URANIUM MINING IN THE JACHYMOV AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R004300320001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 9, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 9, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

0?
Approved For Release 2001/12/05 : CIA-RDP83-004150,054300320001-7
CLASSIFICATION S ECR: T/CO;JTP-OL - U.S. OF FICIi.LS OILY
CENTRAL INTELLIC E#NCE AGENCY REPORT NO. ^
I N F A O'' RE-PORT CD NO.
25X1A
COUNTRY Czochoslovaxkia
DATE DISTR.
9 March 1950
SUBJECT
Uranium dining in the J&ctiy):ov
Area 25X1 A
NO. OF PAGES
12
PLACE
IVO
OF ENCLS
1*
ACQUIRED
.
.
LISYEi2 BELOW)
TO CIA LtIRAy
DATE OF
SUPPLEMENT TO
INFO.
25X1 X
REPORT NO.
History ,and OrPanizatian
a. The main administration :for all uranium mines and washing
plants of the (Jaehymov) District was in the former
Joachimsthal Tobacco Pla4'it.
b. Soviet inspector Uzerov ,Jas manager of the Bruoddrliehkeit
(Bratrstvi) and E 1 .as Wa thing Plants. He had been in
charge of the washing plats since 1947 but left in August
1949. He once told source that he would return to the Soviet
Union because he had airoady been in Joachimsthal for two
years, and he was not ai ovied to stay longer. He was replaced
by the two Soviet engineers, Tushenko (fnu) and Skortsov (fnu),
25X1A CLASSIFIC/~TION S1;CR11jcc IJTItO1J . U.S. WE
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who previously supervised. the construction of the .liar
'.la yhing Plant. Theso t-:Yo engineers shared in the management
of the three existing .7as1J?.:Li plants.
c~ Soviet chief engineer Grc gori (fnu) was the manager of all
the mines Indicated in. thc nncx,
d. Each of these mines was : -eaded by a Soviet chief foronan, to
whom other foremen, r.iost1 Czechs, were subordinate.
e. :each washing plant had a laboratory ahere female laboratory
students and chemis R,s , mostly Czechs) wore exhployed. Source
observed that the laboratory employees were frequently re-
placed.
f. The main laboratory was 1r_- the Joachinsthal Tobacco 111,ant.
The laboratories of the ww c sh .ng plants were inadequately
equipped ,and the individual ore specimens rained in pitchblende
veins were tested in the main laboratory.
gt All Soviets wore civilian c`.othes. According to them the
wearing of their uniforms was prohibited.
h. According to Soviet ongiroars the mines and other installations
were Soviet property, These. engineers also said that the entire
uranium ore output vas shf pod to the Soviet Union. Source did
not observe the use of any of this production by Czechs.
In 1947 all mining installations were very primitive and there
was only one washing plant. Two additional ;Mashing plants were
built between L lay 1947 ancd September 1949. The haulage
installations were also considerably improved and modernized.
2. and
a. For layout see Anne:;.
b, A=
1) The Pods said that uranium ore was prospected west and east
of Joachimsthal.
2) Aside from the mines Indicated on the sketch source was
told by Czech wort non of a nine in Soifen.
3) There is a mine south ofAbertham. Source was told that
it was a uranium i-:ine..
4) Regarding prospecting activities for uranium ore' source
learned from PZis in September 1949 that ditches were cut in
the area north of Schoenwald (11 51/K 70) and men with
uranium testing instruments were observed. Pilo arriving
in the Central Camp in August and September 1949 said they
had been employed on excavation work in this area.
3. ~ &LUMoTl_ dual.
a. Bruoderlich keit Mine (Bratrstvi Mine) (See -No. 1 in Annex)
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C i TRA L Ii 'a'.iLLIGi NCT AGi 14CY 25X1 A
1) Mining oporatic`-dn, were still very primitive in
January 1947. The mine cars wore pushed by hand
from January to April 1947 but from then on a Diesel
locomotive pulled the cars to the main level. In
1948 source ob ;orvad that a second Diesel loco-
motive had boo-,- Dut in o-:.erationp but he did not learn
of any other iiimmprovements in mining facilities E,
2) A gallery brane:'hzed off eastward from the mine area
(see No. 1 of Jhnnex). It was estimated to b : about
19600 feet long and led to the underground haulage
shaft and compressor station. This gallery had a
double track line for transportin mined material.
According to Pt ,s and Czech arworimen the ventilating shaft
rose to the surface near Duernbdrg.
3) The Bruederlichl cit ,line was about 1, 500 feet deep and
had seven minin levels. Level No. 6 was generally
designate the 'ranziska Level. A hoisting shaft led
from level 6 to level 7 ? .id was not connected with the
main shaft. The Bruederlichl:eit 11ine was an, ipped only
with wooden min:, cars up to February 1947, when metal
cars were put is use. One hundred twenty to one
hundred fifty mine cars were estimated to be in oper-
ation in i:ay 194.7.
4) One mine shaft consisted of 80 German PVds and about 40
Czech civilian -7orkrion, Work was done in throe 8-hour
shifts. Source observed many more Czech workman than
German PJs in 1948 and 1949, but could not give any
definite figures . The workmen did not .gear protective
clothing in 1947 and only a few wore it in 1948 a
In May 1947 the norm for one miner was seven rune ears
in one 8-hour shift. The volumetric capacity of one
wooden mine ca, was 0.46 cu.m. and of one metal mine
car 0.50 to 0.52 cu.aa.. Each miner had to produce seven
carloads of rock material based on the volumetric capa~
city of 0.46 cuAocessed. Only material exceed-
ing 7 percent uranium-ore content was shipped,,
e.. However, these indications do not explain the existing
discrepancies between the .p140nt and production reports.
Concentrate material could not have existed in the quanti-
ties indicated in the repor?to) on uranium ore shipments .-
though sources of these reports are considered credible.
They must have been shipments of uranium ore material with
inferior uranium ore percentage of which source was not in-
formed. These shipments have possibly decreased since the
washing plants were completed.. Reports of a more recent date
are not available.
f. Since all uranium containing rock material passed through
tie washing plants, accordin ; to indications of source, the
concentrate delivered by the three washing plants can be con-
sidered a standard for the Poduction of all mines. Accord-
ing to the report, the shift output of the drying kilns of
the Bruederlichkeit and Elias washing plant was about 800
to 11000 kg of dried concentrate material of 20 to 32 per-
cent in the fall of 1949. This would mean a monthly maxi-
mum output of 75 to 100 tons of concentrate with an uranium
content of about 20 tons (a in U3 OO)
According to the indications of a previous report, a monthly
output corresponding to about 7 tons of uranium ore elements
(as in U 08) was yielded. Do definite production estimate
can. be m he from the different available shipment and
production figures Which are sometimes very contradictory.
The general 1949 production increase in the adjacent Johannn-
Georgenstadt District indicated in a previous report.may
also suggest a production increase in the richer Joachims.
that District. This fact i:3 also indicated by the enlarge-
ment of the. washing plants.
h. A monthly output of about 20 tons of uranium ore elements
(as in U3 0g) would correspond to ten times the maximum pre-
war production figure.
r,= Sketch of the Joacshimsthai Uranium Training District.
Raw to AM=
1 Bruederlichkeit Mine
2 Traum Gottes Mine
3 Einigkeit Mine
4 Werner Mine
Edward Mine
6 Elias and Irene M.' .ne
7 Werlsgruen Mine
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CENTRIC, .T. ? LIGENCE 1'M NCYt ^
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12
Uranium ore waste dumps
Bruederi ! chke it Washing Plant. `I
13
Bruoderl: ch koit Washing Plant II
14
Elias War -hing Plant
15
Water di-'s ch
16
Derricks
1
9
DuernbergF Mine
1
,19
Deforested area for building site of projected
washing T1ant
20
Duernberf G Bruederlichkeit connecting gallery
21
BruederlL.chkeit - Einigkeit connecting gallery
22
Einigkei
- Werner connecting gallery
23
Werner - ;
ias
- Irene connecting gallery
24
Elias anc
Irene
Edward connecting gallery
25
Elias and
Irene
Werlsgraen connecting gallery
26
Former tcbacco plant
27
Cantorune kt
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