THE HUNGARIAN RIVER FLOTILLA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A004200030010-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 14, 2002
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: August 8, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

COUNTRY Hungary DATE DISTR. Aug 51
25X1 SUBJECTr The Hungarian, River Flotilla NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS, L DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT 50
U. S. C. 31. AND 32, AS ANEROID. ITS TRANSMISSION OR TOR REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS, IN ANY MANNERTO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15 FRO-
NISITED IY LAW.. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PRONUITRD.
25X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED. INFORMATION 25X1
1. The. headquarters of the Hungarian River Flotilla Forces (Magyar Folyameroek
Paranosn.oksaga) are in the Hotel Esplanade in Budapest (Kunfy 2sigmond Utca,) The
Commander is Colonel Gabor Marai, a former Austro-Hungarian naval non-commissioned
offioer,.who played an active role in the Sailors' Revolution at Cattaro in 1918
and was dismissed. He was then educated in the USSR and is now over 60 years old.
The chief..of staff is Major Jozsef Ranges. The Command includes two ship divisions
at Budapest, and Komarom, and one river blockade battalion at Baja...
2. The ship dlvis on in Budapest includes a staff, three companies, a ship administrative
unit
and
ech
,
a m
anical company Th thi h
,eree companesave been brought to the marine
barracks at r ,; a$.t tes w~, Post-Office box No. 7.851. The Commander
is Lt,. Col Zoltan Szigeti who is morethan 60 years old, and is well-liked by the
men. The, Deputy Commander is Major Bela Halasz, the Political Officer is Lt
Gaza Patko. the Adjutant is Captain Bela Sasdi, a former officer in the MFTR, and the
head of the 'Ship #dsn.ih strative unit is Major Gyula Bors, a former engineer at the
Ganz Hajogyar. The Company Commanders ares Captain Erno Hauptmann, Captain Denes
Sully, and Ist Lt lmre Varkuti. The companies are so arranged that one of them is
occupied with, instruction and navigation, another with artillery serivice on, shipboard,
while the third is.occupied with the engineering department. When the eomm4ssioning
of a ship is ordered, the men for the different departments of the vessel are taken
from the. appropriate companies. The strength of the companies varies between 60 and
3s. The ships'sre not uniform, they are not in good condition, and more of them are needed.
The mo
i
o
n
t
r, wereall sunk Burin thea bt h bis
,., wr,uaveeen raed and restored'at the
Obu'da yard0 , fee enclosed sketch . The former patrol boats of the Hungarian River
Patrol are already in service, here displace 135 tons and can deve
kilometers an houro on n two a speed of
officers, and 38 men.. two Diesel motors of 150 hp each. The crews consist of two
35 kil The armament consists of two 76,2 anti-tank guns behind shields,
8n.lthe~foi rax .a.de k~ne~;: iachineCgu~s rarie 47nmm an?tiai'reraft,gun.'-oi ..thbofpniai1 Sand
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The armor has been strengthened _ hilt i s ?~+ 4.., 1--
,..t..~.6ao ssiuivi-cu uiutivr co atis . nave been brought in by the Sovietd; they are protected
against infantry weapons. They carry one officer and 14 men. The armament is 20 mm
machine guns. The ships of the Flotilla are steamers, equipped for carrying material.
They have a crew of 12 officers and 18.men. The armament consists of four machine
guns, and one 37 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun.
4 41' ' 141A Ul 5X1
A $,g0g?&04200030010-s
CLASSIFICATION
SECRET S OFFICIALS ONLY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INOORMATI0N RFpnRT
 Approved For Releas 8 ~~/ 4: CIA- IRQP80_00 26AO04200030010-3
/U OFFIC A~ ONLY
25X1
Be The Diver Blockade Battalion is stationed at Baja, Szamuelly Tibot barracks. The
organization consists of a staff, three companies, a mine sweeping company, a ship
maintainence organization, and ,& technical administration. One company is at
Mohacs and one is detached to Szeged.
6. The organization of a company includes a staff with signal troops, a mine squad,
a gun squad with 76.2 anti-tank guns, a gun squad with machine guns, and a flare
craft.
7. There are two mine sweepers of 400 tons each, with two 130 hp Diesel motors. The
armament is a 37 mm automatic antiaircraft gun and four machine guns. Each ship
has a crew of three officers and 65 men and a speed of 16 kilometers per hour. Both
anchored *and floating mines are used. The anchored type may be either contact
mines or observed mines. Experiments are also being made with automatic mines, of
both the magnetic and sonic types. Mines come in 50, 100 and 200 kilogram sizes.
There' are also in service, mine-torpedoes, which are operated by radio impulses
against enemy minefields, bridges, ate.
8. The river flotilla is directly under the Minister of National Defense and the Chief
of the General Staff. The Commander ranks as a 'group chief. Supplies are drawn fran
whatever' command the ships are under geographically.
9. The river flotilla follows the tradition of the Russian Sailors' Revolt and the
Sailors' Brigade of Bela Kun. It is considered as a revolutionary troop. Therefore
only Party members are taken in, and only after a careful political examination.
technical knowledge plays some part, so that sailors, fishermen, and machinists are
saft to this unit from all over the country.
ENCLOSUR '(A)s Sketch Plan of the Obuda yard.
BEdRET1'txS OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2002/07/24: CIA-RDP80-00926AO04200030010-3
 E LOSU rc A d For Release 2002/07/24 ' i I $~ 0-~0 Q042bq Q 00I
Sketch of OBUDA
1. Headquarters
2. Stalin Bridge (formerly ARPAD)
3. Margit Sziget (Northern portion
4. Winter harbor
5, OBUDAER Island
6. Ships wharves and factories
7. Heltai. Jeno marine barracks
8.. Electric street car line, standard
gauge.
'7-a Gua(ap
SL~n+-EnJre'
SECRET/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2002/07/24: CIA-RDP80-00926A004200030010-3
25X1