SOVROMTRANSPORT MERCHANT SHIPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400210008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: October 26, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY .,_.... ,
INFORMATION REPORT
CONFIDENTIAL
COUNTRY Rumania
Sovrormtransport Iierchant Ships
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 26 October, 1954.
NO. OF PAGES 7
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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25X1
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CONFIDENTIAL
COUNTRY Rumania
SUB7ECT SOVROMTRANSPORT Merchant Ships
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE DISTR. 6 Oct. 1954
NO. OF PAGES 6
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rectiox; finder,. and c egauasing coil with
correcti.mn coils. for compas.
A. 1. Name: MS FRIEDRICH ENGELS 2. Type:Cargo 3.Tonnage or load:
c. 5,000 tn.
25X1
4. Age: Built 1930 in Leningrad 5.Speed: 7 to 8 knots in
good weather.
6. Engines and Screws: Single-screw (MAN), 1,600 hp., double-stroke.
engine repaired in Constants in 1952.
7. Holds: 5 holds with twin decks. 8. Winches and Cranes: All electri-
cally driven; holds #3 and #4
had 5-tn. winches and two Jumbo
derricks of 20 tn. each; re-
maining holds had 3-tn. winches.
Navigation Instrun eats: dS a ry gyrocompass, su a et'ged Jag, Mackay
10. Life-saving. Apparatus: Two lifeboats each with a capacity of 45
persons; portable radio transmitters.
13 ... Captain: Virgil GHEORGHIU. l
14. Gun Mountings: None.
1. Name: SS PLEHANOV
4. Age: Built 1900
2.Type Cargo. 3.Tonnage or load:c.4,500 tr.-.
5.Speed: 7 knots in good 25X1
weather.
6. Engines and screws: Steam-driven'engine with triple expansion.; 1,200 hp.
coal-burning.
7. Holds: 4 holds with twin decks. 8. Winches and cranes: Steam-driven
winches of 3 tn. each
Navigation Instruments: Magnetic compass, sounding machine, and a
Redifon direction finder.
10. Life-saving apparatus: Two large and two small lifeboats; no lifeboat
transmitter, projector, or motorboat.
11. Ports:
July 1954, allowed to sail only in.the Blac Sea
12. Crew: 45 13. Captain:Constantin COTET.1? 14. Gun Mountings: none
15. Remarks: A very old ship with bad stability; very difficult to load
as it had too many supports In the holds.
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C. 1. Name: SS DIMI1'ROV 2. Type: Cargo 3. Tonnage or load: c.4,500 tn,
4. Age:.c. 1920, 5. Speed: about 8 knots in good weather.
6. Engines and screws: Steam-driven engine; oil-burning. 7. Holds:
possibly 5
with twin
decks.
8. Winches and cranes: Steam-driven. 9. Navigation Instruments:
Magnetic compass* direction
finder was defec4ive; ho
radar or gyrocompass?
10. Life-saving apparatus: Details 14nknown. 11. Ports: 25X1
12. Crew: About 35.
13. Captain: No captain a/o June 1954.
14. Gun Mountings: None
15. Remarks: Undergoing general
repair in Constanta.
D. 1. Name: SS BEREZINA 2. Type: Cargo
3. Tonnage or load: 3,500 to
4,000 tn.
4. Age: it was built in 1926
5. Speed: 8-9 knots in good weather.
6. Engines and screws: Steam-driven engine; formerly coal-burning.
7. Holds; Four. 8. Winches and cranes: Steam-driven.
Navigation Instruments: A direction-finder and a Soviet-made gyro-
compass which is out of ord{ir because of
missing parts.
10. Life-saving Apparatus: Unknown. 11. Ports: 25X1
12. Crew: Due to engine modifications, the crew is probably now about 35.
13. Captain: Titus STANESCU (July 1954) 14. Gun Mountings: Two observed
on each side, aft of the
funnel.
15. Remarks: After completion of general repairs the ship 25X1
will have complete hull repairs in Constanta.
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E.& 1. Name: MS MANGALXA 2. Type: Both Cargo 3. Tonnage or load:
F. MS CONSTANTA
4
c.
5O tn. each.
Age: Both built 1951 in Budapest 5. Speed: 8-9 knots each in
good weather
6. Engines and screws: Diesel engines, about 600 h 25X1
p.; one
h o
woad
left side. - -
7. Holds: Two each 8. Winches and cranes: Electrically-driven,
1.5 tn. each.
9. Navigation Instruments: Both had magnetic compasses
sounding machines, and direction
finders.
10. Life-saving apparatus: Two life boats each.
11. Ports: Black Sea
I2
. Crew: 22 each. 13. Captains: MANGA : 14. Gun Mountings:
CONSTANTA: None.
May-July 1952 - Ion ANGELESCU
15. Remarks: Sister ships; have no double bottom.
G.& 1. Name: MS MIDIA 2. Type: Both Cargo
MS SULINA
Age: Both built 1951
5. Speed: 8-9 knots each in good weather.
6. Engines and screws: Both have Diesel engines. 7. Holds: 2 each
8. Winches and cranes: Electrically-driven, 1.5 tn. each.
Navigation Instruments: Both had magnetic compasses and a 25X1
direction finder.
lb'. Life-saving apparatus: Two life boats each.
11. Ports: Black Sea
12. Crew: 22 each.
13. Captains: MIDIA: Adrian SERESCU.1? 14. Gun Mountings: None.
SULINA: Unknown.
15. Remarks: Sister ships; have no double bottom. These two ships
have stronger hulls than those of the MANGALIA and
CONSTANTA. The captains of these ships were subject
to frequent change.
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3. Tonnage or load:
450 tn. each.
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1. 1. Name: SS ARDEAL 2. Type: Cargo and passen
er
g
J. Tonnage or load:
c. 7,000 tn.;
cabins for 60
persons
Age: Bought before World War II. 5. Speed: About 25X1
10 knots.
6. Engines and screws: Steam-driven engine and two small turbines to
increase the speed by one knot.
7. Holds: Twin decks and shelter decks. 8. Winches and cranes: All
winches were steam-driven.
9. Navigation Instruments:
aFxu fs.~ airect .ot r1nder.
10. Life-saving apparatus: No portable radio transmitter or motorboat.
11. Ports: L , Ruiania9 Poland, Red Sea ports
Murmansk. This ship was one of the best Rumanian.cargo ship.25X1
together with the FRIEDRICH ENGELS and DIMITROV, sailing
in the Atlantic.
12. Crew: about 50. 13. Captain: Ilie DROCAN1. 14. Gun Mountings:
Unknown
15. Remarks: In spring 1954, was being repaired in Constanta because
its submerged log was damaged at Elba.
J. 1. Name: MS TRANSILVANIA 2.Type: Passenger 3. Tonnage or load: 540
pas senBers .
Age:
4. Built in 1938 25X1
5. Speed: 20 knots usually that could possibly be increased up to 21.5.
6. Engines and screws: Twin screw, two Diesel engines up to 12,000 hp.,
which in emergencies could be increased up to 14,500 hp.
T. Holds: Four holds, no twin deck, one refrigerating hold with a capacity
for about 50 tn. of meat or other foods.
8. Winches and cranes: All electrically driven; derricks for holds #14nd
#4; cranes for holds #2 and #3.
9. Navigation Instruments: No radar or gyro compass; used magnetic
compass; fitted with an directionfinde25X1
electrical sounding equipment was defective.
10. Life--saving apparatus: Eight lifeboats with a capacity of 78 persons,
one yawl, and one motorboat; no portable radio
equipment. It was anticipated that the radio
lifeboat transmitter from the DIMITROV would
be given.to the TRANSILVANIA.
11. Ports: 1950--52, regular trips from Constanta, to
V W`&' pQQG', vu k nvw zTa11n j , buigaria, and Durres, Albania,
with passengers, mail, and cargo,
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+* 6 1-
12., Crew: 1950-52: a. 130; since 1952: a. 70.
13. Capta4.n: Gheorghe POPESCi'J1??
14. Gun Mountings: Four screene4 gun mountings near holds #2 and #3
which were covered with wood, 25X1
Remarks: This ship was scheduled for general repairs
15
.
in 1955 because of lack of part in lRumania, Whi.l4 trans-
porting up to 1,000 passeggers 25X1
were Accommodated. Minor repairs on the ship were done
by the crew. There were four classes first, second, and
third, as well as a luxury class. Fares were eOfl i4o'ed
high as compared to comparable ships of other countries,
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