AIRFIELDS NEAR RIGA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A007200240008-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 14, 2008
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: September 29, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00810A007200240008-1
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. Seca. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorised person is prohibited by 1a.25X1
S-E-C-R-E-T
USSR (Latvian SSR)
REPORTI
DATE DISTR. 29 September 1955
NO. OF PAGES 13
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
SUBJECT Airfields near Riga
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
1. Attached are nine sketches of airfields near Riga, and of installations
at those airfields. Sketch No. 1 on page 5 shows the location of the
fields in relation to Riga.
Riga-Spilve Airfield
Along the northern edge of Spilve Airfield, there mm always five jet
fighters,parked diagonally in a row, ready for immediate take-off. Near
these aircraft, but on the eastern edge of the field, along the road to
Bolderaja (D:augavgrivas iela), there was a building which appeared to be
quarters for pilots (see sketch No. 2 on page 6).
3. Immediately south of this building there was an unusual device used for
target practice (see sketch No. 3 on page 7). It was a cigar-shaped
tube, apparently made of plywood, and painted black. It was about two
meters long, about four meters above the ground, and had a raised metal
tail fin raked back over the stern. The target was supported at each
end by a pole that could move up and down, so that the nose and tail of
the target could be alternately raised and lowered during firing. Below
the target, between the supports, was what appeared to be an armored box,,
which measured about two and one-half meters by two meters by two meters.
A few meters from the stern end of the target there was an elevated firing
platform. When not in use, the platform was about two meters above the
ground, and was entered by a ladder. When being used for firing, the
platform was raised by a piston until the gunner and machine gun were
level with the target. The target then began tooscillate, and the gunner
fired at it. Troops were also seen firing rifles at this target from
trenches in the ground.
4. Just south of the target, there were one or two buildings and fuel tanks,
and just south of the tanks there were several large, green, two-engine
aircraft, presumably bombers. It was at this point that the two main
runways diverged, one running north, and the other northwest. The runways
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were concrete.
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5. Just south of the large aircraft, there was another cigar-shaped target,
like the one described above, and just south of the target there were
several bombers.
6. From the southeast corner of the airfield, the street named Podraga iela
ran eastward to the river. On the north side of the street there were
an Air Force barrack and what appeared to be an Air Force training school.
On the south side of the street, where the Podraga Cement Plant had been,
there were a motor pool and a radio station. South of these, the cement
plant was still in existence.
In the center of the southern boundary of the airfield, a civil air
terminal had been built, with a restaurant, post office, parking area with
flower beds, and other amenities. Civil aircraft always parked just north
of the terminal, but made use of the same runways as the military aircraft
for taking off and landing.
8. Rows of jet aircraft were always parked along the western edge of the air-
field. they were NIG fighters, and estimated their 25X1
number at between 30 and 60.
9.
A forked spur from the Riga-Bolderaja railroad was constructed just south
of the airfield, one fork running into the cement plant, and the other into
the shipyard which lies south of the cement plant on Saksu iela. The river
inlet between the shipyard and the cement plant was filled in with sand,
stones, and rubble.
Experimental Aircraft Plant
10. Six hundred fifty meters south of the air terminal, ed the east. Side' of Slokas imla
apposite the junction with Dgrza iela, there was an Experimental Aircraft Plant
(Eksperimentalnyy Aviofabrik). The roar of jet engines on the test stands
could be heard several kilometers away at all times of day except between
0300 and 0700 hours. By the fall of 1955, this pliant was to be, moved to
Dobele, 65 km. southwest of Riga.
11. Just north of the aircraft plant, along both sides of Puika iela, there
was an Air Force barrack with sports grounds.
Seaplane Base at Kletnieki
Spilve, was no longer in use.
the old seaplane base at Kletnieki, 1* km. east of 25X1
Airfields at Beberbekis
13. At Beberbekis, two km. southwest of the center of Riga, there were two
adjacent airfields, the never one lyi just west of the old one. These
airfields were screened from the road Kalnciems iela) by trees,
(see sketch No. 4 on page 8).
New Airfield at Dole
14. There was a new airfield at Dole, 12 km. southeast of Riga. The airfield
lay to the west of the Riga-Ogre road, just opposite the Dole railroad
station, and it extended along the road for one km., between the road and
the Daugava River (see sketch No. 5 on page 9). The airfield had concrete
runways and concrete underground construction. Between the road and the
railroad, there were more large underground structures and two radio masts.
There were more than 40 aircraft parked on the grass near the river. Half
of the aircraft were 1CGs, and the other half looked like Messerachmidts
(see sketch No. 6 on page 10). During the spring of 1954, one-half of the
Riga-Ogre road was blocked off for a time at the place where it passed
Dole Airfield. underground pipes
were being laid between the airfield and the buildings on the east side of
the road.
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Airfields near Ulbroka
15. The Riga broadcasting station was at Ulbroka, five km. southeast of Riga.
There was an airfield one and one-half km. northwest of the village of
Ulbroka, where tank trucks and five to seven aircraft of the Messerschmidt
type were seen. There were no buildings on the airfield
16. There was another small airfield, with a few wooden buildings, two and one-
half km. northeast of Ulbroka. About one dozen aircraft were seen here, some
of which were MIG jets, and the others were of the Messerschmidt type. This
airfield was partly screened by small trees.
Airfields near Tukums
17. A new military town has been built two km. southeast of Tukums, which is
60 km. west of Riga. The new town is bigger than the old one, and in-
cludes air force barracks. During 1952, a new airfield was built five
km. east-southeast of the old town. It was located about one and one-half
km. from the junction of the roads from Tukums to Riga and Jelgava, and
was screened from the road by a hill about 200 meters high. Approximately
one km. east of the road junction, the southern corner of the airfield could
be seen from the road to Riga. Buildin and aircraft have been seen on
the field (see sketch
No. 7 on page
18. From the road junction, a new road, with a barrier across the entrance, led
to the airfield. On the north side of the new road, 200 meters from the
main road, a water tower 25 meters high, with a conical roof, was built by
troops. It stood inside a large fenced area, within which several high-
quality brick buildings, three stories high, and very long, were under con-
struction. This area, which was on top of the 200 meter hill, was a pro-
hibited zone. From it, a long ditch, six to seven meters deep, three to five
meters wide, and 200 meters long, led down the hillside northwestward toward
the new town, but stopped short of it. No power pylons were visible in
this area, and no railroad tracks led to it or to the airfield (see sketch
No. 8 on page 12).
19. Five km. due east of the old town of Tukuans,there was an older airfield
equipped with permanent brick buildings and also with some wooden shacks.
It was about three km. long from east to west
Thirty or more aircraft, mostly jets, had been seen at this air-
field. There were at least two runways surfaced with asphalt or concrete.
Source believed that they ran east and west, but did not know their
dimensions.
20. The lake just south of the old town of Tukums hae been filled in. The main
road to Riga has been displaced about two km. west of the old route for a
distance of approximately three kn. south of the old town, in order to by-
pass the new military town.
21. A large new military town similar to that at Tukums has been built tWo.km.
north of the old town of Dobele, which is 65 km. west-southwest of Riga.
The new town, had many well-built brick buildings of two or three stories,
housing Army troops and officers, and covering an area along the Dobele-
Tukums road approximately two km. by one,.:km. (see sketch No. 9 on page 13).
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22. One km. north of the new town of Dobele were some new buildings, to which
the Experimental Aircraft Plant in Riga was expected to move before the fall
of 1955.
23. There was a large Army tank training ground six km. west-northwest of
Dobele, on the southwest side-of the Dobele-Turkums road. Immediately
northwest of this training ground, and flanking the road, there was an
Air Force camp, with a triumphal arch surmounted by a blue star. A
cigar-shaped target, like those at Spilve Airfield, was observed in the
camp, which is partly screened from the road by trees. No airfield or
aircraft were observed at this place.
24. Approximately 12 km. west-northwest of these camps, near Annenieku, a
new hydroelectric power station with four small turbines has been built
to supply the camps and local collective farms.
Other Installations at Riga
,25. On the north shore of Lake Jugla, about 11 km. from the center of Riga,
there was an Air Force barrack on the south side of the Riga-Sigulda road.
No aircraft, but many radio aerials were observed there.
26. Nine hundred meters east of the railroad bridge in the center of Riga,
there was an Air Force barrack and and air high school on both sides of
the street named Aiviekstas ielas. The two buildings on the north side
of the street were for officers, and those on the south side were for airmen
and for cadets, who wore blue shoulder boards with gold piping.
27. twin-engine jet aircraft in Riga in the summer of 1954.
Attacbmsnte: Nine
1. Location sketch of Airfields near Riga
2. Layout sketch of Riga/3polve Airfield
3. Sketch of cigar-shaped target
4. Layout sketch of Beberbek is Airfield
5. Layout sketch of Dole Airfield
6. Blotch of Mes"rsohmd dt-type Aircraft
7.. Location elmtbh of Airfields near Tukums
8. Blotch of compound near Tulamu
9. Sketch of military installations near Dobele
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Sketch No. 1
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Sketch No. 3
Sketch of Cigar-Shaped,Target,
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