ZONAL BORDER GUARD BATTALION BERLIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001000680002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 19, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001000680002-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
East Germany
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
Zonal Border Gild Battalion,
Berlin
This Document contains Information affecting the Na
tional Defense of the United States. within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorised person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
19 May 195.3
2. On 6 October 1952 our train reached Frankfurt/Oder. We were taken to some
barracks located about two kilometers-. from the railroad station where we
spent the night; the next morning we went to formation, were grouped according
to our MOSQs--and assigned to various GOFG units. I was reassigned to the infantry,
and together with 300 more recruits (approximately 150 from the Krasnoselski
.lifle Regiment) was selected for duty with some battalion under the Berlin
Komendatara. For this unit only Komsomol members and soldiers with the best
character references (kharakteristika) were(chosen. The same day several buses
transported us to the Frankfurt/Oder railroad station, where we entrained for
.Berlin, As soon as we reached Berlin we detrained and were divided into smaller
groups. My group of approximately 75 recruits was assigned to my battalion's
third company and taken to Kleinmachnow approximately 6 km. from Berlin.
STATE ARMY ij TNAVY AIR
L---
ix
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X", Field Distribution By "#".)
Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001000680002-4
 Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA001000680002-4
!.._..,~_._.. -...?,+w.?-..r. A. J JA I
.
two or more soldiers on the very %% y patrol of
y edge of the border, moving
along the border and taking occasional cover. r. When the
guard company put out "dozore," open patrolling was dispensed
with. There were. not many regulations for dozor duty. It
was left to the .discretion of dozor soldiers how fast they would
move and how much time they spent moving and 'how much time
they would spend behind cover. As son as'a donor would .
apprehend,a ,border crosser, its members would bring the ero,eeer
to the company headquarters. Dozor duty was also done in
eight hour'shifts.
b. Camouflaged Patrolling (Donor),
a act all
-3- 1
c. Listening Posts (Sekrety) were sometimes employed at previously
deteruii,ed points where border crossings either were occurring
or expected to occur. A s:ekret consisted of two or more
soldiers who would take cover close to such a ,crossing point
and wait for any aotivity. 'As soon as someone crossed the
'border line, he would be arrested by the sekret and taken
to company headquarters.
d. Ambush (Zasada) is a,eekret which is used when.there.is
information that on some particular point of the ' border a
crossing by certain individuals or automobiles will be
attempted. Zasada uses the same procedure d'escribe'd for
sekrets. the German?police also use
zasada and sekret services on their own initiative. There was
one permanent border crossing point on the patrol area of the
company for use by holders of,inter-zonal passes. it was
located on the intersection of the 3rd and 4th patrol stretches.
Normally these passes were checked by German police; but when
no German police: were nearby, Soviet border guards. did it.
According to instructions border orossers had to be halted by
a loud commands Halt!" In case this order was not complied wit,
the border guard had to fire a warning shot in the air., If this
didn't stop the border crosser, it was the duty the border
guards to shoot him anywhere'below the waist, [7never used
police dogs on the border.
In addition to apprehending border crossers, it was the duty
of the border guards to watch the border strip for, any leaflets,
propaganda literature, or western newspapers And to'oolleot
this material for delivery to company headquarters.
border guard company 25X1
ores a perror ine their duty sccaroma to t
st
ted
h
a
regulations .' When the officers Were not around, patrols took
it easy, They would rest in secluded spots, not oaring in'?ohe
least wh~-ther someone Crossed the bprder or not. 'received at %25X1
reward'for catching German Civilians, and were not terested there.
fore in Apprehending, them. Of course, did catch 25X1 E E ~ Americans or soviets crossing illegally 25X1
ZD"I
expect at leas some rewar , such as
j rar1rtr watch ron Gen . QM Could aUYXOV or one of his assistants. On the
other hand, German polio* were m~ach stricter and handled, German
border~,crossers roughly,' whether German police 25X1
received any reward for catching civilians
Food supply was Inadequate. During their ?iglu hours of duty on
the border soldiers never received any food, Meals were
served only in Xleingachnow,but even this service was irregular.
It sometimes took two to three hours after returning from duty
to receive a bowl of soup.
"ou44, All Plan of Berlin, Germany
Di Plan of Berlin, Germany
Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001000680002-4
 Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-00810A001000680002-4
Afmj T A
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
See Encloaure B
Plan of Berlin, Germany
GSGS 218, 1st" Edition
Published by War Office, 1945
Approximate Scale 1:190,OcO
Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-00810A001000680002-4
 Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001000680002-4
~SI'17 t0,;. de
Plan af'Sel-lin O
4SG$ 215, let Zditio
Published by War Offic
Scale 1#50,000
SIC
Approved For Release 2009/02/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001000680002-4