APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070024-2
FIGURE 8. The countryside near Lowicz, west of Warsaw, almost wholly pastoral. The rural villages and scattered farmsteads are connected by tree-lined roads. (U/OU) (picture)
southeast direction, rolling to steep hills, dissected slopes, and scattered, rounded mountain summits (Figure 9). Scattered basin areas are commonly found between the ridges. The region is drained principally by the swift headwaters of streams flowing northward to the Oder River. Both the rail and road networks are sparse. Except for main roads, which are bituminous surfaced and in fair to good condition, most roads are gravel or unimproved each and are sometimes impassable during rainy periods. The rail lines are largely double track.
Nearly all vehicular movement would be limited to the roads, most of which lead through bases and narrow, steep-sided valleys. Sharp curves and steep grades would slow movement, and in winter snow and ice impede traffic. Landslides occasionally block roads during the spring. Even under favorable conditions only a few principal roads could sustain year-round military traffic. Terrain favorable for the construction of new roads is found only on the valley and basin floors and in the rolling hills near the Polish Plains region.
Conditions for vehicular off-road dispersal and cross-country movement are mostly unsuited because of steep slopes, dense forests, and rough terrain. Vehicluar movement off the roads would be practicable only in large basins and in areas near the Polish Plains.
Evergreen forests on the middle and upper slopes of the mountains provide year-round concealment from ground and air observation (Figure 10). Deciduous forests on the lower mountain slopes and in hilly areas provide good seasonal concealment. Numerous surface irregularities afford cover from flat-trajectory fire.
Large areas are suited for the construction of underground installations. Shallow soils, exposed bedrock, and steep slopes severely restrict construction of bunker-type installations. Areas of loess in the northern part of the hills area are well-suited for bunker-type installations. Locally, fractured and faulted rock poses problems in the construction of tunnel-type installations.
Most of the region is unsuited for airmobile and airborne operations because of steep, rugged slopes and dense forests. Sites suited for drop zones or for helicopter landing zones are limited to the scattered, larger basins. On the ground, troops would be confined to the roads, where their movement could be blocked easily. Climatic conditions for airborne and airmobile operations are most favorable in summer, when there are mild temperatures, low wind speeds, and minimal cloudiness and fog. There are few existing airfields and few sites suitable for the construction of new airfields. Only in the scattered,
FIGURE 9. Upper slopes of the Sudeten mountains south of Jelenia Gora are steep, rocky, and support only sparse vegetation. Maximum elevations are nearly 5,000 feet. (U/OU) (picture)
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070024-2
