Bulgarian Artillery in WW1

Pictures number 4, 5 and 8 probably do not show a Bulgarian soldiers. The hats and the shoes are certainly not Bulgarian.

[MCP]

Slow firing field guns

Gun model : Krupp 87mm M. 1897
Calibre : 87mm L/24
Weight: 457 kg
Weight without limber : 1000 kg
Weight with limber : 1791 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.088 m
Shell Weight : 6.21 kg (bursting charge: 0.38 kg)
Shrapnel Weight : 7.1 kg (180 balls x ? gr - bursting charge: 0.38 kg)
Shrapnel Fuze : percussion
Case Shot Weight : 6.2 kg
Muzzle Velocity : 460 m/s (shrapnel)
Max. Range : 5200m/6100m
Elevation : + 20° / 0°
Track :
Ammunition : gun limber - 33, ammunition wagon - 87
8 ammunition wagons for every battery
Remarks : Slow firing field gun, cylindro-pneumatic wedge breech mechanism with an expanding steel obturation ring. The rapidity of fire is not very great.


Gun model : Krupp 87mm M. 1886
Max. Range : 4000/5700 m


Gun model : Krupp 75mm M. 1886
Calibre : 75mm L/27
Weight : 390 kg
Weight without limber : 850 kg
Weight with limber : 1500 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.025 m
Shell Weight : 4.3 kg (bursting charge: 0.38 kg)
Shrapnel Weight : 4.3 kg (170 balls x ? gr - bursting charge: 0.38 kg)
Shrapnel Fuze : percussion
Case Shot Weight : 4.9 kg (165 ball x 20 gr)
Muzzle Velocity : 460 m/s
Max. Range : 2600/5900 m
Elevation :
Ammunition : gun limber - 39, ammunition wagon - 110
6 ammunition wagons for every battery
Track : 1.45 m
Remarks : Slow firing field gun, cylindro-pneumatic wedge breech mechanism with an expanding steel obturation ring. The rapidity of fire is not very great.

[MCP]

These are the fruits of my research about Bulgarian artillery weapons at the beginning of World War 1. I hope that may be interesting. Of course every addition/correction is welcomed.


Field Artillery

Gun model : Schneider-Canet 75mm QF M. 1904
Calibre : 75mm L/32
Weight : 383.7 kg
Weight without limber : 1016 kg
Weight in action : 1708 kg
Weight of limber : 710 kg
Weight of ammunition wagon : 1720 kg
Height of line of fire above the ground : 945 mm
Tube Lenght : 2.400 m
Shell Weight : 6.5 kg (bursting charge: 0.8 kg)
Shrapnel Weight : 6.5 kg (294 balls x 10 gr - bursting charge: 0.8 kg)
Shrapnel Fuze : time and percussion
H.E. Shell Weight: 6.5 kg (bursting charge: 0.58 kg Schneiderit)
H.E. Shell Fuze : time and percussion
Muzzle Velocity : 500 m/s (shrapnel)
Range : 5000m/5900m (afterwards increased to 8000 m )
Elevation : + 16° / - 5°
Traversing angle : 3° each side
Thickness of shield : 4 mm
Track : 1.45 m
Ammunition : gun limber - 38, wagon limber - 38, wagon body - 60
12 ammunition wagons for every battery
Remarks : Quick firing field gun, with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, eccentric screw breech mechanism, collimator with aiming circle, fitted for indipendent line of sight.


Gun model : Krupp 75mm QF M. 1904
Calibre : 75mm L/30
Weight : 348 kg
Weight of the carriage : 644 kg
Weight of the empty limber : 462 kg
Weight with limber : 1754 kg
Weight of ammunition wagon : 1731 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.250 m
Number of grooves : 28
Shell Weight : 6.35 kg (bursting charge: ? kg)
Shrapnel Weight : 6.35 kg (295 balls x 10 gr - bursting charge: 0.75 kg)
Muzzle Velocity : 500 m/s
Max. Range : 5000m/5900m [8000m]
Elevation : + 15° / - 5°
Traversing angle : 3° 30’ each side
Thickness of shield : 4 mm
Track : 1.48 m
Ammunition : gun limber - 41, wagon limber - 44, wagon body - 52 [These are the number for Turkish Army, in Bulgarian Army they may be different]
12 ammunition wagons for every battery
Remarks : Quick firing field gun, with hydro-spring recoil system, single-motion wedge breech mechanism, equipped with panorama sight, but not fitted for an indipendent line of sight. In 1912 Turkish Army had 162 batteries armed with Krupp 75mm guns M. 1904 and 1909 (156 field and 6 horse). 22 more batteries (10 field and 12 horse) armed with Krupp 75mm guns were ordered in 1912 and arrived during the war. Since also Romanian Army adopted these guns, Bulgarian Army may have captured some of them in 1916-18. There are little difference between the Turkish and the Romanian gun (see Romanian captured guns).