CIOS Report No. XXX-15
CIOS Target No. 9/133
Physical and optical instruments & devices
Reported by S/Ldr. G.C. Brock, M.A.P.
in Collaboration Cd. Robinson
In the introductory they state: The period 28/5/45 to 6/6/45 inclusive (12 days was spent at Agfa Plant). The period 22/5/45 to 27/5/45 was occupied on the outward journey, and 10/6/45 to 14/6/45 on the return. On reporting to Major Johnson-Ferguson at 'T' Branch and receiving my orders, I learned that two Agfa technicians, Dr. Meyer and Dr. Meskat were being held in the Wiesbaden town goal. Major Ferguson felt that I should interrogate these men at once, and should not proceed further until I had contacted an American party, who were expected to arrive shortly for the same purpose. After an unsuccessful search through two prisons, I found the men in the Albrechtstrasse goal, together with another Agfa technician, Dr. Schilling. Neither the men nor the prison authorities could give any reason for their detention. After a preliminary interrogation of Dr. Schilling I returned to 'T' Branch and told Major Ferguson that I would be far more satisfactory to have the men in their own plant for questioning. The American party headed by Col. Potts had by then arrived and after a second interrogation it was stated by Col. Potts that Dr. Schilling had been imprisoned in the mistaken belief that he was a V2 expert ....
What the British and Americans actually were doing was in fact stealing Russian properties (Trophies of War, AOB). As it was agreed upon that the Wolfen area was to become Russian ruled territory. Only because the Americans had moved faster than being planned, they occupied Thuringia and other areas for a while. We may say, that they removed all that could be transport even sometimes extremely heavy devices! (AOB)
Wolfen is in the military Governement area of Bitterfeld. (Commandant Maj. Lewis)
The Agfa plant and laboratories are so large and cover so many fields, that a general policy had to be fixed for limiting the scope of the investigation and the samples to be removed.
The Agfa "Film Fabrik" is situated on the main road through Wolfen in the south end of the town. The factory perimeter encloses an area of 500 Morgen of which about one quarter is devoted to the production of photographic materials.
The research laboratories are extremely well equipped as to space, service and apparatus, and in all respects appear to have had far more money to spent on them than any comparable organisation in the country (meant is Britain, AOB)
No bombs have ever fallen on the Wolfen plant, which was untouched until the last few days of conflict. A small detachment of Wehrmacht then took refuge in the buildings, and fighting required for their eviction great damage was done by tank and artillery fire, small arms and mortar fire, aircraft strafing, and the explosions of a nearby ammunition train. Following the cessation of fighting, extensive looting and wanton damage occurred, for which troops (U.S. Forces?, AOB), liberated foreign workers, and criminal German elements are all blamed. By far the most serious looting took place in the research and testing laboratories, where the hope of gain was greatest (i.e. cameras, films, microscopes etc) since the film store had been destroyed. During my visit only skeleton staff were in the factory, which was not working, and no attempt appeared to have been made to clear debris.
.... These are matters of only academic interest, since the U.S. Army has removed all raw material stocks and the Wolfen area is in the Russian zone of occupation.
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