confidential classification · the havel river by a us 'if peno1 boat on s ptmtb r 1 has be n...
TRANSCRIPT
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CONFIDENTIAL Classifica tion
U8Cm "3 POL 3 BA Jrlnl USIS IO ABO BBd. PM 2
ACTI O
INFO :
SecState WASH
Amembassy BONN Amembassy PARI S Amembassy MOS COW
275
248 170
., Amembassy LONDON 167 USAREUR/ POLAD CINCEUR/POLAD USNMR SHAPE for BURNS USELMLO
Paris also for USRO.
Date:
Pouch
On Sept ember 1, US MP patrol boat on Berlin's Havel River
sighted and salvaged t~enty-foot submarine whi ch had apparently
been abandoned by its crew becaus e of motor f ailure. Discreet
inquiry has disclosed craft probably built in Wes t Berl i n to
car ry escapees out of East Germany. Unclear whe ther it ever
actually so used. Its exi s tence has r eportedly been known to
members of Berlin press and Senat but kept secret by "gentle
men's agreement". It is quite possible, ther efore, that news
will not be exploited, although submarine obs erved by numbers
of people on lake a fter salvage. pres l y
Craf~in US Army custody .....IEr.mDAldml~1I1 It i s known
to be electric powered and estimated capable carrying from three
to six passengers .
GP-3. CALHOUNConcurrence :
IO /USCOB ~_I Maple CONFIDENTIALPOL: EJNa'-fl="LI.
3/1830 Cla ssifica ti on
OFFICIAL FILE OOPY
I8IDDUCTIOI FIOM IllS COPY IS IIOIDITID III.ESS "tIKWSIfIED'"
14 llIIl
DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 67230 By BKT/NC on 26 March 2013
FILE ROOM COpy AIRGRAM
'K~F42/3-TA '
A-t97 CONFIDENTIAL ~{ MBN TO DEPARTMENT OF STATE USCOB
iNFO : BONN II LONDON. PARIS, f10SCOW I USAREUF.POL 3 (A (CON USUS R AS FROM : USBER, BERLINPS SEPTEMBER 21, 1963
/"19~~ ~ SUBJECT : DiBposi~ion of S~bmarine Found n H~\ 'al River BBDE BC/G2 REF : Berlintel 275 {i.-I'\r
OSI '
SMSD 3 f'&R 2 PARIS a so for USRO, Jarr es and BurnE; { USEV1LO i
USAREUR for PO':"AD
The mat tel" of disposition Clf the 9ubmal'ine picked up in the Havel River by a US 'iF peno1 boat on S ptMtb r 1 has be n given det iled s'tudy by thE! Mission. J~ thorough inspac.iQn by O· l1nance exps:r"tta a revealed th t th hom made craft is potentially v ry tang rou for any poasibl scape operatio II sine ono_ subm rged it co\ld not be
steered, brought: to the surfac nor open d h'om th insid by i·ts pa aengGrs.
Furthermor • it is highly probabl th t E&st G rman au'thol":lti e are aware of its existence and :.1;s intended purpose. It has been a8certain(~d that the m aft was C(.ln8truCt 3d in West Berlin by· pI'ivc te 'individl14l.. e The entire p!'Ojr_c"t was knoli1n to Mayo!" Albertz in his i paoity lie Sena.tor for In'te!"nal Se urity. It is undo!"stood thu'\; the build r had received finanoial support from a Berlin repr B ntative of Stczon m.ag zinee in xchange,for xcluaiv{ story righ.ts. It s ~stimated that sum. 1,000 persons, mout of them ~ast Berlin_r5. know of the submarine's existencu The builders were l",_po1"tedly intel'e.ated in the pot ntial !.ncome fro ~fu~el:1& pres,ant d by the cI'aft and had a I ady received some fJnds from Western rei tiv of int nd d scapees.
GROUP 3 Downgraded t l2-y ar interva1s g
not automatioally declassified.
CONFIDENTIAL
POLtEJ"~ad 1m nrem 9/19/63 ,t\RDay
M - J ACa:.houn
Page 2 of AIR~R~H No A-'21/rom USBER. Berlin.
CONFIDENTIAL
S far s jg known, 'his was the only cperat·o al G bmarir.e in Be."lin ;;.raters '1 r~e other knOtiJI p!lojects '·le:.". either giv n lip befo7'C! eC1mp~etion 0 neve at;lrt~'
In view of -le above facto II !tis io'1 \IIi th Hi yOI' AlbeI'tz the q est:Lon of t rning it
rlirt po. ice ~ .th a vie ' e' r rend ..ri I:>
abl. Ib"'rtz' xpressed his Ol.m cOflvictim t was u.n...afg 'ot" "'at'rying passenge_ s a.nd agre d">-h the c# peter't a "'horitl as would see co i 1: that it not be used. Simult- eo 51), t e ~nclosed letter was se t by the Act:ng US Pub ic Safet Officer the olic V ee Pr Bid~nt eo :: INest Berl.! \l mal< ing :essentially t 1e 8 ,m re~o men ionG no pro iding for t'e tu!'no el' of th.'" su' a_ ·n _ t" tl poli'!e
Agr .ement 't.ae now been r'eac ad all lev Is and "~he Mission eripect 't submar· i. nd .d :>Ver to to! Berlin poli e w thin the we.k
For the Ass! ant Chie f of Missi. m:
AI"'thut" R. Day Chi fg Political Affairs ~ect~on
Enclosur I L t 0 ~o~ic ic I Pr sid nt of . 5·.. B :.1· n.
CO FI:)EN'ltIAL =+====~==
a
Enc l osure 1 to Air&Y'aID' No . A:-197 from herlin .
CONFIDENTIAL
us. Mi~s ion ~ Ber:. in Septembe la, 196a
CON F IDE N T I A L
Dear Herr Mach:
United States authorities have had in their custodyo , ince September 1, a hom~-made submersible boat which ~as found in the water by & Military Police river 'P tNl on the Havel ami removed as a potenTial menace to navigation.
It i unda~9tood that the West Berlin polie all" ady av information as to the construction .~nd ownership of hie bo We are th re ~ore r linquishing custody to the We t B rlin ryolie •
We f e1 comp lled to point 0 t. however, th t th boa': ppears to us I) after our in pection of it, to be una f fo .:- t
oarrying of passengers and a potential Rl nace to navl.gatiol1. In par'ticulat'. it seems to be impossible to 01' n the pas .lg Ii.
carrying c.ompartment from the insida.. Should th bo t sink. and the pilot be unable for any r son 'to open this Qompar';m. :"it. any persons inside would soon suffocate. For thse r aeons we would r ccmm nd th~t any furth r use of the boat be prohibit d.
I will be glad to Assist your !'apr sentatives in maki ..ag arrang m nts with th United St tea Milit ry Polio authorities for the physical r~turn of th boat.
Sine 1" ly,
Alexander Yaney, Jru Acting Chief 0 Public Saf ty S I!tion
Herr Gorge Rudolf Moch, Police Vice President,
1-7 Temp.lhofer Damm. 8 rlin 420
CONFIDENTIAL