An
item reported that the Polish Oder Navigation Company possessed over around
1.200 barges with a cargo capacity of 100-900 tons to be used, almost all as
German reparations acquired after the Second World War ended. At the moment of
the report were around 500 barges or under repair or needing repairs. At Kozle,
Wroclaw and Szczecin were repair facilities for barges and tugs. For
newbuilding were 19 shipyards along the river Oder dividd over Kozle (3),
Szczecin (30, Wroclaw (4), Malnia (1), Rogi (1), Dobrzen/Döbern (1), Brzeg (1),
Katowice (1), Malczyce (1), Glogow (1) and Nowa Sol (1). Each barge was
numbered between the 100-1300 to which the words Odra-Kzle or the letter Z (of
Zeglga=navigation) was added, painted in white on a red background on each side
near the bow.
The
size of the barge crews depended on the cargo capacity, 100-300 tons 2 men,
300-600 tons 3 men and above 600 tons 4 men. All crew members were Polish, the
many Silesian German sailors were all replaced. It was not allowed to go ashore
between Krosno and Gryfine. Border controls were to prevent illegal border
crossings and the barges were not allowed to enter the Soviet zone in Germany.
Source
The
report was published on www.archive.org, document number
CIA-RDP82-00457R006200770012-0
