Numerical File, 5-2500

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

SUPPLEMENT TO AF FORM 112

ORIGINATING AGENCY

US AIR ATTACHE

REPORT NO.

IR 193-55

PAGE 6 OF 9 PAGES

the Americans and proceeded to continue the party with them. The history of EGOROV, according to Mr. Efron, is that Egorov was one of the original pilots who made the trans-polar Russian flight to Washington State in 1935 or 36. He told the party that he is now retired. He is a Hero of the Soviet Union and speaks fairly freely about the internal situation in the USSR. Sen. Russell extended an invitation for him to visit his office if he ever comes to the USA. USAIRA COMMENT: It is difficult for me to believe that this experienced pilot in polar navigation would be retired and doing nothing but travelling around the Trans Caucasus region with a young engineer.

Egorov stated that during World War II he had shot down 17 German aircraft.

Col Hathaway observed, about 20 minutes outside of SOCI, a T-34 tank that had a muzzle brake on the gun, but looked very different from any he had seen during a combat tour in Korea. The tank was on a flatcar.

PART F. OBSERVATIONS AT COP AND ABOUT CZECH RAILROADS

The Russell group arrived at COP, the RR border crossing point between USSR and Czechoslovakia, early on the morning of 12 Oct. 55. About 1-2 hours later at 0630, they left COP and were on their way to Prague where they arrived at 0947 (on time) p.m. (2147 hours).

Upon arrival at COP, the train was broken up. One car was marked MOSCOW-BUCHAREST and was disconnected. Another car was marked MOSCOW-PRAGUE, the group's car, sleeper, and was disconnected and taken on a spur under a red star suspended on a border arch (probably marking border of Czechoslovakia) into a long building on the Czech side. This building was lighted and its length was such as to accommodate the car and two replacement trucks. The trucks for the new Czech RR guage were of the two axel type. The switching of trucks consumed 40-45 minutes for their sleeper car. There was an electric switch box or panel control on one side of the building. The passengers had to debark during the changing of the trucks. All other train cars were marked MOSCOW-COP.

The switching building had a pit in the middle which the car straddled. Inside the sleeper there were two large square traps in the car's floor, one at either end. The first step was for the crew to open these doors and turn a large bar, which evidently released the truck from the body of the car. The second step was to apply large jacks at four points of the car on the outside, about at the position of the trucks, two jacks on a side. When the car was sufficiently jacked, the Czech guage trucks, which on the tracks forward of the car were the standard guage tracks of the Czech RR which were laid inside the Russian guage tracks, were pushed forward towards the sleeper. The Czech trucks banged the first Russian trucks out of place, continuing to the second Russian trucks and banging them out of place. The jacked car was then ready to have the Czech trucks fastened. The jacks were lowered, letting the car down to the new standard guage trucks below. The crew then turned the bars through the floor openings locking the new trucks in place and the passengers were informed that they could board the car.

(See sketch for USAIRA-Hathaway version of this operation.)

The train departed COP at 0630, arriving at the first little Czech town ten minutes later, where on the right side of the RR, a "big