CONCERNING THE SECOND DIVISIONAL GROUP OF ROCKET LAUNCHERS OF THE SECOND INFANTRY DIVISION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00418R007300030002-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: REPORT

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Country: ?~a...~.,~~~?a~..~~
Sub.7ect: Concerning the Second Divisional Group oP
Rocket Launchers of the Second Infantry
Division
I. Report on Qrder of Battle:
Command Commander Address Quarters Location
2d Inf.Div. ? Brig.Gen.
Karel VALENTA
23d Inf.Rsgt.
Inf.R~gt.
Inf.Regt.
10th Art.Regt.
Art.Regt.
Div.Group II of
Rocket Launchers
AA Div. Group
Antitank Div. Group
~otor Transport Div. Group
Signal Div. Group or Co.
Reconnaissance- Div. Group
or Squadron
Div. Motor Repair Shop
WT Glaserwald
Training camp of
2d Inf . Div.
P.S. 27
Janovice~Nad
barracks Ulavou
Vi~tperk
Klatovy
Klatovy
Prachatice
Capt P.S. 13 Former Kasperske
SLOVACEK monastery Hory
Horazdovice
Tynec
Rea sten
Susice
Kasperske
Hory
Susice
Glaserwald
in massif of
Sumava
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~~~j_
Unit
Command
Location
Regional Hosp. No. III
1st Mi1.Reg..
Plzen
Regional Hosp. No. III
1st ivIi.l. Reg.
Ceske
Budejovice
Central Mil. Hosp.
M.N.O.
Prague
7th Brigade. Aid Station
Ministry of
Susice
Interior
Training Battalion
7th Brig.
Susice
7th Brigade Aid Station
Aid Station
II. Composition and Deployment of the Second Group of Rocket Launchers
A) Subordination
The Second Divisional Group of Rocket Launchers (II Raketometny Oddil),
stationed at Kaspersk! Hory, is subordinate to the Divisional Artillery Command
of the Second Division of Motorized Infantry (2. Pesi Motorisovana Divise),
whose headquarters are at Susice (Bohemia).
The Second Division of Motorized Infantry is under the command of
Major General iLarel VALENTA.
During the divisional maneuvers in the summer of 1953 at the VVT training
ca-np of Glaserwald, we identified the following units of this Motorized Infantry
~ivision:
- 23d Infantry Regt., stationed at Janovice/Nad Uhlavou
- arse Infantry Regt., stationed at Klatovy
- one Infantry Regt., stationed at Vimperk
- 10th Artillery Regt., stationed at Klatovy
- one Artillery Regt., stationed at Prachatice
- Antitank Divisional Group, stationed at Tynec
Antiaircraft Divisional Group, stationed at Horazdovice
Transport Group, stationed at Rejstejn
Divisional Reconnaissance Group or Company, stationed at Kasperske Hory
Divisional Signal Battalion or Company, stationed at Susice
Divisional Motor Repair Shop, stationed at Susice
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- The VVT Glaserwalde, training camp of the Second Motorized Infantry Division,
B) Composition of the Second Divisional Group of Rocket Launchers:
The Group of Rocket Launchers, in addition to its general Staff and
Cosm~and Section, is composed of threle batteries, each having two guns .(Raketomn3*),
making a total of 6 rocket launchers for the Grroup.
1) The Group Command includes a1~l~ deputy political officer
2) The Group General Staff, whose personnel are controlled by the
"Conrnand Section", is essentially comprised as follows:
- the Chief of Staff
- one gunnery-obsdrver officer
- one signal officer
- one supply officer
- one disbursing officer
- one officer in charge of athletics
- one officer in charge of the Command Section
3) The Command Section consists of the following personnel:
- one officer in comanand of the section
- one deputy officdr or noncommissioned officer
- the chief of the motor pool (noncommissioned officer or cadet)
- one gunsmith, a noncommissioned officer
- 3 telephone operators
- 3 radio operators
- 3 topographe r-observers
- 3 observers
- 3 computers
- 3 mechanics
- 3 secretaries
- 3 cooks
- one doctor
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The materiel of the Command Section is comprised of:
- one US Jeep
- 2 Praga RN trucks
- 2 motorcycles, Jawa - 250 cm3
- 2 radios, transmitters-receivers, type A7 B (Tesla)
- one telephone central
- 4 telephones
4) The Battery is subdivided as follows: a General Staff and two half
having
sections (Poloceta); each//~ an artillery platoon of rocket launchers
- the General Staff of the Battery consists of:
- the Battery commander
- his technical deputy
- his political deputy
- one radio operator
- 5 telephone operators
- 2 computers
- 2 topographer-observers
- 4 chauffeurs
The General Staff of the Battery has a light vehicle for liaison (Jeep)
and 3 Praga RN trucks. Its radio equipment consists of one A7 B transmitter--
receiver and 3 telephone centrals, one of which is a two-way set.
The half-section, or artillery platoon of rocket launchers, is
subdivided as follows:
- a chief of the demi-section (Poloceta) or gun chief: officer
- one gunner (noncommissioned officer)
- one loader
- 2 ammunition servers
- one chauffeur
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The equipment of the half-section is as_ follows:
- one Studebaker truck with rocket launcher
- the collective armament consists of one bazooka and one light
machine gun
The subdivision of the 3 batteries is i~tentical; refer to the
attached Table I, which gives the plan of organization of the Second Group of
Rocket Launchers.
5) School for Noncommissioned Offidera:
The Group also has a school for noncommissioned officers. In 1953,
there was a total of 35 students at this school. ~ During ghat period, the
school was directed by Lt VESELY, commander of the Third Battery. The school
~as attached aduinistrative],p to the latter unit.
III Numerical Strength
In September 1953, the strength of the Second Divisional Group of
Rocket Launchers was as follows:
18 officers
2 regular noncommissioned officers
25 draftee noncomffiissioned officers
l0~men
making a total of: 154 officers, noncoms, and men.
For the most part, the men belong to the 1930 and 1931 contingents.
Those who began their anay service on 1 November 1952 were returned to their homes
on 23 October 1954.
IV Officers
VAL~ITA Karel; Brig. Gen.; chief of 2d Motorized Inf. Div. at Susice.
SLOVACEK; Captain; commander of 2d Group of Rocket Launchers; Czech;
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V Arma~aent and Equi~nent
1) Rocket launchers of Czechoslovakian origin:
Refer to attached sketches 3 and 4, with their accaanpanying
legends.
The 2d Divisional Group was equipped with 6 of these rocket
launchers. The equipment was of Czechoslovakian manufacture (Skoda?); it was
sent to the units at the beginning of 1952.
The Czechoslovakian rocket Launcher is mounted on a truck of the
Studebaker-Canada type, which has been transformed and adapted for the transport
of this materiel.
This rocket launcher resembles the Soviet equipment indicated on
~he silhouette card as probably being the BM 14, having a caliber of about 140
millimeters. But there is one difference: the gun crew, during the transport
of the gun, is seated with their backs to fihe cab of the ~ driver, facing the
tubes in the following order, from left to right: the gunner, the loader, two
,s~e rv~ers~
ammunition~~~^~t. On the other hand, the leader of the gun crew is in the cab,
beside the driver.
Characteristics: This rocket launcher has a total of 16 tubes,
steel-plated, arranged in two rows of 5 each.
The characteristics of the tube are as follows: caliber, 120-130
millimeter; length, 1.10 meters; thickness of steel plating, 3 millimeters.
Characteristics of the rocket: caliber, 120-130 millimeter;
length, 70-80 centimeters; weight, unknown.
Firms, conditions: range of elevation: 150 to 500
maximum range : 12, 000 meters
effective range: up to 5,000 meters
Either single fire or volley fire is possible; the firing is done
electrically; the loading of the 16 tubas requires about 3 minutes.
During the firing, the truck is kept motionless, with the help
The rocket launcher can also fire from a fixed position. In this
case, the truck is secured in a special trench and the ammunition is brought by
other trucks.
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Ammunition Supply:
The truck on which the rocket launcher is mounted carries, on its
lower part, a ~ rocketiR box containing ~ 32 chambers. From each side of the
truck, it is possible to load 16 rockets, or a total of 32 rockets.
The unit of fire of the rocket launcher on active service is
L,$ rockets (16 rockets in the tubes, plus 32 rockets in the box.
The naxixium speed of the vehicle, with its maximum load, is
35 kilometers per hour. The maximum speed of th$ truck, without munitions, is
70 kilometers per hour.
2) Light Armament:
The men are individually equipped with Model.. 98 N rifles or with
Czechoslovakian submachine guns, type CZ 24, with caliber of 7.62 millimeters.
In addition, the group has:
a) 8 Tara nice (Czechoslovakian bazooka): one per gun, plus 2
for the Command Post of the Group.
b) 10 light machine guns, type CZ 26, with caliber of 7.92
millimeters.
3) Vehicles:
The equipment of the group is as follows:
6 rocket-launcher trucks (frown memory)
3 trucks, type Ford-Canada, for transport of personnel
10 trucks, Praga RN )
transport of materiel and munitions
2 trucks, Praga A, 1.5 ton)
/~ vehicles, light, for liaison (Jeep)
2 motorcycles, Jawa 250 cubic centimeters
1a.) Sil;nal Devices:
Equipment of the Group
5 transmitters-receivers, type A7 B, of Czechoslovakian manu-
facture (Tesla). This is a copy of the Soviet A7 A
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transmitter-receiver.
Range: about 25 kilometers (Phonie-Graphie)
Weight: 10 kilograms - transportable by 2 men
Length of antenna: 3 meters
Wooden case, 50 x 40 x 25 centimeters
5 e 't S 'm a
10 telephone of Czedhoslovakian ~
1 telephone central, 10-directional, "Tesla"
VI Instruction and Maneuvers .
A group of 70 young recruits began army service on 1 November 1952?
The basic military training (Pri.jimac) ended at the beginning of
December 1952.
One of these young recruits was then sent as radio operator to the
~ "Co~unand Section" of the Group. There he had radio instruction while continuing
his infantry training. Only a rudimentary instruction was given hina concerning
the rocket launchers.
The radio course consisted mainly of the study and use of the radio
u 5~ b
and telephone equipment die rocket-launcher Group.
A diagram. of the radio and telephone contacts of the Group is
presented in the attached Table II.
- The Command Post of the Group has radio contact with the
Divisional Artillery and the Battery Command Posts. Occasional.lyy, these contacts
'~
are doubled by the use ofntelephone.
- The Battery Commands have telephone contact ti~ith their chiefs of
rrpoloceta" (half-section., gun)..
The Group carried out divisional maneuvers at the VVT of Glaserwald
in the sua3mer of 1953.
Up to the end of October 1954, the 2d Group of Rocket Launch~r8 had
not undergone any fundamental change. Only the old individual armament had been
replaced: the ~ 98 N rifle by the Modele 52 rifle having a caliber of 7.62
milli~ueters; the Group had also been eouipped with new light machine guns having
a caliber of 7.62 millimeters.
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VII Morale
The morale of the men was very low because of the very severe
discipline and the almost complete lack of free time and furloughs. The latter
were not granted except as special rewards.
P~Ziscellaneous
Regional Military Hospital No. III at Plzen (Treti Okruhova Nemocnice),
subordinate to the 1st Military Region.
This hospital consists of:
- one surgery section, directed by medical officer, Col POPILKA
- one ~phthal~ology section
- one der~-atology section
- one general medicine section
In 1951+ the capacity of this hospital was about 600 beds.. Two new
buildings, each having four floors, were built there in 1953? The cellars, now
used for the storage of pharmaceuticals, were built as shelters for the operatiert~-
rooms in wartime.
The Plzen hospital is one of the most modern in Czechoslovakia. Its
location was given as objective No. 31 on the plan attached to report No. 113.
Regional Hospital No. IV (Ctvrta Okruhova Nemocnice) at Ceske
~Bude jovice, dependent upon the 1st r~ti.litary Region.
Central Military_,H~ital (Ustredni Vojenska Nemocnice) directly
dependent upon the Health Department of the MNO.
Remarks:
It iaay be that the very small amount of equipunent corresponds to that used in
peace time or at the t~ginning of the organization of these units. An increase
in the number of rocket launchers might be anticipated in case of mobilization.
In fact, each battery is now in a section (Ceta~ of 2 guns, each gun forms
a ~ half-section (Poloceta).
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4. Mobile unit attached to the electrical firing device:
lit the moment of firing, the extremity of this unit strikes the required
opening in the rocket (firing pin?).
The rocket launcher has a total of 16 of these mobile units (one for
each tube).
5. Si~htin~ apparatus.
6. Box containing the electrical firing device.
7. Base of rocket launcher containing the sighting device.
$. Cases for rockets:
For a total of 32 rockets---16 rockets on each side of the truck.
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