ARMORED UNITS AND TANK TRAINING AREAS NEAR RIGA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006100220013-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 2008
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: March 15, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
N QCpOO Qr
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 125X1
COUNTRY USSR/Latvian SSR
SUBJECT Armored Units and Tank Training
Areas near Riga
orlyl
NO. OF PAGES
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
BALOZE (See sketch "A") 25X1
1. A Soviet unit of armored troops was stationed in barracks in the woods at
Baloze, 11 km east=northeast'of the_ center..x.of'..Riga,'on.the north side of the Riga-
Sigulda highway. These troops were quartered in brick-built winter barracks
which were screened by trees; from what could be seen, it was estimated
.that there were at least 600 troops there. They wore black shoulder boards,
Behind (i.e.,, nc-th;,of)_.t1 bazrack4:tanks stood in rows; as many as 20
were. seen at once, and there may well have been more. These tanks had a
suspension like that of a T-34+ tank, with no apron over the tracks. The
gun had no'mantlet; but on some of the tanks'.ths'gun;wao_,:equipped with.a muzzle
brake, on others not. When pointing forward, half the barrel projected be-
yond the front of the tank. The turret was like that of a T-34, and in
some cases carried a machine gun on top. All these tanks had a machine gun
beside the driver's visor. An object like a finger, perhaps a periscope,
projected upwards from the turret, in addition to the radio mast. Parked
near the tanks were also rows of this unit's own trucks.
LILASTE (See sketch "A!' also)
2. At Lilaste, 30 km northeast of Riga, there was a camp for armored troops
exactly 31+ km from Riga. Two meters south of the kilometer stone, a new con-
crete roadway led nortlCwest through the trees for 200 meters past a ruined
villa and on towards Lake Umma. Beyond the lake' on both sides of the rail-
way, there were timber barracks in the woods. It was not possible to estimate
the number of troops in them.
3. Tank tracks leading from the direction of Lake Umma crossed the road at a "mat"
of wired saplings (protecting the asphalt) at a point about one km south of
the kilometer stone mentioned; the tracks then ran along parallel to the road,
on its western side; until about 200'meters north of the kilometer stone these
tracks turned eastward-into the woods. Each groove in the earth was about 85
cm wide and some 70 cm deep, with a space of about 2 meters between the two
grooves. This training ground is believed to extend eastwards for about 10
km..
ARMY 1E y x NAVY
Ev
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 15 March 1955
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#'".)
JO H t pOOIN
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-00810A006100220013-9
S-E-C-R-E-T
-2-
1. The tanks themselves were firstseen there in June 1951.. Four of them
crossed the road over the "mat" of saplings, from east to west, and
there were other tanks ahead and behind. They were very heavy tanks, with a
suspension resembling that of the JS-2.
DOBELE (See sketch "C")
5. At Dobele, 65 km of Riga, there was another tank training ground, six
km northwest of the old town. Two or'threetanks resembling T-31.s were
seen on several occasions crossing the Dobele-Tukums road, entering the
tank training ground, which is on the south side of the road. Troops
were camped in an area immediately west of thetank training ground, but
these were definitely air force troops. It is probable that the tank
troops were quartered in Dobele new town.
6. Two km north-northwest of Dobele, a new military town has been built,
with many brick-built barracks, two-and three-story dwelling blocks, mess
halls, and sports fields. It was hidden from the main road by trees ex-
cept at a few points; but1judging from columns of men seen marching,
there must have been at least 1,000 troops there. A wneral Officer
has been seen in Dobele. Immediately northwest of the new military town
were-new premises for an experimental aircraft works.
7. The former Arsenal in Riga has been made a repair workshop for tanks and
guns. Self-propelled guns have been seen in the streets of Riga, testing
movements after repair. These self-propelled guns generally resembled the JSU-2
type, having a short gun with an external mantlet, a flat glacis with a
rounded hull front, and tracks which returned on idler wheels. Behind the
gun was a long rectangular troop compartment, with a flat roof, apparently
of metal, slightly higher than the gun and extending all the way to the back
of the chassis. Hinged doors at the back were normally left open, and several
troops could be seen sitting inside facing each other. (See sketch "B").
8. Krusta Barracks on Huzaru iela, north of the Riga-Vaiga railway, contained
troops with black shoulder boards (last date of in#'ormation:summer 19511.).
Convoys of 8 to 10'tanks were frequently seen leaving and arriving at the
barracks. The description of these tanks tallies with the T-31+ (85). The
area of Krusta barracks has been considerably reduced in size by the newly
built electric power station on the east side of the barracks (side opposite
to Huzaru iela). The unit or formation which occupied these barracks, although
by no means a national Latvian unit, was probably the unit of the Soviet Army
stationed in Latvia with the largest proportion of Latvian nationals. It
undoubtedly had elements stationed .at Baloze, Lilaste,and Murjani (40 km east-
northeast of Riga, just north of the Sigulda road) because individual soldiers
serving with this unit visited these places for periods of.varying length.
Baloze, Lilaste,and Murjani locations were occupied by troops in winter as
well as in summer.
ARTILLERY SITES
9. Eight antiaircraft guns of unknown caliber (the barrel had no jacket, muzzle
brake, or visible recoil mechanism) were permanently located in grassed pits
on the bombed site between Soneru iela, Kugu iela, Akmenu iela, Kliversalas
Quay on the west bank of the Daugava between the two bridges. This site was
surrounded by a palisade, and its personnel were billeted partly in heated
dug-outs on the site and partly in the adjoining block of houses between Kugu
iela, Akmenu iela, Valguma iela and Soneru iela. (Date of information:suimner
1954),
13-E'-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-00810A006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
10. The pier on the west bank of the Daugava, northern continuation of
Kliversalas Krast, was a prohibited area. Several guns of. unknown caliber,
barrels approximately six feet long and always in a horizontal position,
were visible near the extremity of the pier. The gun crews lived under
canvas, also 61T. the pier. (Date of information; summer 1951
11. At least six antiaircraft guns, similar to those in paragraph 9 above, were
permanently in place on the west bank of Maza Daugava near the monument to
Peter the Great on the Jumprava Sala. The gun crews lived on the site summer
and winter.
OTHER MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS IN RIGA
12. Barracks within the quadrangle Pernavas iela, Rudolfa iela, Ata iela,and
Krona iela have not changed in aspect sinceI1940. They had not been seen since
about 1951,when they contained infantry troops, strength unknown.
13. Some air force units were located in the area enclosed by Samarina iela,
Reznas iela, Aiviekstes iela)and the railway as well as on the north side of
Aiviekstes iela. These units are believed to be mainly:
a. School for junior airforce officers
b. School for air force cadets (not DOSAAF)
14. Riga Military Tribunal and Prison was located in the'area Gildes iela, Kaleju
iela, Laipu iela, between the "Filharmonia" concert hall and the Trade Unions
Concert Hall. The prison was heavily guarded by roving armed guards.
15. The State :Motor-Transport Inspectorate (Gosudarstvennaya AV_to-Inspektsiya)
was located at Raina Bulvars 6,
16. The Town Prosecutor's Office (Prokuratura) was on Raina Bulvars, being the
second building north of the crossing with Brivabas iela.
17. On the Raina Bulvars, immediately south of the same crossing, there was a
building permanently under armed guard. Generals have been seen visiting
this,building and the most expensive Soviet cars were stationed outside it.
18. On Raina Bulvars, immediately south of the bombed site on the southeast
corner of the crossing with Barona iela, was the Army Me'aical Directorate
(Meditsinsko-Sanitarnoye Upravleniye Pribalttyskcge Voyenncgo Okruga).
19. The prewar Latvian Government Headquarters building on the northwest corner
of the crossing of Valdemara iela and Kirova iela was under permanent armed
guards at the entrance'. 'on each street. A car believed to belong to the officer
commanding the Baltic Naval Forces frequently stood outside this building.
20. Barracks on Bauskas iela (at the southern edge of Riga on the west bank of the
Daugava) were occupied.
21. MVD headquarters in Riga were located in a building at the eastern end of the
north side of Zellu iela, which is 200 meters north of-tie lake known as
Marasdzirnar Dikis in the western part of Riga.
22. Numerous civilian buildings in Riga were occupied by the Soviet Army as billets.
Military personnel slept in two-tiered bunks which could be seen through the
windows.
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
TRAINING
23. During winter, ski training, with and without white camouflage, frequently
took place in all suitable places in Riga. On some occasions groups of
some fifty-officer were seen exercising in the wooded areas west of the
Daugava. Numerous instances of ski training were seen during the winter
1953-54 as well as in previous winters.
24. A river crossing'exercise was seen some miles west of Bolderaja (10 km
north-northwest of Riga),. in summer 1954. Personnel wore either shorts
or overalls, tight fitting at the neck.,and a mask over the mouth and nose;
they carried no arms, equipment,,or uniforms. Theycrosse8.',under the sur-
face, in single file, presumably holding on to a rope laid beforehand.
25. No maneuvers on a large scale comparable to maneuvers of the Latvian Army
before 1940 were ever seen or heard of. Large single exercises with the
participation of,20 to 30 tanks and a few hundred troops were held in the
area of Cesis (80 km east-northeast of Riga), invariably in autumn (late
September and beginning of October) after the harvest.
26. Summer training took place in the area Lilaste Murjane, Saulkrasti (45 km
north-northeast of Riga) and inland of the eastern shore of the Gulf
of Riga.
CALL.-UP and RESERVE TRAINING
27. Call-up notices for recruits of the 1935-1936 class were posted in Riga
during August 1954.
28.. Latvian nationals on call-up reported to the Voyencomd of their place of
residence and were immediately routed to a Soviet Army unit not necessarily
located in Latvia. Possibly larger groups of recruit's were sent to Krusta
barxacks, Balce, or Insterburg than elsewhere,but recruits were also sent
much further afield into Russia, individually or in groups, disregarding
any language difficulty that might exist.
29. Reservists were called up for periods of:
a. One month (privates)
b. Three months (NCOs and officers)
c. One year (NCOs and officers). NCOs were sometimes promoted after their
three months or one year of training.
30. Specialist reservists were at times called up through the VOyenkom4 into the
Army and posted to some 3ajor civilian enterprise such as Volga-Don, Kuzbas,
etc.,, in their specialist capacity.
MILITARY AREAS
31. The following were the towns, of Latvia with major concentration of troops:
Riga
Dobele (65 km southwest of Riga)
Tukums (60 km west of Riga)
Saldus (105 km west-southwest of Riga)
Kemeri (40 km west of Riga)
Bolderaja (10 km west-northwest of Riga)
Daugavriva (12 km west-northwest of Riga
C&rnikava (25 km north-northeast of R4:ge.
Vecati (infantry and probably aviation school)
Jelgava :(fcw rAops an-airfield)
32. Prohibited areas were:
a. Daugavgriva (naval)
b. Coast area Lilaste to Pabaz~
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
S-E-C-R-E-T
-6-
S P Q ,U N SEAN I N ST R~~TS of F IC7 A
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
-7-
EKPERI+MttTRL
A"RcR'A`FT WORMS
S-'-E-C-R=E-T
SKETc.H
A I~R Atip , ~l~I.IT
T 1Li"Si ; MINTS
N~~R Dog~~~.
ScA1,4 1; Io o0 o
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
 Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9
Approved For Release 2008/07/07: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006100220013-9