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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070024-2


FIGURE 17. The Wawel Coke Plant at Katowice is one of several plants that process coal for industries in the Upper Silesia strategic area. Smoke, steam, and polluted air mark this area as the heartland of the Polish iron and steel industry. (U/OU) (picture)


principal producer of armaments, tanks, tracked artillery prime movers, engineer and telecommunications equipment, and other military materiel. Several military and civilian airfields serve the area. The storage capacity for refined petroleum products, excluding that available at the airfields, is estimated at 2 million barrels.


3. Gdansk-Gdynia

This strategic area (Figure 18) on the Baltic coast is one of the two most important port areas in Poland. Gdansk (January 1973 population 440,000, including its northern suburb of Supot) is significant for its bulk-cargo handling facilities (primarily coal, iron ore, and grain), the nation's largest shipbuilding and ship repair yards, and a coast guard establishment. The port exports Polish coal and imports Swedish iron ore. Industries product a significant quantity of telecommunications and electrical equipment for maritime uses. Gdynia (January 1973 population 229,000, including the northern suburb of Rumia) is the best equipped Polish port and the country's principal naval base. It has the nation's third largest shipyard, important ship repair facilities, and industries which manufacture marine radio equipment. There are two military airfields, one north of Gdynia and another south of Gdansk. Large grain elevators, extensive vegetable-oil processing facilities, and several fish canneries are in both cities. Excluding the storage capacity available at the airfields, facilities are available for an estimated 1.2 million barrels of refined petroleum products. There are several military barracks and depots in the strategic area. Naval ships are berthed mainly at Oksywie and Hel.


4. Szczecin (Stettin)

Situated in northwest Poland near the mouth of the Oder River, this strategic area (Figure 19) functions as Poland's major port, serving both seagoing and inland waterway traffic. Szczecin (Figure 20) (January 1973 population 346,000) is the country's principal center for handling coal exports and Swedish iron ore imports. Most of the products manufactured in the Upper Silesia strategic area are shipped through this port. It has the country's second largest shipyard and a repair yard for large oceangoing vessels. In addition, the city is Poland's largest manufacturer of


FIGURE 18. Gdańsk-Gdynia strategic area (C) (map)


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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070024-2