STATUS OF FIGHTER UNITS OF THE 24TH AIR ARMY IN EARLY OCTOBER, 1951

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R010700090008-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2003
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 25, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

C _k SSII?ICAT1 ~3r" : r G - 25X I
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DENS"' ' E ,~ _ _ y REPORT NO.
INFO Al 1ON REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Germany (Russian Zone)
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
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of Oernar e
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1. Between 1. and 20 October 1951, the flying peroonnel and part of the aircraft
of nine regiments were transferred apparently to the US.SJJta, according to
rail shipments observed. The regiments concerned were previously stationed
at the airfields of FinooP, Neuruppin, Alt-Loennewitz, Dessau, arossenhain,
and Drandie. The following observations were madet
a0 In earl;; October, the packing of personal belongings by pilots in ? ou ,
ruppin,, 1 inow, Alt-Loo nnewitz, end Grosserhain, indicated an imminent trans-
fer of air units.
DATE DISTR.
Status of Fighter Units of the 24th fir Army in NO. OF PAGES
Early October, 1951
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CLS.
SUPPLEMENT TO
nO NOT CIRCULA??RT "0.25X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Transfer of Fi ter Units into Areas Outside the Soviet Zone
b? Since 3 October, reports have been received ,'ri the effect that trains
loaded with air force personnel and dependents left the abovo ,mentioned
fields. Sia-iilar reports have been received from Dessau on I and 2 October,
c. Occupation of airfields:
Fild: Date : Observation:
Nauru pin: lu October all ':.iG-?15s except 6 i i left
the field
Finow: 3 October
15 October
16 October
on airfield 1 r.TiG..15
on airfield 5 L iG--15s
on airfield 4 ;'.:iG--15s
Grossenhain: 15 October on airfield 9 x-159
30 October on airfield 5 M1C:-15s
Brandin; 1 November
Alt-.Loennowitz:
21 Octo1 er
27 October
CLASSIFICATION
7o aircraft on the field
airfield 5 'liG-15a
in airfield 7 "1iG-15s
1sT4T t1AVY ~X NSRD AWN D1S 'r~S~[}l ~IGIN
"W4, IX AIR WT-
Chaagln 'C'Iass..
DecIars~'."?d
Wass. CI?:~ ?~ Tn= TS
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Field
Date: O
bservation:
15 November on
airfield
3 1,10-15s
28 November on
airfield
3 riiG-15s
2 October no
MiGm15 on t
he field
5 October air
field occup
ied by GA aircraft.
Air force shipr.~nts observed between 29 September and 20 October included:
Number of
Trains
2 trains
Neuruppin
Brest-Litovsk
Fra
nkfurt/Odor
2 trains
Finora
Brest-Litovsk
Fra
nkfurt/Oiler
7 trains
Grossenhain
Brest-Litovsk
Fre
nlcfurt/(bier
1 train
Alt-Loonnsrrltz
DrestwLitovsk
Fra
nkfurt/Oder
1 train
Alt-Loennerritz
An;ermuende
1 train
area Halle
Angermuende,
Some of the. trains reportedly coming from Grossenhain may actually have come
from Alt-Loennew tz which is on the same railroad line. The shiument-record
numbers of the two trains dispatched to .Angermuende definitely prove that these
trains,pwanich? were mostly loaded with crated aircraft, remained in the Soviet
Zone of Germany. I'lost of the trains en route to Brest.-Litovsk reportedly carried
air force personnel and billeting equipment. Thirty-one freight cars of these
trains were reportedly loaded with one aa.roraft crate each. On the assumption
that all flatcars of these trains were loaded with aircraft crates, a total of
77 aircraft may have.. been shipped en these trains. F- 1
ITA s pons e, nowever.' that these trains were
included in the transportation operations. *
No ground ' rstllry, st f4onn of Q -o nixie regiments which were transferred were
observed in operation after 2 October. These stations were observed in
tperation during Fovember, however..
g.: ?hale all airfields still occupied by fighter units continued to bo supplied
with fuel, no fuel shipments were observed arriving at the vacated airfields
after 2 October 1951.
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2, All the pertinent obeervations made may be evaluated as follows:
a,, The regimental headquarters and the flying personnel of nine fighter regiments,
but only some of their aircraft, were moved from the Soviet Zone of G rr.~any.
b, The fact that the division headquarters and radio installations remained at
their previous fields indicates that these fields will be reoccupied soon,
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d. The transfer of the flying personnel of nine regiments resulted in a
50 percent decrease in the fighter strength in the soviet Donn of Germany.
However, it must be taken into consideration that some of the aircraft
left by the transferred nine regiments may be operated by additional pilots
of the fighter regiments remaining in Germany, which means that the actual
combat strength of the >oviet fighter arm did not decrease by 50 percent,
It may be assumed that the nine fighter regiments still stationed in the
Soviet Zone of Germany have at their diepo?eal approximately 400 service-
able Aircraft and pilots. It remains to be soon how soon the two fighter
corps will be brought up to their previous strength.
Present Status . the, r-iiThtesr Units in the Soviet Zone of G srnzany,
3.
After 20 October 1951, three fighter divisions with a total. of nine regiments
were repeatedly confirmed at their previous locations. 'These units are
assigned as follows:
1 division in Puetnitz with one regiment each in Puetnitz,
Neubrandenburg and i,ittstock,
I division in Laerz with two regiments in Laera and one
regiment in Parchi ;
1 division in Zorbr3t with two regiments in Zerbst and
one regiment in Brandenburg,
l New organization of the fighter regiments,
a. There is a total of 6 fighter regiments newly Activated s
2 regiments in Fi.now,
2 regiments in Koetheen,,
1 regiment inand,ts;,
1 regiment in A3..t?-Loennetz.
The type of flying observed indicated that new flying personnel was prac-
ticing take.-offs and landings in individual local flights with i iG.?l5s,
It is not known whether the. new personnel was previously, Trained for 11iG-]$s,
or whether they were given first training with jet aircraft with the units,
Flights in formations of three, six or more aircraft were not observed.
There are some indications that the remaining three regiments are being
established at Grossenhain and rlouruppin,
b. Personnel at Koothen arrived by W o trains, one on 11 November and the
other on 3.5 November. . It was not determined where the personnel gradually
arriving in Finow, Brandin, and Alt?.Loennewjtz had come from,
c. Aircraft numbers observed with the new units indicated that some of these
aircraft were taken over from the unit previously stationed at the f:telds.
According to unconfirmed .nformation, ' a rail shipment of aircraft crates
from the U.S. OrL) went to Grosserihain on 8 November 1951. It could not be
determined Whether these crates really contained aircraft.
dr, During October and the first half of. November., no fuel shipmonts arrived
at the airfield concerned. 'I(,ve fuel. shipments arrived during the second
half o.p~J. 'Atovonbor.
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?, On the basis of previous experience it is assumed that starting
with the spring of 1952 these six or nine new regiments will be
ready for intensive air combat training which the nine regiments,
not affected by the recent shuffle, gained during their stay in
the Soviet Zone of German-:re
25X1 Corrrent. If half of the railroad cars of those two trains were
flatcars, the estimated number of aircraft shipped away has to be
increased about 50 to 60, which would re. 1 t in. a total of 120 to 130
aircraft,
25X1 mantes The movement of the nine fighter regiments fra:i the
soviet of rmany may be due to the foliowing reasons:
a. The flying personnel was returned to the U.S3i0Pd, in order to give
new aircraft crews the possibility of familiarizing themselves with
conditions in ^ermany, including terrain and weather features,
b. The flying personnel will be retrained with another aircraft type in
the lto4~,S.R, and w-lill possibly return to the Soviet Zone of GexTwny
with new aircraft and equipment,
c, The personnel of the regiments concerned will be employed in Korea
or stal,ioned near zones of political tension, such as the Near East,
This would indicate that the units concerned were elite units,,
d? The aircraft crews of the regiments concerned were subjected to
',gestern influences while in the Soviet Zone of Germany and were no
longer considered to be absolutely reliable. A report to this
effect was once received from 'Neuruppin; the report, however, never
has been confirmed,
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