POLISH TROOPS IN SORAU

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R008100470007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2001
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 26, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

INIELLOFAX 1kill. vnu 11111111W ;1 1. ( (1111.T.'
COUNTRY Pnl= ~cjr,2001/12/04: CIA-RDP82-00457800810
.......~ REPORT NO.
10pi Polish Troo;)s in Sorau
EVALUATION PLACE OBTAINED
DATE OF CONTENT-2WE,.- tc ---- January 1951
DATE OBTAINED- ....-DATE PREPARED
REFERENCES
PAGES
REMARKS.
25X1A
ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE) sketch on ditto
General.
1. The only barracks installation in Sorau (0 52/B 16) is about 1 km east of the
town, on the south side of the hi t'hway to Cagan (0 52/D 26), and adjoins a
slaughterhouse on the west. The installation, which consi;;ts of an eastor a aid
a western section, was constructed before World War II, and was not damaged,
It vin, occupied by about 2,000 Polish troops prior to January 19514
Units in the Jontern Barracks Section,
2. An SP artillery and armored reconnaissance unit of 11.00 to 500 i:ien was transferred
to Sorau in early November 1950 and assigned to billets formerly occupied by
a transport unit. According to nembors of the unit they came from Sagan. The
troops were on active duty and rpparently did not include recruits inducted in
the fall of 195On The uni.t, whose T/O was not determined, was equipped with
30 to 40 armored reconnaissance cars of the same type and about 35 SP guns,
also of the same type. From 10 to 15 of these vehicles were ;toped in the open
at all times. covered with tarpsulinsn The armored reconnaissance cars had
six wheels with pnewiatic tires. with the two rear axles installed close'
together; a coffin-shaped armored body with sloping walls; no turret; a door
opening to the rear; and a gust of about 15 ranwithout muzzle brake which project-
ed about 11 meters beyond the front of the vehicle,, The SP guns rue large
bogie wheels, no track-supporting, rollers? and a wedge-shaped nose with a
central hatch cover which opened upward,, They mounted in gun of 120 to 130 m
with a mazzlG brake which projected from a mantlet in. the center or the
vehicle. The SP guns were equipped v:ith an antenna, but mounted no AA rachino
gun The SP guns, which had three-digit nunbers, wr'e occasionally observed
in action in the area north of 4 he barracks installation., but, novor longer than
half a day. (1) From November 1950 to January 191, neither training in firing
nor combined-arts exercises were observed. No reconnaissance cars were seen out-
side the barracks installation during this period of tire; the troops were
occupied mainly with technical and fatigue duties. Prior to November 190;,
the billets of the SP artillery and armored reconnaissance unit were occupi.ed
by a horse-drawn transport unit of about 200 men, which was transferred in
October.1950, allegedly to Sagan. The transport unit was equipped with about
60 wooden vehicles, each dram by a team of two horses. The troops, who wore
A Ev
Lm
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vi sorgtype service caps with a 'cd band, were nena~rall', older than the
average personnel of other unit',, and includedre^prv,_xts. In 1950 , the
transport unit did net .-o to a troop traainin g ground as other units did,
3. An artillery unit roved into the barracks i ctallation in 1919? The unit i?rac
equipped with 25 light :Motorized Curs., ,,ith box-. trail carria~ es (1 astenlaa
fette),, two disk wheels er;` h pneu-?:.tic tires not covered by the shield,, short
thick barrels rich muzzle brake;; projecting clightl;; be`rond the squareshi;ld
The gun was about 1,.2 !,eters hi ho The crew for each run included a chief of
section, a driver, and `'six gunners, Traiui? . T
~` '-, ~, ~,enc,rall.v ,DOr .lace an the
terrain north of the barracks installation, Units equipped with eight runs
were occasionally observed rarchhi g out of the installation for field practice
No gunfire was heard in. the Seraau area. In 1950, the unit roved by train to a
troop training grounds near Poznan (P 53/X 26) for several weeks., (2)
4a The motor vehicle drivers of the units located in the western section of the
barracks installation were bill.ested in two adjoining buildings,, The motor
vehicles, whose total number was not determined, included three-axle Studebaker
trucks and two-axle light truck:, serving both as prime rovers for the guns
of the artillery unit and as personnel carriers,, The latter trucks, were low,,
equipped with two benches seating six to eight ,:ien each, and had unusually
grids radiators In general, all vehicles wore in good nechanical conditions
Nev personnel received training
in truck driving, during the stmr:er of 1950.
Some Studebaker trucks were used to halal supplies,, The drivers of these
vehicles were doing maintenance --work in the garages most of the tine, (3)
5. The ''headquarters of both the ar-gored unit and the artillery unit were located
in two buildings in the western section. No Polish general was ever observed
within the barracks installation,
Units in the Eastern Barr cks Section
6,, An artillery unit of undetermined strength was located in two buildings as
The u
early as 19 9
it
.
n
erns equi:nped with, 20 ,,uns which were towed by Stude.
baker trucks carryin,eight gunners each. The guns had split-trail carriages,
two disk wheels e:ith rubber tires, and rectangular shields with lateral wings
slightly bent backwards.. The guns were about 120 r:gym with the .barrels. projecting
beyond the shield not less than 2 teeters., The unit, which was only occasional-
ly seen moving out with the guns, went to a trooi,, training ground near
Poznan in the summer of 1950. (4)
A motorized infantry unit moved into three buildings i_rn 1949:, The troops were
equipped with submachine guns with both drum and clip nagazines, rifles,
and some r:achine guns mounted on two sr a=ll wheels each, Training was held
mostly in the terrain north of the barracks installation,, The troops were
occasionally observed leaving the installation b
tr
k f
y
uc
or field practice.
No joint exerciees with other ar:s were observed, This unit also went to the
troop. training ground in the su?lmer of 1950,
El , The drivers of the units located in the, eastern section of Vic barracks
installation were billeted in tre adjoining buildings. They had three-axle
Studebaker trucks exclusively wh ch served as prime movers for the guns of the
artillery unit located in the ea:=torn part of the installation$ and as combat
vehicles for the motorized infantry unit, All vehicles were well maintained.,
'A drivi.nr - school was held in tie su e r of 19-0.,
SFCR'T/Cb s'
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9c, The headquarters of both the artillery and the :: etoriry,?>d .r fantr* unit r:ctrd
into two build-Insjs in 194.9. No poneral vms ever observed, (~)
Uniforms
n
10, On duty, the troops of the armored units wore blue belted coverall; without
insi ;ni n. -?hile driving, the crows wore Marl>--i::lue crash. helr_ets,, The dress
uniform .,,,s nacre of blue fabric and included a ?a.ir h'cbllared blouse with blue
onatilets shcr inC rank '*,.,nri:ni_a; Ion- trousers; buckled puttees; red collar
patches, rOuWed and pointed dowrxwcrd, which wore alle^-odly.Jr not scorn by F$i
and a blue field cap witl; the Fb1i5F? eagle eoble-i or blue visor-type cars
Y'+' h bands of the sag o color. Officers -sore silver bb ordered cars,
11. Prior to t?. ^e fall of 1950, 1 n troo, s of the artillery, and the motorized infantry
unit were the usual brown uniform with a rod ca band. "flue
untforrs of a now issue with the old red cap bands ,sere subsequently distributed
to all troo.?s , Tarp'. troo`? ti, driv- r^, and # unners 'tore observed vieari,:.t:, blue
jackets with epaulets in the winter, Only i..'fantryF:^en .'ore lcnU blue overcoats
in winter-. (6)
.'iscellaneous n
12o In the foil of 1950, an unknown number of troc-:s frog: the barracks ins;allation
were discher4 edo After a festive fare,?;ell ceremony they rere escorted to the
railroad sta tton by the band o S'bortly of terFynrd, new recruits wear .n , civilian
clothes resorted for active dut; -? On $unda;rs, rany soldiers attended Catholic
se.-vices regularly, Tielif:ious activity was ap..arently hot restricted?
13,, Prior to January 1951, neither a Polish division headquarters nor tioviet
officers and M.' were observed in Scrau? (7)
25X1A
(1)
(6)
(7)
iD..cments,,
7'odern aix wheel arrr'rod reconnaissance c.,rs are unknown in the Soviet and in
the former German 'iroya The co.-!'-";,n shame indiccrbes either the Soviet Lour.
wheeled a3.A-6l; car or the German fo:,r?trrheel li'', ' t, or the ci ~t~-;,heel heavy,
armored reconnaissance c.^r, all of : hic2 are tv ,t equipped with a -.an as heavy
as indicated in the r^rlorta he SP mans are believed to have been ovi_et SUr 765,
but their description does not precisely fit any of the known types.
The [;uns observed pro?hhabltr were li.i ht infantry ; tins. possibly 76-m p odel 194)3
infantry gur..so
The drivers am believed to have '.tel. need to the artillery, SP artillery, and
ar-,orocl reconnaissance uni.tc0 25X A
The unit as possibly equipped with So rot 122..r;m r:odel 1938 field howitzers,
A previoas report stated that an ti.zffantry rerio ent was located in the barra c s
installation in Soraun See ? llo vrevar, the present
report indicates that the unit was below reEirnental strength. It is believed
that several indenerdent units were located in the i.nstaflati ono
It is inferred from the chap, e of uniform o.t' the .artillery and the motorized
infantry unit that the un' is ware 7 n t.;n,_-rated into a rotori Zed infantry or tank
division i n the Fell of 1950, whereupon the units were as:'irned the blue taro
troo~'s9 uniforr.
The ,?q 11th inf Div has been carried in aerau since 1916, however, the division
headquarters is not confirmed by the present rey,ort0
1 Annex : One sketch or. ditto.
?p
Oily
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