INFORMATION ON THE ALBANIAN NAVY AND MERCHANT MARINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R003600460006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 1999
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 15, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

- O14g It CLASSIFICA i0i . ~!L'.4a UUP1r/io1. - U. S. 0FFICI,O3 t)l;L 5X1A
Sanitized - Air dl~~efRDP82-1~#` -0D
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
?'OUN'1! RY
Albania
DATE DISTR.
7.5 NOV 49
? :U?3,JECT
Information on the Albtmian Navy and
i;'.orchent Marine
NO. OF PAGES
2
-::ICE
25X1 A
NO, OF ENCLS
A3C UIRD
uUSTE0 SEW
DATE OF INF
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. 25X1X
1 . There is no Ministry of the Navy in Albania; the corcmand of the Ne
s under the jurisdiction of the N(Inist:?y of liar.
know the identity of the commander of the tiny fleet.
Z. The total strength in officers and man of the Albanian Navy amounts to
300. Of'. these, about 100 are eiaploye i in the naval service it-Tirana,
and the other 200 are stationed at the Uaval Base at Durres. The cam-
mander at Durres is a lieutenant,
3. The following naval vessels, whose crows are included. in the 200 ren
mentioned above, are based at Durres:
U. Two wino sweepers of Italian origin.* Each has a capacity of
700 quintals or 70 tons, with a spood of 8-10 riles por hour.
Their armanont consists of one a;.all cannon (diameter unknown)
and he individual weapons of the crew. The crest rtwibers 10-12
men of the Navy and 2 of the M. R. (sic). These ships uro made
of wood.
b. The Albanian Davy also has another similar vessel which had been
seized some time a;;o by an unknown number of acumen who sailed off
with it from Durres to I tuly. *
Two tugs of Italian origin. They also have a capacity of 700
quintals or 70 tons, each with a speed of about 8 miles per hour.
Their arr;iwA an.t consists of one srrall cannon, of unknown dienoter,
and the personal weapons of the crew. The crew consists of 8 men
of the Navy and 2 of the M. c. (sic). One of these to s is can-
strt.:cted of steel plates; the other -is dis trneci and is temporarily
used to collect longshoremen and to eow cargo ships into the
harbors of Shijak and Durres.
ci, Uiht raotordoats (b of Italian origin. 3 of Soviet origin). Their
capacity is a.+out 4ul!' that of the coast guard boats of the Greek
2 avy. They are arwod with one cannon each; sake of these guns are
Br:arias of Italian ori,;irn, and others are of Soviet type, but of
utr.uoti,n caliber. The crtn of each consists of 4-6 men of the Navy
ur:ca of i;he.U.'I . Their speed ranges from 10-12 miles per hour.
CLLASSIFICATI _i'tj t~_s.,... 1`
.P;7 A
y I NSR6 1STR1B1JTi0N
,TATS r sly
ARMY AIR
jhrg ~9 att. ,fit 'is ee9sra to
~i3 1t 1~1i area rdanre with the
letter of -16 October 1978 from the
L)ircctor of Contra) Intelligence to t
r' ?I~v 4 t esase : CI
Feist evIow Date: 2008
25X1X
25X1X
 Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00457R003600460006-0
PTJ. OFFI CIAS ONLY
25X1A
One of these stays in the harbor of Sarande, and for the past
two weeks it has remained in harbor at anchor because of serious
damage to its engine; the range of its patrolling is frcaa Cape
Stilo to Hinare. Another stays in the harbor of Vlone, and it
patrols frau Vlone-Saseno to Himare. The rest stay in the harbor
of Durres, but half of them for some time now have been at anchor
because of engine trouble. Their repair is made difficult by
the lack of skilled mechanics and the shortage of spare parts.
ew One coast guard boat of German origin. It has a capacity of
250-360 quintals or 25.30 tons. Its armament consists of 2
twin German quick-firing guns and the individual weapons of the
crew. The crew consists of 10-12 men of the Navy and 2 of the
M. R. The speed is 12-15 miles per hour. This ship is under
repair at Krl~.neri, near V3one. It will be a long time before
these repairs are cuapleted because of serious damage to the
ensine and ah.p, which was haulod from the water a month a?o.
2. Two fishing boats of Italian origin (equipped with motors). They
each have a capacity of 40-50 tons. Their armvm it consists of
the individual weapons of the crew. The crew consists of C-B men
of the Navy and of the M. R. The speed is 10-12 miles per hour.
This ship catches fish for the Navy and for the Army.
The Albanian Merchant wine consists of the following vesselsc
, Thirteen passenger vessels of Italian origin. Two of these are of
COO quintals capacity, one of 300 quintals, and ten of 150-200
quintals. Construction of a new vessel of the same type, but of*
5,000 quintals capacity, has begun in the shipyard at Durres. This
construction is under the supervision of a Greek from Corfu named
Od?sseus Manettas who worked there before the war. These craft
carry freight for short distances.
b" Twenty motor caiques (most of which are of Italian origin), with
the following capacities:
I
caique
3,000 quintals
C30o tons)
I
caique
2,500 quintals
(250 tons)
2
caiques
1,500 quintals
(150 tone)
3
caique
1,000 quintals
(loo tons)
13
oaiques
100- 700
( 10 tons -
quintals
70 tons)
a.. Six fishing boats (most of them of Italian origin). The capacity
25X1A each is from 500 quintals to 1,000 quintals (or 50 to 100 tons).
Cc m ent: These threo are the Albanian naval vessels which sons
it were reported to be sw,3eping mines in the North Corfu Channel.
P!!.,~-
was observed that, during mine sweeping operations, the small earn=
vas removed to facilitate the operatione., which were conducted with pri-
rnitive means.
-.10 1
'MAMP
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00457R003600460006-0