To Comrade FOKIN

I am forwarding responses to your questions by diplomatic pouch on 5 November 1951.

Detailed testimony of prisoner FARLER has been mailed to Deputy Military Minister General Lieutenant LOBANOV.

BOGUSLAVSKY

No. 4160

[Translator's note: Document has several signatures in lower left, each dated 3 November 1951, and two stamps in lower right, with "input" numbers 700 and 6366, dated 3 November and 2 November, respectively. Year of stamp is illegible.]

TO CHIEF, SOVIET ARMY GENERAL STAFF

GENERAL OF THE ARMY Comrade SHTEMENKO, S.U.

I hereby report:

On December 1 of this year, in the area of Oberzell (20 km southwest of Eisenach), Private HAZENSTAL, Robert, b. 1926, from the 24th Police Squad, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment, voluntarily crossed the line of demarcation into the Soviet occupation zone of Germany.

[He] states as a reason that he does not wish to go to Korea.

[He] requests political asylum.

Guard General-Colonel IVANOV

2 December of this year

LIST OF AMERICAN, BRITISH AND FRENCH MILITARY PERSONNEL DETAINED BY ORGANS OF THE MINISTRY OF STATE SECURITY

Americans

1. BERLIN, William, Private, b. 1926.

Detained on 5 February 1949 while crossing the line of demarcation into the Soviet zone, where he was going allegedly to meet a German woman of his acquaintance.

2. COX, Hommer-Harold, b. 1919. Detained on 6 September 1949 in the Soviet sector of Berlin. Requested political asylum. While in custody, however, he changed his intentions and asked to be returned to U.S. authorities.

3. PETERSON, William-Jay, Private, b. 1916. Detained on 7 September 1949 in the Soviet sector of Berlin, where he had crossed together with another soldier COX of the same battalion, wishing to receive asylum. While in custody, he changed his intentions and asked to be returned to U.S. authorities.

4. HEVING [Tr. note: Possibly "Hewing"] Wilfred [Handwritten in parentheses: "Wilford"], b. 1919. Deserted from the U.S. Army in connection with his scheduled return to the U.S.A. Detained on 17 October 1949 in the area of [NAULIG? illegible] of Kreis Brandenburg, where he was cohabiting with a German woman.

To Comrade VASILEVSKIY

To Comrade SHTEMENKO

In autumn of 1950 the Koreans took American general DEAN prisoner.

After being surrounded, DEAN changed his clothing and hid for a rather long time in Korean villages, but was later identified and detained.

The Americans had reported DEAN missing in action. The Koreans did not report DEAN's capture and kept the matter secret.

KIM IR SEN requested my advice as to how to deal with DEAN.

I declined to respond.

Please report whether you have any instructions on this matter.

RAZUVAYEV

21 January 1951

USSR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

We have not yet received a response to our No. 458/k of 17 Oct 1950

ARTHUR JOSEPH DE ROCHE, a U.S. Army soldier, and Sergeant JOHN DEMPSEY [?] of the British Army, remain in the custody of Soviet occupation forces in Austria, having crossed to the Soviet occupation zone for the purpose of seeking political asylum with us. American soldier JOSEPH DE ROCHE presented a letter requesting that he be sent to work in the Soviet Union, and if this could not be done, to release him to the Americans.

Refugee JOSEPH DE ROCHE has been in our custody under guard since 24 Sep 50, and JOHN DEMPSEY since 14 Oct 50. We do not have the facilities to hold refugees and have no orders as to how to proceed with this category of individual.

In this connection we request a resolution of the issue of how to handle servicemen of foreign armies who have voluntarily crossed over to us.

The lack of a resolution of this problem places us in an extremely difficult position and we are forced to hold refugees under arrest for months. Such an attitude toward voluntary refugees on our part is not justified and creates negative propaganda for those individuals who intend to cross over to our side.

Request immediate instructions.

TSINEV, KOPTELOV

12/28/50

USSR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

To Your No.44 /MFA/

1. American soldier KERRICK [?], GUY, b. 1920, was detained on 8 Feb 49 while crossing the line of demarcation to the Soviet zone. He deserted from the U.S. Army and requests asylum.

2. French soldier GOMPTAIN, ANDRE, b. 1921, voluntarily crossed into the Soviet zone on 15 Jun 49. States that his crossing was for political reasons.

3. French soldier RENARD, LOUIS, b. 1924, crossed over to Soviet authorities on 6 Apr 49. He gives as the reason for his crossing his wish not to go to Vietnam for the second time to participate in military actions.

MELNIKOV believes that KERRICK, GUY, GOMPTAIN, ANDRE and RENARD, LOUIS should be returned to Western occupation forces since they are of no interest to Ministry of State Security entities.

SEMICHASTNOV, ILICHEV

2/1/50 [12.00 Samokhin?]

USSR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

On the night of 2-3 August of this year Private Johnson, Carlos of the U.S. military forces, b. 1927, from North Carolina, crossed the demarcation line and presented himself to the military command of the city of Uhrfar [sic].

At the command's location Johnson stated that he did not wish to return to his homeland and is requesting that Soviet authorities in Austria granted him asylum; he put this in writing. Johnson stated that he has been in the army since 1946, with brief interruptions in service. He served in U.S. forces in Korea and was twice wounded. He arrived in Austria in late June of 1953. In July he completed a month-long course for military scouts.

The special section of the group of forces is conducting the interrogation.

ILICHEV

No. 321/VK [poss. military commander] 8/3/53

[Translator's note: Penciled lettering in upper left, initialed with "M"]

[Handwritten Note]

To Comrade Podgovny

Mazurou

SECRET

CPSU CC

28 SEPT 1973 33265

TO BE RETURNED TO THECPSU CC GENERAL DEPT.

[miscellaneous signatures]

[handwritten] 1 October 73

I am reporting, that:

On 28 September 1973 our military ship in the Pacific Ocean collected Michael Dough/Doe [?], an American non-commissioned officer, who allegedly fell off the USS Blue-Ridge while it was being refueled on the open seas.

The NCO remained in the water of 16 hours. He was given first aid on our ship.

I think that after some time he can be handed over to the Americans.

I am tasking the USSR MFA with informing the State Department of the fact that a US military seaman has been given first aid and that we are ready to send him back to the US side.

The transfer could take place in the Pacific Ocean to an American military ship.

[Signature]

A. Grechko

[handwritten]

Executed 1 October 19-73

[Signature]

[illegible] comrade Sidorov [illegible]

6 July 1947 City of Petropavlovsk

On this date and year, a commission consisting of chairman LTC F.P. Kukarin and members A.A. Terekhov, chief of the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory and major in the Medical Corps, and V.S. Remarchuk, judicial and legal medical expert and captain in the Medical Corps,

carried out the exhumation of the remains of U.S. Army Air Force Sergeant Thomas E. Ring, who expired in a hospital on 1 Sep 1943 from a heavy wound received during the crash of an airplane on 12 Aug 1943 in the vicinity of Petropavlovsk.

The above remains were exhumed in order to return them to the country of origin [his homeland].

The remains removed from the grave were dressed for burial, wrapped in white linen sheets, placed in a wooden coffin. The coffin was then placed in a metal coffin of galvanized iron. The lid of the coffin was bolted shut and hermetically soldered.

A brass tablet with the name of the deceased engraved on it was affixed to the lid of the metal coffin.

This record attests to the above facts.

Lieutenant Colonel Kukarin

Major, Medical Corps Terekhov

Captain, Medical Corps Remarchuk

Captain, Administrative Division

[signature] Romashev

DECLASSIFIEDSECRET DRAFT

1. Confirm the draft answer presented by the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), by the Ministry of Defense and the Committee on State Security of the CPSU CC (attached). The note is to be delivered to the US Embassy in Moscow.

Publish the text of the answer with a summary of the 13 September US note in the Soviet press.

2. Task the Committee of State Security of the CPSU CC and the Ministry of Defense with making the necessary preparations for and sending the remains of the six crew members of the American plane which came down in the Yerevan area to the American side.

[handwritten]

15 Sept 1956 [?]to 1977

Appendix

Draft

In response to the 13 September 1958 [?] US Embassy note (No. 270), the USSR MFA feels that it is necessary to confirm its note dated 12 September about the US AF plane, which intentionally crossed the USSR national border and went down 55 kilometers to the north-west of Yerevan.

The Ministry's note reported that this aircraft crashed and burned, and the remains of bodies were found at the crash site. It was determined from the remains that six crew members perished. The Soviet side does not possess any other information about the crew members.

The Soviet government strongly repudiates the assertion made in the Embassy note purporting that Soviet fighters intercepted this aircraft near the Soviet-Turkish border around Kars, as groundless and provocational in nature.

Such an unworthy attempt to lay the blame on the Soviet side for the fact that the American aircraft and its crew perished has been made, apparently, in order to justify the very obvious fact that this aircraft intentionally crossed the national border of the USSR.

The Soviet government has repeatedly stated that the US government is responsible for the consequences of US aircraft illegally crossing the Soviet national border. There is one thing which the US government must do, and that is prohibit its air force from illegally crossing the national border of the Soviet Union once and for all. It is precisely these types of measures which the Soviet government awaits from the US government.

As far as the Embassy's request to send the remains of the six crew members from the burned aircraft, the appropriate Soviet authorities are ready to send them to a representative of the American authorities.

SECRET

DEPARTMENT OF THECOUNTRIES OF AMERICA

ENTRY No 2596

7 DEC 1958

Comrade Menshikov, the USSR ambassador to the US, reported that he was invited to the State Department by Murphy, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, who gave him an oral presentation about the American aircraft which illegally crossed the USSR border in the area of Yerevan on 2 September of this year (Telegram UP 2196 from Washington).

During his presentation Murphy asserted that the plane which crossed into Soviet air space was supposedly following a Soviet radar beacon, and was downed by Soviet fighters. "Eyewitnesses" supposedly saw parachutists jump from the plane. Murphy also said that since the remains of only six crew members of the aircraft have been sent to the Americans, and there were 17 people on board, there should still be 11 individuals on Soviet territory, and it is possible that some of them are still alive.

Murphy further announced that the 19 and 20 September issues of the newspaper "Sovetskaya Aviatsiya" [soviet aviation] published articles written by Major A. Voshchkov [?] entitled, "Vysokoe Masterstvo," [advanced skill] which, in Murphy's opinion, confirm the fact that the American aircraft was downed by Soviet fighters. Murphy announced that the Americans allegedly have a taped recording of the conversation between the Soviet fighter pilots and between the pilots and ground control.

Comrade Menshikov declined to discuss the issue raised by Murphy and announced that as far as the American aircraft which illegally crossed the USSR border in the area of Yerevan on 8 September is concerned, the appropriate answer was already given by the Soviet side in Moscow. He categorically denied Murphy's assertions that the Soviet pilots allegedely shot down this American aircraft, refused to listen to the taped recording fabricated by the Americans, and denied the Americans' conjectures related to the article in the newspaper "Sovetskaya Aviatsiya."

It is completely obvious that the American side is using various fabrications to draw us into a new discussion of this issue in order to wipe our their guilt for the fact that an American aircraft illegally crossed the USSR border, and lay the blame on the Soviet side.

SECRET

USSR MFA

DEPARTMENT OFCOUNTRIES OF AMERICA

ENTRY No 1977

16 SEPT 1958

DECLASSIFIED
 

On 12 September of this year, the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a note to the US Embassy about the American aircraft which went down 55 kilometers to the north-west of the city of Yerevan.

On 13 September the US Embassy sent a reply letter in which an attempt is made to portray the event in such a way so that it looks like Soviet fighters intercepted the American aircraft in the area of the Soviet-Turkish border near Kars. They are requesting information about the 17 crew members, and there is a request to allow representatives of the Embassy accompanied by technical experts to investigate the circumstances of the aircraft catastrophe at the actual location, identify the corpses and proceed with sending the remains of the crew members to the appropriate American authorities. This response is highly provocative in nature.

The USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the Committee on State Security of the CPSU CC have prepared a draft response to the American note. This answer decisively refutes the thoughts contained in the Embassy note. The American request to visit the area where the aircraft went down is being ignored in the new note. This is done because the area in which the American aircraft went down remainder of this sentence is somewhat illegible] is the border area and is closed off to foreigners. Therefore the Americans are not to be given access to this area [parts of this sentence also illegible].

As far as the request to sent the remains of the crew members to the American sie, it would be reasonable to fulfill this request and task the Committee for State Security to sent the bodies of the dead crew members [word illegible].

The draft decree is attached.

We ask that you examine it.

[initials] [initials] [initials]

V. Kuznetsov E. Konev [?] [?]

[?] September 1958

The position of the Soviet government on the issue of this American plane has already been detailed in three notes sent to the US Embassy and published in the Soviet press. Therefore, the USSR MFA believes it would not be expedient to enter into a discussion of this issue at the present time with the Americans and will limit itself to the answer which was given by comrade Menshikov in his discussion with Murphy. If the Americans should mention this issue, they should be told that the note sent by the Soviet side on this issue, as well as the answer made by Ambassador Menshikov on 14 November to Murphy's announcement completely settled the matter, and the Soviet side has nothing additional to add.

Please consider this.

Original signed by

A. Gromyko

6 December 1958

Certified: [Signature]

USSR MFA

SECRET

DEPARTMENT OF THECOUNTRIES OF AMERICA

ENTRY No 1125

18 MAY 1959

DECLASSIFIED

[handwritten]

to Control

[signature]

21 May 59

CPSU CC

On 4 May 1959, US Ambassador Thompson delivered a memorandum to Comrade N. S. Khrushchev. This memorandum expressed the concern of the US president about the fate of the 11 American pilots who allegedly were on the American C-130 aircraft, which illegally crossed the USSR national border on 2 September 1958 and went down in the Yerevan area. It is possible that the Americans will publish their memorandum.

Because of this, the USSR MFA feels that it would be to our advantage to deliver our memorandum on this issue to Davis, the US charge d'affaires ad interim to the USSR. If necessary, this memorandum can be made public. This memorandum Should contain the response which Comrade N. S. Khrushchev gave to US Ambassador Thompson.

A draft of the decree is attached.

Please examine it.

Original signed by

V. Kuznetsov

15 May 1959

Certified: [handwritten] Semonov

16 May 59

SECRET

USSR MFA

DEPARTMENT OF THE

COUNTRIES OF AMERICA

ENTRY No 1930

18 AUG 1959

[stamp]

DECLASSIFIED

On 1 August of this year US Vice-President Richard Nixon sent Comrade N. S. Khrushchev a letter in which a request has been made to provide information on the fate of the 11 Americans who supposedly were on board the USAF plane which crashed on 2 September 1958 in the area of Yerevan. In his letter Mr. Nixon raises the issue of the fate of the 11 crew members of this aircraft as a "serious impediment to improving" relations between the USSR and the USA.

In accordance with its instructions, the USSR MFA is presenting Comrade N. S. Khrushchev's draft answer to Nixon's letter mentioned above.

The draft decree is attached.

Please examine it.

Original signed by

A. Gromyko

17 August 1959

[illegible]/GS

Certified: [signature]

[handwritten]

For the file

[signature]

9 Dec 59

Draft

Dear Mr. Nixon,

I have familiarized myself with your 1 August 59 letter in which you again raise the issue of the US AF plane which crashed on 2 September 1959, 55 kilometers to the north-west of Yerevan.

I will tell you candidly that the fact that you have raised this issue after the Soviet government has done all it possibly could to clarify the circumstances of this crash and has fully informed the American side of the findings of its inquiries, must at the very minimum cause perplexity on our part. We cannot view this as anything but an attempt to artificially create barriers toward improving US-Soviet relations.

The government of the United States has already been informed that on 2 September 1959 no Soviet fighter downed an American aircraft and that on that day a US military aircraft crashed near Yerevan. At the site the remains of corpses were discovered. After an examination of the remains, which were sent to the American side on 24 September 1958, it was possible to conclude that 6 crew members perished. No other American pilots from the indicated aircraft were found in the Soviet Union and therefore we don't have them.

I understand the feelings of the relatives of those who perished when the plane crashed. However, it is completely obvious that those who are in charge of such flights of American aircraft are responsible for them to the American public and to the relatives of those who perished.

I would like to point out to you, Mr. Vice-President, that such issues would not ever come up in the relations between our two countries if US military aircraft did not fly so close to the Soviet border and did not cross the border for purposes which are incompatible with improving Soviet-American relations. Moreover, such flights of American air lanes and their illegal crossings of the Soviet border are still taking place. In particular, these flights were recorded in the eastern sector by our country virtually on the eve of your visit to the Soviet Union.

I inform you of this with the hope that the American side will curtail such activities, which, without doubt, will make a very important contribution towards developing and improving relations between our countries. In other words, curtailing such activities will be conducive to achieving the noble goals of "ending the cold war" and reinforcing peace, discussions of which we and you have devoted many hours to during your stay in our country.

Very sincerely,

N. Khrushchev

TO: Richard NIXON

US Vice-President

FORM No. 4

not SECRET

[handwritten] For permanent storage

USSR Ministry of the Armed Forces

Store: permanently

No. 4

[handwritten] Acts and lists of foreign citizens repatriated via Odessa up to 1945/8 [?] and Groups of forces

Begun: 7 March 1945

Completed: 2 January 1947

on 370 pages

Certified:

STATEMENT

[Illegible] 11 August 1945

We, the undersigned, the representative of the Red Army Guard Command, Lieutenant Colonel Skriknikov [?] and the senior officer of the Allied Army POW camp, Colonel Pilet of the American army, created this Statement, which states that on 10 and 11 August 1945, 1,383 officers and soldiers of the Allied nations were sent from Mukden to Dairen by rail. The names of the individuals who were at the camp are contained in the list attached to this Statement. This completes the evacuation of all former POWs from the Mukden camp.

Lieutenant Colonel of the Guard

[Signature] [Signature]

Skriknikov Col. Pillay

[handwritten]

N. C. Pilet,

Col. G. S. C.

[illegible note]

13 November

[Signature]

The following is a roster of those personnel evacuated from Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria, by air:

Departed 8-24-45:

Manees, J.R., Col 0-11664

Duffey, John R, Major 19346

Jacobs, Eugene C, Major 20499

Balfanz, A.W., 2nd Lt

Guye, Earl W, T/Sgt

Milholland, Bruce S, Sgt

RSFSR Supreme Court

Kuibyshev Square, dom 3/7

Moscow, USSR 10389

[handwritten] 29 May 92 No 891

TO: D. A. Volkogonov, Chairman of the Joint Commission on Elucidating Information on US Citizens Who Went Missing in Action on USSR Territory During and After WW II.

The following information was established after an examination of the materials which are located in the Russian Federation Supreme Court Military Board:

1. A special commission was created by a decree of the CPSU CC Presidium. The decree was dated 15 April 1953 and was entitled, "The Possibility of Repatriating from the USSR Foreign Citizens who are Serving or have Served their Sentences." This decree examined the issue and concluded that it would be possible to free 16,547 foreigners from their place of incarceration and repatriate them. The majority of these convicted individuals were from among German prisoners of war.

According to the Commission's materials, there were 8 US citizens among those foreigners convicted by 1 August 1953 and located in prisons in the USSR. Two of them were scheduled to be released, and six were supposed to remain in prison to continue serving their sentences. Individuals who were convicted of petty crimes and did not pose a threat to society were scheduled for early release (or amnesty). Those individuals who were convicted of felonies (espionage, heinous crimes on occupied territory, collaborating with the fascists, etc.) were not scheduled for release.

While the commission was in session, it compiled lists of individuals who were scheduled for release. The lists were sent to departments involved in this issue, including the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (28 September 1953).

Because of the fact that the Military Board was only tasked with this issue yesterday (i.e., 28 May 1992), it is not possible to provide other information at this time. As we elicit other facts, each and every one will be presented to the commission in a timely manner, including data from the lists mentioned above. A certain amount of time will be necessary to study this information.

1

It seems to us that the lists should contain full information on each convicted individual (short autobiographical information, by which court and for what criminal activities, duration of sentence, and prison where sentence was served).

2. The Military Board has studied the inquiry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs State Information Center dated 14 May 1992). The list of foreign citizens (41 individuals) who were convicted in Soviet courts from 1922-1968 was checked with the card file.

It was found that the personal information was similar to that of three of the convicted individuals.

1. Among those convicted of espionage, there is one Thomas, Robert (He appears on the American list as Thomas, Robert, Jr.).

According to the materials of the Military Board, the German subject, Thomas, Wolfgang-Robert-Gustav, born 1926 in Berlin, a German, is listed as being convicted of espionage on 12 July 1952.

2. Among those convicted of heinous crimes on occupied territory is one Meyer, Benno Edward (appears on the American list as Meyer, Elton Benno).

The materials of the Military Board list Meyer, Ben no (case of Hertzog and others) as being convicted (along with 19 others) of heinous crimes on the occupied territory of the Pskov and Novgorod regions [oblast'] by a military tribunal from 7-18 December 1947.

3. Among those convicted (charges were not listed) appears one Roper, John Tomasovich (Roberts, Harold J. on the American list).

In actual fact Roper, John Tomasovich was convicted on 4 March 1939 for "ties to English intelligence." He was born in 1901 in the city of Tweed Mont (England), and is an Englishman. Since 1934 he has been a citizen of the USSR. Until his arrest he was an English teacher. He was rehabilitated by the Military Board on 29 September 1960.

The Military Board does not possess any other information about the conviction of others listed on the list.

The Military Board has a card file of those convicted by the Military Board and by military tribunals whose verdicts were appealed to the Military Board, i.e., the card file only contains information on those individuals about which the Military Board itself made decisions (they were convicted by the Military Board, or their case was reexamined on appeal or as a result of the legal review process).

The cases of others convicted by military courts are being sought out by us in the archives, based upon inquiries received from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs State Information Center.

[Signature]

N. Petukhov

CHAIRMAN OF THE MILITARY BOARD,SUPREME COURT OF THE RUSSIANFEDERATION

Main Archive Directorate under Council of Ministers USSR

Central National Archive USSR

125212 Moscow, Viborgsky Street #3

phone 159-73-83

The Central State Special Archive preserves documents of

the Main Directorate on POW and Interned Affairs (GUPVI) of the MVD

[ministry of internal affairs] of the USSR. These include the

following holdings:

- Central GUPVI organization;

- Special GUPVI information bureau;

- GUPVI political section;

- Anti-Fascist section;

- Political section of POW camps in republics, areas and counties;

- Camps, special hospitals, labor battalions of the interned;

- NKVD [People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs] departments on POW affairs;

- Files on released and dead POW of former Western armies, Japanese Army;

- Files on released and freed interned individuals;

- Files on POWs deployed to form Hungarian, Romanian, Czechoslovakian, Yugoslav and Polish units.

The archive also contains part of the holdings of Authorized Directorate of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union on repatriation affairs.

Deputy Director of the archives, [signature] V.E. Korotaiev

according to documents of the collecting facilities and transit camps directorate from 1945 to 1953 about the presence of POW and interned US citizens.

As a result of work on documents of above mentioned facilities an alphabetical list was compiled on US citizens. According to the data contained in the lists we have information on 2,901 US citizens including 60 individuals who either died, went to their homeland on their own, departed for other installations and also 25 individuals whose fate is unclear.

Based on TsAVS [expansion unknown, possibly Central Archives ofArmed Forces], op. 725510 d.13,ll.77,111;

5th DEPARTMENT CHIEF

Lt. Colonel [signature]

/GONCHAROV/

R2-93

[stamp] MFA USSR directorate of Com. Zorin, secret, #2244

25 June 52

[stamp] Top Secret, Font A, Copy #l

USSRMinistry of Government Security (MGB)

25 June 1952

To: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs USSR

Comrade Zorin, V.A.

Concerning the note from the American Embassy dated 18 June 1952 #689, we report that on 13 June 1952 at 1735 hrs a US B-29 plane was shot down a Soviet Air Force MIG-15 over our territorial Sea of Japan waters south of Valentin Bay.

The location of the unidentified US plane debris mentioned in the American Embassy note (41 39 long, 133 55 lat) is 80 miles south of the Valentin Bay, 105 miles east of the city of Vladivostok.

Coast Guard and border patrol ships did not locate any plane fragments or equipment from the downed plane, or any members of the crew.

Deputy Minister ofGovernment Security, USSR

[signed] N. Stakhanov

23/Department of the Americas

The government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics considers it necessary to state the following to the United States of America government:

According to verified data, on 29 July 1953 about 0700 hrs Vladivostok time, a four engine bomber (B50 type) with US insignia violated the official USSR border initially in the area of Cape Gamov and continued to fly over USSR territory around Ascold island near Vladivstok. When the US plane was approached by two Soviet fighters who intended only to point out that the US plane was violating Soviet borders and suggest it leave the Soviet airspace, it opened fire on the Soviet planes and caused serious damage to one of them. The Soviet fighter sustained damage consisting of holes in the fuselage and left wing and damage to the integrity of the hermetic seal of the pilots cabin. The Soviet planes were forced to return fire, after which the American plane headed toward the sea.

To the United States of America Embassy

Moscow

Handed to Comrade A.A. Gromyko by Ambassador Bolen during discussion on 31 July 53.

[in Russian text: Translated from English]

MEMORANDUM

My government has instructed me to strongly protest the action taken by a Soviet plane to shoot down an American Air Force type RB-50 which was on a routine navigation training flight over the Sea of Japan.

The second pilot of the American plane, who was rescued by a US ship approximately 40 miles from the Soviet shoreline south of cape Povorotnie, confirmed that his plane with 17 crew members on board was attacked by one or more Soviet MIG-15. The firing by MIGs on the engine caused a fire which led to the crash of the American plane.

We also received information that other crew members who survived were picked up by Soviet vessels in the area of the crash. My government has instructed me to request that Soviet authorities immediately inform us about the condition of these individuals and let us know what measures are being taken for their repatriation in the near future.

American Embassy

31 July 1953, Moscow

Translated by:[signature] Alekseyeva

No. 25 Department of the Americas

In connection with the American Embassy Memorandum dated 31 July 1953, the government of USSR considers it necessary to state the following to the United States government:

The Soviet government note to the US government dated 30 July 1953 presents verified facts confirming that a US four engine type B-50 bomber violated Soviet border on July 29 1953 initially in the Cape Gamov area and then continued it's flight near the Ascold island near Vladivostok. When two Soviet fighters approached to show the US aircraft that it is in Soviet airspace and show it a way out, the American plane opened fire on the fighters, seriously damaging one of them. Because of the action taken by the US plane the Soviet plane was forced to return fire, after which the US plane headed out to sea.

The above facts show that American statements contained in the US government Memorandum alleging that the American plane was attacked by Soviet fighters during routine flight over the Sea of Japan, contradict the established facts.

The Soviet government has no information regarding the above mentioned American plane which headed out toward the sea, or its crew.

The Soviet government confirms its note dated 30 July and insists on a strict reprimand of those individuals responsible for violating the Soviet borders and expects that the US government will take measures to prevent any future violations of Soviet borders by American aircraft.

The Soviet government rejects the protest contained in the US Embassy Memorandum as having no substance.

Moscow, 03 Aug 1953

to the American Embassy

Moscow

Verified: [signature]

Routing list:

comrades

Molotov

Vishinsky

Gromyko

Zorin

Pushkin

Podcherov

Il'ichev

USSR Embassy in Washington. Case 2

Conveyed by U.S. Ambassador [Bolen?]

to V.I. Molotov on 4 [Aug?] 1953 [stamp] Declassified

Secret

Translated from English

MEMORANDUM

[stamp] MFA-USSR

USA Department

Secret

Input No. 757 Department of the Americas

4 August 1953

Information available to the U.S. government regarding survivors of the incident involving the B-50 aircraft:

1. The co-pilot was rescued by an American vessel 40 miles from the Soviet coast south of Cape Povorotny.

2. The pilot parachuted from the airplane at the same time as the co-pilot, and it is assumed that the other crew members also parachuted.

3. Search and rescue aircraft dropped a life raft to the other survivors and the crews of those airplanes are more or less certain that at least four, and possible more, of the survivors climbed into the raft.

4. Those same American aircraft discovered approximately nine Soviet "PT" type vessels in the general area, and at least six of these "PT" type vessels were headed for the site where wreckage of the plane had been found earlier. Soviet trawlers were also detected in the same general area.

On the basis of the above observations and testimony of the rescued co-pilot, it appears highly likely that the other crew members survived and that they were possibly rescued by the Soviet vessels. In light of this, the U.S. government urges the Soviet government to conduct a further investigation into the location of any surviving members of the crew.

Translated by: [signature]

(O. Troyanovsky)

Distribution:

Comrades Molotov

Gromyko

Zorin

Godtserob [?]

Department of Countries of America

[handwritten]

[stamps, left to right:]

Ministry of DefenseUnion of SSR

General Staff of Naval Forces

8 August 1953

MFA-USSR

Department of USA

Secret

Entry No. 7651

10 August 1953

MFA-USSR

Gromyko

SecretEntry No. 3461

8 August 1953

[illegible]

SecretCopy No. 1

[handwritten] Filed 10 August

To: USSR Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Comrade A.A. Gromyko

The assertion contained in the U.S. note dated 5 August 1953 that on 29 July of this year 12 Soviet "PT" type vessels were observed in an area where the co-pilot of a U.S. B-50 airplane had been found by an American surface vessel, and that these Soviet vessels were allegedly engaged in picking up the other members of the airplane's crew who survived the crash, has no basis in reality.

On 30 July at about 04:00 hours, Vladivostok time, Soviet fishing trawler No. 423 was passing through the area in which the Americans were searching for their airplane. The Soviet trawler was engaged in a fishing-operation.

As already indicated in a report by naval Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Kuznetsov, dated 30 July 1953, two U.S. destroyers approached the Soviet fishing trawler in question at about 04:00.

An American and a Japanese officer aboard a cutter deployed from one of the destroyers attempted to obtain information about the "B-50" and its crew. However, they were unable to do so, since the trawler had not seen any wreckage of the airplane and had not picked up the crew.

The Americans' efforts to converse with the trawler were in vain, as the Americans did not have a Russian interpreter with them.

Aside from this trawler, there were no other Soviet vessels in the area where the Americans were searching for their airplane.

Chief, Main Headquarters

Admiral [signature, illegible]

Secret. Copy No. 16

24 November 1954

Initial No. 1174/Department of the Americas

Comrade A.A. Gromyko

Enclosed please find drafts of Memoranda in the CPSU Central Committee, Decrees and a note to the U.S. government in response to its note of 9 October 1954 regarding an incident involving an American aircraft that violated the national borders of the USSR in the vicinity of Vladivostok.

Please review them.

[signature] [signature]

[G. Tunkin] [V. Bazykin]

Typed in three copies, ms/VB

Copy 1 to Comrade Gromyko

Copy 2 to Tunkin

Copy 3 to file

24 November 1954

[stamp] MFA-USSR

Secretariat of comrade Gromyko

Secret

Entry No. 6490

24 November 1954

[handwritten] 9629

TFR2-102

[stamp] Declassified

[No date]

Secret. Copy No. 5

The United States government, in its note of 9 November 1954, again is raising the issue of the incident involving an American military B-50 airplane that violated the national border of the USSR in the vicinity of Vladivostok on 29 July 1953. This note essentially contains nothing new about this incident as compared to previous U.S. notes; it presents a lengthy U.S. version of the incident, as well as unfounded suppositions that the crew members of the intruder-aircraft may have been picked up by Soviet vessels and are under the control of Soviet authorities.

The U.S. government indicates a number of claims associated with the loss of an operational military airplane and its crew members, and in the event the Soviet Union refuses to satisfy these claims, proposes to refer the issue to the World Court.

At the same time the U.S. government in its note raises the issue of the extent of Soviet territorial waters, asserting that territorial waters [illegible, 13?]. nautical miles in extent as established in the Soviet Union are inconsistent with conventions of international law. The United States states that it "does not recognize the Soviet government's claim to territorial waters beyond three miles from its shore."

The text of the U.S. note was published by the State Department, and by request of U.S. representatives in the United Nations was distributed to members of the Security Council.

The USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers it advisable to send a return note to the U.S. Embassy and attach to it an excerpt from the "Report on Circumstances of a U.S. B-50's Violation of National Borders of the USSR in the Vicinity of Vladivostok on 29 July 1953".

In the opinion of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. government's claim of possible loss, and its proposal to submit this case to the World Court for its consideration, should be dismissed as unfounded.

As regards the U.S. government's statement about the extentof Soviet territorial waters, the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs deems it advisable to respond to the substance of the statement.

Because a considerable amount of time has passed since the incident and there is no need to draw public attention to it, the opinion of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that it would be inadvisable to publish this note.

A draft Decree is attached.

Please review.

" " November 1954

Draft

Secret

The draft note to the U.S. government in response to its note of 9 October 1954 (attached) is approved as proposed by the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Draft

In reference to a note of the United States government, dated 9 October 1954, the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics considers it necessary to report the following:

In its notes of [illegible, 29?] July, 3 and [illegible, 26?] August 1953 the Soviet government already [one word illegible, one two words apparently erased from the original] the circumstances of the violation of the USSR border by an American B-50 bomber in the vicinity of Vladivostok on 29 July 1953.

It is obvious from those Soviet government notes, and from the "Report on Circumstances of the Violation of USSR borders by an American B-50 Airplane in the Vicinity of Vladivostok on 29 July 1953," an excerpt from which is attached, that an American B-50 bomber located on [day illegible] July 1953 over the territory of the Soviet Union in the vicinity of Vladivostok, upon being approached by Soviet airplanes [one word illegible] opened fire on them. The Soviet fighters, defending the national border of the USSR, were forced to return fire. At the time it began firing on the Soviet fighters, the intruder aircraft was located at a point with the coordinates: 4[5?][remainder illegible]" latitude, l [illegible]20'9" longitude, that is, near the Soviet [two words illegible], not far from Vladivostok, and not 40 [3-4 words illegible] as asserted in the U.S. Government note. After the intruder aircraft moved away to the southeast toward [1-2 words illegible] the Soviet fighters returned to their airfield.

The government of the USSR has already reported that Soviet authorities have no information regarding the fate of the above-mentioned of the American airplane and its crew. Since then no further information has been received on this matter.

The facts of the violation of the USSR national border by this American airplane and its firing on Soviet aircraft that were carrying out the functions of protecting the national borders of the Soviet Union have been accurately established. Bearing this in mind, and considering that the entire responsibility for the incident lies with the United States government, the Soviet government cannot accept for consideration the claims contained in the U.S. government note of 9 October and sees no grounds for submitting the matter to the consideration of the World Court.

The U.S. government in its note of 9 October asserts that according to international law the extent of a country's territorial waters is limited to three nautical miles. In this connection the Soviet Government considers it necessary to draw the attention of the U.S. government to the well known fact that there do not exist any commonly accepted standards of international law establishing a maximum extent of territorial waters. The establishment of the extent of territorial waters is within the competence of a coastal nation, which determines the extent according to its supreme interests and the interests of international [one word illegible]. It is a known fact that at the present time over 30 nations have territorial waters greater than three nautical miles in extent. Thus the U.S. government's statement that territorial waters of [illegible, 11?] nautical miles supposedly do not conform to standards of international law is completely groundless.

USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)

Prison Division

08 Sep 1955

city of Moscow

Secret, copy #1

[Stamp] Declassified [illegible]

stamp [illegible except for

number 2305, and date, 10 Sep 1955]

[Handwritten notes along left margin are illegible]

I am reporting that US citizens: Hopkins Frederich-Charles, born 1921; Kumish Wilfred, born 1915; and Fielde Murray also known as Feingersh, born 1919 were released early from places were they were imprisoned by the order of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 22 August 1955, and were released to Mr. Dubois, US government representative, in Berlin on 05 September 1955.

There were no objections stated during transfer.

Deputy Director of the Prison Division of the MVD, USSR

signature [F.Yevsenin]

Handwritten note on the bottom reads: [Note#82/Department of the Americas dated 14 Sep 55 to the US Embassy it is reported that Kumish, Fields and Hopkins are released to the representative of their authorities in Berlin on 05 Sep 55.]

Signature [illegible, possibly Dzigulin]

Top Secret

Copy No. 1

Stamp [de-classified]

stamp [Min. Foreign Affairs, USSR, #011502,28 Oct 1955]

USSR Committee of Government Security (KGB)

under Council of Ministers of the USSR.

28 October 1955

Moscow

Per #959

Comrade Zorin, V.A.

Department of the Americas

dated 15 Oct 55

stamp [MFA-USSR Secret, Department of the Americas, #03026, 29 Oct 1955]

Baumeister, also known as Bomister- Bomister William, Willy, George, was not found to be among those arrested and serving terms on the USSR territory.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Government Security (KGB) under the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

[signature]

(K.Lunev)

Secret, Copy No. 2

Per your #5214/L from 28 October 1955.

The American Embassy in Moscow addressed the MID of the USSR with a new note containing a request for information concerning an American citizen named Baumeister who was allegedly arrested in the Soviet Union. The note firmly states that Baumeister worked at one of the foundries near the city of Kuybyshev in 1949.

In connection with this new request by the embassy I ask you to conduct additional checks regarding Baumeister. Please report the results to MID USSR.

Attachment: US Embassy note dated 17 Sep 1955 on one page (unclassified).

Deputy Chief, American Countries department.

on behalf of (V.Bazyikin)

verified [signature illegible]

[Text on bottom of page illegible]

On #1243/Department of the Americas

[stamp] declassified

USSR

KGB under the Council ofMinisters of the USSR

Second Main Directorate[stamp] [MFA, USSR 03647

American countries, 21 Dec 55]

"31" December 1955

Moscow

As a result of conducting additional checks, Baumeister, William was not found to be residing in the city of Kuybyshev or Kuybyshev Oblast'.

The KGB, under the Council of Ministers does not have any data about his job at the Kuybyshev establishments (factories, plants etc) or detention at ITL [corrective labor camp].

Deputy Director of the KGB under the council of Ministers, USSR.

[signature]

/Gorbatenko/

[Translators note]: on the side of the paper it reads: "When replying refer to our number and date"
 

No. 14/Department of the Americas

Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MFA) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics testifies its respect to the United States Embassy in relation to the memos #314 dated 09 November and #348 dated 23 November 1955 and would like to respectfully report the following.

1. The memo from the Embassy dated November 9th contains a request to provide information on a number of American citizens who are allegedly detained by Soviet authorities. In response to this request the following information is provided.

As a result of a check conducted by appropriate Soviet authorities it has been established that US citizens Charles Demmler, Wirth Elizabeth Thompson [this person could be a woman named Elizabeth Thompson Wirth], William George Baumeister are not located on the Soviet Union territory.

As was already reported in the note from the Ministry #75 dated 19 August 1955, US citizens Serni(or Jerni, Charni, Cherni, Cheney) and Kushman(or Koshman, Kochman) are also not located on the territory of the USSR, which is confirmed by additional checks.

In regards to Winter [Mr], a reply was given to the Embassy in a note dated 22 November 1955 which states that US citizen Richard S. Winter was not detained by Soviet authorities in Austria and he did not contact the Soviet representatives with a request for political asylum.

A check conducted by appropriate Soviet authorities confirmed that a US citizen named Sydney Ray Sparks is serving time in the Soviet Union for crimes against the USSR. At the present time a decision has been made to release Mr. Sparks and pass him to the American authorities.

To the Embassy of the United States of America.

Moscow

Concerning other American Citizens listed in the memo from the Embassy dated 09 Nov, inquiries are now being made and the Embassy will be informed of the results.

2. A memo from the Embassy dated 23 November, which is a reply to the note #75 from the Ministry contained some information regarding a number of Soviet citizens detained by the American authorities in West Germany.

The Ministry notes that the American side did not notify the Soviet side in a timely manner about the arrest and sentencing of the Soviet citizens mentioned in the notes, Which it should have done under the terms of the Litvinov-Roosevelt Agreement.

The Ministry expresses hope that the US government will find it possible to hand over the Soviet citizens listed in the Embassy memo dated 23 November who are sentenced by American courts and serving time.

Concerning the Soviet citizens, who, as the memo states have been freed by the American authorities, we would like to request that Soviet representatives be allowed an opportunity to meet with them.

We would also like to ask for a further investigation concerning Valentin Petrovsky who, according to information provided to the Ministry, was seen at the Shtraubing prison in West Germany. Information about this individual was requested in a Ministry note dated 19 August.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to call the US Embassy's attention to the fact that the Embassy memo dated 23 November only refers to Soviet citizens listed in the Ministry note dated 19 August and does not contain a response to a request to provide information about other Soviet citizens detained by the American authorities.

The Soviet government expects that in accordance with the Litvinov-Roosevelt agreement the US government will take the necessary measures to provide the Soviet government information about the Soviet citizens who were detained by the American authorities or may be detained in the future.

Moscow, 4 February 1956.

verified: Djemerin [signed]

[stamp] Secret, American countries, 25, No. 699 Department of the Americas, 23 Feb 56]

[stamp] MFA, USSR, Secret, #2521, 22 Feb 1956

[stamp] Declassified

[stamp] Secret, copy No. 1

USSR

Ministry of Internal Affairs

To Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs USSR

Comrade Gromyko, A.A.

22 February 1956

MID of the USSR reports that the American Sydney Ray Sparks was handed over to Lt Colonel Hamonds, an American government representative on 17 February 1956 in Berlin. There were no objections raised during transfer.

Internal Affairs Minister of the USSR

[signed]

Dudorov

[handwritten note on the bottom of page] Case Note #21/Department of the Americas, dated 24 Feb 56, MFA USSR, I inform the US Embassy that Spark was handed over to American representatives in Berlin on 17 Feb 56.

27 Feb 56 Djemerin

On the basis of archival records it has been established that the agencies in the Soviet Union responsible for repatriation of liberated military personnel and interned citizens of the allied states, including the United States of America, were:

-- in the central region -- the directorate of the authorized SNK [Soviet of Peoples Commissars] of the USSR for repatriation affairs (General-Colonel Golikov, F.I.);

-- on the fronts, groups of forces and some military districts -- directorates for repatriation affairs;

-- in the armies -- departments of repatriation affairs.

The Red Army rear area staff and its local organs provided materials, meals and financial support, as well as medical services.

Assembly points and transit camps were formed in the fronts, groups of forces and some military districts for the immediate reception and subsequent evacuation of military personnel and interned citizens of the allied forces, including the United States.

The functions of the departments for repatriation affairs in the front military soviets, the military districts and groups of forces and the commandants of the assembly points were governed by appropriate instructions.

The evacuation of repatriated military personnel and interned citizens of the allied states, including the Americans, was conducted basically in three ways:

1. By sea via transit camps No. 138, 139 and 186 in the city of Odessa, on vessels of the US, England, Holland and other nations.

2. By rail

3. By direct transfer from assembly points (after the end of hostilities).

As of 1 March 1946 a total of 1,016,588 individuals, including 22,479 U.S. citizens, were returned to their homelands.

Some lists of repratriated and interned U.S. citizens who passed through transit camps No. 138, 139, and 186 in Odessa are stored in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense.

Photocopies of the archival records related to this issue are attached.

[Signature] LUCHKIN, Colonel

"24" January 1992

To: Deputy Chief, Red Army Rear Echelon

General-Colonel VINOGRADOV

[Tr. Note: Handwritten entry in upper left: DN (ad2) Sat (34?)

Yu. Ch. (initials)]

I. BILLETING

Four sanatoria, four schools and one residential building, a total of nine buildings with area of 11,330 square meters, have been allotted by Gorispolkom for transit camps. These buildings can accommodate 8,500 persons, 800 of them officers. All rooms have been readied and equipped with all necessary furnishings. All buildings have been provided with plumbing, electrical power, dining facilities. However, there is an insufficient number of wash stands and field latrines.

The officers are to be housed in separate rooms, four to a bed; plank beds are being constructed for enlisted personnel. As of 22 March 1945, two-tiered plank beds for 500 persons have been constructed. Small metal stoves have been installed in the rooms.

Premises of the former Infantry School have been prepared for the transfer point, with a total living area of 15,061 square meters. The military housing area has been re-equipped with plumbing and electricity; dining facilities have been built and equipped and wash stands and field latrines installed. People are being accommodated on the floor on straw mats.

Accommodations in transits camps and in the transfer point are satisfactory, but require a number of improvements.

II. PASSAGE OF CONTINGENTS

As of 22 March a total of 11,711 Allied prisoners had arrived; of them:

British 2,163

Americans 2,486

French 7,062

Departed on three vessels from March 7 through 15:

British 1,837

Americans 1,709

French 2,839

----------------------------------------

Total departed 6,385

TFR2-118

Remaining in camps:

British 326

Americans 777

French 4,223

---------------------------------------

Total remaining: 5,326

On 22 March at 1900, 89 individuals arrived; of them:

British 6

Americans 8

French 75

Expected to arrive on 23 March: 435 individuals; of them:

Americans 20

British 415

Two military transport ships were expected to arrive on 22-23 March:

1. "Sarkasha" with 1,641 persons

2. "Deutschestofriechmand" with 3,702 persons

A total of 7,740 former prisoners of war of the Red Army arrived at the transfer point and all were sent on before 22 March.

III. MEDICAL SUPPORT

The Odessa Military District medical section allotted 300 beds in hospital No. 1266 and 200 beds in hospital No. 1777, as well as 50 beds in a hospital for infectious diseases, to prepare for the reception of Allied prisoners of war and to provide medical support for the special contingents.

Medical units were created in the camps and in the assembly transfer point to provide medical and sanitation support.

Resources sufficient to conduct medical activities (Bathing laundry and disinfectant train No. 72, ODR [unknown acronym] No.100 and a garrison bathing facility. If needed, bathing and laundry train 433 can be made available.

The required amount of medicines and soap has been allotted.

No outbreaks of infectious diseases occurred during the time the contingents were located in the transit camps and at the assembly-transfer point.

The medical and sanitation resources allotted are fully sufficient to support the transfer point and transit camps.

TFR2-119

IV. CLOTHING AND RELATED SUPPLIES

There is a complete supply of bedding -- filled mattress covers for the enlisted and a full set of bedding for the officers.

Of the British and American allied POWs arriving nearly all have a full issue of clothing, few require additional items. The majority of the French arriving are poorly outfitted and as of 22 March up to 2,500 sets have been expended to outfit them.

The problem of towels must be solved. The district has only coarse calico towels, which should not be issued to this contingent as they frequently discard them. The District cannot provide thick towels because they are not available. The District must be regularly re-supplied in order to ensure a constant flow of these materials.

V. FOOD SUPPLIES

All Allied POWs receive three hot meals per day from their rations and from additional supplies from the Military Missions. The officers take their meals individually in mess facilities, the enlisted from cook pots in their rooms. The District has food supplies, but there is an insufficient variety of grain products, almost no vegetables and an incomplete range of seasonings. There have been no complaints about the food either from the POWs or from the Missions, only positive comments.

VI. MILITARY EXCHANGE

Retail outlets are open, but not everywhere, and demand cannot always be met due to the limited selection of goods and low quality. Barbershops are operating, but again, not all of them. Assistance is required from the Central Military Exchange and Narkomtorg [People's Comissariat of Trade].

CONCLUSION:

1. Camp operations may be considered satisfactory, which has been pointed out repeatedly in the national press, but I have had difficulty in achieving this, for the District did not begin implementing Directives No. 1/1240645 and 1/124064 until my arrival. It bears mentioning that for 15-20 days the District's Military Soviet and the entire staff of the Deputy Commander for Logistics were engaged exclusively in preparing the camps.

2. In April it would be advisable to move the camps from municipal buildings into a tent encampment, at least with respect to the schools. To do so, it will be necessary to make available to the District tents for 5000-6000 persons and up to 300 cubic meters for equipment and supplies.

3. To ensure uninterrupted supplies of clothing, bedding, etc., order the maintenance of a constant stock for 10,000 persons, including women and children. It would desirable to issue the POWs thick towels, duffel bags and items needed to clean footwear.

4. The question of improving the nutritional standards of the officers, including field grade officers, must be addressed.

5. Also address the problem of financing the POWs in the camps.

6. Four groups, each numbering up to 50 persons, were sent from Moscow for the purpose of monitoring and assisting the district: the first from the Rear Area Chief and three separate groups from the Commissioner for Repatriation. All of them, acting independently and without coordination, frequently did not help, but rather hindered the District. A single management structure should be established.

Control from the Rear Echelon Chief is needed, since the District has several missions other than its primary functions, including providing for the camps. The District considers this a burden, and thus many things have been done only at my insistence.

General-Major [Signature]

/Karavayev/

[21?] March 1945