FLYING ACTIVITY OVER VITEBSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004200260016-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: January 31, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY USSR (Belorussian SSR)
SUBJECT Flying Activity over Vitobsk
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
07 THE UHI C0 OTATSS WITRIN T00 URAF176 . OP Tits RSPIORACS ACT 50
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OR ITS CGATt'0T0 IS ARV 0ANNR9 TO AN 0RAUTMOSIZ2D PSfC011 1C PRO
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Approved For RelWp.,2p,0=I1UG: CIA- $2-OO457ROO42OO26OO16-4
CLASSIFICYITION 25X1
DATE DISTR. 31 Jan. 1950
NO. OF PAGES 4
25X1 RETURN TO CIA LIBRARY NO. OF ENCLS.
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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ovember 1946 to i?arch 1949
1., Flying over VITFB C': ( Oo12 TE/55o1l T N) has increased steadily
since October 1946. rf,T11n_en(ne aircraft -ere seen every day
flying individually and in, formations of up to nine plates,
the follo-ing types being in evidence;
a, Low-wing monoplane, wings in slight dihedral A two in-line
engines, nose -heel, single rudder assembly with sm:,Li rear
stump projecting beyond trailing edge, glazed nose,, glazed
rear gunner's station in rear third of fuselage,
b. Plane similar to above type but -ithout nose wheel, glazed
nose and rear runner's station.
2,, The aircraft approached an area of the railroad line to ORISIA,
(30026T E/54o30 T 11) A where from three to si.x paratroopers jumped
from each plane. This was repeated an many as ten times a day.
Towed cargo gliders occasionally were released over the sir:-,.eld
and landed thereo This was also repeated up to ten timer. Ac-
cording to local residents, the airfield was very large
3, Two truckloads of ,:.rn r soldiers -'ere taken almost daily to a
settlement west of 1I' T ONIK-i, a half-Hrr..le south of the Drina
River and west of the railroad line to 07?91x!1,, A captive
balloon was hoisted there to an altitude of 650 to 1,000
feet about the time the trucks ere expected to n+rrive. Two
paratroopers jumped from the balloon shortly after=~vard:, The
balloon -as then pulled down and the procedure was repeated,
These practices lasted two to three haurs~
4G Soviet Army ?ork details, with soidievs of various classes and
branches of sekvice but all assi, Fed to the sari unit, have
h en observed in the '" ., 3 *K .. 2 Plant since "ovemb er 1948Q The
follow?ing information was obtained from Soviet soldiers*.
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CLASSIFICATION Wiege_
STATE
ARMY
NsRR
CONFIDENTIAL
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school -here ovl et .r'r`r soldiers -'ere rriven four-4?,eek
courses in parachutinr? .,gas established in the VI717"F.'K former
.Irtillery ',chool in the fail of 1940. he trainees under-
"ent a physical exami Elation before attending, these courses.
They expected to return to their units on completion of the
course. * Officers and 111 of all branches of service rarti-
cipc.ted in these courses, each of -hieh. -as attended bye fo1w
hundred pen. The old artillery school -?-as about a mile
west of the torTn limits of ir71P7R ': and abort a thousand feet
south of the mina :.aver.
1947 to '''arch 1949
5. The follo?'i.ng aircraft -!ere first observed in late -_ovember
and early December 1948:
a. Tour-en ne trnns ort aircraft:** Length of fusel are
abou r i eat TAT n s Pan about Ci feet tarcred tra nE,e. tr k n lop nose fort=,ard of _eadi rrr~ ed ;e o ~?_ n.
visible Under the nose. These aircraft firs o serve on to
7-1ree it es z -eex, '_ yin6, of an -altitude of 1,300 to ^,000
feet and ascendinC- to an altitude of about 2, 500 feet. They
cane fro n i h.e east and headed southeast after flying over the
plant and the :)vines .'ivor. to.,.ed carC.;o C,.li.ders (lerCth
of fuselage about 66 feet, 'ping span about 80 feet), ~-nbich
tr.,ere released about five piles east of the railroad line to
O'3Lb A. The Cl i ders, follo'!ed .by the planes, landed in an
easterly direction. 'T'hese aircraft have been more frequently
observed since about January 1949. They flex" all day, and
also at night since about "-arch 1949, judging from the noise
of ennt.gines. ive or six aircraft of this type -ere con-
tinually observed in the air every day since late February
and early :'arch 3,949. : hey came from the sar direction and
flat.~i at the same altitude and -ith the sane course as the air-
craft previously mentioned, but had no carp gliders in tow.
Groups of eigi.t to ten parachutists jumped from each plane
over the area southeast of the. plant. This activity -,,-?as
repeated throu?hout the day at intervals of about u0 minutes.
,)uring these practices, a captive balloon , , hoisted on a
hill east of the area -here th.e "aruchutists descended.
b. Tw ine boribera ** ,zed noseA lor, 1'.. about 66 feet
T?Tinp s?-an a out 60feet, double ru -der assen ? yr, diliedral
---
,. ?? v,??
-inc,s, LancaI7., j"k:Eit' ~iaiLL l.i:..~.1 3__.c-ic+~. .f. c:~.icatv?.,v, .rv
1 .,..---Pi? -41 +T.t' c, l7rv%^ ?P1 C,t^T r1S17 I v fl ?"f f~X'e
Their number ?aas not increased in 1049.
2,500 feet. These aircraft, uhlilce the four-engine aircraft,
had been stationed in the VITLB.. area since 1947 or 19'40.
e. .B3: Four or five pla.nes mere observed every day,
even in "tirnter sand bad '^ea.ther.
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rl ebruarL 1947 to I-'arch 194-9
6. There has been a meat deal of day and nah t flying over"
VITiCf since early 1049. The follo'--ing aircraft types were
observed flying in early Tanuary 1949 and in increased number
since Parch 1949:
a. Four-engine trans orts. --` -:'ose pro ectinr unusually far
-3-
ee HE span e ov b ee o IV- or' s x o these p lane s
v'ere observed every day s nee ,'arch 194101, flying at an alti-
tude of 1,600 to 2,000 feet. They approaci,ed from the north-
east and fler., over ,1TARY0VSHfl A, heading southeast. Groups of
six to eigit parachutists were observed from the plant jump-
ing from each plane over an open area about 3 miles southeast
of the p13I t and east of the railroad line to 0-'MA. The
paratroopers drifted in an easterly direction to,iYard a captive
balloon which ''as hoisted to can altitude of 500 to 600 feet at
some distance, It .,,as inferred that an airfield was east of the
jump area. Five or six other planes appeared about t*,=enty
minutes later. he same procedure ras repeated every day
'Within about to hours of noon.
fuse a e and .zed rear nner s station. I,enat about
'
b s o air 7W W o := n
b orz aze coc : on on of
rudder ass en :. o to 6 eet nsnan about Qe
this type" :ave beeobserved every da---y- 31ne e ?
summer of 1948, flying in T?Tedr formations of up to twelve
planes, at an altitude of about 2, 500 feet. Individual planes
T=,,ere seldom seen.
plane of the sane type towing a cargo rli.der (=?'ing stun
about 80 feet, lenZth about 66 feet) ar'proached the jump
area almost every day from the same direction, at an alti-
tude of about 2.500 feet. The glider vas released near the
jump area and lauded to the east. The plane disappeared in
the same direction. The same plane appeared about twenty
minutes later towing another oarga fi;1ider. This activity
vraa continued until evening. tin :le four-engine aircraft
Tryere also heard at Uzi{:ht over 'iAT 0VS:ITTA.
b. T!,In-en: no bombers:***r,,lazed nose, -T?,inrs dihedral double
cc Sin :.le-en :.axle fi : t ers: Very fast and maneuverable
ion a ou eet ~~ n s an about U &e sr=er, aback
rinig, s, hi c ed en . ne no se m ron c r r e " Wn sine
rat ?er__ one and rudder assembly rather ba . .a z rk near
and tail -heel re mac .-* Aircraft o this type 'tere observed
every day, but In re-or numbers than the previously mentioned
types, flying at an altitude of about 2,000 feet, six to ten
individual planes bean` the maximum number observed.
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25X1 I I r.xient:
a. she training, of parachutists and airborne troops was
previously observed in the V1'f:ED j" area.
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(?,U -1 iDr?F3TSAL
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b. The aircraft types oaruiot be identified from the in-
25X1 accurate and presumably erroneous desori rations
of Para 1 thro ugh 4
a, The reported detaching; of Soviet A.rrj soldiers to para-
chute training courses i?'as confirmed by previous red ores and
is considered credible.
d. The reported four-en.ne transport aircraft are either
IL-18s or TU-74s. Their estimated length n nd span
seem to be underrated. The s! ell number (ei c^rt to ten) of
parachutists reported jumping from each plane is incompre-
hensible. `I.'he employment of four--engine .ircraft seems to be
justified only by their toning cargo gliders, -hich aceord-
ingg to their estimated dimensions, "ere almost as big as the
to"ing planes. It is inferred that this probably is a large
cargo glider type, as eras assumed from previous reports
on the LIil and 5T1~I:JIA"TOVO airfields.
e. The same ti'in..engine bombers ,sere observed
25X1 It =,y be concluded from the reported "dihedral v, .ngs that
they are 12R- 4s.
0 f. Believed to be one of the latest Ya., fighters,
25X1 Cc mnent:
t T.S.H. possibly stands for Tanko-Selmash Kombinat (Tank and
Agricultural Machine Carbine)
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