PORT OF GDYNIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R010100090001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 13, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/20: CIA-RDP83-00415R010100090001-8
SECRET
CLASSIFICATION SEOIIRIIZ INFC t ATIuN
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Port of Gdynia
PLACE
ACQUIRE
DATE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT 50
U. S C.. 31 AND 32 AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PRO-
HIBITED BY LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
REPORT L
CD NO.
DATE DISTRx
13 August 1952
NO. OF ENCLS. (10 pages)
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Attachments:
A. Port of Gdynia (6 pages).
B. Map sketch of Gdynia, with accompanying legend (3 paged).
THtS D?L -yEML A [14 SURE ATTACHED
DO NOT iIEJ4Ci'
SECRET
DISTRIBUTION
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P 0 L A N D
Fort of Gd i.a THIS IS V! EPd^1TSIURE TO
Ety.' TC[T~6
Sketch and short description of locali y.
(see attachment with legend)
Improvements in progress: Two wrecks (Nos 1_ and 2 of the legend) are being sal-
vaged, and the old entrance to the harbor obstructed by wreck No. 2 of the legend
is udder repair [text reads constructed for obstructed,. This worla was begun
more than a year ago and is still in progress. Several divers and a pontoon
moored near No. 2 of the legend are assigned to this project.
Inspection aboard
As soon as the ship is berthed, it is inspected.
A police officer assisted
by 15 policeman or soldiers conducts the inspection, which is generally similar
to the practice in ports beyond the "curtain" and already described. It is em-
phasized that contrary to last year's usage, no seals were placed on the radio
set, binoculars and .cameras
Pilots
Three uniformed pilots serve the port. They come aboard at Point A (Attach- _
Irw
meat ROVK) accompanied by a cadet pilot or a soldier or two.
Surveillance
An armed guard (with German machinegun) is stationed ashore when., the ves-
sel is berthed. He very carefully checks all persons boarding or going ashore.
The port area and. its entrances are guarded by a women's auxiliary corps,
whose members must be unmarried and have a maximtun age of 30 or 35. Upon ter-
minat_i-on of service, they may go home in civilian dress if their families resides
locally. Arl,..ament is small and automatic arms of Allied make.
Passes
Every member of the crew and other personnel of a ship who has a (legitimate)
reason for going ashore is furnished with a pass issued by the police. Shipboard
personnel passes are based on the ship rolls, and shore personnel such as long
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shoremen, stevedores and steamship agents apply through their companies.
All passes are in custody of the guard on the wharf. When going ashore,
shipboard personnel acquire their passes by showing their shipping booklet, which
is the only identification accepted. The guard takes back the pass when anyone
returns aboard.
Shore personnel request a pass before going aboard, and surrender it at the
bottom of the plank. This method keeps a check on the movement of both ship-
board and shore personnel.
Port traffic
Numerous Russian steamships and colliers have been noted. The Russian ships
which call in Gdynia do not exceed 4,000-ton capacity. They usually depart with
a full cargo of coal for the USSR.
There is also a good amount of other traffic, which sometimes taxes the
somewhat deficient port cargo handling equipment.
Almost half cf the coal loaded on these vessels is shipped) I in
exchange for the ore loaded in Lulea.
Occasionally
ships engage in this traffic.
Cargo handling capacity
The average time consumed for loading a 10,000-ton capacity ship is about
5 days, with continuous workshifts (coal cargo).
However, it often happens that there are not enough railro d coal cars to
supply heavy shipping in the port, so that loading will take 8 or 9 days.
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This is not the case with Russian ships because they are handled preferentially
and are never delayed in loading or unloading.
17T T c~ -P-MA`S IV
See ' for shore installations.
Bunkering of liquid
This is done by means of barges.
Water supply
There are hydrants along the piers, wharves etc; the coal quay alone
has about 10 hydrants.
Food supply
It is possible to buy any kind of food at:-reasonable cost, but with hard
currency (dollars). The agency assigned is the Baltona, which is a chandler
and even handles tableware at reasonable prices in hard currency.
It is emphasized tei~-~t the local residents have little purchasing power on
the local market because food prices are high and wages are low.
Tugboats
Four tugs have been seen.
Depth of water
Depths are generally as shown on charts in use, except that in the coal-
loading area a 10,000-ton capacity ship has to stand off shore when half loaded
to avoid scraping bottom.
Tides and currents are negligible and are as shown in publications.
Port Lighting
Has been called unsatisfactory. There are extensive areas which are not
lighted or poorly lighted.
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Lights and beacons: as shown by Neniedri.
Mined areas
As shown by Nemedri.
In the area indicated by letter "B" of attachment No. 2, which is mined
according to charts and the same Nemedri, a coastal type submarine was seen
diving and surfacing
Agencies
Baitona: Ship chandler
Carbo-Transport: concerned only
Port Captain:
5
In the area marked No. 5 one there are two radio towers which
have constantly interfered with shipboard radio communications.
Lookout posts
There is a lookout post in area No. 5 on w and on the outer end
11 j3
of the coal pier (post No. 13) . The post in area No. 5 (e c i) stands on
th coal shipped
Housed in a large structure on Pier No. 7.
Customs, Police, etc: see attachment No. 1.
Electronic Communications
a hill. Polish Navy personnel man both stations.
Port Railroads
This is in good conditions, with maintenance and repair work in progress.
However, the stock is old and was unused for many years. The rails are often
spikeless, causing more deterioration. The port railroad net is in the care of
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Up 01rlgA
women workers mostly, who do very heavy work.
A coastal type submarine berthed at No. 4 on attachment 1; maneuvering
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in this water area.
. destroyer which may be the Polish BLYSCXICA, if we rely on 50X1-HUM
description of its armament (
; 4 twin mounts (2 forward and 2 aft) with 120 millimeter guns - 50X1-HUM
machine guns amidships and on the bridge. Swept-back funnel; berth at No. 5 on
attachment *r 6?
An auxiliary vessel of 7,000 or 8]J000 ton capacity berthed in the same No.
5 area.
Four minesweepers of the "beams" type; one berthed in the area mentioned
above, and 3 seen at sea off the harbor entrance, probably sweeping.
An auxiliary of 3,000 or 4,000 tons seen moored (at anchor)
Miscellaneous
People are low in morale, living as though under an iron hand,ake suspicious
of the person sitting at the same table, of work companions, of one's own relatives.
The city has a gloomy air; there are no well-stocked shops in good taste.
The main reason for the dismal and oppressive feeling is the political "propa-
ganda" which is everywhere apparent; portraits of Stalin are found on walls,
in public offices, -an:i in shopwindows to hide the empty shelves.
The leading type of shop is the bookstore, with its endless stock of pro-
paganda publi:,ations and photos of Russian and Polish personalities in the public
eye.
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tit a
an elegantly dressed woman cannot be seen, so that the
bleakness of the city as a whole is emphasized by the wretched dress of its
people.
Many
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automobiles have been seen moving about uptown and in the 50X1-HUM
port area, but they are left over from the war.
The cost of living is high on the basis of wages earned by workers, as
shown in the following data:
One kilogram of meat 150 zlotys
One shirt 315
One suit 350-400 "
The pay of a stevedore is about 400 zlotys a month.
The black m