ARSENAL IN SIBIU AND AMMUNITION FACTORY IN AVRIG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000200160001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 15, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 29, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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that form, was also given on signposts, was changed into X'S-Interprindere
L"etalurgica Sibiu. Up to this time.:, the arsenal was under arxi.litary
adx inistration. Its last commanding officer was Colonel Jonescu. Then a
civil administration was assigned. In early January 1951. a certain
Vanatorul, about 35 years old, who previously had worked in the arsenal as
a fitter, was manager of the enterprise which, as it was placed under
civilian administration belonged to.a metal combine with its headquarters
in. Bucharest. The football team of the arsenal was named '.xotaliul Sibiu
in January 1951 and was a sister team of the L"etallul Bucharest and other
zetallul teams in Rumania, e.g. ;.Letallul Resita. During a shop meeting in
Decerit:,er 19b7, the manager of the enterprise said that the arsenal would
again be taken over by the army and renamed into CFA Centrul Fortelor
Armati. in raid February or early :.:arch 1951. The entire personnel would
remain in the arsenal under the new military management with the exception
of workmen who would be transferred to Avrig (R 35 - 49) ? In late 1950,
the employees of the arsenal were convinced that the installation would
soon be taken over by the array. At that time, Rumanian officers were
repeatedly seen inspecting the arsenal. In early January 1951 .ac re
tools, especially Lathes, were dismantled and trucked to the ammunition
factory in Avrig. The operators for these machine tools also left the
arsenal. Employees of the arsenal told that other machinery would also
be sent to Avrig because that installation vras better camouflaged arid
more important items could be produced there. They stated that the arsenal
in 3itiu and the ammunition factory in Avrig would coordinate their
production in the f utzare.
CLASSIFICATION CO'IFIJu.JTTALi/COIIT'tOL--U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A000200160001-1
 Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200160001-1
C011`1`-;1-IPIL/C _'d` -DLOL 011 I,c~IAIs 3N11,Y
25X1A
2 The bu=_1,d3.ng and installations of the arsenal v cro erected bbofore
the it rear and were not c:ar.ka;;Wcd during the ware, ,iai buiidin~ a :)f
larcer size :+oro not ob3orved. Source 1110 himself die.. not work in
thu arsenal, roraembered bnildin,s and departments incl udin~ a brickwork
store house with ,abled rood close to tho entrance at the rain, street,
used to store the ready-made ai tick s of the arsenal which :-.-c;.ro picket
ixo at this building. ~ notlaer warehouse on the other tide or the entrance
stored'. raw .materials and quartered guard person iol and the fire--brigade.
A mllti--stor? y office building was belxi-t-id the entrance. It ,ia.d a y lat
concrete roof over the engineering; depart :cent,, the sales deart-xent, the
hookkeeling office and si i1iar offices. A warehouse was at the southern
edge of the installation and stored raw :material like sections, plates
and gratings. were was a motor vehicle shed with repair shop for the
rotor vehicles of the arsenal. tae factory in the center of the arsenal
had its own office de :iartr cent, lathe operators and locksmiths shops,
foundry and Joiners sho?o An optical shop 7?ras in the u,)por story of the
office d?j;artraonto The building of the lathe operators a'id locksmith's
shopns also servec. as an assembly plant. A heat treating ;)lane was in
VIP, f ou_?ndry premises n lixcept the joiner's shop which was built of concrete,
all parts of the factory bu.ildin, were of brick, The canteen builciin; which
also housed an apprentice norkshop was at the northern edge of the arsenal,
3,. Frass plates indicated that the .machines in the lathe operator's and
locksmith's shoes were of "erman origin, Source remembered 20 to 25 lathe,,
10 to 15 nd.i1ing machines a:xd a rr tyar of daril li*x pad Cri xdi x_; !,iaci-Uios
Three or four rneltin ; furnaces mm: d.v of brickstones wore in the foundry
1 The arsenal had 4 to 5 trucks and 1 sedan. It had no railroad cozn.ecvion,
The personnel totaled 1,1 00 to 1.,603 erxplo;;;roes including about 3 to 10
rcont wor?ren and consisted r: inly of L mans,, but also 3r.:ruans and
?Tung. rians,.
5 The arsenal repaired, overhaulrxd and .painted arLls source save rnac?_ine -,an;,
mortars, AA guns, arti?lenr Cw s of ?'n rious calii:,ers with long and short
barrels, but no riflos or pistols.. On one occasion, 1 or 2 =n3s on. tracl?-
laying carriages stood in the factor;, ::?ard e No tan1Ls were observed. The
arsenal has also produced householc'. furniture and tools in addition to
repairing; arms since the and of the wear. The quantity of arms o~)ajr
-i~err
varie(1. Often the yard was full rij.th arms ,Fal.ile, soraca tines, it was almost
e=:apty or comxletely empty. Arras shipped to the railroad station ,iere accepted
there by the Rumanian army.
6. The arsenal which had a wooden fence and five watchtowers, was guarded by
civilians wearing; dark gra;,r uniforx like suits and service caps,
la The a:r.;.aunition factory in Avrig which had been founded before the last
war was situated about 2.~0 meters south of the road from fradul (:2 351?; 39)
to Avrig icrn diately before Avria, in open terrain and was bordered by
-wooded country on the rear side and the side opoosito the to.m,n Source
reneatedly saw building activity at the ar,r,xunition factory which -?,)eared
to him as being enlarged in the c?rection of the ,wooded area
OFFICIALS O.JL
Approved For Release 20.01/03/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200160001-1
 Approved For Release 2001/03/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200160001-1