SOVIET ARMY MANEUVERS IN GERMANY, 15- 20 JUL 51

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: February 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

4,,,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
USSR, Germany (Soviet Zone) ' DATE DISTR. If Feb 1952
50X1
Soviet Army Maneuvers in Germany, 15 - 20 Jul 51 NO. OF PAGES 3
ATE OF INFORMATIN
THIS DOCUMENT CO AAAAAA I ION AFFECTINS ENE NATIONAL NNNNNNN
OF THE UNITED ITATIIi WITHIN ENE ME NNNNN OF 19, SECTIONS 793
M/4;O::*:: e, :::":71. ITN l'htNihhihI*O vi mlvi.
14 FT:0;;NSTOOnt 1 BY PINION
LAW TNK NNNNNN UCTI ill OP THIS FENN IS ANON N
50X1
50X1
50X1
NO. OF ENCLS. I
(LISTED BELOW) (A)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
FORM NO. a D
JAN 1051 w
1. The area of the 15 - 20 Jul 51 maneuvers was located near a flax factory
about one kilometer west of Brambach (5013N-1218E), across the River
Elbe, in the Lodderitz-Kuehnau forests south of the Elbe, and near
Zerbst (5158N-1205E), north of the Elbe. -
2. Participants in the maneuver were the 57th Guards Rifle Division
(friendly forces) which attacked across the Elbe, and the 20th Guards
Mechanized Division (hostile forces) which defended the north side of
50X1 the river.
50X1
50X1
the following units
of the 57th Guards Rifle Division participated.
SECRET
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
STATE'
ARMY
NAVY
DISTRIBUTION
AIR
A(c_
/
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
-7 50X1
Declassified in Part-SanifizedDopyApprovedforlease @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
SEGRET/SEGURITY
Unit
.2.
SECRET
Number of Men
170th Guards Rifle Regiment Abolut 500
172nd Guards Rifle Reginent About 30
(Only-headquarters, since two battalions were on border duty, and
the third battalion clid not participate)
174th Guards Rifle Regiment About 1100
17th HT-SP Regiment About 500
65$th Howitzer Regiment About 250
128th Artillery Regiment About 200
932nd Separate AAA Battalion About 100
64th AT Battalion About 150
89th Signal Battalion About 200
67th Engineer Battalion About 200
Moteircycle and rear units About 200
In addition, IL-2, NIG-8 and MIG-15 aircraft were used for counterattack.
ing the attacking forces during the maneuver.
46 The 67th Engineer Battalion-wtrich -participated in the maneuvers had US
GC amphibious trucks, boats for about 20 men and heavy bridging equip.
meat. eke bridge that the engineers constructed during the maneuver
is shown as the NLP bridge, page 25, figure #18, Technical Report #9.
Source also saw Tipment similar to that _shown in figures 25 and 27,
Tech Int Report
h. Prior to the attack across the Elbe, the 932nd Separate AAA
50X1 Battalion, had the 170th Guards Rifle Regiment (57th Guards Rifle Div-
ision) on its right flank, and the 655th Howitzer Regiment (57th Guards
Rifle Division) on its left flank, and the 20th Guards Mechanized Div-
ision (*Posing it across -the Elbe. The 932nd Separate AAA Battalion
prepared for the moveftentta-themaneuver area on 15 Jul and for half
50X1 Of 16 Jul. At 1600 hours on 16 Jul, the battalion left Eisenach by
trunk and traveled one and one half days to reach the maneuver area.
traveled to Halle on main reads and the rest of the way on side roads.
At night, black-out driving- was enforced; headlights were covered with
black paper or black canvas with only a small square of light exposed.
The convoy traveled at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour and arrived at the
assolbly area at 2400 hours on 17 Jul. Other units arrived ithin one
hour but some may have been in the area before our unit. A precise time-
table had been worked out by the division headquarters and all the moves
were well organized. All units of the 57th Guards Rifle Division,
except the 17th HT.SP Regiment, arrived by truck. The 655th Howitzer
Regiment, the 174th and 170th Guards Rifle Regiments came from Eisenach;
the 128th Artillery Regiment and the 172nd Guards Rifle Regiment came
from Gotha. the 67th Engineer Battalion came from Bad Koesen. The 17th
fl-SP Regiment traveled by its organic power for 12 kilometers from its
barracks to Eisenach, was entrained and Shipped to Halle and traveled
from there to the assembly area by organic transportation. It is
standard procedure in all movements for the unit to use its own trucks,
except for tank and SP units which are shipped by rail to save wear on
the tank tracks. On return movements, all units are shipped by rail.
The mission of the 57th Guards Rifle Division was to cross the Elbe,
seize a bridgehead five kilometers deep and hold this until reinforce.
manta arrived. The 932nd Separate AIA Battalion had the mission of
protecting the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment from enemy air attacks while
that regiment was on move, crossing the Elbe, and in subsequent
Operations.
SECRET
SECAET/SEWRITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
? "S,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
.411
;NM
Atter all the units of the 57th Guards Rifle Diviaion arriviciat the asset-
Ar-Srea at about 2400 hours on 17 Jul, the 932nd SeparatitAA Battalion
.? marched about 30 to 40 kflemetere during the night and sicipe4 in the
abott 8Q0 to 1000 meters from the Elba. Gums then were prepared
firing,. AAA defense set up and positions cinouflaged. Regimental and
diVisional headquarters worked through the night to perfect the plans for
-the scheduled attack while the troops slept.
'2J1
4* approximately 0900 hours on 18 Jul the 17th RT-SP Regiment, the 655th
Olitser Regiment, the 128th Artillery- Regiment, and the 64th AT Battalion
laid down an artillery barrage (with blank shells) aimed at the other
*lore of the Elbe. At the same time, the 932nd Separate AAA Battalion
eiMulited fire upon IL2, MIG.8 and MIG.,15 aircraft of the hostile
forces. Engineers immediately began to bnild,Underlire in MLP
ponton bridge of a capacity of 70 tons and three meters ;ids, across the
?Vlole squads and platoons of the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment crossed the
a7,4yer in Engineer boats, In approximately one hour the ponton bridge
vie finished and riflemen of the 174th Guards Rifle Regiment crossed en
root. After the rifle regiment had crossed the Ater, two batteries of
Am* guns of the 932nd Separate AAA Battalion iMe towed 'across by
OmAlobaker trucks
agouti know which-
50X1
During the day, the 57th Guards Rifle Division engaged units of the 20th
Guards Mechanized 'Division, and little by little the defenders retreated;
by 3.600 hours the 57th Guards Rifle Division had secured its five kilo.
meter bridgehead, The combat was conducted without bayonet charges.
After the bridgehead was secured, the maneuver ended,
all units of the 57th Guards Rifle Division crossed the
Elbe in order to secure the bridgehead, leaving no combat reserves. Hem-
*vers:Tr service units, is), erdnance, truck repair, field kitchens and
o
food clothing supply renained on the other side of the river. Food
was brought to the troops around 1500 hours by kitchens.
Gonmaiei (fnu) Heryugin? Commanding General of the Guards Rifle
Corp*, was in direct command of the maneuvering fortes. The following
persons also were present and watched the crossing of the maneuveri
? Gemleit (fnu) Goryachev, Commanding General of the 8th Guards Army;
I'm Commanding General Vasiliy Ivanovich Chuikov; and Marshal Iv=
Otepanovich bones., Suprene Inspector, USSR Ground Forces Ministry of
Armed Forces,
IL At about 3.700 hours on 18 Jul, directly after the end of the maneuver,
Marshal Ionev conducted a critique, He praised the 57th Guards Rifle
'Division for doing a good job on the whole, but claimed that there was
soeilAglay and confusion in the execution of the planned time-table. He
? said that the troops were not sufficiently trained and organized fer
river crossings and that the bridge had been built too slowly, The
? Critique ended at 1900 hours, On 19 and 20 Jul, all units were entrainod
?1Silliesau and Rosslau and completed the return to their stations by
train 'within one day,
.end..
on lam ? ) 15 - 20 July Maneuver Area
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
SECRET
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4
SEC:FET: srp
*TAME (A)
15-2C July 1951 Maneuver Area
ZERBST
\
/,'N \
41.., i
N/A \
Bridgehead seized (As***/
and held by 57th;
fprinerly defended by \
\\ nth Gds Meoz Div
14
/
BRAMBACH
-3
SECRET
Sheet P-6 -MAGDEBURG
G3 GS 4416
Central Europe 1:100,000
*0#,
.4"`40 / ROSSTAU
221an
md,
?
DREHLITZ
FROESSNITZ
DRCBITZ
To KOETHEN
***.?(
101.
o HALLE
1 - Initial A ssembly Area
2 - Jump Off Area
3 - Crass in3 Point
4 - 69ehead
SECRET
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/03 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000100210002-4