BRIESEN AIRFIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005700910009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Sequence Number: 9
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700910009-3
COUNTRY-
TOPIC
A CLASSIFICATION S11Ct3ET
East Germany
EVALUATION
DATE OF CONT
ITE OBTAINS
IYERENCES
PAGES 3
REMARKS
SATE PREPARED 6 December 1954
,ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
1. Between 5 October and 1 November 1954, there was no air activity
at Briesen airfield except for the following days:
12 October. After 1200, when morning fog had dissipated and the
cloud base was at an altitude of about 200 meters, air activity was
started. Up t,-, about 169900, 16 aircraft took off and il:mediately
disappeared from view. The aircraft obviously circled in the vicinity
of the field. Up to 4 aircraft were simultaneoully aloft. The take-
offs were made from east to west. A large fire was lit at the eastern
end of the runway, presumably to facilitate the l a n d Aircraft
observed involved two I1-28s l
13 October. There was no air activity during daytime. From 190u
until about midnight, jet bombers continuously took off. All of the
aircraft had set position lights. During the air activity, a motor
vehicle column was observed in the vicinity of the field.. The vehicles
were apparently in communication with the aircraft. One vehicle mounted
a searchlight which directed its beam upward for a few seconds every
10 to 15 minutes.
Immediately after flashing up, the vehicle with the searchlight
apparently changed its location since the next flash would be observed
from another pammt. An aircraft flew to the site where the searchlight
had last radiated its light. It gave a short red flash signal and then
landed. A total of 30 take-offs and landings were made. Approximately
the same number of practices were made with the searchlight and the
red flash signal.
14 October. The motor vehicles remained in the area east of the
field up to about 1100. Then the vehicles departed via Krausnick.
the following numbers were seen:
CLASSIFICATION SECttET~
Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700910009-3
 Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700910009-3
:~~;CliJl~a
16 October. Two jet bombers landed at the field, erg it r, ?
distance of 1,000 meters. The aircraft taxied to the souther:
tax,fi s guru parked between the other jet bombers. There
womme/10 @gel st at an altitude of 1, 0'_0 meters, e trong
s,u Natarly Wad, and visibility of about 6 km. the days
prior to 1P October 1200, 26 jet bombers were seen on t}.e usual
dispersal areas along the southern taxiway. AE' ter 12`C on 11 October
and on the following days, 28 aircraft were observed there.
.'.dditional aircraft were possibly parked in the clearin_.. in the
southwestern corner of the field. 1
19 October. There was no air activity. rt 110J, the engines of
all jet bombers were started and the aircraft taxied from their
dispersal areas via the runway to the revetments at the ed e o?
the wood around the field. Fifteen minutes .elapse? rcm the inooient
when the first aircraft began to taxi until. the last lane was
parked in the revetment. Later, the aircraft taxied back to their
original dispersal areas w--thin 17 minutes. lifter 5 minutes, this
practice was repeated and the procedure required only 14 minutes
this time. Finally, the aircraft taxied back to their dispersal
areas and their engines turned off. 3
After 21 October, the aircraft were parked in ;roues ci
and 9. The distance between the individual Jrouo vwas 3J to
Z,0 meters. The individual aircraft of each group were parked
side-b -side and at close interval.
30 October. Between 1000 and 1300, 16 take-offs and landings were
wade by jet bombers. The weather was dull and rain The aircraft
individually took off at intervals of about 1,500 meters. Retainin,
this distance, the aircraft circled over the field one and a half'
times and then landed. After a pause of about J minutes the same
exercise was re eated b the 16 aircraft
2. On those days when no air activity was conducted, toe engines of
O to 10 Il-28s were daily run up for at least 1 hour. Several
engines were running at the same time so that the runni:.g o~ engines
could be 'heard i~ or G hours every day . No noteworthy aactivi t,; was
observed near the motor vehicles, aircraft or on the tar-et range.
the -personnel was concentrated. on the
It al,I;eared ti,at all of
t
runninu o f _! et encj.nes.
3. 2 radio snack was located abo?:t 1 km: east od the run; e.y, approximately
500 meters south of the Brand forester's :house alo-_, the road to
Krausnick. There was a PKV-45 DF station and a radio ast about
16 meters high. 4
Co: lent. Briesen airfield is still occupied by a bomber
regiment. The observed number of Il-28s a:?rees the treviousl
assumed strength of this regiment.
aEC hBT,
Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700910009-3
 Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005700910009-3
Cor;: ent. I'l e exercise :resus ably ir:v;;'_ve seer -earc 1 i rhts
of 28 11-2"s in sirapr.~, $~tq~if a# ,_'", r>v~tmer.t4, is r then
o rcrt if t.1 e girder for t"--is a p *e . *ac iver. 'without fore, er
t;ice.
r.',--V-45 DF st