TANK UNITS OF CZECH ARMY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004800090003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 3, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

ammenititt CLASSIFICATION 7.XiY
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vcis I rttit. III/ I - tiUCIVI..? 1
ENFORMA
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
61 REPORT
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rorkin t
CD NO.
DATE D STR. 3 MAX 50
SUBJECT Tank Units of Czech Army
CONFIDENTIAL! NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
6
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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1. Tank Corps, subordinate to the General Headquarters of the Tank Command.
Headquarters: Olomouc (P5(085).
C.O.: General Pusek[
Attach6 to the USSR from May 1947 until the
autumn of 1948.
a.
b.
was Military
Chief of Staff: Col. Emil Dolejsek, on'fieneral Staff. He is
DOZ (Counter-
Intelli -once
Officer):
Artillery Command.
C.O.:
Chief of Staff:
Other Officers:
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C.O. of the 12 Tank Brigade from 1945 until 147, and C.O.
of the 23 Tank Brigade until 1949.
Staff Capt. Buchauer.
Col. Jan Petr, acts 55.
Col. Hejl.
Staff
Major
Capt.
Capt.
Capt.
Cart.
Capt. Stedry
Prat
Kron
Peterka
Drahos
Gongol
6 Mortorized Regiment, "Hanacky"
Headquarters: Olomouc.
CLASSIFICATION
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MWM MAW
NSRB
DMTMBUTION
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X, FBI
I I
This document s hereby restrIert
CONFIDENTIAL in accordant'sInc/at the
letter of 16 October 1978 Irons the
Director of Central Intelligence to the
Archivist of the United States.
Next Review Date: 2008
Docu o
No
De 11
.ass. t
Auth.: 70
Date: 2 9
d
JUN
;
1978
?
it
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c. 13 Motorized Battalion.
Headquarters: Sumperk (P5069) and Carve= Voda (P51/1449).
d. 40 Motorized Battalion, "Tobrucky"
Headquarters:
e.
Uherske.Hradiste (P50/T09); shifted. to Hranice
(P50/025) in spring of 1949.
52 Artillery Regiment, "Dukelsky"
Headquarters: ? Bruntal (P504199).
C.O.:
Deputy C.C.:
Chief of Staff:
Col. (Art.) jaroslav Stahala
Lt. Col. Talmasek
Major Andelsky.
DOZ: Staff Capt. Kratena
Operational Officer: Staff Capt. Barth.
Training Officer: Staff Capt. Urbane?
Transportation
Officer: Staff Capt. Hezlar.
Equipment:
2 Batteries, 25-pounders, howitzer
Battery, 150-mm howitzer, German;
1
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f. 209 Artillery Regiment.
Headquarters: Prerov (P50/003).
Equipment: 2P self-propelled guns, 11Pa. eger"; 12 anti-
tank lung, 17-pounders, 12 75-Tran Rune, 50X1-HUM
"PAK".
2. 23 Tank Brigade, "Narodniho Hrdiny Jana Svermy
Headquarters: Movie? (051/400).
C.O.:
Chief of Staff:
DCG:
Tank Colt, Edward Fachner,
He was formerly DOZ in Prague and C.O. of 50X1-HUN/
a tank training unit at Milovice. He relieved Col..
Emil Dolejsek, who was transferred to Olomouc as
Chief of Staff of the Tank Carps.
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Staff Cast, Unnietnk
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a former DOZ from Prague.
Lt. Fiala, whose decessor S
Cant. Soheslavs
Training Officer: Lt. Hromadko, who is at present in the USSR for ?
four years' training in tank engineering.
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Other Officers:
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Lt. Col. Fora
Major Dvorak
Staff Capt. Klement Munzar
Capt. Musil
Capt. Balcar
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a. 1 Tank Battalion
:Ihs_:::ipment of these battalions includes
tanks; one company uses Challenger tanks.
b. 2 Tank Battalion e talions have a total of 30 tanks, all in
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c. 78 Sub-Machine Gun Battalion
.d. School for Reserve Officers of Tank Units
e. Troop Movementai
1) In December 1948 and January 1949, the 23 Tank Brigade was moved from
Movies' to Strasice (1150/1,34). and on 6 August 1949,, the brigade began
to return to Milovice and was to be completely moved by 10 September
1949. Instead of the 23 Tank Brigade, the 1 Tank Regiment from Milo-
vice is stationed at Strasice.
2) About half of the vehicles and men from the dissolved 14 Tank Brigade
at Turciansky Svaty Martin and from .the 22 Tank Brigade at Bailee near
Vyskov have been transferred to the 23 Tank Brigade,
3) In April 1949, the 23 Tank Brigade moved four tank companies, one trans-
port company9 a workshop platoon, and a headquarters platoon to the train-
ing center at Nynzwart (N51/057), probably for the spring and summer
training activities.
E212: The 23 Tank Brigade is subordinate to the Tank Corps for training
purposes, and to the 8 Motorized Division at Kolin (051/4138) for opera-
tional reasons.
3. 12 Tank Brigade. "Ostravska"
Origin: Formed from 13 Tank Brigade organized in the USSR
during the war and commanded by Col. Janke.
Organization: Similar to that of the 23 Tank Brigade,
Headquarters: Sternberg (P504186).
Equipment: Soviet T-34 Tanks. 50X1-HUM
C.O.: Lt. Col. ambles, on the General Staff.
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Chief of Staff: Major Zubaty.
DOZ: Major Chabina.
Hetes This brigade is subordinate to the Tank Corps.
a. Tank Battalion.
Headquarters: Morsvska Trebova (F50/N46).
b. 53 Sub-Machine Gun Battalion. -
Headquarters: Fras/avice (050/M32) or Sternberg (P504186).
C.O.: Col, Karel Zak
DOZ:
let Lt. Letecka,
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c. Troop Movements:
An unconfirmed report states that this battalion
Sternberg sometime in March 1949.
4. 21 Tank Brigade, "Volynskych Gotha".
? Headquarters: Zatec (051/010).
. Organization:
Equipment:
C.O.:
Haw This brigade
training and to the
purposes.
las transferred to
Like that of the above brigades.
Lt. Co]. Miksicek.
is subordinate to the Tank Corps for purposes of
5 Motorized Division in Prague for operational
a. 44 Sub-Machine Gun Battalion.
5. 11 Tank Brigade.
Headquarters: . Bodice near VyskwAtioravia.(050/M45), formerly
at Moravska Trolleys,
Equipment: T-34s.
C.O.: Lt, Col. DoIezal.
?
nags This brigade is subordinate to the Tanks Corps for the purpose
of training and to the 3 Motorized Division at Krometiz (P5O/N92) for
operational reasons.
a.
54 Sub-Maahine Gun Battalion
Formerly. subordinate to the 22 Tank Brigade, which was reduced to a cadre
unit.
b. Anti-Aircraft Battery.
Headquarters:
Equipment:
c. 65 Sub-Machine Gun Bat
Headquarters:
Equipment:
C.O.:
Chief of Staff:
DOZ:
Training Officer:
Horavska Trebova on 18 May 1949.
talion.
Olomouc.
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Machine Gun Company: 8 heavy machine guns, mark 38,
Czech, air-cooled.
Company of Heavy Arms: 6 mortars, 80 mm "S";
4 anti-tank guns, 45 mm.
4 anti-tank guns, 75 mm "S",
longs-barreled, tetrad by "GAZ".
Other Companies: Sub-machine guns, Russian type;
rifles.
Artillery Troops:
Col. Matejcek
Major Cute.
Staff Capt. Stuchel.
Staff Capt. Ilubeny.
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E912: This battalion was subordinate to thenTank Brigade until
it moved from Moravska Trebova to Dedice. It is not:now clear
whether it is the 54.Sub44aohine Gun Battalion or the 65 Sub-Machine
Gun Battalion that is stationed at Dedice.
.6, 1 Tank Regiment
Headivarters:
Equipment:
.c .g.1
a. 1 Tank Battalion.
. b. 2 Tank Battalion.
co Troon! 11greq2ptAi
In August and September, t'lls regiment was transferred from Milovice to
Strasice instead of the 23 Tank Brigade.
7, Cadre Units.
Strasice (1150/L34)-
25-30 German tanks Panzer-IV.
Col. Cap, age
aa 23 Tank Brigade,
This brigade, stationed at Dedice near Vyskov, is reduced to a cadre unit
on 15 May 1949. It serves only as a reserve battalion and is conmanded
by Staff Capt. JUDri aura. Its materiel and men were transferred to other
tank units.
b. 14 Tank Brigade,
This brigade wad stationed at Turcianeky Svaty Martin and was dissolved
sometime in 1949.
8. Composition of Tank Battalion.
Headquarters.
. Headquarters Company: 140-150 men, 5 tanks, and about 46 vehicles.
2 Tank Companies: Each company has about 80 men and 10 tanks.
1 Transportation Company.
1 Auxiliary Company.
1 Signal Platoon.
1 Engineer Platoon.
.9. Course for Platoon Conmanders of Amy Officers.
Headquarters:
Officer in .Charge:
Deputy in Charge:
Subjects Taught:
Move Mesto nad Vahom (P49/T36).
Major Devil.
Staff Capt., Jan Vystrcil,
Liaison and Signal: Major Demi.
Tactics:
Telephonic Apparatus:
Radio Apparatus:
Electrical Engineering:
Welfare:
Major Deal.
Major Demi.
Staff Capt. Vystreil..
Staff Capt. Vystreil,
Staff Capt. Vystroil.
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Students:
10. Miscellaneous Notes.
a.
Counter-Intelligence: lot Lt. Firt,
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Platoon commanders of tank units.
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In
addition to the Tank Cadets, there is a School for Reserve Officers of the
Tank Corps at Bodice.
b. During 1949, about 2,000 cadets 'were promoted to lieutenant at Rranice.
Eighty pereent of them are members of the working class and they are al-
ready replacing older officers who are not members of the KSC.
c. The new lieutenants do not have a good technical background, but they have
motorized the book "Ten Tears of Klement Gottwald".
d. Each unit has within it a KSC organization called "Aktiv ". The "Aktiv6
is composed of a chairman, a deputy chairman, and members of the KSC.
It decides on the C.O., leaves of absence, promotions, accommodations,
allowances, etc. In the 23 Tank Brigade at Milovice, the chairman of
the "Aktiv" is Sgt. Major Brzak and the deruty chairmen is Lt. Col. Vhez.
e. .At Hranice, preparations are being made to train 4,000 cadets as officers
at the next school period. Thus, within a few years, there Will be no '
officers with pre-Munich traininTo
f. Only reliable Communists are trained for tank units. Only 18 cadets of
tank units were promoted to lieutenants during 1948, and 23 during 1949.
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