DUTY OFFICER WU/BB WD 1 4 ITE NO. USAB 112 1 09 17 0 0 Z MAY 6 4 Mt~~l\ut THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF PRECEDENCE (ACTION) PRECEOENCE (INFO) IMMEDIATE 0 092 032Z FM USC IN CEUR DEcr;As IFIED l\uthority E.O. 116!'52 SEC. 51 'lild (n . INFO RU EKDA/ JCS RUDLSK/USNMR PARIS FR By ,k:;g ,NARS, Date if-:26 --?f RUD LSK /US EL EM LIVE 0AK PARIS FR 0 p 0917002 FM USCOB BERLIN GER TO RUFPAG /CINCUSAREUR INFO RUFLC/USCINCFJJR RUFHOL/AMEMB BONN GER Fa.JFLOB/ASB BERLIN GER F I ENT I AL USAB 112~ THIS IS A LIVE OAK MESSAG Ee SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED e RELEASABLE ONLY TO AUTHORIZEJ) REP­RESENTATIVES OF FRANCE, GERMANY, UNITEJJ KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES. 1 • ( C) F0LLOW IN G IS A M 0 RE C 0 M PL IT E D ES CR I PT I 0N 0 F W HAT HAPPENED ON THE BERLIN=FRANKFURT TRAIN EVENING, 8 MAY 64: Ae ON ARRIVAL POTSDAM 1920A, TRAIN COMMANDER INSPECTED NEWLY ATTACHED ROAD ENGINE AND FOUND IT WAS FLYING EAST GERMAN AND COMMUNIST FLAGSo HE DEMANDED THAT EAST GERMAN CONDUCTOR HAVE THESE FLAGS REMOVED. THE CONDUCTOR REPLIED THAT THE FLAGS WOULD REMAIN IN PLACE® THE CONDUCTOR AND A TRAPO ASKED IF THE TRAIN WOULD PROCEED OR REMAIN IN POTSDAM@ THE TRAIN COMMANDER, WHO HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM USCOB TO CONTINUE THE JOURNEY UNDER PROTEST, REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD PROCEED BOTH CONDUCTOR AND I» TRAPO APPEARED ASTONISHED ON RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION o B(» UPON ARRIVAL MARIENBORN AT 2228A, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING WAS COMPLETED, AND TRAIN COMMANDER PROTESTED FLAGS TO SOVIET DUTY OFFICER, A CAPT ROBENKOVo FLAGS WERE -REMOVED 0 CAPT ROVENKOV STAT rn HE WOULD REPORT THE INCIDENT TO HIS COMMANDER® CJCS-2 DJS-3 SJCS=l J4 ...2 J5=1 DIA=14 NMCC-2 JSSC-1 USRSG .... 4 CSA-2 CSAF-2 CN0 ...2 CMC10 OSD-15 (WHITE HOUSE) -3 FI LE= 1 (72 ) KLH AND WITHIN ANOTHER THREE MINUTES BY A SOVIET LT COL (PRESUMABLY MALAHKOV I'S DEPUTY> SOVIET COL~ IN UN !FORM WAS UPS ET 0 WALKING FAST .. TELLING TRAIN COMMANDER IN LOUD VOICE NOTHING WRONG' ITH THIS TRAINq .ftND IT SHOULD PROCEED TO HU.MSTEDT,, SINCE IT WAS BLOCKING A MAIN ARTSRYQ WHEN TRAIN COMMANDER STATED HE WOULD MOVE ONLY WHEN INSTRUCTED BY HIS AUTHORITIES~ SOVIET COL SHOUTED IN TRAI COMMANDERS FACE HE (TRAIN COMMANDER> COULD SIT THERE FOR 3~ 5~ OR 10 DAYS, FOR ALL HE CAREDa THEN .:TATED REICHSBAHN PERSONNEL WOULD MOVE TRAIN TO A SIDING WHERE I1 COULD SIT FOREVER AS FAR AS HE WAS CONCERN.ED (9 D G RAIN COMMANDER RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM BERLIN TO OTIFY SOVIETS THAT SECOND US TRAIN AT POTSDAM HAD BEEN DEPRIVED OF ENGINE BY EAST GERMANS AFT ER REF USING TO MOVE WITH ENGINE WHICH DISPL.AYED FLAGS, A! D THAT TRAIN AT MARIENBORN WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL FDTSDAM TRAIN ALLOWED TO PROCEED WITH FLAG FREE ENGINE~ SOVIIT COL STATED HE HAD NOT HING TO DO WITH TRAINS IN POTSDAM, THAT TRAIN IN MARIENBORN PROPERLY CLEARED AND SHOULD PROCEEDo SAID IF NECE,:"" SSAR (EAST) GERMANS WOULD USE TWO ENGINES TO DRAG THE T RAIN T 0 A sID ING G E* SECOND ENGINE WAS MOVED TO 1' HE REAR OF THE TRAIN~ AND BOTH ENGINES TOGF..THER ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE TRAIN BY FORCEii) THIS EFFORT AS UNSUCCESSFUL~ BUT UNCOMFORTABLE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FOR THE PASSENGRS,~ THE 8=CA.R TRAIN WAS ROCKED AND JARRED VIOLENTLY HEIGHTENED THE IMPRESSION OF FORCE AND VIOLEI CE 0 THIS FUT ILE ATTEMPT WAS CONT !NU E'D FOR MORE THAN TEN MINUTES BEFORE BEING VOLUNTARILY ABANDONED~ THROUGHOUT THIS TIME PASSENGERS HAD TO HANG=ON TO AVOID BE.f.NG THROWN TO THE FLOOR ~ - Fe WHEN TRAIN COMMANDER Rt"'EIVED INSTHUCTIONS FROM Bf:R= LIN, H DETRA NED AND NOrIFIED SOVIET COL THAT POTSDAM INCIDENT WAS RESOLVED AND MARIENBO N TRAIN THEREFORE NOW PREPARED TO MOVE. _SOVIET CAPT !NSTRUCTED EAST GERMANS TO RELEASE RAINo THE TRAIN COMMANDER BO RDED THE TR .·N AND IT MOVED ROUTINELY TO HELMSTrnTe 2a FOLLOOING IS MORE COMPLETE DESCR!P'IION OF WHAT HAPPENUJ TO SECOND OUTBOUND TRAIN FROM BERLIN NIGHT OF 8 MAY 1964~ MESSAGE IOl""NTIFICATION OF PAGES PAGE O U T V OFFICER c11·E NO. IOTG USAB 112 J 0917002 MAY 64 2 Lf- F ORM N O REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED F DENTIAt JCS. DEC 63 58 . «; ..1AGE .:EDENCE (ACTION) rRECEOENCE (INFOl J A. BERLIN-BREMERHAVEN TRAIN ARRIVED POTSDAM APPROX 082215A. THE NORMAL CHANGE FROM YARD ENGINE TO ROAD ENGINE WAS MADE AT THAT POINT. ENGINE ATTACHED CARRIE!) FLAGS. TRAIN STARTED TO PULL OUT APPROX 2237A AND AFTER MOVING NOT MORE THAN 10 FEET US TRAIN COMMANDER ORDERED BRAKES PULLED. F.G RAILROAD PERSONNEL APPEARED MUCH DISTRESSED AND WITHIN HALF HOUR ENGINE WAS REMOVED. US TRAIN COMMANDER ASKED SOV EM TO SUMMON A SOV OFF. EM WERE DIFF ID ENT AND REPLIED THEY WOULD NOT, FUR!' HER SAID THEY HAD NO AUTHORITY TO RE­MOVE FLAGS. ONE EM THEN WENT INTO A BOOTH AND APPARENTLY MADE PHONE CALL, US INTERPRETER UNABLE TO HEAR CONVERSATION. UPON COMING OUT OF BOOTH, SOV EM FEIGNED INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING SAID BY INTERPRETER ALTHOUGH HE PREVIOUSLY HAD HAD NO SUCH TROUBLE. AFTER flJRTHER ATTEMPI'S BY TRAIN COMMANDER TO DISCUSS SITUATION, SOV SAID HE WOULD NOT SUMMON AN OFF AND REFUSED TO CONVERSE FURTHER. B. SHORTLY AFTER 2400A ENGINE RETURNED WITHOUT FLAGS TRAIN DEPARTED POTSDAM 090024A. UPON ARRIVAL AT MARIENBORN 09~39A HRS, TRAIN COMMANDER AND INTERPRETER WERE GREETED JOVIALLY BY SOV CAPr ROBENKOV. SOV MADE LIGHT OF SITUATION, AND AFTER LOOKING AT HIS WATCH INQUIRED WHY TRAIN WAS SO LATEe CLAIMEU TO KNOW NOTHING OF EARL! ER EVENTS AT POTSDAM. AFT ER PRO GESS IN£ DOCUMENTS, US TRAIN COMMANDER MADE FOLLOWING PROTEST: "YOU ARE AWARE OF THE DELAY ENCOUNTERED BY MY TRAIN AT POTSDAM. MY AUTHORITIES HAVE INSTRUCTrn ME TO REITERATE THE PROTEST OVER THIS UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICE." SOV OFFICER ATTEMPTED TO AVOID SUBJECT, AND TREAT PROTEST AS CONVERSATION. TRAIN COMMANDER OF OPINION EFFECT OF PROTE.ST WASTED. SOV CONTINUED TO DENY KNOWLEJ)GE OF POTSDAM INCIDENT. SAID FLAGS ALWAYS USED ON BAHNHOFS AND LOCOMOTIVES IN PAST AND WOULD BE usrn IN FUTURE. UPON BEING REMINDED OF sov PROMISE LAST YEAR THAT SUCH INCIDENTS WOULD NOT BE REPEATEJ) CIO/COB-149-63) REPLIED THAT PERSON MAKING PROMISE WAS WRONG. 3. COMMENT: SEVERAL ITEMS APPF.AR F.SPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT: A. THE SURPRISE OF THE EAST GERMANS WHEN INFORMED THE TRAIN WOULD ACCEPT ENGINE WITH FLAGS AND CONTINUE UNDER PROTEST• • THEY OBVIOUSLY THOUGHT OUR REACTION WOULD NOT DIFFER FROM MAY DAY EVENING AND THAT BY USE OF SIMPLE FLAG TACTIC THEY COULD AGAIN INFLICT,RELATIVELY MAJOR HARASSMENT ON US TRAIN WITHOUT MUCH DANGER OF ESCALATION. B. PROMPT APPEARANCE OF SOVIFT COL CAND DEPUTY) IN UNIFORM AT LATE HOUR WAS MOST UNUSUAL, AND INDICATES HE WAS WELL AWARE OF EAST GERMAN FLAG EFFORTS AND THEREFORE ALERT AND READY TO MEET ANY TROUBLE. COL MALAHKOV RARELY APPEARS OFFICIALLY AT TRAIN STATION IN LAST 15 MONTHS HIS ONLY APPEARANCES AT IDENTIFICATION • MESS"-r:.F" OF PAGES PAGE DIG DUTY OFFICER t;llE NO. 0917 00Z MAY 64USAB 112 3 4 JCSFORM NOSS REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED OFIDENTIAt I DEC 63 • I • THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 0 FIDE Tl L €NCE (ACTION) PRECEDENCE { INFOl MARIENBORN STATION HAVE BEEN IN CONNECTION WITH FREIGHT TRAIN D!FF I CULT I ES IN SPRING 196 3, THOUGH HE HAS OCCASIONALLY OBS ERV ED PASSENGER TRAIN PROCESSING WITHOUT PARTICIPATING IN ANY WAY. C. ATTEMPT TO MOVE TRAIN BY FORCE: THIS SEEMS SIGN IF !CANT ON TWO COUNTS. FIRST, THE SOVI IT CHECK PO INT PERSONNEL (INCLUDING AUTOBAHN) SEEM UNABLE TO TOLERATE A TOT AL BLOCKAGE NOT INITIATED BY THEMSELVES, AND WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO REJ)UCE IT. SEEN IN THIS LIGHT, THE ATTEMPT TO MOVE TRAIN BY FORCE IS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE. SECOND, THE MOVEMENT OF THIS TRAIN (DESPITE SET BRAKES) WITH ONLY TWO ENGINES WAS A TECHNICAL IMPOSSIBILITY. COL MALAKOV IS NOT A TC OFFICER. HAD HE ASKED ADVICE OF EAST GERMAN RAILWAYMENT PRESENT, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TOLD HIM THIS. HAVING BEGUN, HE PERS !ST ED FOR A RELATIVELY ,LONG PERIOD, AFT ER IT MUST HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS THAT THE EFFORT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. FRUSTRATION AND LOSS OF FACE MAY HAVE ENCOURAGED HIM TO CONTINUE THE EFFORT SINCE IT WAS PHYSICALLY PUNISHING TO THE AMERICANS WHO HAD INITIATED THE ACTION. D. THE BLOCKING OF THE MAIN LINE AT MARI EN BORN WAS AN EFFECTIVE LEVER ON THE SOVIITS, CAUSING THEM TO INSTRUCT POTSDAM TO PROCESS THE PREVIOUSLY HALTED BREMERHAVEN TRAIN ROUTINELY. 4. GP-4 BT - DUTY OFFICER ITE NO. 0917 00Z USAB 1 2 4 4 REPRODUCTION PROHIBIT ED