VSETIN ARMAMENT FACTORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R006600490002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 27, 2003
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: January 23, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION ,S:XR_:'I',!+
Approved F 1RAP-el(pQP,QMMCIPI1[ QeV2-00457 W'40MO
fik
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Veetin Armament Factory
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
25X1
THI+ DOCUNENT COHTAHIS INFORMATION APFECTIHBTNB HATIOHALOSPENSR
OP TOM UNITED STATER WITHIN THE 0EANIN0 OF THE ESPIDIIAGE ACT SO
U. S. C?. 31 AND SA, AS AUENOED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR TUN REYNLATIOII
OF ITS CORT11ITS IN ART MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PsrSOR 19 PRO-
BISfTND BY LAVI. REPBODUC'TIOll OF THIN PORN 18 PROHIBITED.
25X1
1.
2.
25X1
3.
4,
5.
DATE DISTR. 2,3 JATT 51
25X1
25X1
NO. OF PAGES
4
NO. OF ENCLS.
2 (3 page
{r,
(LISTED BELOW)
4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
The Vsetin Armament Factory (P50/043), formerly Vsetini Plant 903 of the
Zbrojovka National Corporation in Brno, is now an independent national
enterprise, directed by a regional manager, Ing. Konstanti.n Chrast, a
Czech who lives in a detached house near the Veetin factory district.*
The plant manager is Frantisek Kyzlink, also a Czech,
The Vsetin Armament Factory, which employs 6,500 persons, is almost completely
subordinated to the Ministry of National Defense; the major part of its
production is armament and ammunition. A s:aller part of the productions
under the control of the Ministry of Industry, consists of hydraulic presses,
weaving and sewing machines and other similar items,
the production quotas are sometimes fulfilled to only
50 or 60 percent, primarily because of a shortage of raw materials and parts.
The monthly production of heavy machine guns is approximately 200 pieces.
The percentage of defective pieces is low. The Ministry of National Defense
claims the finished products at the factory. Raw materials are su plied by
the Skoda Works in Pilsen and by the Vitkovice Iron Works (P50/058)'.
The plant is equipped with machinery from Zbrojovka Brno and with Amrica .n
cutters (frazy) and grinders of various types.*' The Podhajsky firm in
Prague and the Kamenicek enterprise in Hostivar (051/L88) have also delivered
lathes (soustruhy), cutters and round and flat grinders (bruska na kulato a
na plocho) to the Vsetin plant,
Vsetin has delivered weapons ani ammunition to Palestine since 1949 in Czech
transport aircraft loaned to Palestine. The plant also delivered weapons to
Greek guerrillas.
6, An OZ officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel is permanently attached to
the plant, and is often seen on inspection tours accompanied by several
other uniformed (fficers. High-ranking officers of the Ministry of National
Defense make frequent inspection tours, particularly when the am is accepting
delivery of material.
25X1
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
Document No. N. Clsang. In Class.
Declassified
ears. [ ).;angrd To: TS S C
.. ' ,
,',! Fa J Bye
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2003/08/11: CIA-RD
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
 25X1
Approved For RgW 003/08/11 :CIA-RDP82-0045780066 0490002-8
II
7. Although sabotage attempts are prosecuted by the courts, the security section
of the plant also has the right to punish workers in many, cases. The plant
militia, dressed in blue uniforms and armed with rifles and side arms, guard
the factory. Special attention is given to the plant departments engaged
in armunition production and storage, which are also guarded at night.
Some of the more important areas of the Veetin plant are also surrounded by
barbed wire.
8. The plain-clothes workers' militia, of which there are three platoons, train
in the country two afternoons a week. Carrying rifles and side arms they
practice defense against paratroop attacks in particular. The platoon
commanders are identified by a red button. to which is attached it yellow
ribbon, worn in the left lapel.
9. The political commissar of the Veetin plant, believed to be an S"M agent,
is Michalek, about 35 years old and a devoted functionary of the Communist
Party. He supervises all the production departments and appears to have
unlimited powers of arrest and detention over all the employees.
10,. There is no active resistance among the workers, 40 percent of whom are
Co. unist Party members.. Of the members, 60 percent Joined the Party after
February 1948 out of necessity. Absenteeism is low, probably because of
the nartieularly severe methods for dealinjr with deviationists,
11.,, 3ohumil Senda has been placed in charge of the new program of broadcasting
propaganda throughout the plant, which is done at 10 AM and 2 PH . Ser_
was a former National Socialist, but is now a convinced Communist,, da
12.. Chairman of the Workers a Council is Jan Cotl, a Czech, about 39 years old,
formerly a factory worker and a party member since 1945. The following are
some of the members of the Councils
Bretislav Kubo -- Czech, 39 years old, an S. agent and trusted repre.
sentative of the Youth Movement in the Vastin plant.
He is a Communist.
nak - Czech, 40 years old, Communist. He is in charge of the
Council's social section.
Trpik
Czech, Communist and former worker, now an office
employee. He is 'a member of the cadre commission.
13. The following is a list of the more important buildings of the armament
department of the Vsetin plant; all buildings are still painted with camouflage
paint, and no additional air raid precautions have therefore been taken:
Bldg. ,#73 s Two-storm building. On the ground floor T:e,zs textile
machines are assembled and shipped. On the second
floor model 37 heavy machine guns and various types
of mines are asacrnbled.
25X1
Bldg. 74 t One-story building. Total polishing and b:Powning
(hnedirna kovu) is done in this building.
Bldg. #7 s Two-story building. The ground floor serves as the
plant repair shop. Parts for model 37 heavy machine
gun, aiming devices for the heavy machine gun and hydraulic
presses of 60 and 150 tons pressure are produced here,
In the remaining area are located officers and the tool
and instrument supply rooms. On the second floor machines
for ammunition production are assembled. The electric
motor repair shop, the tool sharpening shop, the produc-
tion sample inspection rooms and departmental store-
rooms and designing office are also located on the second
floor.
SECRET
25X1
Approved For Release 2003/08/11: CIA-RDP82-00457R006600490002-8
 1 4.
CENTRAL INIMLIGENCE AGENCY
25X1
Approved For,
D
Bldg.
:
Bldg. #3
:
Bldg. #2
Bldg.. #6
:
Bldg. #5
:
Bldg. #127
a
Bldg. #8
:
Bldg. ri'9
:
Bldg. #14 and 15
:
Two-story building. The first floor is devoted to
storage space for the hydraulic presses produced
in Building #7, Special drills are manufactured
on the second floor.
25X1
Orustory building. The tempering shop, chrome plating
shop and nickel plating shop are located in this
building. The equipment includes spot welders and
air compressors.
Two-story building. Cutters for plant use. and micrometer
parts are produced on the first floor. On the second
floor slide calipers (posuvhemeritko) are manufactured,
One-story building. Milking machine parts are p -oduced
here. There are also the electric welding, carpenter
and electric repair shops and the gar?:ges for the
electric cars for the plant.
One-story building. In addition to the machine tool
repair shop,, special tools, such as cutting tools
(rezy), dies (former na lisovani), clamping devices
(upinace), cutters, gauges and reamers (v2retruznik) are
also produced here. There are also storage facilities
for the finished products.
Main storage or supply warehouse.
Heavy machine gun and component parts production plant.
Hall for testing production samples of bazooka rockets
and weapons.*'*
Plants for the production of rifles machine gun and
sub- machine gun ammunition, 13 mm, IS mm and 22 mm
ammunition.
Other now factory buildings, intended for military production, are to be
built between 1951 and 1953. Construction had not begun, however, in August
1950
15. The Vsetin Ammunition Factory has four subsidiary, ammunition plants: a plant
at Jablunka (P50/033)9 one at Vlara (P50/T59), which is about 40 km south
of Vsetin, a factory at Zamboska and a plant at Rastoka (P5%63).
l6., About 15,000 shell caps (rozbus2cy) per day and an explosive called "aeit"s
which 3s used in ammunition, are produced by the Z.amboska plant. The
plant has recently been considerably enlarged and new ammunition filling
machines have been Installed.
17. The Rastoka plant produces 20,000 caps per day. Shells are also filled in this
plant. Most of the employees of both the Zamboska plant and the Rastoka
factory are women. 0
25X1 # QComment: Little is yet known about the now post of regional manager.
The post, which exists only in the more important national enterprises, replaces
the National Enterprise Director. His duties, however, involve lore than those
of the director. It is believed that the position is a political one, and
diredtives concerning the regional manager's special duties cows, not from the
general management of the enterprise, but from the General Secretariat of the
Communist Party.
25X1
25X1
Comment: the American cutters and grinders as "so-
called Cincin :1; ,end also to "chaanbearle ss machines of American production
for grinding all kinds of products and material".
American hole grinders (otvorove brusky), presumably drills.
25X1
25X1
S ,
Approved For Re eas 2003/08/11: CIA-RDP82-00457R006 00490002-8
 Approved For Release 200-1108111 - - 490002-8
SECRET
25X1 #'*# OCo tnent: To August 1950 the production of bazookas and rocketo
had not been extensive.
Attaehmentss I Sketch of Vsetin area
II Sketch of V etin Armament Factory, with key.
SECRET/
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2003/08/11: CIA-RDP82-00457R006600490002-8