THE ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE SOVIET GROUND FORCES IN EUROPE AND USSR AND THE GERMAN KASERNIERTS VOLKSPOITZEI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004100190008-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 34
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 8
• Content Type: REPORT

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DATE DNS-R- say
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT HO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Infornatina) obtained in Parch 1954 revealed no Changes, in the strength,
organization, arr.,aTnent and quartering of Soviet Army units, he trainarti
progreur was continued with the pre?lous intensity; there ww.ro no rxt: a zrs .v
however, that the present training standard exceed.c;d that observr {
tria same time last year. Winter training in the Soviet Zone of G rTm.ry
tarminsa.ted with exercises by reinforced divisions, which st>rted in
February and lasted up to the last days in }arch. It can be ex' .pc eeY t;,. :..
the bUk of the Soviet combat divisions will transfer to thtp, suziurer t;ra ,-:s.g
grounds still in the first half of April.
1. Betweer. I and 31 March 1954, no changes regarding the genera:;. fib
including the quartering of units -sere discernible,. ,
confirmed by observations grade at the poste
Sae .Arn Rex 1.
I??raf n..:
2? Trainir...g of Soviet Army tintts in 1,%rch was concentrated on c: t:erc'i tc-, is-, 7psw s
terrain and combat firing at the troop training grounds. According; to '.
tr.?athinq jx ogram, exeroiset outsid-. the training grounds were star! .;;-., ;11at ,y areas it mid February. I^'owever, the exercises were cond.uzted at r o;
? f,~.r?c>wf
r.agi.niert.a1 level. Nurrerous ex3reisor at division level started no' J::efo ;, ....'cs.
7 brruary, with sore of the exerci;,es he "ng svontinucd up t. the enc. (:,f
ptxrioc covered by the report., The combat divisions were reinfor?csr: eyc._ We:.4
b ;-,Iements of the respe t;tve corps and army troops, except in sons ;t.:. WI ter 9
they -,,ere also reinforced rn, units of the IV Arty Corps. . Thr exec c:i. ~,e
i.astec; four to seven days, i >?;.ludir .g the time for the move .ent -&.o and ,
the training grounds R The two rifle armies are believed to have > e ztr::.~ :. r.{ t s 4.?
e :~ ;. eiset~ at corps level. The divisions of the inechan1 ed rxxMe s a,ro . s
ti c:~ ? i ssr at staggered dates, all divisions of the Third We
I
in to . s))ae area.., Are in tht - nrir;.sr of 19)53the unit. of n ,.
~i:< t_~.. r r'.?i\?"s 1 *1>, rSri'~ I i ,:~E~1 Fi'~t~..f~'{~ ~..~..... I
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irny were not transferred to exercises outside their billeting areas; they
trained at up to regimental level in the vicinity of their posts.
Concordant observations at the posts during the period of the exercises as
vv l as !nforr.ation on the number and character of troop shin lents indicated.
tI,t, in each case, only about 50 percent of the unit was transferred. As
these elerents are believed to have included predominantly trained personnel,
It is assumed that, similar ,to practices in February 1953, the gain purpose
of these exercises was the training of officer and NCO personnel. Strict
security measures at loading and unloading stations and, in some instances,
also at transit stations and in the training areas as well as large-scale
ca::rouflage of rotor vehicle and tank turret numbers made it difficult to
obtain details on the exercises. It could be inferred from individua
ln-rorzration, however, that probably in all cases the exercises involved an
enemy group against which main contingents, upon arrival in a large detraining
area, advanced toward on several march roads. Since individual troop movements
by road and rail and march phases in the army areas often coincided, it was
i?m-;-ossible always to obtain a clear picture of the course of the exercises.
the following are details on the movements of the individual units as far as
these have become known up to 1 Aprilt
jth Gds Army Area
conclusions as to large-scale exercises in Thuringia could be drawn only
from information on individual posts and troop shipments. Observations
indicated that large exercises were conducted in the OHRDR1JF-GOTHA-KINDEL
area by units of the XXVIII Gds 1itz Rifle Corps from about 1 to 6 March
and after mid March, and by units of the XXIX Gds Mtz Rifle Corps from
about 7 to 12 March. Each tire, strong contingents of the army artillery
brigades from ALTENBURG participated in the exercises.
Third Shock A=. Area
In this army area, as in Thuringia, units practiced at corps level.
Elements of the two divisions of the LXCIX Iftz Rifle Corps, including the
au-my troops from MAGDEBURG, assembled in the STr'`TDAL-GARDaEGEN training
area of the corps from 9 to 12 March. Major elements of the 94th Gds AMtz
Rifle Div, corps and arnr troops transferred from their billeting areas to
the NEUBRANDENBURG-GRA; EE-NEURUFFIN area from 15 to 17 March, from where
they started march movements toward the south and southwest as far as the
mrT7wALK-KYRITZ line. Return movements from this area by road and rail
started after 21 March.
First We Mach Army Area
From mid-February up to mid-March, individual rinor troop movements were
observed from the troop training grounds of ZEITHAIN and KOENIGSB:RUECK to
the area north of ZEITHAIN, FALKENBERGOHERZBP1 G and the ZEITHAIN-ORTRAND
area. They may have been made in conjunction with exercises as were
observed in other army areas. No details could be learned on movements Jn
this area and the identity of units involved.
Second Gds Mach Army Area
The combat divisions of this army did not transfer from their billeting
areas to special training grounds for large-scale exercises but practiced
:it the vicinity of their posts, as they did during the preceding years.
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ev oontinued advanced combat firing and several--day exercises which
je y tad started in February. Units practicing outside their areas included
nk e o e .tints of the 1st Itech Div, which practiced firing in TNE,UGLIE ICKE
E --,J) ; UPPIN and in the NEU; TRF?t Mach Div engaged in combat firing at ALTENGRABOW from 24 to 28 Februarry,
hF'.v-ir moved to the training grounds in four shipments. Information from the
~,.oor, training grounds indicated that daily combat firing by artillery, AAA
rocket launchers was continued during the first half of March. The
troops involved could not be identified.
XOENIGSII Q 7CK Troou TraininL Grounds
A:. dug i the preceding r e +.rs, component units of the 6th Gds AAA Div (US)
GE' Z bo ides unite of the First, G" Mach Arm conducted comet
firing at W;IC-SBRUEVK. Furthermore, AAA units of the following units of
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he Eighth Gds Army were identified at KOENIGSI RUECK in February and in
.he first half of MMarch:
Of the 21st Gds tech Div from HALLE, up to 22 February;
Of the 1.3th AAA Div fromWEIYAR, up to 23 February and from 26 February
;0 7 March;
of the 935th AAA fn (ITS) of the 39th Gds Mtz Rifle Div from OIBRDRUF,
?rori 25 February up to 6 larch;
Of the 932d AAA Bn (US) of the 57th Gds Mtz Rifle Div from WEIS aEIdFELS,
&fter 2i February.
For details on combat firing of units of the First Gds Yech Army, see Annex 2.
IT ` LMPgG Troop Training Grounds
,ii-rtillery units of the Second and Fourth Ode Mech Armies continued combat
'iring in the northeastern sector of JUETERBOG troop training grounds?
The following units were identified:
Of the Sec0414 G4 Mach Amy:
-lenents of the 9th Gds Tank Div, from 8 to 12 March (2 shipments);
laments of the 12th Gds Tank Div, from 16 to 20 March (2 shipments
"r+om NEURUPPIN, 1 shipment from FUII TE NBFY{G) .
of the ourth Gds Mac
Oleznent e of the 120th (2) AAA Regt of the 6th Ode Mach Diva from 5 to 11
I`arch (2 shipments);
unidentified units of the army from ORANIEIJBURO and FUI!.STENWALDE, after
1 I'.arcb (1 shipment each) .
Southern, Sector of LETZLING HEATH Troop Training Grounds
a1k units of the 7th Gds Tank Div resumed combat firing in the southern
actor of the training grounds in mid February and remained there up to
czar. y March. For the first time this year, tank details of the 10th Gds
`a .k Div moved from SATZKORN to HILLERSLEAEN in two shipments on 15 lurch,
=.attnn movements were first observed on 22 March.
th units engaged in combat firing included:
.ask units of the 6th Gds Mech Div from EBERSWALD.E'-, from 5 to 12
",w !,eft (2 shipments) ;
an? units of the 25th Tank Div from " 'ZLAU, after 18 March (1 shipment) ;
= ank detail of the 20th Gds Mach Div from ZErrZ, after 15 2'~arcth (1 shipment)
E,sst year, tank details of the Eighth Gds Army started combat firing
?actice at LET71ING HEATH already in late February. It is therefore possible
that individual details had already completed firing practice at LETZLIWG
HEATH during the first half of MAwch.
! HOW. Tu?oo?Tf`sf rounds
I icing practice by AAA units with live ammunition at W1 TRU-W was continued
up to late March. According to the identification of shipments, cc nponents
of the following units were at WISTROW:
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Unit
1 Gds AAA Div (W)
32d AAA Div RE)
i~nth Gds Ar,L
h--rd Shock AM:
95_Id AAA Bn (U3) of the
2007th Mtz Rifle Div
25 11th AAA Refit ([3S )
of the 18th Mach Div
U/i AAA Regt of the
LXXIX Ytz Rifle Corps
First Gds Mech Army:
4th Gds AAA Div
S cond GdsMech Arm :
Third Gds Mech Arm?
kS2d AAA Div (US,)
63d AAA. Div (M)
Time
from 10 to 23 February
and after 23 February
from. 10 to 26 February
from 10 to 25 February
after 27 February
from 10 to 26 February
after 18 February
from 9 to 25 February
after 8 March
after 10 March
from 18 February to 2 March
from 8 to 23 February
after 15 March
after 18 March
from 1.0 to 24 February
from 10 to 22 February
from 8 to 2t+ Fabruatp
SShi,erat
1 shi]Trent;
1 or 2 shipments
`` om K11I-311ERSDCRF
I shirxnont from
3 shipments from
XUE-TRIN
2 shipments from
FRATIKFURT/ODER
1 shipment from
LET FZIG- SCHO 3 AU
2 shipments froia
3AGDEBURG
1. shipment from
ANC; E it iJIENDE
1 shipment from
FERLLEBERG
1 shipment from
BURG
2 shipments from
DRESDEN
1 shipment from VELTB
1 shipment from VELTEN
1 shirxent from
w )EBERITZ
I shipment from
a, ETJRUPPIIN
2 shipments from.
KOCH TEDT
I or 2 shipments from
!UZ;RSTET1Wk
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aAi '-zits -'ron airfields of the Twenty-Fourth Air Army, which arrived at
;?n . shi?ient each included:
unit from S'fl D -BORSTEL, fron 26 January to 22 February
unit from WERtdEI HEN, from 19 February to 3 March
,. nit frcir, ELLERHOLZ, from 9 to 21 February
unit from PARCHD:, from 15 to 21 Fe uary
unit from PUE FNITZ, up to 19 February
unit from TROLLENHAGEN, up to 21 February
unit from FINST,ER.WALDE, after 18 February
unit from WAND, from 6 to 12 ,March
}ye bulk of the 4th AT Arty Brig; ('F) of the IV Arty Corps practiced
firing at the WIfzTROW range from 24 February to 1 N rch. The
;roop,ri transferred from Ruegen Island by road and returned by rain..
OT=) risr,n of' observations made during the winter of 1953/1954 with those
-:ads during the same period last year does not reveal essential differences
wAi t _e execution of the training program for recruits and trained persormell.
;A.'t+iLr{ugh, there have been the following differences regarding the beginning
' - -tillery and AAA firing at the troop training grounds:
%95' i2u
at -,TE GRABOW a5 January 13 January
,It JOETERBOG I February 15 January
at V)STROW
1 parch 1. February
''heae observations show that, in 1954, combat firing of artillery units at
ALTE GRAEOU and JUE'TERBCG started two weeks earlier and that of AAA units
at ]STROW four weeks earlier. A conparison of the dates of the beginning
f d_-_vision exercises indicated that these exercises started two weeks
l a tee than in 1953. Although a comparison of the number o units involved
in exercises connot be made, it is the impression what, this spring, pore
= >r~: t divisions had participated than in 1953. Although the changes in the
4a?,er x?arking the beginning of winter training are only slight, they are
veer= ? -heless noteworthy. It is believed that, upon taking over the command
GOFG, Army General M.Grechko decreed these changes in the wirter
r:.aing program, in order to prolong artillery and AAA combat firing and,
xt a. view to securi ~;_ tire for uninterrupted training at garrisons,
-. rd,.o -ed the divisions to conduct exercises not before the end of the winter
bra- ling. it can be expected that the large-scale exercises terminated about
I. Auril and that the units will subsequently prepare for the transfer to the
.droop training grounds. It rust be expected that the movements to the
.Rrst :nine! r round s will start still before Faster.or rietais.sr see Annex 2.
`' Kgg.qD( 'AStion
.part from minor local disturbances the flow of railroad traffic was smooth
d?ur 3 ug the reported period, although the 'Soviet Occupation Power claimed.
dnc gassed freight space in connection with firing practices and exercises held
at -im-tit level. Coal stocks continued to be rather low and on 16 March 1954
e . sented 6,,5 days' requirements, stocks which would not remit major and
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_ustained transportation operations. Inadequate hard coal deliveries by
Poland still necessitated the use of brown coal briquettes for the faring
of locomotives. Railroad coal stocks available consisted of about 60
>ercent hard coal and 40 percent brown coal.
6. Due