THE ALBANIAN ARMY AND POLICE FORCE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 5, 2012
Sequence Number: 
2
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
August 8, 1947
Content Type: 
IR
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5.pdf217.38 KB
Body: 
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2012/09/05 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5 steFetteowrRat u. s. oppicuts ONLY CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP MIELL0fAX INTELLIGENCE REPORT COUNTRY Albania SUBJECT The Albanian Army and Police Force ORIGIN DATE INFO. DIST. iLugust 3924750X1-HUM PAGES 3 SqPPLEMENT 50X1 -HUM fOINI EX L XiX STAT I WAR I NAVY JUSTICE ,rgarLization and Strength 1. The Albanian Army' is organised into three Corps, each having two divisions under its command. A division is composed of three infantry and one artillery regiments, plus engineers and other services. There is also in the Albanian Army one "People's Guards" Division, composed o, three regiments. ' 2. Total strength is about 80,000 officJgband but this figure is likely to increase as a number of classes have rec been called up. The strength of the various groups within the an is as follows: Officers and N. C 0.8 Artillery Infantry Engineers and other services "People's Guards" Po/ice Yugoslav specialists 12,000 5,000 35,000 5,000 15,000 7,000 2,000 3. Each infantry regiment consists of three battalions, each having 200 to 300 men. Each batt as and a mortar section usually armed with 81 mm. mortars. Each company 50X1-HUM consists of four platoons with two German quick-firing rifles and one Breda heavy machine gun. 4. The "People's Guards" Division has the function of an armed police force. Its three regiments are divided up into twenty-four aasualt brigades with specialist battalions made up of Frontier Guards. The police force proper, the D.H.P. (People's Defense Division) commanded by General Koci Xoxe, has recently been completely reorganised and now consists of the following groups: Political Police (in civilian clothes) Mountain Police Harbor Police Highway Police (mans check points on the roads) CONFIDENTIAL DoetUnent No. P.P...--4?44-1-rre1irt 10 N TrAtitt,-, CONTSOL NO CHANGE in Class. 0 Class. CHANGED TO: TS S 0 DECLASSIFIED DDA Nemo, 4 APT* 77 Auth: DDA REG . 77 " Date: Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5 50X1 -HUM .1?R?militaksienonsm Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5 acZcallgiCONTROL . S. OFFICIALS ONLY CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP - 2 - Eguiprient 6. Army equipment is beginning to attain a certain homgeneity. Until recently it consisted largely of small arms and mortars of miscellaneous types used by the Albanian partisans, and included little artillery. T4are were only a feu 75/13 and 75/17 field guns and a few German anti-tank guns. y. Since the war Soviet and Yugoslav equipment, including artillery, has been delivered, mainly in Soviet vessels and in Yugoslav sailboats. In 1946 twenty heavy tanks were delivered from the USSR via Yugoslavia. 0. Recently the 3rd Corps at Argyrocastro received consignments of munitions which were delivered by sea in Yugoslav vessels. This corps has also recently received several dozens of 75/17 field gums from the USSR as well as large quantities of hand grenades, woolen clothing, boots and rations. Soviet instructors are training troops under this corps in the use of the newly arrived long-barreled machine guns. Locations 9. 3rd Amy Corps "People's Guards,' Division 1st Regiment 2nd Regiment 3rd (iitorized) Regt. 1st Infantry Division 1st Regiment 2nd Regiment 3rd Regiment Artillery Rogt. 2nd Infantry Division 1st Regiment 2nd Regiment 3rd Regiment Artillery Regt. 3rd Infantry Division 1st Regiment 2nd Regiment 3rd Regiment Artillery Regt. OftiLIPLLITIAL Li Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2012/09/05 : CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5 .50VNET/CONTROL U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP - 3 - WIT School Cavalry School esur Tirana 50X1 -HUM Tirana. The first cavalry squad- rons have recently been activated and are in training by members of the Soviet mission. 10. In 1946 the Ministries of War and National Defense spent between them 123,882,000 Albanian francs. Included in this total are the costs of constructing military roads running toward the Greek frontier. limplav and Soviet Influences U. Albanian territory is freely used by the Yugoslav Army. Locations of Yugoslav troops at present in Albania are as follows: Bilishti (on the Greek frontier) "Ochrida? Division made up of Serbs and Montenegrins. Elbasan A regiment of Macedonians and COssovars. Pogradetz (Qafa Loka) An artillery regiment. 12. Recently about 1,500 Albanian em-partisams, together with recruits, were sent to Yugoslavia. Albanian armored troop cadets have been sent to Bola Grvue, near the Rumanian frontier. 13. All Albanian army medical services are under the control of the Soviet medical mission which arrived in Tirana in January. 14. A Soviet mountain artillery regiment is stationed in the area Erseke-Tode- Leskovik. This document contains Information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Act, 500 U.S.C. 31 and 32 as amended. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. CONFIDENTIAL iiieftET7CONTROL U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY 50X1 -HUM Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R000800190002-5