THE REPUBLICA AND 23 AUGUST STEEL PLANTS, BUCHAREST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001300850009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: May 27, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/14: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001300850009-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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 unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
SUBJECT The Republica and 23 August Steel
Plants,, Bucharest
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
27 May 1953
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1. The Republica and the 23 August steel plants (the former Malaxa works) are
located next to the Titan railroad station a few miles outside Bucharest on
the line to Oltenita. The works were enlarged after nationalization and new
machinery was brought from the USSR.
2. The Republica plant produces drawn steel and iron pipes of the following
dimensions:
Iron - .125" to 1"
h. Steel --a 14 to 15"
The length of the pipes varies. Maximum lengths are not known,, but the
heaviest single pipe-section manufactured weighs 800 kgs.
The plant has six large halls,, and each hall has two electric overhead rail
cranes. Half of these have a capacity of three tons and the rest of five tons
each. There are a hundred lathep to out the threads onto the pipes,, all pipes
being of the socket type, and eifht rollers which burn methane gas and which
bring the steel to a ten-perature'of 1,4000 C. before it is drawn. Each hall
has its own railroad siding,, all the sidings being parallel. At the end of
the halls there is an electric rail conveyor capable of moving one large or
three small cars sideways?
The annual production plan is never fulfilled. Daily production is estimated at
about, 1,,000 tons. Of this about one--.third is sent in the daytime to inland des-
tinations such as Ploesti,, Bacau,, Medias9 Petrosani,, and Campia Turzii. The
paper mills at Bacau receive two freight cars of pipes weekly. The remaining
two-thirds of the total production are sent during the night to Galati for
transshipment to the USSR. These consignments consist mainly of oil pipes.
Before dispatch,, all pipes are painted black,, and both ends of the pipes are
covered with small wooden boards held in place by a steel wire in order to
protect the threads during transport.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
60
25 YEAR RE-REVIEW
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/14: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001300850009-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/14: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001300850009-5
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY 25X1
In April 1951 the central system of electric switches and fuses for the whole
plant,, which is situated in hall No. 3s was completely destroyed by fire, and
as a result the whole plant was idle for six days. -While this interruption
was attributed to sabotage, despite very thorough investigations no arrests
were made.
6. The 23 August plant manufactures locomotives and railroad cars for the USSR
and a small number of streetcars for local use. Production is six locomotives
and 60 freight cars per month and two or three streetcars per year. The loco-
motives have six axles,, including the tender. Six diesel locomotives to serve
the plant itself,, and Republica plants have been constructed.
7. In 1951 a large streetcar for 150 passengers was constructed. Only one car
of this type was built as it was found that it could make only straight runs
and was unable to turn a corner.
S. The only railroad cars manufactured are closed freight cars with a capacity of
20 tons. They have f our sliding doors, two at the sides and two at the ends
of the car. They are fitted with movable benches and metal luggage racks,, and
there are two fans in the ceiling. It is assumed that these cars are used to
transport troops. The workers call them "troop wagons", They are painted red
with white inscriptions in Russian and have a single buffer at each end. These
cars are constructed with standard gauge wheels, and in addition they are pro-
vided with a set of Soviet gauge wheels which are fitted on the cars at the
railroad workshops at the frontier station of Sooola Rosie-Ungheni. The
standard gauge wheels are then returned to the plant
The combined plants employ about 14,000 workers, of whom 400 to 500 are women
and about 2,000 are administrative employees. Most of the labor comes from
the neighboring villages, arriving either by rail or on foot. Workers who live
in Bucharest use either the plants' trucks or streetcar No. 25, which runs from
Bariera PergrlfA directly to the plant? The two steel plants have their own
power plant.
10. All rail traffic is shunted through the nearby Titan station. Raw materials,
such as steel bare, arrive daily from Resita by rail.
11.. At the main entrance to the plant there are seven gateways flanked by railings
where Militia sergeants check workers" passes. The permits have red covers
and include a photograph of the bearer? Inside the plant there are about 100 armed
Militia guards in mufti who are known to everybody, -There are also between 200
and 300 Soviet noncommissioned officers, in Soviet uniforms, in the plant who
have no special duties and whose presence is a puaea.e to the workers.
12. Fire alarm exercises are carried out from time to time, and fire fighting units
go into action, but work is not stopped on these occasions. No air raid preoau-
tione are taken. The plant is not camouflaged, and there are no exercises with
smoke or artificial fog.
13. The chief engineer, a certain Weoheler,l 25X1
worked for many years with Malaxa and 25X1
was retained after the nationalization.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/14: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001300850009-5