SOVIETS BYPASS POLAND WITH FERRY TO EAST GERMANY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00153R000100100028-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 15, 2008
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: June 1, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/01/15: CIA-RDP85TO0153R000100100028-0
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14 June. 83
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Approved For Release 2008/01/15: CIA-RDP85TO0153R000100100028-0
 Approved For Release 2008/01/15: CIA-RDP85TO0153R000100100028-0
Wetsday, June 1, 1983
THE CHRISTIAN SCIE- M(DNITOR
soviets bypass Poland with ferry to East Germany
By Eric Bourne
Special correspondent of
The Christian Science Monitor
Warsaw
The Soviet Union plans to strengthen commercial and
Warsaw Pact communications on its northern flank with a
major ferry project across the Baltic that links a Lithuanian
port with a port on an East German island.
Construction of the new terminal has begun, as has the
laying of the first hulls for the vessels that will operate it. The
Soviets already have such a ferry link on the southern flank of
their defense perimeter, crossing the Black Sea between the
south Ukrainian port of Odessa and Varna, one of several big
Bulgarian harbors.
The existing ferry and the projected one will have more in
common than shipping and operational design. They will also
have a potential significance in the
event of war: Each bypasses an ally in
whom the Soviets might have less than
total confidence in an emergency.
The Odessa-Varna link passes within
sight of but does not stop at the Roma-
nian shore or Romania's major naval
and commercial base, Constants.
Romania has frequently nettled the
Russians with its independent positions
in foreign affairs. It is, for example, the
only East-bloc state to maintain normal
relations with Israel through the long'
Arab-Israeli conflict. It has grown more
chummy with communist China since
Peking's break with the USSR and the
East bloc in the early '60s.
The new Baltic ferry is to start oper-
ating in 1985-86. A direct link between
the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda (prewar
Memel) and the East German port of
Sassnitz on Rugen Island, it will bypass
Polish ports like Gdansk and Gdynia.
The Poles have said little or nothing
about the project, which was disclosed
in the German communist press rc
cently. But they suggest it will have no litatic route bypasses Poland (lop);
appreciable effect on Poland's earnings 61sek Sa route bypassos Romania (bottom)
44
QI liMANY
from transit traffic. It is said the need for the ferry arose
principally because Soviet-East German trade has increased
so fast - tripling in the last decade - that existing sea routes
and Polish transit facilities are no longer adequate.
The reason for bypassing Poland is almost certainly the
instability it has presented from a Warsaw Pact point of view
ever since the summer of 1980. Earlier, during the 1976
strikes, workers from the tirsus tractor plant here cut the
main international East-West European railroad. Ever since,
the Soviets have worried that uncontrolled Polish unrest could
threaten the all-important lines of communication to their
forces in East Germany.
In July 1980 - in the first strikes before the great Baltic
stoppage - Lublin railwaymen, repeated the performance of
blocking a main line to Russia; increasing Soviet apprehen-
sions. This kind of threat has been high in their thinking ever
Baltic
Sea
Gdan k IIIIIsII11111
POLAND
since.
'i'bis concern outweighs any other
about Lola rid, and any clearly perceived
danger of t this kind would be the one fac-
tor likely to prompt direct Soviet inter-
vention.
Martial law provided some guaran-
tee. But, since its partial removal in De-
ceinber, ttkere have been periodic indi-
cations that Soviet anxiety about
Poland's political and internal situation
has not subsided.
The new ferry will apparently be
similar to the Odessa-Varna line. The
3(X)-mile Baltic crossing will be main-
tained, on is daily 20-hour schedule, by
six 560 foot vessels, each of nearly 12,000
dead weight tons. Three will be Soviet
arid three Vast German. Each will have
a capacity for more than 100 freight cars
together with trucks and merchandise.
The vessels will be fitted with Rus-
sian broad-gauge rail on two levels. In
an emergency they, like those on the
Odessa.Varna' `run, could easily be
adapted for carrying military hardware
and equippBnt
Approved For Release 2008/01/15: CIA-RDP85TO0153R000100100028-0