SOVIET AIR FORCE TRAINING IN THE KURZEME AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R011100190002-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: April 25, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP83-00415R011100190002-5
irT7LLOFAX 29
rvnn live
FEB 1952 "
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CLASSIFICATION SIXRET/O0eROL - US -OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
Tcr
)
COUNTRY USSR (Latvian SSR DO NOT CIRCULATE
ifREPORT
CD NO.
011
50X1-HUM
DATE DISTR. 25 april 1952
SUBJECT Soviet Air Pierce Training in the Kureeme Area NO. OF PAGES 2
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
NO. OF ENCS.
(LISTED BELOW)
50X1-HUM
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
50X1-HUM
Airfield Near Tukums
1. Durieg June and july 1951 the following actiyitic f the Soviet A',.r toree were
erserved ever the western part of Latvia-
is believed that the ebeerved aircraft teek-off ffem the airfield leer Tukumsy
but the exact location of the airfield is net keown-'
o After dark, aireeaft teele-eff fee; eight training flights singly and in groups ef
twe and three aircraft- The distacce between aircraft in *tide groups was thirty. '
to fifty' meteet- aeeeraft ebserved en euch flights were biplanes, apparently P0-4-
4.
Judgieg by the moise of the engines that could be heard from the airfield, training
was being carried out in night landings and take-effs-
Occasionally during the eight twin-engine monoplanes were observed ceming from the
airfield- The type *f these aircraft is not known, but their speed was estimated
at 350 km- per hour-
Oe some days fighter aircraft tookeelT and landed during the day, and on oecasion,
this went en contituouel7a1e tho
7. righter aircraft flew in twos and -e!eem and practiced. target *hooting- The target
was a cylindrical bag towed by aeel;:ee aircraft, and the praotiee included
approaching the target fram above, from below, amid from either side, while the
aircraft timing the target was flying etraignt aed almo .m;L3 it was turning-
8- The type of fighter aircraft observed were YAKeee e, with an estimated
speed of 600 km- per hour-
CLASSIFICATION
STATE la;
NAVY
NSRB
ARMY
2
AIR
2
FBI
SECRET/CONTROL - OS OFFICIALS ONLY
Dl STR I BUT ION
J
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP83-00415R011100190002-5
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP83-00415R011100190002-5
Si:VW/CONTROL - US OFFICIW: ONLY
50X1 -HUM
9. The activities observed over this airfiel tocet oIece for two t tr1:: weak'
at a time, after which there was no flying for two 4r three ws: week during,
ideal flying weather, and then there was renewed activity for twe te three
weeksg which seems to suggest that there is no permanent air t:rikiiq school at
this field: but that it is used by Soviet Air Forte units to complete a certain
part of their training.
irfilliS4s,VMALCur!k
10. During the summer of l950g activities similar to tnese described above were also
observed although the location of the airfield from which fighter aircraft came
was not definitely known g it is believed that the aircraft which took part ease
from a field in the vicinity of ifturs 07-09Ms, 23-134. The typos of aircraft
observed were similar to those described in paragrapn eight above-
During dune and day 1950 twin-engine monoplane bombers were also observed flying
out towards the Gulf of ago, and soon afterwards g the detonation of bombs could
be heard- The bomber aircraft flew at an estimated ;peed of 400 Km? per hour.
The sound of the detonations came fren a sector between iikure and Uorsrags
(57-22N, 23-07E) and lt le believed that the bombs were dropped into the sea.
12. Ooeasio ally, judging only from the sound as the aircraft could not be soen9
larger units of bombers flew towards the Gulf of Vies, and the explosion *I
bombs could be heard fr. m the direction f the Gulf.
110
1
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7Axpeentz The arfied,s,t ?:.,Aulle is loke,;at i males ti'04X Iukuos
and 34 miles west f 0.0?
00NTRDL - U5 OFFICIALS OW
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP83-00415R011100190002-5