Hello, friends!
I am trying to find quite complete information about organization and equipment of Bulgarian Army of interwar period. So this is the best place to do it, as me seems.
Unfortunately, there are a very few sources in literature and Internet about preWWII Bulgarian Army....
I already found some info with the help of Dibo (you, probably, know him) and posted it at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=66767.
Unfortunately, some questions remain still unclear.
For example, the information about Bulgaria navy. Could somebody help me? Below is my post from axishistory forum.
>So as I understand the Bulgarian Navy (HQ at Sofia) during interwar period (1920-1939) had following ships.
Black Sea flotilia, Varna port - torpedoboat squadron (with torpedo depot, ordnance depot, 1st and 2nd torpedoboat divisions, and gunboat halfdivision) + mine squadron (with minelayer division, 1st and 2nd mine companies, 1st and 2nd minecleaning companies)
1. 4 old torpedo-boats ("Drski", "Khrabry", "Smely" and "Strogi"; built in France for Bulgaria in 1907/1908, used till the end of WWII) - 1st torpedoboat division.
2. vessel "Kaliakra" (unknown specifications and purpose, help needed)
3. 2 motor torpedo-boats of S-boat design (No. 1 (F-1), No. 2 (F-2); delivered in 1938-1939 from Germany) - 2nd torpedo boat division (in 1941 had also F-3 and F-4)
4. 6 or 7 winesweepers of mine squadron (4 were "Minior", "Vzriv", "Kapitan-Leitenant Minkov" and "Konduktor Dokuzanov" - previous German mine sweeper boats, unknown armament and later names). What were the others, their specifications?
5. 2 patrol boats of coast guard (gunboat halfdivision) ("Belomorec", "Chernomorec"; built in USA in 1917/1918 or in 1920? for France, were bought by Bulgaria in 1922), Some sources report that there was also one chasseur (I don't know the type and specifications, probably, the same?)
6. 4 vedettes "Minior", "Vzriv", "Kapitan-Leitenant Minkov" and "Konduktor Dokuzanov" - built in Canada. I don't know when and their armament?
7. 2 training sailing-ships (one of them, probably, was "Kamchiya" - former French yacht, built in England in 1882, was bought by Bulgaria in 1906, used as minelayer and hydrographic ship). The name and specifications of another I don't know.....
8. 14 different merchant ships
Danube flotilia, Ruse port - gunboat halfdivision + mine company + maintenance unit + Danube river police.
9. 6 contraband chassing rivercrafts (2 torpedo boats "Vasil Levski" and "Hristo Botev", built in Russia in 1877, used until late 1930s + 2 steam boats "Boris" and "Stefan Karadja", since 1933 - "Rakovski" - unknown specifications and year of production, armament.... + 2 motor boats "Rusalka" and "Meteor" - unknown specifications and year of prioduction, armament...
As far as I know, Bulgaria had the shore gendarmerie battalion (6 companies, several MGs) in 1920s-1930s. Were there some another navy shore infantry units in Bulgaria, for example, marines?....
Unfortunately, I couldn't find info about types of guns and organization of coast artillery of Bulgaria, only that coast artillery belonged to the army and consisted of Varna, Burgas and Ruse coast artillery regiments.
I hope that somebody here could help me with my questions, thanks very much in advance,
BIGpanzer
I am trying to find quite complete information about organization and equipment of Bulgarian Army of interwar period. So this is the best place to do it, as me seems.
Unfortunately, there are a very few sources in literature and Internet about preWWII Bulgarian Army....
I already found some info with the help of Dibo (you, probably, know him) and posted it at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=66767.
Unfortunately, some questions remain still unclear.
For example, the information about Bulgaria navy. Could somebody help me? Below is my post from axishistory forum.
>So as I understand the Bulgarian Navy (HQ at Sofia) during interwar period (1920-1939) had following ships.
Black Sea flotilia, Varna port - torpedoboat squadron (with torpedo depot, ordnance depot, 1st and 2nd torpedoboat divisions, and gunboat halfdivision) + mine squadron (with minelayer division, 1st and 2nd mine companies, 1st and 2nd minecleaning companies)
1. 4 old torpedo-boats ("Drski", "Khrabry", "Smely" and "Strogi"; built in France for Bulgaria in 1907/1908, used till the end of WWII) - 1st torpedoboat division.
2. vessel "Kaliakra" (unknown specifications and purpose, help needed)
3. 2 motor torpedo-boats of S-boat design (No. 1 (F-1), No. 2 (F-2); delivered in 1938-1939 from Germany) - 2nd torpedo boat division (in 1941 had also F-3 and F-4)
4. 6 or 7 winesweepers of mine squadron (4 were "Minior", "Vzriv", "Kapitan-Leitenant Minkov" and "Konduktor Dokuzanov" - previous German mine sweeper boats, unknown armament and later names). What were the others, their specifications?
5. 2 patrol boats of coast guard (gunboat halfdivision) ("Belomorec", "Chernomorec"; built in USA in 1917/1918 or in 1920? for France, were bought by Bulgaria in 1922), Some sources report that there was also one chasseur (I don't know the type and specifications, probably, the same?)
6. 4 vedettes "Minior", "Vzriv", "Kapitan-Leitenant Minkov" and "Konduktor Dokuzanov" - built in Canada. I don't know when and their armament?
7. 2 training sailing-ships (one of them, probably, was "Kamchiya" - former French yacht, built in England in 1882, was bought by Bulgaria in 1906, used as minelayer and hydrographic ship). The name and specifications of another I don't know.....
8. 14 different merchant ships
Danube flotilia, Ruse port - gunboat halfdivision + mine company + maintenance unit + Danube river police.
9. 6 contraband chassing rivercrafts (2 torpedo boats "Vasil Levski" and "Hristo Botev", built in Russia in 1877, used until late 1930s + 2 steam boats "Boris" and "Stefan Karadja", since 1933 - "Rakovski" - unknown specifications and year of production, armament.... + 2 motor boats "Rusalka" and "Meteor" - unknown specifications and year of prioduction, armament...
As far as I know, Bulgaria had the shore gendarmerie battalion (6 companies, several MGs) in 1920s-1930s. Were there some another navy shore infantry units in Bulgaria, for example, marines?....
Unfortunately, I couldn't find info about types of guns and organization of coast artillery of Bulgaria, only that coast artillery belonged to the army and consisted of Varna, Burgas and Ruse coast artillery regiments.
I hope that somebody here could help me with my questions, thanks very much in advance,
BIGpanzer
Comment