HUSH-HUSH ACTIVITY IN GERMANY- Expert Reports Soviet Work On Rocket Bases

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1949, Page 5

HUSH-HUSH ACTIVITY IN GERMANYExpert Reports Soviet Work On Rocket Bases

BERLIN, August 17 (Rec 10.10 a.m.).—A German rocket expert, who has just escaped to the Western zones after three years’ forced service with the Russians, said today that the Russians Were building a network of V-2 bases in Germany aimed at Western Europe and had already began rebuilding the V-2 weapon experimental establishment at Pennemunde, says the British United Press. The expert, whose name has not been officially revealed, said he worked as a weapon expert for the German Army and was taken to Russia with other German technicians at the end of the war.

He said that a nurnbei’ of Russian, commissions were _ working on the necessary preparations to bring the V-2 bases in Eastern Germany into action at a few minutes’ notice. Plans for both stationary and mobile bases had .been worked out and stationary bases <or one and three batteries had been placed all over Eastern Europe. Each was supplied with all the necessary calculations for firing orders and ballastic statements for designated territory in Western Europe. • Aimed At West Europe ' Two bases, the expert said, were in Mechlenburg State and were aimed at south Sweden. A third was in Thuringia and was aimed at the Rhine river bridgeheads near Cologne, Dusseldorf and the Scheldt estuary. A fourth was near the city of Duben and was aimed at the northern part of the Baltic island of Ruegen and a fifth was near Pilsen, in Czechoslovakia, and was aimed at Brenner Pass. The British United Press Berlin correspondent says that reports reaching Allied headquarters in Berlin disclose that the 200-mile Baltic coast of the Russian zone of Germany has recently become the scene of increasing hush-hush activities. Behind closely-guarded w’ooden fences and prohibited dock areas, the Russians are reported to be rebuilding German ships sunk during the war, deep-

' ening harbours and reconstructing experimental secret .weapon sitesi \ Reports of the reconstruction of sunken German ships have been appearing in West zone newspapers. ! The troop transport Asia and three ; other 12,000 to 18,000-ton ships are ; being reconditioned and several are expected to be ready, for service withI in a few months. i Western Naval Comment I Western naval authorities said that I if the Russians put these vessels into j service, they will be violating the J. 1945 Tripartite Naval Agreement ‘ made at Potsdam, which provides i that German ships sunk during the ; war could be used only as scrap if re- • floated. | The reports concerning secret weapon activity are mostly secondhand and thus are not reliable.