DREWITZ AIRFIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002900130005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/11/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002900130005-0
COUNTRY,
CLASSIFICATION SECRrT
East Germany
TOPIC 1 awitz Airfield
EVALUATION a in hA' nw
DATE OF CON
DATE OBTAINS
REFERENCES
SECURITY INFOI ',ATIOa
REPORT NO.
WI
PLACE OBTAINED
'
25X1
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PREPARED 29 October 1953
PAGES 3 ENCLOSURES (NO. & TYPE)
REMARKS
1. Source eaa'ned in J uary'19' 5that a aum 'O T-35 million eastmarks had originally
been d for the construction of Drewitz airfield in 1953. Later, this sum
was fiduce he airfield area was surrounded by a 2-meter barbed wire fence.
nschwalde, the installation could be entered through
ectton of ;
`
'of- whi were guarded. A third gate.was southeast of Drewitz.
,th
TO r# load line runs through the southern portion of the airfield,
Howeve ,since tr was in a depression, the airfield area could not be ob-
served, tros, train. Even the quartering buildings close to the railroad line
were blocked to view by trees. The airfield could best be observed from points
near wistz ifl .9rs o.s. ,
2. Sour?lgar d *om records and talks with construction supervisors that the sub-
grade of tie runway consisted of a layer of broken stones upon which pierced i-
r a p"l ter had 'been fo concreting work was started. No drainage faoili-
tlee ha "Been built because the field was very sandy. At its eastern end, the
r zway, which was 80 meters wide, was widened to 120 meters on a 80-mater stretch.
Prior to .5 July 1953, no Hangars had been built. Work on the construction of hargers
had star bit. constriction activities were suspended after a sum of about
7)O, 0 eastmarks"has been invested. Strudtural steel which had been delivered far
the hangars was shipped away. Work on the construction of six garages, filling
station, and a guardhouse had been started. The spur track to the field branched
off from the Cottbus-Guben railroad line near Grabko, one siding leading to the
landing field while a second one extended almost parallel to the main railroad line.,
3, The airfield was equipped with a pumping station, one water pipeline led to the
quartering buildings, another pipeline was allegedly built as severage.
4. In mid 1953, a settlement. for Soviet officers and their dependents which consisted
of about 20 small houses, a schools a culture house, a large kitchen and garages
was completed. Ea4h house had six rooms and a bath, was fitted with central heat-
lag and hot and cold running water. After the houses were completed in late May
1953, they were placed off limits to the Germans. Thirteen low brick buildings,
56 x 16 meters, a single-story culture house, and a large kitchen were being built
south of the railroad line. These.houses were said to be earmarked for occupation
by flying personnel. When a VPL unit moved to Drewitz in June 1953, the Bauunion
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h .d to vacate the workers' camp east of Ih ewitz for the bike olizei and
the workers moved to the low brick buildings south of the railroad line.
Source made a layout sketch of Drewitz airfield0
At noon on 25 September.. source observed no air activity at the airfield? a.a
officer and about 20 VPLs were seen at Jaenschwalde railroad station. Files of
sand and pipes were seen on the Jaenschwalde-Drewitz highway. .A barbed wire
fence extended from a point about 10 meters north of railroad kilometer marker
194.1 as far as railroad kilometer marker 197.1, where the fence turned to and
the woods, in the north. A watchtower, about 15 meters high, was been near ki-
lometer marker 1941. Three-story buildings were observed batweer. railroad ki-
lometer markers 196.3 and 196.7.
7, On 30 September, source determined that the entrance to the field was at tea, north-
ern edge, about 300 meters south of Drewitz. At this entrance was a wooden _xard--
house which was occupied by VFL? About 100 meters to. the southeast were lo.z wooden
buildings with black-red-golden flags, which housed VPL personnel. About 1,?00 me-
ters northeast of the entrance was a gravel pit from where a narrow-gauge field
railway extended toward the airfield to the southwest. Or.. this railroads g c.vel
was carried to the field. Along th4 spur track,, a section of the landing fi.ald
could be seen ;.:nd four completed shrapnelproof aircraft revetments were id ntified
8. Source observed from the train that several three-story biildinLTs were loer{ted
along the Cottbus-Gut .n railroad line. A concrete road from the north met with the
fence along the southern section of the field, at railroad kilometer marker 196.6,
ran along the fence to the northeast for a stretch of about 500 meters, and again
turned to the north between the three-story buildings and spur track, Five tem-
porary buildings for construction workers were located north of the railra;.icd line,
about 1,000 meters east of the Jaenschwalde railroad station, outside of to air-
field.
25X19" Between 1100 a.m. and 6 p.m,, on 30 September, no air activity was conductF'd at
the field. No Soviet sol Uers were observed at the field or it its At
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25X1
25X1
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10, A road,, about 800 meters long, with head stone pavement extended from Drewit-z
to the main entrance of the airfield which was guarded by VPL sentries, Ti3~y
soldiers who entered and left through this gate also were VPL personnel? S
temporary buildings were observed near the entrance inside of the field?
11, Signs Indicated that work by the Bauunion Sued was under way at the field
Construction work was being done on goad from Jaenschwalde to the field ,,Sic
cables were being laid along this road. An estimated 250 laborers were einp?.tyed
at the field,, The field area was surrounded by a 2 -meter fence,
128 An inkeeper in Drewitz stated the airfield was occupied by V?I, personnel i
that no Soviets were stationed there Informant further said that no aircr,- t
were stationed at the field and that no air activity, has been conducted #a weeks'
while prior to around 17 June 1953, there had been intensive a.ir activity 'any jet
aircraft?
134 On 6 October, the postal bus to Drewitz was used by four VPL men who entercpd the
airfield through the gate on the northern edge. Five lour-wooden-buildings "af
the same, type formerly built for the Reich Labot Service weere observed 20" , o
300 meters from the guard house at the northern entrance A narrow-gauge f:'.:ld
railway extended along the fence inside of the northern edge of the field.,, From
Jaenschwalde, three Soviet Air Force officers went on a path along the Cot??.bus
-Guben railroad station b the northeast, while some VPLs, who had detrained In
25X1 Jaenschwalde, proceeded on the, road to Drewitz,,
Comment., For layout sketch of Drewitz airfield, see Annex,,
30 JG rrunen U It is believed that Drewitz airfield is occupied by the 641? VPL
Regt. with the assigned 302d Supply Bn0 At present, air activity is being, con-
ducted only at Cottbus airfield where apparently flights on Yak-18s are 'o,3-T .g
made by a training course for commanders and flight instructors. For loczl:.';;iss
and, landmarks mentioned by sources,, see Map GSGS 1414, sheet 4053/4153.
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Annex to
_. 2
Legend:
1 Runwayb
2 Shrapnelproof aircraft revetments.
3 Location of scheduled refueling station.
4 Location of scheduled flight control station.
5 Rail.rdad sidings.
6 Auxiliary loading ramp.
7 Settlement for Soviets.
8 Location of scheduled 6 garages with refueling station.
9 13 low brick bttildings with culture house.
10 Fire pond,
11 Basements for hangars.
12 Transformer Station.
13 Pumping station.
14 Probable eourae of newly laid waterpipe.
14 Wire fenve.
16# 17 and 18 Guarded entrances to the airfield.
19, 20 and 21 Road blocks.
22 Camp of Bauunion, now occupied by KVP.
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Approved For Release 2006/11/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002900130005-0