TROOPS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THE BEUTHEN-HINDENBURG-GLEIWITZ AREA.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R010000180002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2000
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 1, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO10000180002-3
25X1A
,I z CLASSIFICATION, "CONTROL S OFFICIALS ONLY
COUNTRY. Poland and Polish-occupied Germany,ID1NTI EPORT N . 25X1A
TOPIC Troops and Military Installations in the Beuthen-Hindenburg-Gleiwitz Area.
PAGES 2 ENCLOSURES (NO, & TYPE)
n.~rgc i o: is
1. Prior to May 1951, numerous Polish military labor units were observed working
25X18 in the mining area of Beuthen (Q 51/Y 58) ?- Hindenburg (Q 51/Y 7). The
troops were quartered in several hutments, including three at Hindenburg
^ one of whicJx was located on the northeastern edge of the city, about 800
meters south of the Ludwigsglueck Pit, on the east side of the road to
Klausberg (Q 51/Y 48); one was southeast of the city, on the north side of the
road to Katowice (Q 51/Y 57), and one was near the Delbrueck Pits northeast
of the railroad station. There was one hutment in Beuthen, east of the
Karsten-Zentrum Pit, on the road to Brz.eziny (Q 51/Y 58); one near Bobrk
(Q 51/Y 47); one in r,Iiechowitz (Q 51/Y 48) near the Preussen Pit; and one
in Klausberg near the Abwehr Pit. The labor units were marched to work
in close order. Units of 600 to 700 men were repeatedly seen. The soldiers
usually wore denim uniforms and, in winter, soiled padded jackets. Officers
wore Polish Ari* uniforms with red cap bands. The personnel of the labor
.units were between 23 and 26 years of age. Extremely young men were not seen.
Arms training was confined to drill with small infantry arms. Poles stated,,
that, in former to increase coal-mining, the Polish Labor Service had been
employed in the pits but had failed to fill the quotas set. *
2. Prior to May 1951, the former Polizei Kaserne on the west side of Stalinstrasse,
formerly Adolf Hitlerstrasse, in the southern sector of Hindenburg, quartered
Polish units which source referred to as Militia. The barracks installation
was in good condition. Another Militia office and the UB (Security Police)
headquarters were located in the former city police headquarters. The former
town hall housed the municipal administration and a branch office of the
military district headquarters in Gleiwitz (Q 51/Y 37).
3. Prior to May 1951, Polish soldiers were seen in the former home for disabled
persons on the northern edge of Beuthen. They were equipped with small infantry
arms and had. no motor vehicles. Units of company strength were occasionally
seen moving out for field training.
Ia.. Prior to early 1951, Polish soldiers wearing caps with green bands were seen
in the old barracks installation on Raudenerstrasse in Gleiwitz. The barracks
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installation on the road to RT
ueschau (Q 51/Y 28) appeared to be almost vacant.
Only a fiw soldiers wearing -caps- witlt.i' d bands were seen there. 3*
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* Comment. Under the Universal Military Service Law of 4 February 1950
,
able-bodied draftees, who cannot be absorbed by regular units, may be
assigned to substitute service. Personnel in substitute service are assigned
to labor and receive only basic military training. The labor units in the
Upper-Silesian mining area, mentioned in the present report, undoubtedly are
25X1 A units of this category.
i'k Comment. Polish army soldiers were reported to have been quartered in
the former Ulanen Kaserne on ul. Rudzka, formerly Raudenerstrasse, in Novem-
25X1A ber 1950. . The caps with green bands, mentioned in
the present report, are indicative of a WOP (border Guard unit. According to
a report of 1949, the headquarters of a WOP brigade and a WOP battalion are
carried in Gleiwitz.
ONTROL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO10000180002-3