SOVIET ARMY SUPPLY SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000100220003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: February 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR/Poland/Germany (Soviet Zone)
SUBJECT Soviet Army Supply System
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INRORYATION OFFECDISC THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
O F THE U N I T E D S T ATf I . SITUPS THE YEANINO OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 783
AND 704r or THE U.S. CUED, A! AMENDED. ITS TNONSN ISSION ON REYE
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1. Q. Is the term "Class I Supplies" ever used within the Soviet Army to denote
food, rations, and fodder?
A. No. Likewise, it follows that the Soviets do not use the US Army
system of classification glasses I-37 to denote the different types of
supplies. However, the terms Categories I-V are employed to indicate the life
or current condition of any article. Thus:
Category I refers to an item just produced,and stored at the factory.
Category II refers to an unused item in storage at a warehouse.
Category III refers to an item in need of some slight repair.
Category IV refers to an item needing a major repair.
Category V refers to an item that is ready to be junked as valueless.
2. Q. In a previous study, you have described "Ration #2". Can you give details
of any other rations and tell when they would be used?
A. Ration #1 is given to flying personnel, while Ration #2 generally is
provided for everyone else. Actually,.however, 12 different ration norms
are in existence. I am only able to provide additional information on
Rations #1 and #12D
Ration #12 is an issue of rations in kind for military personnel going on
TDY to cover the period of travel time involved going to and from the new
assignment. Rations for the total travel period are given upon the initial
departure. Ration #12 is a dry ration with an average weight of about
950 grams per day. It would consist of:
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800 grams of bread
40 grams of butter
35 grams of sugar
75 grams of pork fat ("sow belly"), or
130 grams of bologna, or
1 0 grams of canned (potted) meat
TOTAL: 950 grams (counting the pork fat which is the usual
meat item)
The weight of this ration is increased to 1,005 grams if the bologna or canned
meat is issued in place of the pork fat.
Ration #1, for flying personnel, is the same as Ration #2, described previously,
which is the customary ration for everyone else, with the following additions:
chocolate,
condensed milk (or a milk product, such as
cottage cheese or cheese),
butter, and
a larger amount of meat.
Ration #1 is also superior to Ration #2 in that it has a better assortment
in quality. Full information on all rations can be found in the Soviet Army
Circular, GIU #8, Main Quartermaster Directorate (Glavnoye Intendantskoye
TTpravleniye).
3. Q. Do you have any knowledge of the Ministry of State Food and Material Reserves
(also known as the Ministry of State Reserves), such as responsibilities,
organization, and operation? How does it tie in with the military stockpiling
and storage effort?
A. The Ministry of State Food and Material Reserves is a purely civilian agency
whose primary responsibility is the collecting of taxes in kind from the
population (ie, meat, grain, food, etc.). The Ministry of State Reserves
operated warehouses all over the country. The taxes are stored temporarily
in these warehouses under the Ministry of State Reserves. The Army will
then take over gush supplies as are needed through the Chief Directorate of
Intendance which is part of the staff of the Chief of Rear Services. Control
of such supplies may be assumed by representatives of the Army without the
supplies ever leaving the warehouses, or then again the supplies may be sent
to new warehouses under the control of the rear services. Since the Ministry
of State Reserves is a civilian organization, approval of the transfer of
their supplies to the army must first come from Moscow. According to the
source, the Army requests additional rations from the Chief of Rear Services,
who in turn submits his request to the Ministry of War in Moscow. The
Ministry of War contacts the Ministry of State Reserves which issues an
order requesting certain warehouses under its jurisdiction to release a
specified amount and type of supplies to the rear services of the Soviet
Army. The Chief of Rear Services, through th Chief Directorate of Inten-
dance, is responsible for all military stockpiling.
4.
Can you explain what is meant by mobilization reserves, and how do they
differ from state reserves? What is meant by "the system for industrial
mobilization"? What types of storage facilities does it maintain?
A. Mobilization reserves are those reserves held'by military units themselves.
They consist of all the various kinds of reserve supplies and equipment
needed to bring or expand the peacetime T/0 to the wartime T/O. About
a one-third reserve is needed to bring most units up to full strength.
These reserves may be called either Mobilization Reserves or NZ (Neprikos-
Novennizapas) -- Untouchable Reserve. The term Mobilization Reserves is
a flexible one. It also may include food reserves although they are actually
under the Ministry of State Reserves. The difference between Mobilization
Reserves and State Reserves is that the former are actual military reserves
while the latter are of a civilian nature. The bookkeeping for mobilization
reserves is kept entirely separate from the other supplies of a unit and is
given the highest security classification.
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The system for industrial mobilization is the strategic plan for the Soviet Union,
in case of war, to provide for a state committee of defense headed by Stalin and
other high ranking government officials. The chief task of this committee would
be to mobilize the resources of the country to meet the needs of the front.
Upon declaration of war, this committee becomes the supreme command. All economic
facilities would come under its control. It would assume responsibility for
storage in the factories. The factories would. probably continue under the control
of their respective peacetime ministry b.t'they would convert according to a
previous plan, There is no ministry at the present time for the storage of
material and equipment reserves, such as the Ministry of State Reserves for the
storage of food reserves; however, it is to be expected that each industry sets
aside reserves of its production.
5. Q. How are Central Storage Depots of the Ministry of War administered? What types
of supplies and equipment do they hold? Approximately how many are assigned
to each military district? What is the relationship between a central depot and
the commander of a military district? Do you know the location of any? What would one
be like? Describe the installations. What is the primary purpose of central storage
depots?
A. Central Storage Depots are controlled from Moscow by the Ministry of War. They are
located throughout the country on the basis of need from the military point of view.
There is, therefore, no set number per military district; but rather they vary among
the military districts according to their need. Central Storage Depots are under
military command, but chances are that the personnel for the most part consists
of voliintary,civilian workers. The military district commander has no operational
control over the central storage depots in his district. He has, however, an
administrative control.in the sense of providing payments, keeping records, etc.
I know of one central storage depot located in Brest-Litovsk and known as Glovni
Sklad (Main Depot) which services the Soviet forces in Germany and Poland. It
accumulates all types of supplies. Storage in each warehouse is according to a
definite plan. Norms are established for all supplies in storage at the depot,
and all warehouses must be ready for an inspection of these norms at any time. Thus,
if 20 sacks of flour are removed from the warehouse, then 20.more must immediately
,be brought in to replace them.
What is meant by "lst and 2nd echelons" of the rear? What types of supplies are
usually included in each? Are they only used during tactical situations?
A. The lst echeloh refers to the warehouses nearest to where the troops are fighting,
as well as the type of supplies contained therein while the 2nd echelon refers.to
those warehouses farthest away from the front lines.
All types of supplies are contained in each echelon's warehouses. The type of supplies
to be found will depend largely upon the need in each individual circumstance.
Those items in the first echelon are things which normally move along with th-.
troops. The supplies in the 2nd echelon are those which are more or less stationary
and accumulating.
The 1st echelon moves along with the troops as they advance, while the 2nd echelon
remains stationary until the distance between it and the front is so great that
transportation becomes a problem for the movement of Its supplies. Then the 2nd
echelon is moved to a point closer to the fighting troops but still behind the lst
echelon. The 1st and 2nd echelons are used extensively in time of war; however
during peacetime they are only employed in connection with training activities,
7. Q. What are the refills of POL kept on hand by various units?
A. In addition to the gasoline in the tanks of the trucks and other vehicles (amounting to
one refill in itself),' two other refills are kept on hand. One refill is kept
at battalion level, while the second refill is at regimental level.
8. Q. Give a detailed description of the functioning and organization of.a rifle company
and a rifle battalion supply section.
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A. If a company or battalion is an integral part of a regiment,, it will have no supply
element in its organization in peacetime, No supply sergeant or officer is present
as such in these units. The first sergeant may, however, be considered as the chief
of rear services at company level. The company commander is concerned only with
military matters while the first sergeant handles the administration of the company.
Therefore, since the first sergeant is responsible, for the company paper work, he
will make up the necessary papers for any item of equipment or supply needing repair.
He will then take them, together with the article, to the repair shop; and-likewise
he will pick up the repaired item when ready.
When new uniforms are to be issued, the men of the company or battalion are merely
marched in group to the regimental warehouses for issue. Food is issued on a daily
strength report sent from the company to the battalion. A consolidation is made
at battalion level of the various reports submitted by the companies which is sent on
to the regiment. The regiment on the basis of this consolidated report sends the food
requirements back down the line. Mairtenance, as I have mentioned above, is the
responsibility of the first sergeant although an officer may be required to be
present at the return and issue of such items as rifles which have a definite respon-
sibility,
9. Q. At division and regimental level, does the chief of rear services have any authority
over the "technical supplies" (ie, engineer, chemical, and signal)? How is the
actual supply of these items handled at those levels.
A. The chief of rear services at tegiment or division level has no authority over
technical supplies. At division level, the warehouses in which these technical
goods are stored are physically under the administrative control of the Divisional
Supply Point, DIS (formerly DOP), which of course comes under the chief of rear
services. However, he is only concerned with administrative (housekeeping) control
of the technical supplies in his warehouses Actual operational control over them
comes from the instructions of the appropriate Division Technical Officer (Division
Engineer, etc.) or his representative (section chief),
At regimental level, there is a chief for each of the three technical branches. Each
chief has his own supply point. When one tuns out of any of his supplies or equip-
ment, he goes to his respective chief at division level and gets a requisition on
the DIS from him, The supplies are drawn from the DIS and taken back down to the
regimental supply point for storage and use.
Storage of the technical items of supply rests largely upon local circumstances and
the amount of available space, All technical items may be located within one building,
or'each may have a separate warehouse allotted to it. If all items are kept under one
roof, the building is divided into sections and the stores are kept apart from one
another.
The supply personnel at the technical warehouse(s) are commanded by a line officer
in most cases. It matters little what branch of the service the enlisted help are
from inasmuch as in the close confines of the warehouse, they work directly with
the officer. Rear service officers would rarely be put in charge of such warehouses.
Q. How are "Trophy Detachments" organized? To whom are they responsible? How do
they function?
A. Trophy detachments do exist in time of war, but not during peacetime. I believe that
each division has one trophy platoon (about 30 men), each army has one trophy
company, and each army group has one trophy battalion. The purpose of these trophy
detachments is to follow the fighting, collect weapons (both their own and the
enemyyas)9 and send them back to the rear. They do not collect trucks or other
vehicles, however, and they do not take part in the fighting.
To coordinate the activities of these various trophy detachments, a Main Trophy
Directorate existed during World War II which supervised the gathering of battle-
field supplies and their subsequent redistribution. At army level the Main Trophy
Directorate is located in the 2nd echelon. At ministerial level the Main Trophy
Directorate comes under the control of the Chief of Rear Services.
In addition to the work of trophy detachments, another -- but separate -- front
line salvage unit is SPAM -- Assembly Point for Wrecked Machines (Sborny Punkt
Avarinykh Mashin). This organization gathers up trucks and-`other wheeled equipment
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of both the enemy and Soviet forces. This would include the salvage of tanks,
halftracks, armored cars, etc. It collects only those vehicles, however, which cannot
be repaired by the self-contained repair (3rd echelon repair in the United States
Army) facilities of their assigned unit. SPAM is found at division level. It is--'
a wartime unit only,,.-.and consists of about 60 men under the command of a lieutenant.
It is not under the rear service organization but comes under the control of the
Deputy for Technical Equipment.
Q. What academies or higher military schools do you know of to which rear service
personnel might be sent for trainirg? Also state their locations,
A, The Academy for Intendance at Yaroslavl which graduates about 300 a year. The
Molotov Military "Housekeeping" (KHOZYAISTVENNAYA) Academy at Kalinin with at least
300 graduates per year, probably more. It also has a school for the advanced training
of high ranking and reserve officers. There may be an academy at Kharkov like the
one at Kalinin,
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