U.S. Department of Defense

 

Date of this Version

9-9-1953

Document Type

Article

Comments

This is a digital copy of a xerographic copy of an untitled handwritten document provided to Prof. Bolin by the command historian at INSCOM.

Abstract

In 1953, the production of technical intelligence was the responsibility of the chiefs of the Army technical services. The technical services were bureaus in the Headquarters, Department of the Army, each headed by a general. In 1953, the technical Services were:

  • The Army Medical Service headed by The Surgeon General
  • The Chemical Corps headed by the Chief Chemical Officer
  • The Corps of Engineers headed by the Chief of Engineers
  • The Ordnance Corps headed by the Chief of Ordnance
  • The Quartermaster Corps headed by the Quartermaster General
  • The Signal Corps headed by the Chief Signal Officer
  • The Transportation Corps headed by the Chief of Transportation

At that time technical intelligence included intelligence concerning foreign weapons and equipment and as well as “…the nature, organization, and activities of foreign agencies having the functions analogous to those of the technical services …” in other armies. Some additional responsibilities had been assigned. For example, the Corps of Engineers produced intelligence on potential landing beaches and on ports and harbors around the world and the Army Medical Service produced intelligence about epidemiology worldwide.

This document was probably prepared by someone in the Office of the Assistant Chief, G2, Intelligence, since G2 had oversight of all intelligence activities in the Army.

The document lists the number of people devoted to technical intelligence organization in each of the technical services, the name and location of each intelligence production organization, the name of the chief of each organization. At that time all were branches or divisions in the office of the chief of the service except for the Signal Corps Intelligence Agency which was a free-standing organization with a commanding officer. The document also includes a page of notes about medical intelligence activities.

Some of the locations listed in buildings mentioned in this document no longer exist. They are:

  • Bldg T-A was a temporary building which was part of the A-B-C Tempo complex just to the east of the wall of Fort McNair in Southwest Washington.
  • Bldg T-7 was a temporary building at Gravelly Point on the west side of the Potomac River just north of Washington National Airport.
  • Main Navy was a large temporary building on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial.

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