PORT OF STALIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006100320005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 4, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/07/09: CIA-RDP80-00810A006100320005-7
CENTRAL, INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains Information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Port of Stalin
DATE OF INFO.
DATE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
North Quay
1, This quay has been extended in a straight line to the west, The following ships
were tied up alongside, bows to sterns, and took up the full length of the quays:
a, MARSHALL TOLBUKHIN, Soviet; waiting for cargo;
b, KARL MARX, Soviet; unloaded soda, loaded dried fruit and plywood;
cc CHUKOTKA, Soviet; loaded fruit and jam; (working between Batum and Odessa,
Sevastopol and Stalin; passenger and cargo);
do DEBRECEN, Hungarian; unloaded cotton. and oil-cake; and
e, ?SUKHONNA, Soviet; unloaded coal; (one of the new 1100-ton vessels built at
the Ganz shipyards, Budapest).
The Soviet ships CHIATURI and SULINA were also alongside this quay, but not at
the same time as the ships mentioned above,
20;. The north quay is served by five electric cranes travelling on rails, Four of
the cranes are of 3-ton capacity, while the fifth, and westernmost, crane is
larger and heavier, but only has a'3-ton lift from the end'of the main jib, With
a shorter radius, however, it is marked as having a 15-ton lift.
30
There are only two warehouses adjacent to this quay and they are at the eastern
end. A considerable amount of cargo awaiting shipment was stored on the quay in
the open,
4. Near the dockyard gates is a new building which contains the harbormaster's office,
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(Note: Washington distribution indicatod by "i("; Field
4 March 1955
4
25X1
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south as far as the line of the southern breakwater.
Northeast and East Quays
These quays are reserved for naval and military use and no access is allowed
to civilians. The east quay appeared to informant to have been extended to the
in the port a Bulgarian destroyer and escort vessel lay respectively alongside
and stern to the east quay.
Dockyard Basin
6. At the southern side of the entrance to the basin were moored a submarine, two
escort vessels, and an old gunboat (possibly a torpedo boat), all flying the
Bulgarian flag.
7. On 22 December 1954, this submarine was observed maneuvering on the surface
outside of the harbor entrance. No armament was seen. The pilot stated that,
in addition to this submarine, the Bulgarian Navy has two other smaller submarines.
8. A floating crane was lying off the north side of the basin. Seven other cranes
were observed in the area of the dockyard basin. Five of these appeared to be
near the northwest-corner of the basin, and they consisted of two large cantilever
type, two jib type, and one derrick of the stiff-legged type. The other two cranes
were "Goliaths" and appeared to be situated on the south side of the basin.
Other Observations
9. A dredger flying the Soviet flag was at work at the entrance to the Devnya Canal
during the entire stay
10. No constructional work was observed in the harbor or dockyard area.
11. The two mooring buoys which previously existed in the middle of the inner harbor
were not observed.
12. There is a signal station at the outer end of the south breakwater.
Port Controls
13. A vessel proceeding to Stalin must contact "Bolinflot" at Stalin by radio and
give warning of her E.T.A. at Cape Kaliakra. Pilotage is not compulsory and
ship took a pilot on arrival but departed without one. Upon arrival 25X1
at Cape Kaliakra, the pilot boarded the vessel unaccompanied by any guards.
14. A vessel arriving at Stalin must fly the international S.V. (probably the inter-
national flags "S" and "V"), and may enter port when permission is received from
the signal station at the outer end of the southern breakwater, ship 25X1
anchored in the inner harbor until cleared by the Port Health Authority after
which she was permitted to come alongside at the north quay.
15. As soon as berthing was complete, she was boarded by eleven (11) police and
customs officials. The crew was then mustered on the bridge, and checked off
against the crew list and their seamen's identity books. After this, the ship
was thoroughly searched by two search parties, each party being accompanied by a
member of the crew. The searching was much more thorough that it had been on
last visit, two or three years ago. 25X1
16. When the search of the ship was completed, passes were issued to each member of
the crew entitling them to go ashore until 11:00 P.M. The pass is made out in
triplicate, one copy being deposited at the harbormaster's office, one being
given to the guard at the bottom of the gangway, and the third being given to the
member of the crew concerned, When a seaman goes ashore he and the guard exchange
their copies, and on return they are again exchanged. On leaving the ship each
man's name is turned in to the customs authorities by the guard at the dock gates,
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but it is not usual for any search to be carried out. The details of the
seaman's pass are entered in a ledger by the guards.
17. A Bulgarian civilian who wished to visit an acquaintance among the crew members
of ship was given a permit by the police to board the vessel. 25X1
Black Market
18. Black market activity was considerable, both among the stevedores and dock
laborers; also ashore in the town. Nylon stockings and other garments, and
wrist watches were traded either for Bulgarian money or, in a few cases, for
Napoleons. A steel waterproof wrist watch brought three Napoleons, and nylon
stocking 60 levas if sold aboard ship, and 80 levas if sold ashore in the town.
19. The official rate of exchange for the dollar is seven lava, but the black market
rate is 140.
Provisioning
20. Ships are provisioned through an official ship chandler whose prices are more than
50 percent cheaper than official prices ashore.
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APPENDIX
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Dockyard
Basin
!o
012,
1. Position ofl (ship
2. Warehouses
3. New Port and Harbormaster's offices
4. Dockyard gates
5. GEORGI DIMITR0
6. Unidentified escort vessels
7. Submarine
8. Gunboat.(possibly Torpedoboat)
9. Floating crane
10. Cantilevers, derrick and job cranes
11. Goliath cranes
12. Soviet dredger
0
0
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