COTTBUS AIRFIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001700050009-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: May 29, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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Approve Fq i; I, sN 206 ?44 CIA-RDP80-008 ')01700050009-9
COUP. - RY;as tGrny
TOPIC- Cottbus Airfield
EVALUATION 25X1 P1 Ar BTAINED._.I
DATE OF CONTENT 25X1
DATE OBTAINED
REFERENCES
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PAGES -41 ENCLOSURES (NO. TYP )
REMARKS
I. In April 1953, several shipments with aircraft crates arrived in Cottbus
via F?rannkfurt/Oder. ? One shipment with 40 crates which arrived at Cottbus
airfield on 4 April was escorted by a Soviet officer who
had supervised the loading activity in Brest ' Litovsk , At Cottbus railroad
station, the crates arrived on four-axle cars and-were transloaded on two-
axle flatca -s by VP under the supervision of the abovementioned Soviet
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officer.
During the transloading activity, two VP men were ordered to climb into
one crate in which the heavy weight was incorrectly distributed. On this
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apparent1 plane was pace inside o The use age was
fastened in about the middle of the crate and the wings, covered with
thin tarpaulins, were on both sides of the fuselageo Boxes of various
sires were stored on the bottom of the crate, under the fuselage. Crates
observed arriving at the field inclu
ded 20 on 7 April 7 on 15 Aril
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20 on 17 April, and 30 on 21 April
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2. On 21 April, 1S Yak-lie, 7 1.7iC-15s and 1 Li-2 were observed at the field. Some of the Yak-ll s were used for flying
II
3. During the night of 4 April
15 to 20 aircraft crates were observed at
,
2
Cottbus freight station.
CLASSIFICATION SECRET1
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L_..DAT E PREPARED-
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~. The following air activity and aircraft were observed at the field
between 9 and 29 April:
2_A mil Eight Yak-lls 1flew over the field
and the to',,mo An additional 14 Yaak-1 s, a planes and 2 twin-engine
aircraft were parked on the landing field.
10 Anril . There, was no air activity at 4:3' p.m.
11 April. Between 3:30 and 4 p.m.,v 2 Yak-lis practiced formation flying.
The planes landed on the grass south of the runway.
13 Aril. There was air activity between 10 and 10:30 a.m., The take-
offs and landings were made on the runway. Aircraft observed at the
field included 12 jet planes, 18 Yak-!Is, l twin-engine plane, and
2 Po-2s. Some groups of soldiers were apparently. given instruction on
the jet planes.
and 16 April, individual Yak-lie were aloft.
took off on the runway, however, anaeon ^ Tngrass Soulull Ur-Me
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2ril? Between 2:30 and 3 p.m. aircraft flew individually and in elements
of two for 20 to 25 minutes. The one-man crews were changed after each
landing.
21 and 22 April. Between 3 and 3:30 p.m., there was the same air activity
as on 20 April.
2 A rim. Between 3:30 and 4 p.m?, flying was practiced at an altitude of
about 2,500 meters. Twelve Yak-lie and 36 jet planes were parked in front
of the hangars.
2 A mil. F] yi=be; as practiced between 4:30 and 5 p.m.
26 April to 28 x it No air activity was observed. Apparently an
increased number of jet planes were parked at the field.
2 A ri . Between 5 and 5:30 p.m. individual planes practiced flying 2
for 25 to 30 minutes. Take-offs and landings were riade on the runway.
17 April. Aircraft
wooden aircraft crates without
inscriptions arrived at the field. The crates took up the floor space of
the gondola cars in which they arrived and had the. height of a boxcar.
They were transloaded by VP at Cottbus freight station before being shipped
to the field.
In the second a Of April.
an estimated total of 100 crates in three rows were stored in the north-
eastern corner of the field near the high, y to Burg. I
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6. On 9 April, three Soviet officers were surveying the area north of the
road to llahlitz. Jeep with driver wearing red-bordered black
epaulets was seen nearby. At 7:50 a.r10 on 17 April, 3 officers and 80
VPL personnel with luggage marched from the railroad station to the field,
7. On 10 April, a ferale erployee in the Soviet lospital stated that a plane had
crashed over Cottbus airfield and that a VP officer had died on the way to
the hospital.
8. In mi.d--April, a number of aircraft crates arrived in Cottbus. After being;
unloaded at the airfield, the aircraft were assembled immediately under
the supervision of a major in VPL uniform] swept-back jet
aircraft with two seats ariong the assembled planes.
9. The following air activity map observed at.the field between 13 and 17
Aprils
13 April There was intensive air activity by Yak-lls which flew at
altitudes of more than 500 meters
A , it Yak-11s practiced flying in elements of two. There was a closed
cloud base at an altitude of about 1,800 meters.
]5 ~pxl~ Yak-lls were aloft. There was a closed cloud base and rain
showers in the afternoon.
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each jurning from one transport plane.2
On 14 and 21 April, aircraft crates arrived at the field from Frankfurt/Oder.
The shipments were escorted by Soviet soldiers with r longolian features who
were not allowed to leave the train. Apparently the trains had been on their
way for a long tire. The crates were transloaded on the Srmeewald-F3ahn yr
VP personnel under the supervision of Soviet officers for shipment to the
airfield. I
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lril There was intensive air activity.
17 Apri4 , At 5:45 am., a parachutist jumped from a transport plane over
the field. Subsequently, 2 parachutists each junred from 20 approaching
planes. Throughout the day, there was intensive air activity by Yak-Us,,
which also made aerobatics at altitudes of more than 2,000 meters. About
50 assembled MG-15 and type-29 planes were parked at the field, 2
10. At 7 a.m,, on 17 April, parachuting was practiced at the field, two parachutists
12. About 15 and 20 April, two trains with a sizeable number of aircraft crates
arrived in Cottbus. The crates had flat ridge roofs or round roofs like
boxcars, The side walls of the crates were re-inforced by boards arranged.
crosswise and the planks under the bottom were shaped like runners. The
crates which arrived about 20 April had at the upper half of their front
side a projecting part, about 1.5 meters long, which tapered to below. The
crates were transloaded on the Spreewald-hahn and were escorted by Soviet
and German air force personnel on route to the field. Previously the crates
had been shipped to the field on tr?ucks.l
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25X1 2 o Cor aent Cottbus airfield is occupied the headquarters of the
VPL division and the lst Refit of this division. At present' VPL pilots
are being trained on Yak,-11s. It is believed that retraining on P'iG-l5
and type-29 planes will start soon. The parachute jumps observed
.probably were practice jumps by VPL pilots.
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