1. PORT OF KEM 2. SIGHTING OF DELTA-SHAPED AIRCRAFT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006300170007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 12, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 1, 1995
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY 'gSSR (Arctic)
SUBJECT le Port of Kem
2.Sighting of Delta..-shaped Aircraft
This Document oontains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 19, 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 CCMNT IS TENTATIVE.
1 April 1955
T
2. AIL the piers in Kem were made of wood. Along the edges there were pilings
beneath the timbers. Inside of this there was, filling which consisted of
chips and refuse from the sawmill. On top of this there was a flooring of
heavy planks. The harbor installations were in very poor condition. The
pier in the extreme north section of the harbor looked relatively solid, and
the planking looked new. The remains of an old pier ran parallel to the new
one. No railroad tracks led out onto the pier.
25X1
3. The pier marked No. 8 on sketch No. 1 was used by Soviet steel lighters of 2,000
to 3,000 tons each. Two lighters could load at the same time. They took on
boards and/or round timber. The planks were loaded aboard the lighters with their
own winches; the timber was loaded by booams.which were moored beside the
lighters. The timber booms were towed to the quay by tugboats which came from
the mouth of the Kern River. On the pier there was a crane mounted on caterpillar
treads which was not used. A railroad spur came down to the pier. The outer-
most part of the spur lay under the planking and could not be used.
lower than the pier used by the Sav1i+it lighters. At high tide the water was
several feet from the edge of the pier. Approximately half. o; the pier was only
ship lay at No. 10 on sketch No. 1. This pier was about three feet
25X1
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three feet wide. The ship moored'on the outer side of two timber rafts so
that it was lying five to eight feet from the pier. A sounding was made
on the inboard side of the ship at mid-tide; the water depth was fifteen
to twenty feet. The pier was located within the sawmill area. Sawn lumber
was transported by lumber trucks. There was electric light on the pier but
no other equipment.
5. The pier between Nos. 10 and 11 on sketch No. 1 was completely decayed. The
rows of poles were broken and askew and the filler material had fallen away. The'
basin at No. 11 on sketch No. 1 was half f
ull of chips and debris. There were
iers there and no boats were seen in t
he basin. On one occasion
the control commission's motor launch
7I
moored at a decayed. pier in the basin
25X1
at No. 21 on sketch No. 1. S
everal times
a tugboat about fifty
ZOA-1
feet in length tied up at th
e same pier.
The large basin at No. 22 on sketch
No. 1 was protected on the west by a badly decayed timber pier. The outer
part of the basin was loaded with round timber which was piled up on shore by
two paternoster hoists. no vessels in this basin. 25X1
6. Along the pier at No. 6 on sketch No. 1 there was usually a cutter about fifty
feet long which was manned by sailors. wooden crates 25X1
were being loaded aboard the cutter. On one crate were he wor "Corn Beef"
and on another "Armour". At 1525 hours on 3 August, an MTB came from the north
and hove to at this pier (see sketch No. 2). No other naval vessels were
seen in the harbor. many sailors and a few naval officers in 25X1
the harbor area.
7. The sawmill buildings(No. 14 on sketch No. 1) were located closer to the water's
edge than shown on Admiralty Chart 2061. The sawmill consisted of a large
stone building with several wooden additions. On the side closest to the
water there was a tall chimney braced by stays. There were a number of wooden
houses in the area around the sawmill. Some of them had towers on the roofs.
The broken line on sketch No. 1 shows the fenced-in area of the sawmill.
the fence may have extended farther to the south than
shown on the sketch but in any case the sawmill area was not as large as in-
dicated on A4itiralty Chart 2061. there were
300 people working at the sawmill, most of whom were women. The sawmill
operated on a 21-hour basis. It was forbidden to smoke in the sawmill area
except in one of the sheds.
25X1
25X1
8~ The railroad line from Kern was a single track line that passed over the northern-
most of the two bridges between the mainland and Rabocheostrovek (N 65-00,'E 31-148).
The bridge consisted of compact filler except for a short straight span
nearest the mainland side (see sketch No. 3). The railroad line and a telephone
line with two wires on a row of poles crossed the bridge. There was a mud
bottom in the sound between the bridge linking Rabocheostrovsk and the mainland;
the sound was practically dry at low tide. The telephone line originated
from the railroad station. The railroad line divided into four tracks. One
track curved toward the new pier area but it did not go all the way out to
it. This track was used to shift the railroad cars. A second track continued 25X1
in a straight line and then curved to the right near the quay used by the
Soviet lighters. The third and fourth tracks were parallel, first in a
southeasterly direction along the station platform and then in toward the 25X1
sawmill area. It was possible that the double tracks ran together again in
the sawmill area These tracks were
in use constantly. Within the sawmill area a number of small green closed
trucks were observed.
Along the platform at the railroad station) (some trucks and a. 25X1
few small green paspenaer cars, There were no s or other special
cars at the station 25X1
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There were five or six trains daily in both directions on the stretch between
Kern and the Kem docking area. The trains were composed of eight to ten boxcars
and_ three or four passenger cars. The railroad station itself was a two-story
`wooden building. One half of it was taken up by the waiting room,. in which
there was a window to the ticket counter. There was a door on which a sign in-
dicated it was a cashier's office, and a door to the control room where there
was a telephone. In the other half of the building there was a restaurant
where one could buy vodka, sandwiches,; candy, or cigarettes.
were living quarters for the railroad emppyees. In addition, there was an
ancient storehouse with a loading ramp which extended toward the track that
led down to the quay area. The storehouse was always empty except 0 on 25X1
the afternoon of 28 July four or five soldiers in olive-drab
uniforms without insignia standing around the warehouse. On the loading
platform in front of the warehouse there were some field-green rectangular
objects about one meter long, fifty centimeters wide, and eighty centimeters
high. They resembled units or stationary motors (sic).
25X1
11. T1 roads around the railroad station and the streets in the harbor settlement
oil the southern part of the island had plank surfaces which were in some places
quite solid. The road from the railroad station toward the south on the west
side of the sawmill area was laid out on hard and compact chip fillings. The
roeCd continued over to the mainland., where there were large holes in some
places; the holes were crossed by wooden bridges (sic) which were in poor
condition. A theatrical group from Leningrad which came to present a play
at the Seamen's Club had to park their large busses on the mainland. The
players' equipment was brought to the club in trucks.
12. six or eight trucks, each with a capacity of three to three and 25X1
a half tons. There was also a truck with a crane mounted on the rear platform,
and a type of bulldozer which was either a rectangular tractor with a cater-
p~llar tread or a rebuilt military vehicle with a scoop in front.
13. The telegraph and telephone station was located in an old wooden building
(No. 20 on sketch No. 1) in the settlement on the southern part of the island.
From this building the telephone lines ran on poles to a number of the local
buildings. A rows of telephone lines extended in a northerly direction between
the road and the fence to the settlement around the railroad station; another
row of poles carrying many lines extended via the roadbed to the mainland.
There were red fire extinguishers hanging on most of the telephone poles.
14. A large and fairly dilapidated wooden building (No. 13 on sketch No. 1) was
located on the sound not far from the roadbed; it housed garages and possibly
a small repair shop. There were always several trucks parked outside, among
them the tow truck and the bulldozer mentioned in paragraph 12. In the southern
settlement on the island a large wooden building was under construction (No.
17 on sketch No..1). It was almost completed and had a tower on the roof.
Three large gates faced the street. Inside there was a one-piece floor and
garage space for four or five trucks. There was a repair trench in the floor.
The building resembled a firehouse. There was an old wooden building
(No. 18 on sketch No. 1) where persons cane with buckets and purchased water.
They paid at a window before they drew water from a pump near the wall of
the building.
15. In addition to the telephone line above the roadbed, there was also a row of
poles carrying electric wires. The insulators were not large and the entire
-arrangement gave no indication of being high tension equipment. Most of the
houses in the Kern harbor area were made of wood. Many of them were log cabins
without cellars or foundations. The older buildings were often leaning over as
a result of the movements caused by the frost in the ground. There were 'no smoking"
signs posted in several places in the settlements, but little attention was
paid to this regulation.
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16.' At 1415 hours on 4 August)four jet fighters were seen flying in a V-formation,
and a moment later three more were seen. All were flying on a course of about
280 degrees and at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 meters. Each aircraft had one
jet engine with an intake in the nose and exhaust at the end of the fuselage.
The body and wings of the aircraft were definitely delta-shaped.
Legend to the Sketch of Kem Harbor Area:
1. Relatively solid projection with new planked surface. Along the length of
this pier and beside it there were the remains of an old pier. No rail-
road tracks led out. onto the pier.
2. A large wooden building with a half-round roof. On the roof there was a
platform and a mast; on several occasions, guards were observed on the
platform.
3. A canteen.
4. Bridge, which consisted of compact filler i_ except far
span near the mainland side.
._ a short straight
5. Storehouse, where everyday neeepsitica. were stored.
6. Pier. There was usually;a cutter 'about fifty feet long at the pier.
The cutter was manned by sailors. On One,. occasion, wooden crates were
loaded aboard the cutter; on?one crate the words "Corn
Beef", and on another "Armour".
7. Railroad station; a two-story building.
8. Pier,. used. by Soviet lighters,
.9. Gate to the sawmill area.
10. Pier, at which ship was berthed.
11. Basin, which was full of chips and debris. There were no boats or piers
in the basin.
12. Gate to the sawmill area; between the gate and No. 18 there was a handball
court. On the other side of the street there was a kindergarten with a
playground.
13. Large and fairly dilapidated building housing garages and possibly a repair
shop.
14. Sawmill buildings.
15. Not indicated.
16. A canteen
17. Large wooden building under construction.
18. Old wooden building, where persons purchased Mater.
19. Two paternoster hoists.
20. Telegraph and telephone station.
21. Pier in the basin, where the control commission's motor launch was moored.
22.. Large basin protected by a timber pier.
23. Seamen's Club; a'Vhite stone building with wooden additions.
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Sketch No. 2:
Soviet MTB:
Sketch No. 3:
Bridge between Mainland and Rabocheostroak:
, Vie: ,H r,,.,.?,y F yMM;,~. rutA...~~ ?~r Jrktt,.
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