SOVIET ARMY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

INFORMATION REPORT 25X1A
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---VAAZ5brr IIUAT ION SECRET
Approved For Rel TRAY0.2 HZL?IGF O(47R0001
COUNTRY USSR/Germany (Soviet Zone) SECRET
SUBJECT Soviet Army Transportation System-
DATE DISTR.
/y Feb 52
NO. OF PAGES
3
SUPPLEMENT TO
25X1A REPORT NO.
TMI/ OOCYYSNT CONTAIMI INIOLYATIO1 A11[CTINt TMl NATIONAL D[R[N?L
01 TML YNIT[I STAT/SI ^1TNIN TN[ YLANIMI 01 TITLE 101 SECTIONS T??
ANC 7S4, OR VHS U.S. COO11 OS #515010. ITS TNANSYI?IION OR SITE.
CATION 01 ITS CONTENTS TO OR Nl Gki,T ?T AN YNAV TNOSIZ IO ....YN 1.
SOURCE
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Q.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Does Air transport play any role in the military movement of supplies? Has
it been expanded since the end of World War II? How would the rear services
enter into the picture of supply by the air?
OR" NO. a1-4D
AN 1961
A. Air transport plays absolutely no role in the supply of Soviet troops at the
present time. Moreover, I know of no plans for air supply although the Air
Force may have made its own plans for the supply of its units. The rear
services is concerned with air supply only to the extent that it would pro-
cess documents and release material from its warehouses.
2. Q. Do any Soviet units still rely upon horse-drawn transportation (excluding
cavalry')? Have you seen any units with horse transport within the USSR within
the last several years?
A. Numerous Soviet Army units still rely upon horse-drawn transport; artillery
and infantry divisions in particular*. Border troops also employ horses for
their specific duties. I think that there are two reasons for the continued
use of horses: (1) the lack of roads inside the USSR, and (2) the lack oIC
motor transport. All units outside the USSR are motorized; however, I would
estimate that about 20% of the entire army still relies upon horse-drawn
transportation.
Do some Soviet units still rely upon US and British. Lend,-Lease trucks for their
transport? If 'so, to what extent? Hu
v{;
A. Many Soviet units still tee' upon f oreign-made transport. Fo.''example, one
25X1X regiment contained 87 trucks and only three
were of Soviet mamLtacture. _Many other foreign made vehicles, are kept in
preservation by the Soviets (i.-e_, tires are removed and trucks which are stored
on blocks receive constant lubrication and mechanical checks.) I estimate that
50% of all motor transpot within the USSR is of American manufacture, while 75%
of all transport is of foreign make.-
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t,. Q. How are railroad troops organized? To whom are they responsible? hat are
their duties? Where does their work end and that of civilian agencies begin?
A. There is no organization of operating rail personnel in the Soviet Army other
than among security troops. At army level there'is-a section with a military
command covering railroad transport; however, there is no organization among
the railway personnel as among army units. In time of war the entire rail
net is under military control but the changeover from its peacetime operation
is hardly noticeable. Even in peacetime, rail personnel possess simulated
ranks and wear uniforms. The civilian railway personnel have very little
distinction from army personnel in peacetime. For one thing, however, they
don't have to take the military oath administered to members of the armed forces.
The-responsibility for rail transport belongs to the Ministry of Railroad
Transport. A few officers and enlisted men are assigned to it in administrative
positions.
Army rail repair and construction units do, however, exist. Directly under the
front (army group), there is an engineer brigade with responsibility for
reconstructing bridges, rails, etc. Each brigade consists of three or four
battalions of railway engineer troops with repair trains and other necessary
equipment with which to repair or build rail lines.
Q. Does the transfer of goods and equipment from the broad gauge tracks of the
USSR to the narrower gauge tracks of udestern Europe present any difficulties
or particular hardships to Soviet rail transport and supply?
A. It doesn't play a very great role in the Soviet transport picture or in the
supplying of her forces in Europe. In my opinion, moreover, bombing of these
transfer points would not greatly handicap the Soviets. There are transfer
points for transloading at many places along the Soviet western borders. More-
over, European gauge extends a distance of 25 kilometers into the USSR at these
transloading points, and transfer facilities exist all along the way. I believe
that the Soviets would build their gauge tracks along side of the European rail
network in the event of hostilities.
b. Q. In what manner are POL supplies normally sent to the various echelons of the
Army? How is fuel stored at the various levels of command? What type of
containers are used?
A. POL supplies are normally sent to the various levels of command by railroad tank
cars. At division and regiment, gasoline trucks may be used. Storage for fuel
is customarily provided by tanks sunken into the earth. In rear bases,
horizontal tanks are set up on the ground, and tank railroad cars or tank trucks
load up with the fuel and send it on forward. Barrels and other containers
are used for storage at lower echelons.
7. Q. Are there any units within the Soviet Army concerned with the transport of
supplies by water? If so, give any information on them which you might have.
A. I personally do not know of the existence of any units concerned with the
transport of army supplies by water.
8. Q. 'What do you consider to be the reatest weaknesses in (a) motor transport,
(b), railroad transport, and (c) water transport?
A. Motor transport is poorly developed within the Soviet Army and the USSR because
there is not enough of it and the supply of motor fuel is inadequate. There
are very sharp restrictions on its use in the Soviet Army. The allotment for
my truck was 300 liters per month in Germany, and the same held true of all
military vehicles; If the amount of gasoline was used up before the end of the
month, no more was forthcoming; however, any unused portions of the ration could
be carried over from month to month. Truck transport is used only for short
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hauls, usually no further than from one unit to the next lower (or higher)
echelon. Long distance hauling of supplies by motor transport in the Army is
practically non-existent. There is almost no private ownership of motor ve-
hicles. No one owns privately a truck, and very few people in the USSR own
cars. Repair and maintenance is poor because there are no spare parts. It took
for example, two months for my truck to be repaired on this account. However, I
do not feel that there was any lack of trained mechanics within the Soviet Army.
Soviet railways are very weak because they are not extensive and there is not
enough rolling stock. The operation of them is very poor -- due, to a large
extent, to the highly bureaucratic structure of the system. Loading facilities
are not modern. 'Within the USSR, loading is done by hand because of this lack
of modern loading devices. These facilities are, however, better in Germany
and the other occupied countries. Also, loading ramps within the Soviet Union
were usually improvised and were made of stones and filled with sand for the
most part. Mood was rarely used for this purpose.
I believe that the major weaknesses of the Soviet Water Transport Net can be
attributed to several things. Here again, bureaucracy is the fundamental
weakness. "The spirit of the collective farm' is everywhere. This especially
affects the-development of water transportation.
The moving stock is not large enough and during the winter season, due to the
severity of the climate, the waterways of the USSR may be closed to shipping for
half a year or longer. Of course, it is then that the railway system is vastly
overburdened and most vulnerable.
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