CZECHOSLOVAK ELBE-ODER NAVIGATION COMPANY (CSPLO) AND CONDITIONS AFFECTING OPERATIONS ON THE ELBE RIVER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00418R001300170009-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 3, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCEI AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
S-E-C-R4_T
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the ispionage Laws, Title 18, V.B.C. Now. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorised person is prohibited
by law.
COUNTRY .. __.- -.~...-,:..
ae?Oel.ovakia/4srmatr REPORT
SUBJECT Czechoslovak Elbe--Oder Navigation
Company (CSPLO) and Conditions
October 1955
Affecting Operations on the Elbe River NO. OP PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED Information
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT All DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OP CONTENT IS TINTATIVE.
(FOR KEY sit REVERSE)
os
*W
er Navigation Company (OSPLO) and on conditions affecting operations
on the Elbe River, The information on the CSPLO is subdivided under the
following topics' organization, oonmuniciations, main CSPLO stations on
the Elbe routs, and types of vessels in operations
3-E R E-T
NAVY X I -AIR x FlI
(NOTF, Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
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report on the Casoh
l
k
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SUBJECT: The Czech Elbe-Oder Navigation Company and Conditions
Affecting Operations on the Elbe River
CONTENTS
I. Introduction
II. Organization
General Management
Operations Department
Commerce Department
Cadre Department
Technical Department
Accident Department
Planning Department
III. Communications
IV. Main CSPLO Stations on the Elbe Route
Prague-Holesovice
Melnik
Usti nad Labem
Decin
Customs Procedures and CSR/DDR Border Stations
Inspectorate Dresden
Magdeburg
DDR/West German Border Stations
Hamburg
V. Types of Vessels in Operation
VI. Elbe River Conditions Affecting Operations
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SUBJECT: The Czech Elbe-Oder Navigation Company and Conditions Affecting
Operations on the Elbe River
I. Introduction
Until 1948 the Czechoslovenska Plavba Labe-Odra (CSPLO), Czech Elbe
Oder Navigation Company, was organized along decentralized lines, with
qualified experts in top positions. Every department had fall authority
and commensurate responsibility for its own activities. The various stations
of the company within the CSR and also outside the CSR were self sufficient
in almost all activities.
After 1948 most of the qualified executives were slowly removed front
their positions and replaced by KSC members. The structure of the CSPLO
was changed to a highly centralized instead of decentralized organization
following Russian patterns. Political schools were founded and selectee
employees attended one year courses in preparation to take over leading
positions within the firm. Traveling employees were assigned to boardin?:
schools and given political instruction in addition to being screened for
political reliability. Many employees were thereafter restricted to duty
within the CSR and some were discharged outright. Later many German crew
members were released without grounds, for the most part Sudeten-Germans
who had been employed with the firm for many years.
A deficiency of working power, firemen, deck sailors especially, t-ten
existed which finally forced the company to set aside its Czech Nationalism
and re-employ German crew members, but only residents of the DDR. However,
in order to assure an eventual pure Czech hierarchy with orientation towards
the Communist regime, schools for young prospective crew members were set up
in the CSR. In these schools, selected young individuals were educated awed
after two years were assigned to duty on board CSPLO vessels. This plan met
with little success, for after completion of schooling, some of the stulerits
were found to be politically unreliable and were not allowed to leave the GSR.
Others were allowed to leave the CSR but not the DDR.
The Magdeburg Station was assigned the task of re-employing East,rnian-s
crew members; prior to employment the Station was charged with examination
of applicants for political reliability. Later in 1952 a Cadre Section was
founded in Magdeburg which was given responsibility for conducting a review
of the political reliability of current East German employees and in addition
to assume responsibility for screening all new applicants. At the end cf 1953
and beginning 1954 the CSPLO again released a large number of East German
employees and the number of East German employees fell from 300 to about 210.
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Also in 1954 another security review was conducted prior to issuance of a new
ships book for traveling crew members; the actual issuance of the ships book
was reportedly to be handled by the Deutsche Shiffahrt and Umschlagbetrieb (DSU),
East German inland waterway enterprise.
II, Organization
The administration of the company is broken down into the following }Hain
departments:
General Management. A central director (Hauptdirektor) leads the entire
enterprise and is assisted by a chief engineer. The central director supnosedly
concerns himself only with matters of prime importance, but it generally happened
that both he and the chief engineer busied themselves with less important details,
even reprimanding their subordinates for not bringing all matters to their atten-
tion. The department itself is broken down into sections charged with responsi-
bility for seeing that the firm ftlfills assigned norms. A daily conference is
held by the General Management during which current operations and problems are
discussed. These daily conferences are also attended by a representative of the
KSC. In addition to daily conferences, larger conferences are held when need
arises which are attended by representatives of the Prague-Holesovice, ii&elrii:c,
Usti, and Decin Stations. Representatives of the Magdeburg and Hamburg Stations
are not present. A representative of the Hlavni Spava Ministerstva Dopravy 05
(Department 05 of the Central Administration of the Czech Ministry of Interior)
attends the larger conferences.
Bookkeeping .Department. The Bookkeeping Department is subordinate only to
the General_,,anagemen . As in the Soviet System, this department is extremely
powerful and it directly controls the bookkeeping sections in all CSPLO Stations.
The central bookkeeper of the firm acts for the central director in his absence
and he also carries out spot audits of books of the various CSPLO Stations.
Operations Department. The Operations Department is headed by a central
director or so-called "central dispatcher". The Operations Department was
initially located in Prague, but was transferred to Decin so that closer co_itact
with the main CSPLO harbor in the CSR could be effected. After one year the
Department was again moved back to Prague. The main responsibility of the Depart-
ment is to control the entire CSPLO fleet, to approve movement of ships, to reserve
barge space, to allot towing vessels, to control repairs, to conduct liaison with
harbor officials, to fulfill set norms, to supervise competitions among crews,
and to issue daily reports by telephone and teletype of ships positions. Three
times weekly the Department issues a general report covering the firm's activities
and submits disposition reports of CSPLO shipping to all sections concerned. The
Department notifies dispatchers at CSPLO Stations in advance of arrival of company
vessels and controls the dispatch of railroad cars.
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Commerce Department. The Commerce Department arranges for contracts with
shipping agents. 25X1
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-rne exporti ana impor-i sectizons of eaen s tau Lun dre 25X1
subordinate to ice Department. The head of the Department is in constant
touch with the "central dispatcher" of the Operations Department to coordinate the
reserving of barge space and other matters. The Department also receives so-
called card indexes (Kartierungen) and is responsible for their control. ~'he card
indexes are computed capacities for each shipping unit. The Department is also in
touch with the stations directly with regard to barge space and other business
matters. In Magdeburg, the Department was responsible for conducting liaison with
the DSU.
Cadre Department
The Cadre Department succeeds the former Personnel Department. The Department
is broken down into two sections, one for traveling employees and one for station
employees. The "cadre leader" (Kaderleiter) heads the Department and is responsi-
ble for both sections. The section for station employees is secondary to the
section for traveling employees. The Department is charged with the screening of
every CSPLO employee. The screening consists of completion of five copies of a
thirty-question biographical statement by the applicant, submission of good conduct
certificates from the Mistni Nardni Vybor (MDrV), district national committee, and
the Okresni Narodni Vybor (ONV), local national committee, and through five signed
character references for inland duty, ten signed character references for duty
outside the CSR. The StB conducts a background check on applicants and once they
are employed, they are evaluated for political reliability by political instructors.
Once an employee passes the above screening, he is presented with his blue ships
book by the Cadre Department and the Department sees that necessary visas are
obtained through the Ministerstvo Zahrancni, Czech Foreign Ministry. The visas
for the Elbe River routes are limited by time and to travel to the DDR and West
Germany only. Visas for travel to the DDR were not necessary, but visas for one
trip to West Germany and return were issued by the Allied High Commission Travel
Office in Prague. For travel into the DDR a crew list (Mannschaftsrolle or
Spisok Ekipaza) was drawn up in blank for each crew by the Traffic Ministry. These
crew lists were distributed to the Decin, Magdeburg, and Hamburg stations in blank
and were made out by the stations themselves. The stations were required to turn
in the used crew lists upon requesting new ones. The lists were valid for border
crossings in Hrensko, Schmilka, and Kummlosen, were made out in Russian and Czech,
and carried official stamps.
The Cadre Department effects promotion of personnel according to recommendations
made by the KSC, by the central director, the central dispatcher, the station
dispatchers, and also according to its own judgment. In this way, technical
ability is not recognized and promotions are based for the most part on political
orientation. A connection between the StB and the intelligence section of the
Cadre Department exists and is not known to everyone, but persons in leading
positions knew of the liaison in addition to the persons directly concerned.
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In addition to StB efforts, the Cadre Department is known to utilize its own
informants. These informants are assigned to each vessel and each station. In
order to attempt to assume political reliability among personnel, the Department
assigns a political leader to each station and to each large towing vessel; these
political leaders act as assistants to the station chiefs or crew captains and
have a great deal of power. The chief of the Department personally visits stations
along the Elbe more often than executives of other departments.
Technical Department.
The Technical Department is separated into two sections, one for motor vessels
and one for steam vessels. The Department has supervision over all new construction,
Ship building yards, repairs, and technical questions covering the entire Elbe
and Moldau river routes. The Department itself initiates new construction programs
according to the budget assigned for such purposes. Stations themselves cannot
initiate new programs on their own without approval of the Department. Repairs
to CSPLQ vessels are undertaken in the CSR; however, large scale repairs are carried
out in the DDR. Previously repair work was also undertaken in ,Test Germany, but
this no longer occurs because of the lack of foreign exchange. Suggestions for
improvement of CSPLO procedures and techniques are approved by the Department.
Accident Department.
The Accident Department concerns itself with the none too seldom accidents of
CSPLO vessels. The company allegedly cannot afford to insure its shipping because
of the extremely high premium rate assigned it. An accident specialist is assigned
to every station and he handles investigations, being responsible for reporting
accidents to the Department. Every accident and all property damage must be reported
with each station numbering its accident reports consecutively. The station dispatch-
er must make a report of all accidents wherein damage exceeds a specified amount.
In the DDR the amount is DMW 50.00. The majority of accidents can directly be tied
to unqualified personnel and a large number to drunkenness. Officials of the firm,
looking for scapegoats, have unsuccessfully tried for some time to blame sabotage
for the high accident rate, but they have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts.
Plannin Department
The Planning Department draws up performance norma for every shipping unit and
compiles on graphs the work accomplished by each vessel during the year. These
graphs are regularly given to the ship captains so that the responsibility falls
on them if they do not fulfill their yearly ton-kilometer norms. The Department
also plans so that provisions are purchased one year in advance. then the materials
are used, no more can be delivered. The measures to be taken by CSPLO station
officials after their yearly allotment of materials has been used are never planned
by the Department, and station officials are at times forced to borrow fuels and
other materials to keep in operation. The Department also has a hand in budgeting
for employee salaries, and stations are authorized in advance the over-all amount
they may expend for salaries.
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III. Communications
In general, with the exception of the cadre leader, leading officials of
the firm came to Germany very seldom. Letter reports are exchanged with stations
by normal post and by delivery via fast or r"expressit ships. Telephone and tele-
type contact is maintained. Top station officials are sometimes called for
personal conference to the CSR, and representatives of the CSPLO stations within
the CSR are, as reported above, called to conferences with the General Management.
IV, Main CSPLO Stations on the Elbe Route
The main CSPLO stations on the Elbe route and Elbe border control points
are described below, beginning with the "Berg" (Mountain), or upper parts of the
Elbe and ending with the "Tall' (Valley), or lower parts of the Elbe:
Pr ue-Holesovice. The Prague-Holesovic-a harbor serves as a trans-shipment
point for goods entering and leaving the city of Prague. Imported goods consist
of ores, grains, machinery, logs, and packaged materials. Exports consist-of sugar,
lumber, and light industrial goods, with construction materials and sand making up
the backbone of harbor activity. The harbor itself does not have the capacity it
had before the war, and it actually is used mostly as a substitute harbor when other
CSR harbors are overloaded with material for trans-shipment. Operations in the
harbor usually run from the middle of March to the middle of December. The harbor
is closed during the rest of the year due to the retracting of the flood gates on
the canalized Moldau River to prevent ice damage to them in the winter. 1'dhen the
water level in the Moldau is high enough without presence of the flood gates, river
traffic does take place without the flood gates; this is, however, seldom the case.
The harbor is equipped with old style cranes, some warehouses, and a modern ware-
house and refrigeration plant. A central harbor bureau and a small shipyard make
up the rest of the harbor, which is under the control of the station itself,
personnel consist of a station chief, dispatcher, loading supervisor, some adminiThe
s-
trative employees, and some harbor workers. The harbor area is fenced and indus-
trial police control the documents of persons entering and leaving it. Regular
operation of the harbor will never reach its pre-war peak due to lack of demand
and lack of export materials.
Outside of the harbor in the city suburb of Liben a shipyard is now in operation
which does not belong to the firm, Another harbor in Smichov is no longer in
operation. Within the Holesovice harbor itself, sand is unloaded directly on
the banks of the Moldau and is then loaded into open sand barges which never leave
the CSR. The barnea ATO m?,.,ea I -
reliable enough for duty outside the-CSR.--The harbor is usuallyaeemeaseprvicedolitically
by
small barges of no more than 700 tons since the! larger barges have difficulty
passing through the Moldau River locks. The Holesovice station is required to
submit reports as are the larger CSPLO stations.
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Melnik. Below the point where the Moldau River flows into the Elbe stands
the port of Melnik, The harbor is equipped with one warehouse and two cranes of
modern construction. The imports in Melnik are the same as for Prague-Holesovice,
and Melnik shares sugar export with Prague-Holesovice. The station offices are
maintained outside of the harbor and are operated by a station chief, dispatcher,
loading supervisor, and administrative personnel. Trans-shipment of material
takes place in the harbor and also on the banks of the Elbe. Large towing vessels
and barges can reach Melnik, but only when water conditions are favorable. ;diver
traffic also comes to a standstill in Melnik with the advent of the icy period
and the removal of the flood gates. The petroleum harbor of Hnevice near +:etnik
also is under the jurisdiction of the Melnik station, but the harbor itself is
not staffed by personnel of the Melnik station. In the area near Hnevice the
German Government constructed large underground petroleum storage tanks during
the war; these tanks are still in use, being serviced by CSPLO tank ships.
Usti mad Labem. The Usti Station is located on the left bank of the Elbe
beneath the canalized portions of the river. Three offices are located within
a building direct on the banks of the river.. Storage rooms, the trans-shipment
area in Usti, the old and the new harbor, the trans-shipment area in Nestemice, and
the salt trans-shipment area of the former '1S,olvaywerkeIt chemical factory are
under the jurisdiction of the Usti station. On the right bank of the Elbe in Usti
stands the Usti Shipyard, which does not belong to the firm. Personnel of the
station include a station chief, dispatcher, some loading supervisors, some ware-
house supervisors, administrative personnel, and a number of harbor laborers. The
entire harbor area is fenced and is under guard by industrial police. The trans-
shipment area in Usti is the second most important in the CSR inasmuch as Listi lies
on the free river and river traffic is not hindered by antiquated locks. hIn ?_ast
lock on the Elbe is located above Usti; this last lock is of modern construction
and is operable with the exception of low water and ice. The harbor is equipped
with both new and old style cranes capable of handling all types of materials such
as ore, chemical raw materials, grain, and packaged goods. Export goods consist
of sugar, cement, ltt r, machinery, and packaged goods. For the most part,
fully loaded barges entering the CSR are allotted to either Decin or Usti during
their journey, not knowing their.destination until arrival at Decin. Salt is
unloaded always at the Nestemice'trans-shipment point or in Usti. The trans-
shipment area of the former fSchichtwerken in Usti is utilized for liquid fats.
and oils. Below Usti a shipyard is located in Valtire which does not belong to
the firm. A full year round scheduled traffic cannot be conducted to Usti with
the exception of fast ships. At times when the water level of the Elbe is too~low,
it is purposefully elevated by release of water from flood gates above Usti so-that
CSPLO.shipping can ride on the high wave of water to Usti from Decin. Vthen such
a rise in water level cannot be technically effected, the ships must remain in Decin.
Decin. The most important installation of the CSPLO in the CSR is the trans-
shipment area in Decin. The trans-shipment takes place in the harbor of Rozbelesy
in Decin and in Loubi. The Loubi area is undergoing modernization and will become
the most efficient harbor in the CSR. On the right bank of the river about 300 meters
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below the Decin bridge stand the office rooms of the station. The personnel of
the station is comprised of one chief, two dispatchers, a number of loading
supervisors, administrative employees, warehouse supervisors, and harbor vorkers.
All CSPLO shipping entering the CSR from the DDR stop and report in at Deoi.n, to
receive further orders, money for crew salaries, provisions, and drinking water.
One part of each barge train usually remains, in Decin while the other part, is
taken on to Usti, Melnik, or Prague-Holesovice. For the most part, the large tow-
ing vessels remain in Decin; with very favorable water conditions they do at, times
go as far as Usti. River traffic in the direction of the "Tall' (with the current,
or toward Magdeburg and Hamburg) seldom remains in Decin because of poor anchorage
there.
The harbor handles about the same imports and exports as does the Usti harbor.
The entire trans-shipment area is antiquated and it is in the process of being
modernized. The harbor area is fenced and is under heavy guard by industrial
police. In addition, toll and customs police carry out period checks in the
harbor. The Czech labor union 1110H regularly calls political conferences here and
political courses are conducted both during and after working hours. "Culture"
clubs exist for the ships crews and activities such as chess, photography, and
sports are sponsored. The station has a house for the traveling employees, complete
with a cantine and sleeping facilities, in the neighborhood of the station. The
cantine is equipped with a small movie projector. The entertainment program is
designed to keep the East German bargemen in the harbor so that they do not come
in contact with the "outside world" while in the CSR. A state operated seaman's
school is located in the city which is attended by young Czechs taking two year
courses. The Czechs are sent on i practical training runs with jSPLO barges and
towing vessels to Hamburg and return. Small repairs are conducted on all types of
shipping in the harbor, but large repairs including drydocking are carried out in
Kresice.
Customs Procedures and CSR/DDR Border Stations. Toll officials review the
toll papers prepared for each cargo before the loading of a CSPLO vessel is begun.
The officials inspect the empty vessel for contraband, and if the vessel i3 found in
order, they allow the loading to begin. One toLLofficial is always presence during
the entire loading process, and after completion of the loading he affixes his seal
to the compartments. In the event loading is not completed by the end of the work-
ing day, the compartment is sealed by the toll official for the night. Upon com-
pletion of loading a toll certificate is prepared and the ship's captain takes the
certificate together with`his manifest to the harbor toll office for official
stamping. These papers accompany the cargo to the destination and must be shown
at each border control point.
Upon unloading the procedure is generally the same. Practically speaking
the ships crews cannot enter the storage compartments because of the seals. but
in the past some crew members were able surreptitiously to enter the comparttiients.
After some irregularities were discovered, hard penalties.;were imposed for. such
activities and they have supposedly ceased. The only occasion for breakage of a
toll seal is in case of accident. In this event the seal can be broken only by
the ship captain and he is obligated to report his action to the nearest toll station.
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Near the CSR/DDR border on the CSR side the CSPLO has set up a branch oi'ice
in Hrensko which assists CSPLO shipping through customs controls, Ships arriving
in Hrensko are controlled both by customs police and border police. The captzins
of vessels proceeding out of the CSR must present the blue ships books of his crew
for inspection. If the ship is scheduled to enter `Test Germany, each shi.:)s book
must contain the required Allied High Commission visa. If it later becomes necessary
for a vessel previously scheduled only for the DDR to enter West Germany, the permits
can be obtained within the DDR. For travel into the DDR only, the crew list, or
i'Spisok Ekipazat" must be presented. During the control, the entire crew mast come
on deck and the border police check the ship for stowaways. After this pas; control,
the toll officials inspect the toll papers and the seals previously placed on the
cargoes,
On the DDR side of the border the vessels undergo the same general check by
DDR and Soviet occupation authorities at Schmillca. On the return journey to the
CSR the ships again undergo controls at Schmilka in the same manner. There has
never been good will between the Czech crews and the DDR border and customs police.
On the one hand the Czechs accuse the DDR officials of theft and on the other the
DDR officials accuse the Czech crews of smug ling. After passing the DDR/SR
border, the ships again undergo control by Czech authorities at Hrensko.
Inspectorate Dresden. Before the war Dresden was classed as a CSPLO station,
but after the war it was made into an inspectorate subordinate to the Magdeburg
station. The inspectorate submits all reports through Magdeburg. The personnel
of the inspectorate include a dispatcher and assistant dispatcher. All CSPLO
shipping passing through Dresden must report in with the dispatcher. The Barge
trains proceeding against the current, or toward the CSR are not broken down.
Usually the shipping stays overnight here and the crews are very glad to take shore
leave for shopping, drinking, and to see women friends. 'rith the advent of the low
water period the ships are for the most part lightened in Dresden. Part of the
cargoes are transferred into empty barges to lessen the draft of the vessels. The
transfer takes place either in the harbor or on the free current of the Elbe. A
toll official must be present at the transfer. In the event the towing vessel has
too great a draft, the vessel is replaced with a vessel of less draft. The Dresden
water guage (Dresdener Pagel) is maintained by the inspect orate and reports issued
by the inspectorate are of the most importance on the Elbe.
Magdeburg. The Magdeburg station is located above the Magdeburg-Berlin railroad
bridge on the left bank of the Elbe. The station consists of old warehouses and
wooden office buildings. In addition there is a coal storage area with an old style
crane. The station is the central point for all river traffic on the Elbe since it
is connected with the canal systems of East and "nest. The Elbe is narroweu in this
area by cliffs and especially in the low water period the first rapids on the river
cause a great danger to river traffic. The river is thus used for -traffic in one
direction only from above to below Magdeburg and a signal system is in use for this
purpose. Station personnel consist of a chief, dispatcher, and heads of the book-
keeping, cadre department (for German employees), accident, technical, and trans-
shipping departments. The primary responsibilities of the station are to facilitate
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movement of traffic to and from Nest Germany, trans-shipment of salt, pac'caged
goods and bulk material,liaison with the DSU, and employment and discharge. of
German employees. The station has only old equipment in operation and often
equipment must be borrowed from the DSU in order to continue operations.
Shipping from Hamburg, the Oder River, and the CSR come together in Magdeburg.
In the event of unfavorable water conditions and due to lack of towing vessels,
the accumulation of over one hundred ships in Magdeburg becomes unavoidable at
times. In periods of low water, heavily loaded barges are also lightened here
and at times are completely unloaded. For this purpose, warehouse space