OBJECT 1, WISMUT A.G. JOHANNGEORGENSTADT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 21, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
CLASSIFICATION 5 i1;R 1~'y - r o $ {)F;~'T!' If L3 GNU
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGEI Y REPORT
IW O .,MAT O CD NO.
COUNTRY Est Gerrmny
:?uuitul Object 1,, Wi t A.G.;, Johanngeo:genstadt
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
NO. OF ENCLS,
(LISTED SELOwa
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUBIINT CONTAINS 1NFORIIATIOi1 AFFECT1 FIG THU NATIONAL DEFENSE
or %He UNITED Gum, WlTHIG,THE OEAOU:G 07 VITLU 10. SECTIONS 79S
AHO 794. OP THE V. S. CODE. AS AIREERED. ITS TRACSOISSION ORBEVEL-
ATIOW OF ITS COtITEIUTS TO OR-RECEIPT BY AW UNAUTHORIZED PERSON
19 PROHIDITFD DV LAW THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORE 16 PROHIBITED.
THIS IS- UNOIALUATED INFORMATION
1.,55
1. All uraniurnn ore installations in Johanngeorgenstadt were under
the administration of Object No l? mines included Mines No
31 18, 54, 1, and 147. The ore processing plant and the crushing
plant near the railroad station were assigned to Object No 98 a All the
other mines and installation previously assigned to Object No 1 were
deactivated after early 1954 because their ore deposits were exhausted.
2. Ore deposits in the Johanngeorgenstadt area below the 60-meter level
have been exhausted o On the other hand, large.quantitie:s bf uranium
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
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SF'aC F,1f - U,,8, OFFICIALS ONLY
ore are still said to be mined in layers above the 60 meter level
No new miners had been hired for the area since earl, ' January 1954.
A total of F 9000 workers were transferred from Johan.ngeorgensta It
tc Auerbach after 8 January 1954. It was rumored that uranium ore
mining activities except for open-pit mining were to be suspended
in the Johanngeorgenstadt area by the end of 1954.
3. The ore processing plant and crushing mill, generally called
"E`.rzfabrik Objekt 98" served all uTanium. ore installations in the
Johanmgeorgenstadt area. In 1953 P a totsl of 1,200,,000 cubic tors
of ore including waste material was mined in the area. The ore was
hauled by about 60 narrow gauge steam locomotives which consumed
bout 100 tons of coal daily. About 10 kg of pure uranium ore
concentrates were said to be produced at the ore processing plant
T 'he ore processing plant was equi ped , th 2 large crushers and 6
grinding courses where the wet ore,, which had been sorted on sorting
belts was cr,aehed and ground, There are a nunber of sorting belts on
which the ore was tested and sorted by so-called radiometrists and
sorters. Sorting was done automatically o the main sorting belt.
Only grade-1 and II ore was processed. at the plant. Grade III ore
which is of inferior quality was shipped out in railroad boxcars,
to Aue. The ore ground at the 50X1-HUM
processing plant was put into drums measuring 60 X,50 cm, At the
end of a shifts, 2.0 to 40 such drums were seen in the ore crushing
plant o The quality of the are obtained in Johanngeorgenst dt was far
inferior to that mined at Oberschlrra? Moreover, the mines in the
Oberschiear a area yt ^l ded much more ore than those around Johan eorgenstadt .
On the average, four trains of ore were dispatched from Johaa eorgenstadt
every vtek; most of the trains consisted of two carloads of processed
concentrates and six carloads of grade-III ore.
5. The work force of mine No l was estimated to be 39000 men. The mine
had four levels, namely the so-called 78-s,, 95-9 120 - and 140?-
levels. From 10 to 12 boxes of grade--'I,, 11 and III ore including one
or two boxes of pure pitchblende were produced per shift a A bonus of
50 easts Mks was paid for each box of pitchblende. The ore lodes at
the mine were 2 to 4 cm thick and 4 to 8 meters long. The ore mined
has black or greenish.
6a The boxes -trucked from the mine to the ore storage bunker had to be
sealed by the German truck drivers after the uranium content of the ore
has been tested by the Soviets, Each box was accompanied by a slip
filled out by the German foreman of the miners' brigade which
produced the ore. The slips must be countersigned by the Soviet
controllers and radlometr 1 sts , The sealed boxes did not bear ar
marking except for those which were filled with pitchblende.
7o The total work force of all the mines controlled by Object No 1. was
estimated to be .14,000 men. Mine No 31 had estimated work force
of 2,600 men. The mine had eight levels, the deepest level being
at 360 meters. No mining activities were conducted at Johaung rgenstadt
below that level. Chief of mine No 31 was Vasiv (Thu), a Soviet citizen,
engineer, an expert in mining. Pane foremen were Sandig (fnu)., 50X1-HUM
S' IIFJ-~ - U.S. OFFICIALS GI
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80SO154OR006300060010-1
SECR'J
U'S'. OI
and loo Grain, 50X1-HUM
The safety inspector was Leo Neukcirch, it case monthly income was '
1,160 east. ?ks
. Between 1951 and early 1953, ore mining operations in the
Johanngeorgenstadt area were rather successful. In early 19 a4, the
uranium ore yield of the mines decreased' mare and more. Several.
Aeries which had been closed because of poor productivity have
been opened again in an intensive efforo increase the output of
uranium ore in the Jobaraa~georgensstaadt area. Special efforts were
made at 114e No 31 to discover a lode of pure pitchbleuade, 30 to
60 cm thick, wwlh,ich, is already being worked in dine No 54 adjacent
to Mine No 31. The monthly output of Mine No 3I was esti.i ated to be
50 boxes of ore, for which bonuses were paid. It was believed that
each of these 'mixes yielded 15 to 20 kg of pure pitchblende. An
a addition,? 150 to 180 boxes of ores which had still to be processed,
were produced per day. The ore obtainsi was brownish, gray and
occasionally preen.
9. Materials required for the repair of equipment and machinery was
in abort supply. Timber was difficult 1 obtain especially -in Winter.
The accident rate ms unusually high. In March 1954, 4.8 percent of
the work force suffered accidents, mostly fractures, of which 20
were of a .compound nature. The last fatal accident in the mine oocur?ed
in ,lam 1953. Most of the accidents were, caused by excessive work norms
which induced the workers to neglect safety regulations,
1-0. No new, miners were hired at Mine. No 31. 14any miners . w e
transferred to Auerbach and Oberschle which, during the reported
period, was the 'most important uranium ore mining area of the Wissmut
A.G. In-March 19:4 it was learned that, now mine levels were to be
opened below the 360? meter level which at that time was the deepest
level in the area. Oppn-pit mining was scheduled to begin at the
ridge extending from Johanngeoigenstadt toted Eibenstock. The
working-by-chamber method is to be used.
11. ' The report published on 23 May 1954 In the West Berlin press, which stated
that a major accident had oeocw'd in Nine No 32 at ;Johanngsorgenstadt,
in which six miners were killed and 12 severly injured, was declared
to be nfaunded.
12. Mine No 31 definitely had a work force of 29600 persons, including
400 technical ,and adr in x straative personnel. The 'a ranium ore mines
controlled by Object Mc I were 'rathFr rich in uranium ore 4 On the
average,, . uranium ore lodes were 16 cm thick, in some places they were
even 30 cm thick. Efforts were made at Mine race 31 to -detect a lode of
pitchblende which was assumed to extend from Joackxixnsthal to Schnes berg.
There. was a standing Soviet order: -to discontinue boring operations
when granite was struck. In spite of this order. .Wring operations
have twice continued through layers of granite. In one case, an uranium
ore lode, about 30 a thick,,. was detzcted below the t7aanite. 1-York was
being conducted at 16. 78. 98. 120.-, 140', 160.-s and, 180.- meter
levels.. on "he basis of the number of
rotation e the p~ eaad wi nc1. mining operations on the 50X1-HUM
Czech side of the border had also reached the maw depth of 180 meters
SE'RE'/ -- U.S. O FICIALS 014L'Y
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80SO154OR006300060010-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
.. U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY?
3ECREJ.,
13. From' talks between foremen and Soviets it was learned that a total
of about 110 test drillings had been made in the direction towerd
Eibenstock and Auerbach. Two of the test drillings were reportedly
very successful.
14- Mine No 3l -bis had an estimated work force of I9200 Men. The mine had 4
working levels, at the Or-? 25-, 3709 and 40- levels. The iaxianum depth
reached was 80 meters. The output per shift at.the 40? level was 10
boxes of ore, including 1 to 4 boxes of pitchblende, ehich was also
called ''Sorte 4" material. It was believed that. the monthly output
of pitchblende in the mines of the Johenngeor enstadt area was about
2O bows
The ore mined was black, greenish, reddish and yellow.
Most of the ore mined was found in lumps. Mine No 31 bis had direct
connection with Mine No 31. The work norm for gallery boring operation
was 39 cm per man and shift in rock category 9. This norm was exceeded
30 to 4,0 percent.
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15. Tools and equipment were of poor quality. From 60 to 70 percent of
the new boring machines and boring rods delivered were either
unusable or broke down after a few hours of operation. Lumber, nails
and cramps were in short supply. Special labor brigades and political
favorites were given priority in the supply with tools and equipment.
16. 50X1-HUM
o y a cen r mine v s sche.uled to continue in operation in the
Johanngeorgenstadt area in the summer of 1951. In June 1954, efforts
were being made to exploit the spar lodes in the area. Work at the
so-called Kplu& levels (Markus Sera, ter levels) had to be discontinued
in the area below the cemetery. The railroad passenger station of
Johanngeorgenstadt was scheduled to be moved to the Ni ehlber?g town
section.
17. Mine No 54 had an estimated work force of 2,000 men and mining operations
were conducted at 7Cm., 90- and 120-meter levels. The average daily
output of the mine was estimated at 120 boxes of which at least 50
boxes were pitchblende which was also called 1'Sorte l" material. The
remaining 70 boxes contained grade 2 and 3 ore. The main.: ore lode
worked at the 9O-meter level originated on the Czech side of the border.
1S Mine No 54 nad an estimated work force of 2, 500 men. Mining operations
were conducted at the sowed 660 and 78- levels -which were at depths
from 250 to 300 meters,. . The m was unusually extensive. The mine
locomotive had to cover a di.ptance of about 1,600 meters. A total of
seven mineral foremen were assigned to Mine No 54, The average monthly
production target was 1,00 to 450 boxes of grade-1 ore (best quality)
in addition to' 350 to 400 brie of grade-2 ore. The production target
was generally reached. Host of the ore mined was black (pitchblende),
in some cases ocher or gray. Some blister ore was also mined. Most of
the ore mined occured in lumps. Ore lodes at the mine were from 2 to 6
cm thick and 8 to 12 meters long. A bonus of 100 to 150 eastmarks
was paid for one box of grade-i ored The work norm for gallery boring
operations was 40 to 47 cm per man per shift in rock categroy 8 to 9.
19. The mines in the Johanrgeorgeriatadt area have been exploited for a
long timez It was rumored that open-pit mining was to be started soon.
Mine No 61 big was deactivated in Janu ry 195+',
SECRET, U.S. OFFICIAL f'NLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1
50X1-HUM
SECRET/ - U,S ~ OFFICIALS ONLY
20. The work force of Mine No 51 (Weisse Taube mine) was estimated
to be 1 a 500 men e The mine had five levels a namely the so-called
25- 27-p 40-9 78- and 96 levels, The 78 titer level was at a
depth of about 200 meters R It was the most productive level of
the mine. The ore mined looked black o On the average,, the ore
lodes wire 5 or 6 cm thick and 10 to 12 meters long.
23 m The ore dumped on heaps near Mine No 54 was recently tested by a
Soviet commission. prospecting operations had 50X1-HUM
been started near Eibenstock 0
Snpw/ - LJ?S, OFFICIALS ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/20: CIA-RDP80S01540R006300060010-1