed description of the functioning and organization of.a rifle company and a rifle battalion supply section. ECREJ. SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/08/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2 11 Approved For ReIi - - 7R0001'IIU2200 3-2 25X1 -4- SECRET. A. If a company or battalion is an integral part of a regiment,, it will have no supply element in its organization in peacetime, No supply sergeant or officer is present as such in these units. The first sergeant may, however, be considered as the chief of rear services at company level. The company commander is concerned only with military matters while the first sergeant handles the administration of the company. Therefore, since the first sergeant is responsible, for the company paper work, he will make up the necessary papers for any item of equipment or supply needing repair. He will then take them, together with the article, to the repair shop; and-likewise he will pick up the repaired item when ready. When new uniforms are to be issued, the men of the company or battalion are merely marched in group to the regimental warehouses for issue. Food is issued on a daily strength report sent from the company to the battalion. A consolidation is made at battalion level of the various reports submitted by the companies which is sent on to the regiment. The regiment on the basis of this consolidated report sends the food requirements back down the line. Mairtenance, as I have mentioned above, is the responsibility of the first sergeant although an officer may be required to be present at the return and issue of such items as rifles which have a definite respon- sibility, 9. Q. At division and regimental level, does the chief of rear services have any authority over the "technical supplies" (ie, engineer, chemical, and signal)? How is the actual supply of these items handled at those levels. A. The chief of rear services at tegiment or division level has no authority over technical supplies. At division level, the warehouses in which these technical goods are stored are physically under the administrative control of the Divisional Supply Point, DIS (formerly DOP), which of course comes under the chief of rear services. However, he is only concerned with administrative (housekeeping) control of the technical supplies in his warehouses Actual operational control over them comes from the instructions of the appropriate Division Technical Officer (Division Engineer, etc.) or his representative (section chief), At regimental level, there is a chief for each of the three technical branches. Each chief has his own supply point. When one tuns out of any of his supplies or equip- ment, he goes to his respective chief at division level and gets a requisition on the DIS from him, The supplies are drawn from the DIS and taken back down to the regimental supply point for storage and use. Storage of the technical items of supply rests largely upon local circumstances and the amount of available space, All technical items may be located within one building, or'each may have a separate warehouse allotted to it. If all items are kept under one roof, the building is divided into sections and the stores are kept apart from one another. The supply personnel at the technical warehouse(s) are commanded by a line officer in most cases. It matters little what branch of the service the enlisted help are from inasmuch as in the close confines of the warehouse, they work directly with the officer. Rear service officers would rarely be put in charge of such warehouses. Q. How are "Trophy Detachments" organized? To whom are they responsible? How do they function? A. Trophy detachments do exist in time of war, but not during peacetime. I believe that each division has one trophy platoon (about 30 men), each army has one trophy company, and each army group has one trophy battalion. The purpose of these trophy detachments is to follow the fighting, collect weapons (both their own and the enemyyas)9 and send them back to the rear. They do not collect trucks or other vehicles, however, and they do not take part in the fighting. To coordinate the activities of these various trophy detachments, a Main Trophy Directorate existed during World War II which supervised the gathering of battle- field supplies and their subsequent redistribution. At army level the Main Trophy Directorate is located in the 2nd echelon. At ministerial level the Main Trophy Directorate comes under the control of the Chief of Rear Services. In addition to the work of trophy detachments, another -- but separate -- front line salvage unit is SPAM -- Assembly Point for Wrecked Machines (Sborny Punkt Avarinykh Mashin). This organization gathers up trucks and-`other wheeled equipment SECRET/ Approved For Release 2002/08/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2 Approved For Rele s 2 - - 4780001002200 SECRET -5- SECRET L5X1A 25X1 of both the enemy and Soviet forces. This would include the salvage of tanks, halftracks, armored cars, etc. It collects only those vehicles, however, which cannot be repaired by the self-contained repair (3rd echelon repair in the United States Army) facilities of their assigned unit. SPAM is found at division level. It is--' a wartime unit only,,.-.and consists of about 60 men under the command of a lieutenant. It is not under the rear service organization but comes under the control of the Deputy for Technical Equipment. Q. What academies or higher military schools do you know of to which rear service personnel might be sent for trainirg? Also state their locations, A, The Academy for Intendance at Yaroslavl which graduates about 300 a year. The Molotov Military "Housekeeping" (KHOZYAISTVENNAYA) Academy at Kalinin with at least 300 graduates per year, probably more. It also has a school for the advanced training of high ranking and reserve officers. There may be an academy at Kharkov like the one at Kalinin, 25X1 SECRET. SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2002/08/07 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2