PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS/SECURITY MEASURES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2009
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 15, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1 1j 5J 'K
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
DATE DISTR./fMay 1953
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUBJECT Prisoner of War Camps/Security Measures
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
DATE OF III
TM11 IO[UMIl? 0011701140 IM-OIMATION A0/107100 TMl NATIONAL 0111X11
00 TN1 1401710 /70710, 1117X114 Till IIANIM/ O0TI1L1 Ill 111TION1 Ill
All % 744, 00 Ill U.O. COOK, Al AMIN00*, III TI ANIMIIIIOM ON 0101.
1.0}1000 171 1000/011 10 ON 110110? IT AN UNAUTM0.1II0 011031111
P.9.1:1 T10 1T LAI. TN1 N0-000U0TIIN OF 7X11 FORM II 00.MI/ITlO?
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
The six hundred thousand Japanese prisoners taken by the Soviets were
divided into battalions of one thousand men. One battalion was assigned
to a camp, -.kint approximately 600 nm s. The car s were spread geo-
graphically into at least five areas but it is
nn~Sil~le that there wer.=
Each area was broken down into
districts and.. the camps were numbered within the district.
The number five designates the area, one designates the district
and 01 designates the camp.
the cam s
in the fifth area were all 'very similar as to size and structure.
the niagadan are
camps were the same as to size and structure. The
camps were usually square shaped and approximately 400 feet square.
There was a double row of wire fences with an approximate 12-foot
corridor between the fences and at each corner within the corridor was
a guard tower. The camps situated near cities and just south of
Komsomo].sk had double wire fences) whereas all camps north of Komsomoisk
and those not near populated areas had outer fences made of wooden boards.
The boards were eight to 10 feet high above the ground, were two to three
feet into the ground, and were between two and three inches thick, rough
cut with picket-type tops. The boards were braced on the leeward side
against strong winds.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
I I I _A_ -1
rI
25 YEAR RE-REVIEW
Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
 Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
41J1'd.L' 1L.Gl.Y 11~ ,J,L'a .. tJAi.... 1 ` LJX.& vawu-s~-
All the camps in the fifth area hac lo;; cabin
buildings They had been used previously as slaTe?~labor cane; ani all were
e oar cord'tion when rrr b?j+talio 25 arrived. Mud had fallen out
zn v r
?> P
of the chinks, and the first winter there W45-i946 spare 25X1
time was spent filling the holes and plastering the inside of the buildings.
This e :lean.'-up and repair work was compulsory but we were not allowed to do it
durin our regular work day. The prisoners were glad to do this work in their
spare time, however, which was only at night, because it made the hlrii.diags so
much warmer and easier to keep clean. The second year (1946) ordered 25X1
to plaster the outside of the to cabins and to calciziin_e them white, which
gave the appearance of white stucco buildings. Because of the great length of
the winter, the, white buildings were well camouflaged most of the year. By the
end of 1946 most of the renovation Of the camps was completed.
The first es.mp was (October 1911? locatrd at Dohf
:ncac horet.ic spelling
it was obvious that ao camp
had been recently occupied as there was fresh garbage and other evidence on the
promises. 1 extremeel crowded and in early 194G all additional 200 PW's
7 Tere b , t irx rn lcir,a' quarters almost unbee,:rWol.~ .
this was only temporary and after approx:i.mately 30 deyF, mood to
another camp approximately one mile west. This carrr~,a, No 5/111
ac:coimnodated a few. imorc but it was still ver xr~~a.ch overcx~ewd d.. After just
Completing the renovation of caTaP 5/101, had to start renovatio'i of
ceT!J 5/111,which was even in worse condition. cam 5/101 was
to ire used as :a technical school for the mainten.ar ce and operatian of tLOtor.s
and vehi.c].es. Vehicles and other :e ,uipnicnt were being moved ,into the cam., and
the corridor between the' two wire :fences was bein4, used. as .>a, run-way for testing
vehicles. this technical school was tre,ininr, Soviet
"heavy'r cony. c ,s k.Lo- zne . ar }
camp 55/03______________ was located five
m1 es north Ut camp 57 Loo. ?;. bras the same si . s me stY a to as the
others. In the ~~icinit . of this Camp was a 'lar;e "5ov1oz ~3 uw .ed
farm. Approximately 300 prisone.. worked on t is i 1r'i TL"i e
prisoners most willing to accept Communism were thc's chosen ! work o . the
farm. Many of the prisoners oafd they would accept CO)ili onisu 1.:._ order to work
Log0ing
there as farm work was mach l ire pleasant than railroading end
Khurmuli} Wi-.ile or. ;he r'o" - no? alorai:,o1i,
n c between 51102 ' 5 / 202 ~. all. _ mi _ar t.. al'-'. o he.L
,six `d,tilp:i and G, which Z~er~ ~
se:eY]. The buildings al-, camp 5/202
other cal ,.~);~, but 2,,,)o 7~ ~r a ~1:! ?;:^cupied e,,- c,:,; . z. e c~3
northern outskirts of . or?; oli a d 'Gras well secluded in, t ?^.:
m:ountai I's . Hormoli is si'i hated in the fo ,th ills: of e. 1._ i? L1 pal ."a1 *
extended north of the city, Because ,,;the hills serve as an rxceJ,_.3 ;fi
f1a._ e, "the food distribution center at Dohf, as well as the NV])r3,
were x )ved to Hor)uol_i..
25X1
25X1
The BAIL::: aikai Amur? Ivag:istra Railroad rar dx o.r`thwest from ixormoli_ to Gorin0 Alan -Ellis
25X1
Approximately 15 Miles n.arthiwc st a:L" Go i .. as anaime~: :a
P_hnrl n - .7rt i r?h w as ,n nib --red S/I+J'(
COr!F'IDE"1~d`1T SECURITY INFORMATION
Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
 Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
railroad turned due west toward Lake Baikal to tic in with the Trans-Siberian
Railroad,
At each camp, two squads of soldiers, totalling about 30 men, one officer,
sometimes two, and two to four non-commissioned officers were detailed as
guards. They were armed with rifles and fixed bayonets. When we moved from a,
camp, riflemen were at the head and rear of the column, and the guards on the sides
of the columns carried Burp guns. The So?riet.officer in charge of the camp lived
nearby. After the first ear some of these officers were replaced by civilians.
In 1946, these officers received
knew no more a ou future plans than the daily
their orders daily, an they
orders disclosed. These daily orders were placed in a metal tube and dropped
from a plane.
a political. agent was
at6ached to the camp. from Moscow and the
agent was usually a Soviet officer. He was greatly respected and feared by
all the security personnel,
Even thou: h a battalion of one thousand men was assigned to each, camp, the
Occasionally, additional small groups were sent to a camp, but this was usually
only temporary. Also, deaths resulting from freezing, malnutrition, and a lack
of medical care sometimes brought the niunber of prisoners down to the usual size
group.
approximate capacity of all the camps was 600. They were, of course, a.Lways
overcrowded, which resulted in a great deal of discomfort for the prisoners.
Water supply was the greatest problem, particularly durin; the .ri:nter ,_-:o ths.
The water was hauled in by h nd and in the winter it was necessary to chop
through several feet of ice.
Jwould go many months without a bath and during the winter.
could never get enough water for laundry purposes.
One "doctor" was assigned to each camp. Some were good, but sor,c were very in-
competent and brutal. About one-half of the "doctors" were Soviet women.
These women were often merciless and treated the prisoners i;,nu se,rerel than
did the men "doctors." In 1911.8 medical attention impro':ed. con :Lderab1y.
More "doctors" were assigned to each camp, and they seemed to be better
gualii ied,
Sanitation was appalling, particularly the first -Yrtnter (19+5 and 1946). This
was by far the worst winter for the prisoners did not have adequate.
clothing. No clothes were issued whatsoever only the garme a~.ts
possessed when captured. Also, there was a shortage of food the first
winter, as much of the food assigned to the prisoners was stolen ;T the So~-ic
guards. They divided it between themselves and Soriet civilians inasmuch as
they did not have enough food for themselves. The standard ration of 350 grams of black bread, 400 ;rams of cereal, 25 grams of fish, 12 gar,.- %
of sugar, 000 grains of vegetable (almost always ota.toes) and. five
rarely received_ any sikgar an(. did not always receive the coil. About three
This ration never varied throughout rrnr entire -N.'.re vPa;1:?
of times a ;;rear meat was given in place o.~: fish. Until tse la.;`-,
receive full quantities in the last two years. The food'. ,:.lso improved
somewhat in quality.
CONS I"MMIAL SECURITY Ii-1FOE~v:ATIOl
never received the full ration of the other items, and only occ.as-ioxially
Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
 Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1
,
~(7N J:ti~.1V`l'1 1. b.U' UUttJ.'1"x "XVMV-xsvr"
2hc .first six to ten months of my imprisons nt, the pr prisoners were treated '
very cruelly; but in mid-1946 there was a slight chan e for the better, and by
b& t
h
t
er ,.
:
a
1947. there was quite a definite chan.*?e . The food. improved., somew
clothing was provided, and recreation was introduced There was a. great d$e,..
remained~reactionLsts, however. A limited number o:C ~iu.siee.l i.nstx~znents ~~ero
and costumes and other paraphernalia was furrzi$hed, sparingly, for.
available
,
plays and shows . The camp political agent supervv.ised the entertains nt liven
d n th
i
c,
bar the prisoners. These i~c rovements were, of course, We l- synchron
the political indoctrination program.
(,O LUB',TNT:CA?, - jECURI'[' lNP Qtii{T7'IOi~i~
Approved For Release 2009/07/07: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200810008-1