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

country movement is restricted in many places by lakes, drainage ditches, forested areas, and soft ground in the spring and autumn rainy season. Detailed information on approaches is contained in Figure 24.

2. Sea (C)

The sea approaches to the coast of Poland are from the North Sea via the Skaggerak and Kattegat straits and the Baltic Sea. Offshore approaches are clear except for a few shoals, banks, and scattered wrecks. Nearshore approaches are partly obstructed by longshore bars, wrecks, shoals, rocks, and groins. In addition, shoals are present off the larger river mouths. Nearshore bottoms are mostly sand. The tidal range is negligible, and surf 4 feet or higher may be expected a maximum of 24% of the time from January through March, 18% April through June, 23% July through September, and 21% October through December.

The best amphibious landing areas are along a 52½-mile stretch of coast centered slightly west of Kolobrzeg, and a 5¾-mile section between Gdynia and Gdansk. These landing areas provide access to a strategic area or to an internal route leading to strategic areas (Figure 25). Exits are primarily by tracks and trails to bituminous-surfaced coastal roads. Predominantly sandy shores are backed by grass- and brush-covered dunes. Closely spaced groined interrupt some stretches of sandy shore. The coastal zone, backed by a nearly level to rolling plain extending more than 20 miles inland, is covered principally with low field crops, scattered small lakes and lagoons in the west, and patches of forest; a range of low hills extends about 16 to 35 miles inland from the western coast of the Gulf of Danzig. Characteristics of the landing areas are summarized in Figure 6.

3. Air (U/OU)

Air approaches from the northeast and east are over the western U.S.S.R.; from the south over northern Romania, Czechoslovakia, northern Hungary, northern Austria, and the southeastern part of West Germany; from the west over East Germany and the northeastern part of West Germany; and from the northwest and north over southeastern Denmark, southern Sweden, and the southern part of the Baltic Sea. Weather conditions in all approaches are best in summer (June through August) and least favorable in winter (December through February). Spring and autumn are transitional periods.

During the summer, cloudiness is at or near the minimum (40% to 75%) and predominantly of a cumuliform type in all approaches. Thunderstorm activity, however, is at a maximum in summer and thunderstorms occur on an average of 2 to 8 days per month. The greatest hazard to flying during this season is severe turbulence associated with thunderstorms and convective cloudiness. Severe icing conditions are present in large convective clouds and

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