Red Troop Moves in Germany : New Bases in Baltic

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22872, 16 February 1949, Page 7

Red Troop Moves in Germany : New Bases in Baltic

(10 a.m.) BERLIN, Feb. 15. German press reports claimed today that the Russians were conducting extensive troop movements in their zone of Germany and staging combined air and submarine manoevres in the Western Baltic.

The Associated Press correspondent says that these reports were published by. Neue Zeitung, the official German paper of the American Military Government. They could not be officially confirmed.

The paper also claimed to have learned from refugee Balts that the Russians were constructing huge new military installations in the Baltic Republics witjj “remarkable haste.” Soviet troop movements near Mecklenburg were conducted by night in strict secrecy and with efforts made to veil them by the dispersal of units. The paper said the Russians had most of their occupation strength in the immediate hinterland of the Baltic Sea. The strongest concentrations were near the Soviet zone’s border with the British occupation zone. The paper went on: “The relatively large number of Soviet marine forces in Mecklenburg, estimated at 5000, should be noted. “German fishermen report that the Soviets are conducting extensive combined submarine and air manoeuvres in the Western Baltic. Refugees also report that in Estonia and Latvia subterranean airports and petrol depots are being constructed.” . United States intelligence officials said they believed the reports were exaggerated.