ASTRAKHAN AIRFIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007400540004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 16, 1999
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 20, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

WTAUL 25X1A
CLAS5IFIC i 0
Approved For R !L( QP82-000~7p*~69
COUNTRY Udali (Ascrak:fan (blast) DATE DISTR.
SUBJECT hstralt:nan irfie c aaaso~t lle.------ --_---- 0. OF PAGES
No CbIM s In class.
Daalassitlaf 0. OF ENCLS.
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DATE OF
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
-0-B-AUG-197S._ Bar: _Z4 UPPLEMENT TO
sprin ~ 4
Paragraph 13-16: Pfd, ex-AAA sergeant, who made his observations from various
places of work during the period from 19145 to April 19149. Detained in PW Camps
72014/1 through 3.
Fararaph 11-12: PW No 7041, who made his observations from the summer of 1
to the spring of 1949 from his place of work. Detained in PW Camps 72014/1
t.h rough 3.
The military airfield of Astrakhan' (1460211N/148?03tE), Astrakhan' Oblast, was
about 8 km south of the town. The field was surrounded by meadows and steppes.
The graveled approach road was about 14z meters wide.
2. The field was 3x2 km and was constructed during the last war. An MVD officer
said that it was to be enlarged. Truckloads of construction materials arrived
continually.
3. The landing field was in poor condition. Improvements of drainage facilities
and the construction of concrete runways had been started. Except for a work-
shop at the western edge of the field and a stationary DF station, called
Adcock-short by source, no installations were observed at the field.
!a. The field was occupied by about 140 aircraft of various types, including three
TL-2s.
y.
by
6. Girls from 18 to 25 years of age, who worked in the III International Plant
and in the Fish Cannery, arrived at the field every evening for training as
i:.ots and aircraft radio operators. According to these girls, this training
,r1 tilsory.
;~. In the late summer of 1948 light Ak g were sin firing at, air sleeves teed
Soldiers were seen daily being trucked to the field from Astrakhan'. Parachuting
was practiced from four J-52s stati_ondd there. There was daily flying with
bir.lanes from morning to night.
Fogg
NSRB DI'STRISUTION
 There was an airfield about 8 km. south of the town perimeter of Astrakhan',
just east of a highway, on a steppe. A large brickworks with two or three
smokestacks was south of the field, which extended for about 2 km along; the
road. There were no concrete runways or'taxiways. Some temporary buildings
and two small corrugated sheet metal hangars were standing along the road.
A small building with a wind cone was seen between the temporary buildings
and the hangars.
About 10 biplanes were parked in the aircraft dispersal area at the southern
edge of the field.
LO. Twice a day a twin-engine commercial plane with single tail assembly, called
Douglas by other F'''s, landed at the field. The planes approached from the
west. **
11. An airfield without permanent runways or taxiways was about 3 km south of
Astrakhant In mid-19118 the field, which extended from the northwest to the
southeast, had only one brick building', which was still under construction.
12. From the flying observed only 29 to 25 biplanes seemed to be stationed at the
field. Two or three twin-engine courier or commercial planes were also seen
there,'
1.3. There was a seaplane base about 8 to 10 km south-southwest of Astrakhan',
Just south of the junction of a tributary of the Volga River. One four-story
brick building covered with white stucco, and a. radio installAtion with two
trellis towers about 30 meters high were seen.
14. The unit stationed at this base,wearing AF uniforms, consisted of about 150
m(--en. The number 9 was seen on the gold-braided epaulets. Training with fly-
ing boats, swimming with full equipmt,jumping fully clad from the sea-
planes moored in the water, training with pneumatic boats, diving practice
in divers' suits and the folding of parachutes were practiced. r-*
15. There was daily flying with thieee flying boats, which were fitted -,.ith two in-
line engines arranged in tandem above the fuselage, four-bladed metal propellers,
two floats at the win, tips, a double rudder assembly, a tail gun position
and a machine gun station at the rear of the fuselage. The craft was capable
of a speed of 300 to 350 km/h.
16. An airfield of 2,000 x 1,500 meters was southeast of the city. A large hangar
and a two-story administration building were available. The field was not
occupied by a military unit. There was regular flying with twin-engine air-
craft fitted with retractable landiflg gear and nose wheel, called Ilyushin
by the Soviets, and Douglas type planes.
25X1A
Comment. The Astr,-khan' military airfield 3 km northuaa.;t of the :iunctior!
of t}he Ki.zan _7i ver with the Volga appears to be still in t' e process of improve--
rne;nt. Uompare . It is believed that the runway showing on
an anrialnllot nt rrrr, t.aben during th_e war was be-inp reconditioned nod r'n1:1~rc~?.
A V ram the ~ e_ nrt it seems that the airfield was occrrz- ; ed 1)7- a pi 'I of
25X1n-mo] in ttPe i;mmer of 1 Q)LP,, F'remi li tart' pilot tral nine ways also given I 1 rr .
- Comment. These ci;;ta ref or to the a i rf.eld about three km northeast of
k;1,_