CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN THE RUMANIAN ARMY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500810321-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 321
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/01/20: CIA-RDP80-00809AO00500810321-2
U.S. Officials Only
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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5X1
25X1
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DATE D I STR..1. 7 Apr 1954
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. Down to the summer of 1950 the Rumanian Army had no training in eheaisal
warfare and no units dealing with it. In the summer of that year the
Defense Ministry set up an "Army Chemical Command" (Comandeasmtul Chills
Al Al at.i). This command was largely manned by Soviet oftisers and pUe"
in sharge of all factories making war chemicals and given the kitty of setting
up special schools for the instruction of officers of the ohemtiisal arm.
2. Such olricerg are otter " " Its o~d r -Inal Center of tha is General Lt`aat/
3. There are three courses under the Chemical Center. The first is a training
battalion for officers of the lowest grade, up to captain. The training is
to instruct the officers in telling their troops how to handle chemical means
of alartar?. After passing through the course officers are assigned to troop
units.
w. There is also a training battalion tor special chemical officers. The officers
in this course are of the same rank as those in that mentioned above. However,
they take special instruction with a view to being used. In enemy back areas.
They also have a course in bacteriological warfare. some of the students in
this course arc taken to the Il::ZR for instruction.
U.S. Officials only
J W gspe'n to, tbn tt.et within the USA oe the Int.1116cote components of the lDepartments or Agenceo indicated .bat.. IT is not. to be atndokled }ww~
 Approved For Release 2007/01/20: CIA-RDP80-00809AO00500810321-2
5. The third training bpttellon 1s for cffieers of chemical troops.
While the officers in the other ti?c? tint;nlion5 receive a great deal of
training on the aetusl handling of vsr crenieala, the technical courses
here are less important. The insZr-j4sio: looks toward training officers
to command chemical troops, politic;l :f.ieers and superintendents of
ehersizal factories. Members of th1= coui ae are especially carefully screened.
6. Sewing for all courses 7 o'==tE "-erough. It is easiest to get into the
riret, 1,U6Y..i_...a In tne ^.ar two, political attitude is of the
greatest importance, and nem er3 :iv in the Communist Party or at least the
Communist Youth is a n^lmarq r lent. Tn the Staff course only those
are accepted who have a record of b- wing ?e y ' -tetionaries over a period of
years.- In-addition those are locket for ono already have some Special knowledge,
such as doctors, pharmacists er 1_"dus: _ la l chemists.
7. The Chemical Center is located at t._c edge of F1giral. Its buildings are on
both aides of the ro.-'d leading to nrajov. On the north the area is bordered
by the Figgrag-Sibiu railroad. The area is surrounded by barbed wire and
closely guarded. The n,ar+?ra action of the installation includes a staff
building, a radio builci;.rg, tnrea q=-torn buildings of the research battalion,
and an assembly build!.- 4g. The lastennta1nn a> printahop where the printing of
the,center 1s do;}eout~ u'rt~~:~hQ ~R='Aud1~F~eiYlcibMf-:t1r
dri~'1-t?ielp'and sbo l uh e1grourd ;tore houses. There is a second group of
buildings where officers in the tuo moo-.^e dcnraad courses ^re quartered. Each
quarters building contains its o+rr_ Labor Cory.
8. The storehouses and garages hold about t'nk trucks of the Soviet Molotov type,
each with a carfci.ty of 5,000 lucre- . Each i- vini,lied with a motor compressor,
and can be used as a sprinkling cart. There F;:^e also several heavy mortars and
about thirty 57 mm guns. Geis protective naterla'_, such as gas masks, protective
Clothing- and filters, are stored In a row of -. gazines. . Iiz a: sash tei ding near
the. :staff .building.are stored gas mine5,.g: ^ grenades and saris I,Zpcboabs.
D6steriel is issued from this depot for expe?ir_ents. The srsa sagas-Inc holds a
niuiber of cylinders containing adhesives ane- therrtite.
-?T,hara--is also a library ,of foreign :sect:;: oa 1 literet'are, used by. pftOers who
have had some instruction in F~r~nee nr Car-any.
10. F.or training purposes? the Chem5c-' :. Jnntr'r i divided into the three .trsinlag.
battalions. mentioned, s btattli la n c:nes_r.1e' .ro ;caroh, rind a. ap4ai: l .petition
for the. training of offico,?^- .;ns". Tc-e:;?c:.' rrod officer;; or other arms, who
take two-and three-month br? 410 :r ;,? i' c,jur -e .
11. The members of the trare.:: `.:a tt:.l I ; anemic' 1 off icerr have two months of
basin. infantry training. They ;,re they. ' la bred to secrecy before beginning
4hemicel-trainl.ng. There are no ?;pec'''.i Ln.^.ignia or uniform.
12. Instructors are both officer!- ,and The litter n re forbidden to move
about the Center.. They go, ?di r'na t ly to the roor^ . where they give instruction
and when they ire f1n i shed; ltnve 1;:vu7.ed:t = telly. The officer.; are Fa:-. speelalistr
from the old .rr??r, -,e ;er! t,; :;erv1ce -,whew: the Center was set up. Some examples Eire
Cat ^nnr?rr~ e~cu vrc> how charge of aamouflag t at Ploeati dur-
?+ ii cw-t `x7 L, who gives iustructiu in.eut#ooants
tianu . a uoct-'r of chow, -ti'- ;ie ;a:. nctux?es on oto;nia weapuns. In the
spring of 1952 Baru was trinrlfe^r-'e. to building complex 12 km southeast of
F>'igt rug, which is closely ti4atoher3, -,nd it i ~ said that uranium refining goes
on there.
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13. The courses include: thecretic'i t- in_!-3,g, solitlcal training, ehemieal
seminars, laboratory r e?roh, t--::ping i? geograrhy, and special secret
courses.
14. The &enrical'edur -jnciuda,both orwan!c and inorganic chemistry with special
emphasis on coal ter deria._tives. The courses in physics include elementary
instruction in the behtvier of gapes, vith basin training in acoustics, optics
and electricity. The thematier:_ courses-re abort of the leel of a secondary
school. -There is s strorut course in -..:ecrology. In the courses on war gases
less attention is cold to their chey.sical constitution than to their uses,
handling end motection a,rnlnst tr.em. Oases treated include Yperite, Lewisite,
nitrogen-Yperite, :ear acs, dipher.yl-oyano-a,aene, hydrocyanic said, di-brome,.
di-chrose*, phosgene and di-rhcsaene preparations. Smokes and incendiary
preparations are studied, but alvays v_th the emphasis rather on handling than
on chemical composition. (' po,libly Fr. *r'-cr fcr di-ohlor. )
15. Bac'teriologionl warfare 1s treated ,:rider the name of "physiopathology."
Special emphasis is laid on the use of bacteriological warfare by the US
Alvq.. but as a practical rrmtter there is leas training in defense than in the
cultivation of bacterial culturess. Jr. the courses it is expla1nnd'thatthis
is the develop e x i t of . r^thod vnici v~? bo.,,nr, used by the us ~n an island
aft the cow:>t at :fir' c h fell 1. Co *:rini'?t !1andu Types of culture are
studied,-ortimux to Pratures, rirrTits of the cultures, eta Film tenaib ihcwing
bacteria-delivorinR bombs o-g used by the us "orm skirt of 6ua course.
Some specialists in 11hys:ot'3tt^oic1gy are sent to :rte USSR for further instruction.
1F: Deconteminstion of men ir.. areas it taught jr...y in a theoretical and very
superficial manner. The 1s s ,.ne aratruation on the chemistry of decontamination.
17 . The material and handling oi' orotecti.e clotting are taught together; There are
two types. of protective clothing in thu :tuu3n-1_'r.. Army, both manufactured by the
Soviets, a light type of irap:^egra fed r. t^ 'ia 1, and a heavy type resembling 'a
diverts gear. Oas masks are also the ;ubJeet of instruction, as well as protected
rooms and bunkers fitted with filtero ar.: with oxygen equipment.
18: There iS, a course in topography like that in other military schools. The tactical
courses place emphsni.s or. the her:dllrg ^f cha:ni:sl materials.
19: Each of the three ba3 ttalior+. ,-_,*.e-1.1 r,: p-cti.c-l reneareh with poisonous gases
-^ c'''ried out with mice. There are'also
and the c!efense st the:% P'rov . '
qualitative sae iuont1 "ti?x! .7C a-
20. During the second year of trainina there ^e field exercises in the exercise
area attached tq the Center. Una cf tae rain objectives was the study of now
smoke candles of Soviet Productior.. The xrhole personnel of the Center took
One 'or the' batta lions enuint ed with pis masks proceeded to de-gas an
area which had been gassed by the other. The candle in question is about 20 cm
in diameter and 15 cm high, with wick, which gives off a thick, milky smoke
on being lighted. Each candle can co':e' - front area of 3.00 m.
21. Participants in the secret speciil cou,:-e are forbidden to make notes. While
these courses are being given the gun:--f' tn': lecture rooms are composed of
members of the staff officers' battalion. The courses are given by Soviet
officers in Russian, with a ;ium`3n1.;?r The courses concern ehemiaal
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warfare in Korea :tnd the nreTV'r::t1o3 the Rumanian Army for chemical-
warfare. In the courses it .i.s e,- .nee- thr t the UN forces in Korea
used both chemical and b:?cterLclojrlr.3'_ fr re . employing di-brome and
di-brome methyl alcohol: that the ~?naor_ as well aware that the
best defense is an attack, d ii to=t t-:??efore it is necessary to be
ready to handle{ chemical and bacteri:i~a~cal means of attack. Toward the
close of the lecture the lecturer smoke of a new gas used by the UN troops
in.Korea, "tabun Pas,'' rie oi , _. the use of atomic materials, but
in so confused a rimier ti,:: ; n . ... _ 1 i rake sense of what he was saying.
22. In the political corr. e tile: o u r :,t historical and dialectic materialism,
military history, Party 'ii-'~t )ry, : n' t::_ history of the Rumanian republic.
Secondary school prep:.ration rc l :'e,t for the course in historical and
dialectic materialise. The t o 'n a->tnciie Church is regarded as enemy No. 1
of materialism; the Orthodox church is rejsrded as somewhat more progressive,
since C. SuVivt __nverte= th.tr churches into houses of
culture. The course in military history begins with. the Russian revolution
and the underground movement during the time of the Tsars. As far as it.COn
Berns the Western Allies only thrfr ."Lilures are discussed. Western aid to
the Soviets is, talked down. '>turients are taught that 1, the technical quality
of diet : eapon.% 1r; far .bo?r e th it of the Allied arms. A fmt Lure - of this
course is .instruction in pirt.tcsn tietict.. .A distinction is made between. two
types of partisnnsi thosi under ^f-Ay orcitru and those who work ur~derr the.
direction of th. Party Yugoslav :,nom Greek part a.sans are cited. as examples
of the latter. 'Phere is a q.-ekly lecture on the war in Korea, in which the
technical superiority of the, ti', troops i= admitted, but contrasted with the
moral superiority of tho Comr+unists. Tarty history is one of the main courses,
with emphasis on the foundation of the Co-inform Bureau.
23. Political and technical seminars arc held weakly in order to test the progress
of the stud4nts in all department--, b'.:: again with emphasis on political -training.
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