KUGELBAKE AND PATROL BOATS ON RIVER; PATROLS ON BANKS; BRITISH FRONTIER SERVICE OFFICER.




Initials GEM/VS/CCT/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: TEN EAST GERMAN PATROLS BOATS MANNED BY ARMED GUARDS TODAY (THURSDAY) TRAILED A WEST GERMAN SURVEY BOAT ON THE RIVER ELBE AS BRITISH TROOPS ON ONE BANK FACED EAST GERMAN SOLDIERS ACROSS THE RIVER.

TODAY'S INCIDENT CAME AFTER A WEEK IN WHICH THE EAST GERMAN PATROLS HAVE SHADOWED THE SURVEY BOAT, THE KUGELBAKE, AS IT WORKED ON THE ELBE IN THE BORDER AREA BETWEEN EAST AND WEST GERMANY.

WEST GERMAN AND BRITISH OFFICIALS....BRITAIN IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BORDER TERRITORY....HAVE ACCUSED EAST GERMANY OF OBSTRUCTING THE KUGELBAKE, AND TODAY TWO BRITISH INFANTRY PATROLS STOOD BY ON THE WESTERN BANK.

BUT ALTHOUGH PATROL BOATS AGAIN KEPT CLOSE TO THE KUGELBAKE, AND EAST GERMAN SOLDIERS MOVED ALONG THE EASTERN RIVER BANK, THERE WAS NO TROUBLE.

YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY), THE CAPTAIN OF THE KUGELBAKE REFUSED TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS BECAUSE OF THE OBSTRUCTION, BUT HE AND HIS CREW WENT BACK TO WORK TODAY, UNDER THE EYE OF OFFICERS OF THE BRITISH FRONTIERS SERVICE AS WELL AS THE TROOPS.

A YEAR AGO THE KUGELBAKE WAS HIT BY EIGHT BULLETS FIRED BY EAST GERMAN BORDER GUARDS IN A SIMILAR CONFRONTATION, BUT NO ONE WAS HURT.