SOVIET ARMY MANEUVERS IN GERMANY, 23 OCT - 1 NOV 51

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100230009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: February 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURlta INFO
COUNTRY
Approved For Relen50141/14-tyjAMpPMEWO#7R0001
INFORMATION REPORT
USSR/Germany (Soviet Zone)
SECRET
DATE DISTR. pi Peb 1952
SUBJECT Soviet Army Maneuvers in Germany, 23 Oct - 1.Nov 51N0. OF PAGES 4
PLACE
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DATE
ACQUIRED B
DATE OF INF
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING TME NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794. OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REV,.
LOTION Or ITS CONTESTS TO OR RECEIPT SY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHISITED.
`'',L21, EP E )- 12, e
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. With the exception of the assembly area Lffee Enclosure ckg
the OctZ 51 maneuvers took place about one kilometer west
BraMbach (5013N-1218E), across the Elbe, in the Lodderitz-
Kuehnau forests south of the Elbe, and near Zerbst (5158N-1205E)
north of the Elbe 5ee 00-K-2017. During the Maneuvers the
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ommanding Cieneral of. the 8th Guardsv ArS27, Genleit Go hev
ected the 39th and 57th Guards Rifle Dixisions The 39th
0Uards and 57th Guards Rifle Division were the attacking
(.friendly) forces and the 21st Guards Mechanized Division wals
be, defending (hostile) force.
I ell" tu)able to give the units of the 57th Guards Rifle Division
or the 21st Guards Mechanized -Division which -participated in
these m*neuvers, However, I?IIIMIIMIMMIMNIMM 25X1X
the 935th Separate AAA Battalion, I saw orders to the ,heall-
4viArters, naming the following units of the 39th Guards Rifle
DiVision 'Which I am sure Participated in the maneuVers.
llgth Guards Rifle Regiment, Head-
quarters only (tWo battalions Were on
border ctutY)
120th Guards Rifle Regiment
IV) (117th (65th) Guards Rifle
esiment
(1) RoWitzer :Regiment
(1) Artillery Regiment
15tb, IITSP Regiment
(1)'SeParate AT Battalion
935th Separate AAA Battalion
(1) 'Separate Signal Battalion
Separate Motorcycle Battalion
rear units)
(1).SeParate Engineer Battalion
About 30 men
About 1.100 men
About 550 men
About 250 men
About 200 men
About 1,00 men
About 100 men
About 1100 men
About 200 men
About 200 men
About 200 men
X: 'believe that the coMbined total strength of the 39th and.
the 57th Guards Rifle Division in the maneuver was about 6000
men,?. 1 can give no detailed information about the strength
Of the 21st (Wards Mechanized Division but I estimate that
Oput 3000-4000 participated, The (1) 'Separate Battalion or
the 39th Guards Rifle Division and the 67th Separate Engineer
Battalion of the 57th Guards Rifle Division participated In
the maneuvers, Thts unit bad lthe Same-
25X1A equipment r- units in the 15- 20 Jul 51
ManeUVers. At the time of the maneuvers I was
e* tuard,
* eg men tuare evsan was on the right
lank The headquarters of the 112th Guards Rifle Regiment*
57th auards Rifle Division, Was on the left flank. I can-.
'riot identify any of the subordinate units of the opposing
? torce0* the 21st Guards Mechanized Divisian,
.After one and one half days of loading and preparation, the
'935th Separate AAA Battalion left Ohrdruf by truck at
1500 hours on 23 Oct 51. The unit arrived at the assembly
area near Dessau at 1800 hours on the 24th. :Within an hour
all other units arrived In the assembly area. The time tabl
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for unit arriwt.Le hatj, plpur'ed, by corps headquarters
and was .executed perfectly, The rifle regiments, the Howitzer
Regent, the Artillery Regiment, the Separate. AT Battalion*
and --tte Separate Signal Battalion came from Ohrdruf by truck-,
-Tile. 15th HT-SP Regiment, however, entrained at Ohrdrufl Was
shipped to Dessau, and then proceeded ? from there to the assembly
-- -Area-by organic transportation. I can give no details about
the 'movement of unite of the 57th Guards Rifle Division, I
can give no unit locations in the assembly area.
The mission assigned to the 935th Separate AAA Battalion was
to. protect the 120th Guards. Rifle Regiment from air'attaoka
While it Was moving, crossing the Elbe River and dlAring the;
-01.0ting on the other side of the river. The specific MiSSiOn,
? Was to cover the vanguard of the 120th Guards
Rirle Regiment., The mission of the 39th Guards Rifle DiVielPn
was to cross the Elbe, seize a bridgehead two and one half
kilometers wide and five kilometers long and to hold, Atk 'A4Sr
the 39th Guards Rifle Division had gained the bridgehead* the
57th Guards Rifle Division was to cross the river, engage in
combat with the enemy and pursue him. In actuality* both
divisions crossed the Elbe ani pursued the retreating enemy
(Igg)th Guards Mechanized Division).
?.After assembly about 1800 hours on 24 Oct 51, the. troops. 44Z
? 1114 prepared guns for firing (no firing was done),'camOuflaged
OS guns, and then rested while the staff of the various units
'coordinated the plan of action. On the morning'of 25 -Oct,57-"all
units moved in trucks to within one kilometer of the Elbe.-,
:It took the entire day to move this distance of approximately
40 kilometers since there were stops for reconnaissance and
security checks under simulated combat conditions,
VII08 and MIG 15 aircraft attacked at one time during the
day-and the AAA simulated firing action on the move. The.
troops rested all night in the jump-off area about one kilo-
meter south of the Elbe.
At 0800 hours on 26 Oct `!' P,,&.F;!mc;a1:f; tht: 71,nri.jactr
Regiment and the Separate AT Battalion commenced an artillery
barrage directed across the river, while the 935th Separate
AAA Battalion set up its antiaircraft guns and fired. on?air7.'
?sraft. Simultaneously the engineer units of the 39th. and
57th Guards Rifle Division built a pontoon bridge and the
assault boats, each containing 20 men of the 120th Guards
*int Regiment, began to cross the Elbe. The artillery.
.barrage was stopped at 0900. At approximately 1000, rifle-Men
of the 120th Guards Rifle Regiment began to cross the pOntO011
bridge Which had'- t, completed in about one hour. -After the
riflemen had crossed, two batteries of the 935th Separate AAA
Battalion crossed with their 37 mm AA guns towed by trucks*
unable to give the
sequence of units which followed, I am certain that 00
reserveu, except for rear Units, i e ordnance, truck rePalr*
coOks* field kitchens, food supply were left on the South
,side of the river, The 39th and 57th Divisions had seiZed,
bridgehead two and one half kilometers Wide and four ki1o4.:
-meters deep by 1500 or 1600 hours, with the simulated combat.
firing. By nightfall the attackers had gained a further .f.'Ye
lkilometers..: The battle was stopped at 2000 hours. After
setting up der en& t paring th" Etalit,r? ro.r-
aring the troops rested all night.
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At 06 00 hours on 27 Oct;514. the battle, was resumed.. Once again.
.4140weart attacked and were fired upon by the AM batteries'
the 39th and 57th Divisions 'again pursued the siolay're-
treating forces of the 21st Guards Mechanized DivisiOn! In
all-day battle the 39th and 57th Divisions gained about
10. km, thus moving north of Rossian. Combat Was stopped at
g000 hours and the troops rested all night.
At 0600 hours on 28 Oct 54 the battle began ttgain.,.. By,1600-hours
010' 39th and 57th Divisions had gained another ftVe kilOMetera,
At 1600 hours the maneuver ended and all units, both friendly
and hOstile, assembled in the woods. They remained here for
.two days, cleaning equipment, preparing for the return to
stations and returning to stations. 25X1X
Genmaior (fnu) Vedenin, Commanding General of theXXVIII Guar00
. ,
itirio corps was the commanding General of all three divisi0,40
dUring the maneuver. I believe that Genleit GoryacheY, Cam-
Aanding General of the 8th Guards ArraY controlled the ..maneUverl
but? I am not certain of this, I don't knee( if any 0011G
representatives were present or controlled any part of the.
maneuYer4,
1O On or about 3 Nov, 51, clrnittit Goryachew hell a critique .3..)f ttie
MaAPUVer and praised the 39th and 57th Guards Rifle Di:11010n!
for ding a good job. He did not discuss any specific de!..,
ficiencies but stated that officers had not reacted 'sufficiently
that in changes of plans, were afraid to make their own
decisions andD inS,ORICgaTt aribiguolo criti4. -
S Whole, he stated that the maneuver was a success Xne 39th'
DiVision and the 21st Guards Mechanized Division'passed
inspection with good results.
11* _PUring the maneuvers only the area two to threw kilmaeters.
on either side of the Elbe was off limits to Germans. While
no dermans were permitted to enter the assembly areaS, they
were not kept away from those areas in which Soviet troops
conducted their mock battles. Individual soldiers were issued
:complete sets of Wartime equipment and ammunition during
'maneuVers. The allowance for the maneuvers Was 15 cartridges
per riflemen, and five charges for each 37 'mm AA gun. NO
smoke screens were used. Personnel participating were issued
gas masks but they were never put on., Troope stayed over.
nit in the open with no tents. One blanket for each. soldier
as carried on trucks and issued every day before the night-
fall.. Except the day of the river 'crossing, food Was cooked
'in field kitchens On the day of the ores ing the troops
UPed the iron ration issued prior to the beginning of the
maneuvers and which was carried as .a part or the individual
eqUiPment of each soldier.
-end-
Enclosure (A): 23 0t- 1 Mov 51 Maneuver Area
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N52 and M52 Sheets
GS CS 4346
1:250t000
Zerbst
io:tiMigds 5
burg
Elba River
3 ,
-
II Autobahn
Rosslau
Co swig
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To Wittonbe'rg
To
Kotben
Autobahn
.....gtswttriebs.kstixvisstsimes.
' 2 Elbe Rive
. ,4
Lod4eritz Kuhnau
Forest Forest
To
Bi?tterfeld
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23 Oot - 1 Nov 51 Maneuver.Are
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1, Initial assembly area, 39th and 57th Ods Rifle'
2, Crossing point
4, Elbe River
JuMpi-off area for Attack by 39th and 57th ads Rifle Divs
5, Area defended by 21st Gds NecZ Div and seized in moOk 'battle
by the 39th and 57th Divs on 26, 27, and g8 Oct 51
6, Nedlitz Forest: assembly area after maneuver for the 215t,
39th and 57th Divs,
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