BORDER GUARD FORCES ALONG THE BAVARIAN BORDER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R012000030008-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 19, 2002
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 26, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION SECR
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82-004VERW(1630
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I N FOR M AT 10 N REPORT CD Na
,t4)UNTRY Czechoslovakia DATE DISTR. 26 May 1952
'SUBJECT Border Guard Forces along the Bavarian Border NO. OF PAGES 4
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'General.
1. The reorganization of the border guard forces committed along the Czechoslo-
vakian-Bavarian border began in October 1950., The SUB units previously
employed in border guard duty were replaced by PS (Pohranicni straz)
units which were activated from army units reassigned to the PS and frem
personnel of the former SUB border guard units. Units which were reassigned
to the PS in the fall of 1950 included the 46th Inf Bn in As the 64th Inf
Bn in robezovice? the 66th Inf Bn in Vimperk and the 77th Inf Bra in Karlovy
Vary, In April 19511, all former SUB men in active service with PS units were
promoted to the rank of junior lieutenant regardless of their previous rank
and were dropped from the lists of the SUB. A substantial number of recruits
inducted in the fall of 1950 were reassigned to the PS brigades upon completion
of a Short period of basic training with infantry regiments. The whole re-
organization resulted in a substantial increase of the personnel assigned to
border guard duty along the Bavarian border.
Organization and Subordination.
2. The High Comrand of PS un;ts has the designation and is located
in Prague. It moved from the former Police Barracks in Prague-Vrsovice to
Prague-4Watiov in December 1950. The headquarters has been under the corewInd
of Colonel Hlavacka (fnu) since the spring of 1951 and is subordinate direct-
ly to the rinistry of Internal Security.
3. Five PS brigades are stationed along the Bavarian border. They include the
1st Brig in Cheb, the 2d Brig in Plana, the 3d Brig in Pobezovice? the Lth
Brig in Susie? and the 5th Brig in Vclary. 7ach brigade is believed to
consist of four PS battalions on guard duty, and one replacement or training
battalion. The brigade headquarters un:ts include a guard unit, a signal
unit, a motor transport unit and a labor unit, each of which Is of
either conpany or platoon strength and has an average strength of 30 to /.10
nen. There have been indications that engineer, mortar and heavy machine gun
units belong to the individual brigades. There is the possibility that the
PS brigades have not yet attained a uniform organizational structure.
40 The battalions assigned to border guard duty are consecutively numbered within
the brigades from the 1st to the 4th. Yost of the battalions have 5 companies
on border duty, 1 reserve company and 1 headquarters company, with the letter
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consistine of a guard platoon, a labor platoon, 1 communicetions platoon
and a netor transpbrt platoon. The avernge 1,1!-. battalion Fuars a border
sector of about 15 km, The sectors of the PS battalions in Tfranice and.
As have nrt been determined. -They apparently face Thavarian territory as
well as the territory of the Soviet Zone of Germany,.
The structure of the PS brigade and battalion headquarters has not been
determined. Officer posts at brigade and battalion headquarters include those
of commanding officer, adjutant, chief of staff, political officers DOZ
officer, indoctrination officers youth activities officers supply officer,
motor transport officers ndministrative offieers cipher officer and medical ?
officer. Only brigade headquarters has an additional engineer officer and
personnel officer; and. only battalion headquarters has an additional- ordnance
officer. Senior rCOs sometimes fill officer posts at the battalion level.
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Personnel and Streneth.
70 Since the fall of 1950, the PS units have been receiving draftees out of the
normal classes of recruits. Draftees of the 1929 and 1930 classes were
inducted into the PS training units in July 1951 and distributed to the PS
companies in the fall of 1951. Personnel from PS units are discharged only
in the fall of each year, and it is fairly definitely believed that the term
or service with the PS units amounts to 2 years and 3 months.
C-, Since the fall of 1951, the strengths of PS ampanies have 1)een raised from
about ha ren to an average of 50 or 60 men, so that each PS battalion has an
average strercth of /425 men. MP streneth of a rr, brigade !leadquartersjnclud?
ing its headquarters units and the trainine battalion, is estinated at 500
to 700. The five brigades committed to border guard duty alone the Bavarian
border are therefore believed to have a total strength of 11100O to 12,0000,
9, During the initial period of their existence, the PS nnits included Slovaks,
sometimes as many as ha percent of their total strength. The nurber or Slovaks
vas gradually reduced to about 10 percent of the comeand? probably because
of the numerous desertions by nembers of this ethn5c group. It is believed that
the program under 1-2hich Slovaks were replaced by Czechs has been virtually
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10? It is conspicuous that the PS un'ts are commanded and staffed by off icer
whose rank is out of proportion to the posts theyfille For example,
brieades are caned by caetains and battalions and companies by lieutenants,
A number of brieade commanders were detached to the U*S.S.R. to attend ?
training ceurses in the fail of 1951*
apons? Equiement and Uniforms*
The PS units are erred rith Czech rifles and former Cerman model 9C rifles?
model 4C?A and model )45-2 submachine runs and p15to13* An averaee. company
has in addition 3 to 6 light machine euns of model 26 and 1 heavy machine
gun of model 37. There nay be C2?mn mortars.with the brigade headquarters
nvitre .01d German gas masks have been occasionally observed with PS units*
12,, The PS units are not fully motorized, but have .only as many rotor vehicles
as are required to maintain logistical supeort and to make coneonents of
the units truekborne in case or emergency, Each. P" company has 1 sedan and
1 motorcycle; a battalien headquarters usually has 4 trucks, 4 sedans and
several motorcycles; a brigade headquarters usually has about 15 trucks,
10 sedans and 10 motorcycles.,
0 All PS units can be reached by- telephone. The telephone net even provides.
for intra?unit connections. Communication between the brigade and its
battalions as well as among the battalions can also be effected by radio,
Each PS .brigade is connected with by teletype,
lie, All PS personnel rear a standard uniform, They have dress uniforms with rec1?
.
bordered green eeaulets and a doels head -emblem on the lapels, The serVice
uniforms display only the dog9s head emblem on the lapels
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150 The individual PS companies euard.a border stretch of about 3 kr on an averages?
which is controlled by either patrols or, more frequently, by etationary -
pests of 2 or 3 men. Each company also has several trained does, -
36 A string of field fortifications is being established alone the entire
border, Reports from numerous PS battalion sectors mentioned a barren strip
raked so that the footprints of illeEal border cronsers are revealed, AT
Obstacles, nine fields, wire entanelerents? and field positions-mhich
sometimes include underground shelters.
17. The border zone rh'eb extended to a depth of 6 to f":. km prior to J. 7.ovember 1951
has been divided into an off limits zone parallel to the border having a.
width of 200 to 500 meters and a subsequent border zone extending Within
Czechoslovakia for 5 or 6 km, All personnel other than PS personnel m'-lo
entered the off -limits zone had to he escorted by a member of the PS company
in charge0 srn stations were located behind the border zone only,
lie, It has been reported that there are plans providine for mutual employment of
PS units and army units stationed near the border in case of major border
incidents, The army onts concerned can be alerted by PS autherities, In case
of war, the PS units have the mission of defending the border until the
arrival of regular nrry units
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Control of the other Burders of Czechoslovakia
190 PS brir:ades are also believed to be stationed on all Czechoslovakian borders,
For exar.,ples, tro PS brirndes have been identified in Karlovy Vary and Co
Thidejovice respectively0 lit it is believed that PS units alone: those
borders are nom thinly spread than on the border facinf: Bevariao
1--6maitl Tor a list of PS brigades and battalions Irith tboir
as far as they have been .determined, see Annex
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