APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070025-1
FIGURE 8. Gdańsk phosphate fertilizer plant. Facilities include portal-jib cranes and a high-speed conveyor system. (U/OU)
H. Merchant marine (S)
As of 31 October 1972 the Polish merchant fleet consisted of 252 commercial ships of 1,000 gross register tons (g.r.t.) and over, totaling 1,792,473 g.r.t. and 2,528,331 deadweight tons (d.w.t.). This represents an increase since 31 December 1969 of 15% in the number of ships, 30.5% in g.r.t., and 32.8% in d.w.t. Composition of the fleet is as follows:
| Type | No. | G.R.T. | D.W.T. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry cargo | 166 | 959,824 | 1,293,450 |
| Refrigerator cargo | 4 | 8,050 | 9,199 |
| Bulk cargo | 78 | 756,112 | 1,137,792 |
| Tanker | 4 | 52,430 | 80,508 |
| Passenger | 2 | 16,057 | 7,382 |
| Total | 252 | 1,792,473 | 2,528,331 |
The 140 Polish-built units of the fleet account for almost 57% of the total deadweight tonnage. The remaining 103 ships were built in foreign shipyards, principally in Denmark, Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Heretofore, foreign-built ships accounted for the greater part of the fleet tonnage, but the situation has reversed because of the increased capability of Polish shipyards to build larger ships. Since 1969 the Paris Commune Shipyard at Gdynia has delivered two 55,000-d.w.t. bulk-cargo carriers of the Manifest Lipcowy class, and the Adolf Warski Shipyard at Szczecin has completed five 32,000-d.w.t. bulk-cargo carriers of the Powstaniec Slaski class.
Over 55% of the fleet (140 ships) has been in service less than 10 years; and with an overall average age of less than 9 years, the fleet is relatively young. About 75% of the total deadweight tonnage is made up of 67 dry cargo ships, 47 bulk cargo ships, and four tankers of over 10,000 d.w.t. each. of the 25 steamships, 16 have oil-fired and nine have coal-fired boilers, and all have reciprocating engines. The remaining 227 vessels are equipped with diesel engines. Three-fourths (188) of the ships have speeds of 14 to 22.5 knots; the remainder have speeds of 9.5 to 13.9 knots.
In addition to the commercial fleet of the merchant marine, there are five special-service ships over 1,000 g.r.t. - the passenger/car ferries Gry (2,977 g.r.t.), Gustav Vasa (3,801 g.r.t.), and Skandynawia (2,821 g.r.t.); the training frigate Dar Pomorza (1,561 g.r.t.); and the icebreaker Perkun (1,152 g.r.t.).
The merchant marine is a state-owned enterprise under the general administration of the Ministry of Shipping. Operational control of all oceangoing ships employed in foreign trade is exercised by two shipping companies, the Polish Ocean Lines (PLO) and the Polish Steamship Company (PZM). Previously both companies were engaged in regular-route shipping and in tramp service. However, to improve operating efficiency and to increase foreign exchange earnings the companies were reorganized. On 1 January 1970 PLO became responsible for regular cargo and passenger service, with the tramp and tanker fleets being operated by PZM. PLO has offices in Gdansk and Gdynia to run the American, Asian, and African lines, and in Szczecin to run the short-range lines and the passenger/car ferry service to Ystad, Sweden. PZM operates its short-distance and oceangoing tramp services from offices in Szczecin and tanker service from Gdansk.
PLO has 12 dry-cargo ships operating under time charter to the Chinese-Polish Shipbrokers Company,
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070025-1
