Bulgarian Artillery in WW1

[dibo]

In my inquiry about Bulgarian Artillery I have often found a reference to this article (I hope I typed correctly):
Яко Молхов, “Българската артнлерна през Балканската война (1912 г.)",
Военнои рически сборник, 57/1 (1988)
It seems very interesting, but - of course - I could not find it in Italy. If somebody has the chance to meet with it somewhere I greatly appreciate if he can make a copy for me.
Thanks.

Българската артилерия през Балканската война (1912г.) - Военноисторически сборник 57/1 (1988).

From what you have written it should be in Vol. 1 of the Военноисторически сборник magazine for 1988.

[MCP]

Yes, excuse me for mistake. I missed some letters. :1087:

[MCP]

Anti-aircraft Artillery

Germany was the first country that studied the opportunity to have guns purposely designed for combatting balloon, dirigibles and planes. In 1906 at the Berlin automobile exhibition Rheinmetall showed a 5cm L/30 pivot gun mounted on a lightly armoured motor car, while Krupp choose a 6.5cm L/35 gun. The tactic suggested was to deploy these vehicles in likely places and, on the appearence of an aircraft, to drive them rapidly to some point of interception and there open fire.
At that time War Ministry believed that there were non need for special guns and in 1907 German Army tested as anti-aircraft guns the guns then adopted by field and foot artillery: 7.7cm field gun, 10.5cm light field howitzer and 10cm heavy gun. In spite of the lack of interest shown by the Army, studies went on. Between 1908 and 1910 a lot of new guns appeared. Krupp produced a 7.5cm L/35 gun on wheels and a 7.1cm L/30 gun on a motor car, while Rheinmetall a 6.5cm L/35 pivot gun. This time War Ministry was more interested to and laid down the rules for the Ballonabwehrkanone (Bak = anti-balloon gun). These demanded the calibre and the ammunition of the 7.7cm L/27 field gun and devices for a rapid change in azimuth and elevation. The gun had to be transported by a field carriage or mounted on a motor car with a pivot. Between 1911 to 1914 both Krupp and Rheinmetall produced some different pattern of Bak.

It was only from 1910 to 1914 that the military leaders of the other major European countries began to examine the prospect of anti-aircraft weapons. In Great Britain Vickers produced a 3-pounder quick firing gun mounted on a Daimler car chassis, while in France for the 75mm Mle 1897 field gun it was developed a high-angle mounting for on the back of a De Dion Bouton car chassis. But at the beginning of the World War 1 only Germany could field a little number of anti-air guns.

In August 1914 Germany had available six motor Bak with a 77mm L/27, two wheeled 77mm L/27 with pivots, and ten mixed older models of experimental 77mm dating back to 1910-1914. The horsedrawn Bak were emplaced near bridges over the river Rhein at Dusseldorf and Mannheim, at the Zeppelin wharf at Friedrichshafen, and at the dirigible hangar at Metz. The six motorized Bak went to the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th (two) and 8th Army. They were emplaced to protect areas and objects important for mobilization. The development of anti-aircraft artillery in German Army was very quick.

In October 1914 there were 9 motorized and 27 horse-drawn Bak.

In January 1915, thanks to a great use of captured guns, there were 97 Bak, mostly armed with Belgian, French and Russian field guns transformed into anti-aircraft gun.

When World War 1 ended German Army had 2576 Flak (Fliegerabwehrkanone = anti-aircraft gun, from 31th May 1916 the new name of Bak).
There were :
- 116 heavy motorised batteries
- 39 light motorised batteries
- 168 horse-drawn batteries,
- 166 fixed batteries,
- 3 railway batteries,
- 183 motorised sections;
- 49 horse-drawn sections;
- 173 fixed sections;
- 80 individual motorised veihicles.

In September 1918 German Army had in Macedonia :
Bespannte FlakBt. 523, 549, 550, 556 (horse-drawn Flak Batteries);
Bespannte Flakzug 97 (Saxon), 165 (horse-drawn Flak Sections);
Bespannte bayer.Flakzug 119, 148 (horse-drawn Bavarian Flak Sections);
9cm FlakBt. 338 (9cm improvised Flak Battery - Saxon);
KraftwagenFlak 38, 85 (Flak on motor vehicles).
These units were to the Flak Command of Army Group Scholtz (Kommandeur del Flak der Heeresgruppe Scholtz). There were also two Flak officiers, one for German 11th Army and one for Bulgarian 1st and 2nd army).

[MCP]

ex Turkish Bak guns

Gun model : Krupp 75mm QF M. 1912
Calibre : 75mm L/30
Weight :
Tube Lenght : 2.250 m
Shell Weight : 6.35 kg
Muzzle Velocity :
Max. Range : 6500 m
Elevation : + 90°
Elevation : 360°
Remarks : Quick firing Bak gun

Gun model : Krupp 75mm QF M. 1912
Calibre : 75mm L/28
Weight :
Tube Lenght : 2.100 m
Shell Weight : 6.35 kg
Muzzle Velocity :
Max. Range : 6500 m
Elevation : + 90°
Azimuth : 360°
Remarks : Quick firing Bak gun


General remarks
Taking advantage of the studies carried out by German factories at the beginning of XX century and of their production of a number of sperimental Bak guns, in 1912 Ottoman Army bought in Germany four 75mm Krupp Bak guns. They had the same performances, but they were not all the same pattern of guns. Two of them had a caliber of 75mm L/28, while the others had a longer tube (L/30). Two of them - one of every pattern - were sent to Odrin in order to defend the fortress by ennemy’s balloon, dirigibles and planes. In 1913 Bulgarian Army captured these two guns. These are the first real anti-aircraft guns in Bulgarian Army. During Balkan war Bulgarian Army had used regular field artillery guns to fire on air targets. In October 1915 they formed the 1st Anti-aircraft Section.

[dibo]

I have checked the article you asked. Unfortunately it is very difficult to copier than scan it. It consists of two parts - one describing the Bulgarian and Turkish artillery and one describing the use of the artillery during the Lozengrad operation.
Here is a resume:
Bulgarian artillery
In peacetime each army inspection distict has three infantry divisions (two infantry brigades and 1 QF artillery regiments in each) and one 120mm QF Howitzer battery. So bascially the filed artillery in peacetime is 9 divisional QF arty regiments and 3 army 120mm QF howitzer batteries.
The mountain artilley consists of three QF regiments with 2 arty battalions (2 batteries with 4 guns each) each.
The Fortress artillery consists of HQ and three fortress arty battalions.
1910 War time organization - each army should have 1 QF arty battalion with 3 batteries with 4 QF 120mm howizters each - 12 howitzers in all and 1 Not-QF arty battalion with 2 batteries with 6 howitzers.
Each infantry division is enalrged with 1 infantry brigade and 1 Not-QF arty regiment.
In practice each peacetime filed arty regiment forms one QF and one Not-QF arty regiment. 4-th, 5-th and 8-th arty regiments form the Not-QF howitzer batteries (4-th and 5-th forming two and 8-th forming one).
Mountain arty regiment wartime organization - 3 QF battalions with 3 batteries with 4 guns each and 1 Not-QF battalion with 3 batteries with 6 guns each. In practice only 2nd MAR was fully equipped, the other two regiments in 1912 had 2 QF battaliosn with 2 batteries.
Overall assessment - excellent training (in 1909 each field arty regiment fired 728 practice rounds), the Russo-Japanese war experience well studied, small (4-guns) batteries easy to operate and maneuver, each Bulgarian infantry division has more guns than its Turkish counterpart and nearly as much as a Turkish infamtry corps. Cons - too few howitzers, the heavy fortress arty too little in quantity and outdated (although in 1912 it was planned to buy 360 fortress guns), there is no overall arty commanders on divisional and army levels (the Arty commander on the army level actually deals in logisitics and is not a field commander).
All in all - 920 guns - 452 QF - 416 75mm and 36 120mm. Fortress arty - 60 150 or 120mm QF howitzers, 129 old guns.
Service in artillery - 3 years for soldiers (20 years old recruits) than 23 years in the reserve. NCOs are coming from NCO's training commands (4 months training). Officers are mostly from the Military School in Sofia. Nearly all battery and regiment commanders have undergone intensive training courses since 1906 in the special Arty College (bad translation). Some had also training in Austria-Hunagary and Russia miliary schools. Arty engineers are trained in Russia and Italy. In 1912 - 475 arty offciers incl. 21 arty engineers. Reserve officere - either from the Reserve officers school. or NCOs, promoted at the last year of their active service.
Ottoman Empire
4 army inspectorates (Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Bagdad, Arzidjak). Each consists of 2-4 corps. Each corps has 3 infantry divisions, 1 rifle regiment, 1 cavalry brigade (3-4 regiments), 1 howitzer and 2 mountain arty battalions. Each infantry division has 3 regiments, 1 rifle battalion, 1 QF arty regiment with 2 battalions with 3 batteries. A rezerve (Rediff) division has 3 infantry regiments and 1-2 arty battalions.
All in all - 1910 guns (without the fortress and the shore defense arty). 910 are QF.
Officers trained in a special arty engineer school. Reserve officers - 1 year training. NCOs from special training battalion and NCO's schools.
The artillery is the best trained branch in the Ottoman army with very good level of training on battery level. Hovever the performance on battalion and regimental level is poor. The maneurability and the coordination of fire is very weak.

[MCP]

Many, many thanks. A resume is greatly aprecied. since my little knowledge of your language and my slowness in translatin from Bulgarian, your translation is welcome.
Many thanks. :nworthy:

[MCP]

Bulgarian Anti-aircraft Artillery

1915

Bulgarian Air Defence (ПАО) was born on 9 October 1915 when, according with the ordnance n° 31, it was formed the first AA Battery (ПАБ). It was composed by three AAPlatoon (ПАВ): the first one had the two 75mm Bak seized as trophies in Odrin in 1913, the other two had each two 87mm Krupp slow firing field guns on improvised mounting. This unit was built in order to protect Sofia and on 27 October 1915 it took up it positions in the capital: 1st ПАВ was placed in the aerea of Lozenech, 2nd ПАВ an in Slatinski Redubt and 3rd ПАВ at Konyovitza. Besides these six guns, ПАО had seven machine guns (five Madsen and two Hotchkiss). They were used to protect some important military target in Sofia: Vrana Palace, airport, military arsenal, railway station, "Balkan" Company, gunpowder depot and firearms depot. They have telephone conection with each other an there was one to three infantry platoons ready 24 hours to fire on the enemy planes with regular infantry weapons.
On the same day the artillery commander of Sofia fortress, Col. Atanas Rakoski, was appointed Head of Bulgarian Air Defence. His first task was to provide the capital and the strategic bridges at Kuleliburgas and Fere-Dedeagach with air defence. 3rd ПАВ was sent to Kuleliburgas, while another platoon armed with two two 87mm Krupp slow firing field guns was assigned to 10th Belomorska Division and placed at Fere-Dedeagach.

On 30 October 1915 it was organized the anti-air defence of Bulgarian strongpoint along the bank of river Danube:
- Ruse - six 87mm Krupp with an infantry detachment
- Svishtov - six 87mm Krupp with an infantry detachment
- Somovit - two 87mm Krupp with an infantry detachment
- Lom - eight x 87mm Krupp with a cavalry squadroon.
The artillery was entirely formed by slow firing field gun on improvised mounting.

On 15 December 1915 ПАО was composed by:
1st ПАБ - Captain Bogdan Bonev (Sofia)
-- 1st ПАВ - Capt. Bogdan Bonev (Lozenech) - two 75mm Krupp Bak (trophies)
-- 2nd ПАВ - Off. cand. Stefan Balabanov (Kjustendil) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
-- 3rd ПАВ - Off. cand. Todor Shishkov (Kuleliburgas) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
2nd ПАБ (formed on 5 November 1915) - Lieutenant Stefan Oreshkov (Sofia) -
-- 1st ПАВ - Serg. Georgi Balabanov (Konyovitza) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
-- 2nd ПАВ - Serg. Georgi Nestorov (Slatinski Redubt) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
-- 3rd ПАВ - Serg. Petar Petrov (Telegraph Battalion) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
3rd ПАБ (formed on 1 November 1915) - Captain Ivan Marinov (Kuleliburgas)
-- 1st ПАВ - (bridge on Arda river) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
-- 2nd ПАВ - (Kuleliburgas railway station) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
-- 3rd ПАВ - (Fere) - two 87mm Krupp slow firing guns
There were also seven MG half companies:
-- five were placed in Sofia : at "Balkan" Company, railway station, Vrana Palace, and airport;
-- two at Kulelyburgas : on the bridge on Martza river and at the railway station.

=========================

1916

During 1916 new batteries and platoons were formed in order to protect every military target in Bulgaria.

On March 1916 one ПАБ was formed in Kjustendil with guns coming from Kuleliburgas.

On May 1916 a third ПАБ was formed in order to protect Sofia.

On August 1916 three new batteries were formed in Sofia:
- one, armed with two 75mm slow firing guns, from Military School;
- one, armed with four 87mm slow firing guns, from a replacement battery of 4th Field Artillery Regiment;
- one, armed with four 87mm slow firing guns, from Sofia Fortress Regiment.
Four more MG emplacements were formed. They were placed to protect Mint, Military club, War Ministery and railway station.

On July and August 1916 it was also organized the anti-air defence of Northern Bulgaria :
- Kaspichan - one ПАВ
- Razgrad - one ПАВ
- Drjanovo - two ПАВ
- Gorna Orjahovitza - two ПАВ
In order to defend the seashore of Thrace ПАО formed eight ПАВ (21st to 28th).

=========================

1917

On 1 July 1917 ПАО was composed by:
- Staff with two officiers and four men
- 9 ПАБ armed with 57 guns
- 3 machine guns half companies
together with 19 officiers, 6 (?) NCOs and 614 privates (the number of NCOs seems to me too low and I think it is wrong).
There were 35 ПАВ and 27 MG emplacements. During July 1917 every ПАВ received one Schwarzlosе MG for its defence (in sum 20 MGs).

On 25 July 1917 8th and 9th ПАБ were armed with special anti-air guns sent by German Army (76.2mm Russian guns seized as trophies). 8th ПАБ was assigned to Bulgarian 2nd Army, 9th ПАБ to Bulgarian 1st Army (34th ПАВ to 5th Dunavska Division) and German 11th Army (32th ПАВ to 2nd Trakiska and 33th ПАВ to 3rd Balkanska Division).

In the second half of 1917 a 10th ПАБ was formed.

On 1 December 1917 ПАО had twelve ПАБ.

=========================

1918

In Juanary 1918 11th ПАБ was rearmed with 76.2mm Russian guns.

In the first quarter of 1918 :
- 12th ПАБ was armed with 75mm Schneider field guns.
- a new 13th ПАБ was formed in Sofia with 1st and 11th ПАВ.
- 14th ПАВ was rearmed with 75mm Krupp field guns and assigned to Bojurishte airfield.
- in its place at Konyovitza was formed a 49th ПАВ armed with one 75mm field gun.
- 3rd ПАВ armed with 87mm slow firing Krupp field guns was formed at Kjustendil.

On 1 August 1918 ПАО was composed by:
Staff with three officiers and five men
- 13 ПАБ
- 5 machine guns half companies
together with 25 officiers (among them 7 officier candidates), 243 NCOs and 679 privates.

On 11 October 1918 ПАО formed its last unit : 50th ПАВ in Ohrid. In order to protect all firearms depots twenty-two MG emplacements were formed.

From МИНИСТЕРСТВО НА ОТБРАНАТА- ИНСТИТУТ ЗА ВОННА ИСТОРИЯ, История на зенитната артилерия и зенитно- ракетните войскн в Българската Армия, Sofia 1995, pages 13-37

[MCP]

Bulgarian Anti-aircraft Artillery OOB on July 1918

Anti-aircraft Batteries

1st ПАБ - Captain Mihail Tatarov
-- 2nd ПАВ - Off. cand. Tzvjatko Aleksandrov (Kjustendil) - 87mm Krupp SF
-- 3rd ПАВ - Capt. Mihail Tatarov (Kjustendil) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 48th ПАВ - (Kjustendil) - 87mm Krupp SF

2nd ПАБ - Lieutenant Stefan Oreshkov
-- 7th ПАВ - Serg. Georgi Nestorov (Slatinski Redubt) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 8th ПАВ - Lieut. Stefan Oreshkov (Slatinski Redubt) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 9th ПАВ - Off. cand. Nesho Aleksandrov (Plovdiv) - 87mm Krupp SF

3rd ПАБ - Captain Bogdan Bonev
-- 4th ПАВ - Capt. Bogdan Bonev (Odrin?) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 5th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Nencho Pavlov (Kuleliburgas) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 6th ПАВ - Serg. Petko Pavlov (Kuleliburgas) - 75mm Krupp QF

4th ПАБ - Captain Karanfil Georgev
-- 15th ПАВ - Lieut. Dimitar Lipovchev (Sofia - Malashevtzi) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 16th ПАВ - Lieut. Asen Bakashev (Telegraph Battalion) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 44th ПАВ - Off. cand. Haralambi Avchelov (Sofia) - not formed

5th ПАБ - Lieutenant Stojan Balabanov
-- 10th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Izrael Velinov (Alchar) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 13th ПАВ - Off. cand. Petko Rajkov (Konopishte) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 17th ПАВ - Off. cand. Slavko Enchev (Mursat) - 75mm Krupp QF

6th ПАБ - Lieutenant Stojan Pushev
-- 12th ПАВ - Off. cand. Ivan Bojchev (Odrin ?) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 14th ПАВ - Off. cand. Stefan Popov (Konyovitza) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 49th ПАВ - Lieut. Stojan Pushev (Bojurishte) - 75mm Krupp QF

7th ПАБ - Lieutenant Avram Bakish
-- 18th ПАВ - Lieut. Avram Bakish (Ksanti) - 87mm Krupp SF
-- 19th ПАВ - Off. cand. Boris Nikolov (Fere-Eksikjoj) - 87mm Krupp SF
-- 20th ПАВ - Serg. Kolju Radukov (Marljakjoj) - 87mm Krupp SF

8th ПАБ - 2nd Lieutenant Georgi Balabanov
-- 29th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Georgi Balabanov (Marno pole) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 30th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Asen Dzherov (Levunovo) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 31st ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Ilja Petkov (Petrich) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak

9th ПАБ - 2nd Lieutenant Dinko Stoimov
-- 32nd ПАВ - Off. cand. Konstantin Bojadzhev (Kozjak) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 33rd ПАВ - Off. cand. Malin Topalov (Preslap) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 34th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Nikola Djulgerov (Negovtzi) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak

10th ПАБ - Lieutenant Gencho Stojkov
-- 35th ПАВ - Lieut. Gencho Stojkov (Drjanovo) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 36th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Boris Stojanov (Skopie) - 75mm Krupp QF
-- 37th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Aleksandar Kokenov (Janchina) - 87mm Krupp SF

11th ПАБ - Lieutenant Dragan Shishkov
-- 38th ПАВ - Lieut. Dragan Shishkov (Melnitza) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 39th ПАВ - Off. cand. Boris Slavchev (Udovo) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak
-- 40th ПАВ - Off. cand. Ivan Terziev (Resen) - 75mm Schneider QF

12th ПАБ - Lieutenant Nikola Markov
-- 41st ПАВ - Off. cand. Asen Sultin (Angista) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 42nd ПАВ - Off. cand. Nikola Madzharov (Badomi) - 75mm Schneider QF

13th ПАБ - Lieutenant Todor Kalinov
-- 1st ПАВ - Lieut. Todor Kalinov (Sofia-Lozenech) - 75mm Schneider QF
-- 11th ПАВ - Off. cand. Nikola Madzharov (Sofia-Lozenech) - 76.2mm Putilov QF Flak


Indipendent Anti-aircraft Platoons

21st ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Pavel Toshev (Drama) - 75mm Krupp QF Turkish
22nd ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Hristo Vitanov (Buk) - 75mm Krupp QF Turkish
23rd ПАВ - Off. cand. Ivan Belchev (Angista) - 75mm Schneider QF
24th ПАВ - 2nd Lieut. Hrabar Popov (Nustratili) - 75mm Krupp QF Russian
25th ПАВ - Off. cand. Konstantin Disonov (Ksanti) - 75mm Schneider QF
26th ПАВ - Off. cand. Radoslav Nikolov (Okchilar) - 75mm Schneider QF
27th ПАВ - Off. cand. Ivan Stoilov (Parna) - 75mm Schneider QF
28th ПАВ - Off. cand. Georgi Hristov (Parna) - 75mm Schneider QF
45th ПАВ - Off. cand. Necho Aladzhov (Plovdiv) - 75mm Krupp QF
46th ПАВ - Off. cand. Marin Zabunov (Stara Zagora) - 77mm Krupp QF
47th ПАВ - Off. cand. Marin Konstatinov (Sliven) - 77mm Krupp QF


MG Half Companies
1st Half Company - Lieut. Angel Ivanov - 8mm Maxim
2nd Half Company - 8mm Hotchkiss
3rd Half Company - 8mm Madsen


Remarks:
There is a little problem. According with История на зенитната артилерия… , page 26, 4th and 12th ПАВ are placed in Odrin, but I think it is a mistake. It is very unlikely that Ottomans accepted to put two Bulgarian anti-aircraft artillery in Odrin. I think that 4th ПАВ was in Kuleliburgas and 12th ПАВ perhaps in Sofia (but it is not listed in in the map showing the range of fire of anti-aircraft artillery placed in the capital). Are there another Odrin in Bulgaria? "Odrin" may also mean that 4th and 12th ПАВ were armed with the two bak guns seized at Odrin in 1913 (even if these two guns should be in 1st ПАВ at Lozenech).
The 76.2mm QF Flak assigned to 11th ПАВ were "на цокъл". I don’t have the exact translation, but I think it means something like"on vehicles"

[Nick]

Anti-aircraft Batteries
The 76.2mm QF Flak assigned to 11th ПАВ were "на цокъл". I don’t have the exact translation, but I think it means something like"on vehicles"

Actually, "на цокъл" in this case should mean "on pedestal" or "base-mounted".

[MCP]

Actually, "на цокъл" in this case should mean "on pedestal" or "base-mounted".

Thanks. This means that it is exactly the contrary compared to what I thought. They are fixed anti-aircraft guns. :wall:

[MCP]

Allied planes destroyed or damaged by Bulgarian Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 1915-18

07.11.1915 - a "Farman" plane was shot down near Fere
06.08.1916 - a plane attacking Sofia was damaged
24.06.1917 - a plane was damaged and quickly lost altitude near Drama
26.06.1917 - a plane was damaged and quickly lost altitude near Parma
24.08.1917 - a plane was damaged and lost stability near Drama
04.09.1917 - a plane was damaged and quickly lost altitude near Dobro Pole
06.09.1917 - a plane was shot down near Chiflik (Tepe Chiflik)
05.09.1917 - a plane was damaged plane and quickly lost altitude
08.09.1917 - a plane was fallen in flames in enemy teritory
12.09.1917 - a plane was shot down by 10th ПАВ near Archar
15.09.1917 - a plane was shot down by 35th ПАВ
06.10.1917 - a plane was damaged
15.10.1917 - a plane was damaged and separated from his group
13.10.1917 - a plane was shot down by 33rd ПАВ with direct hit
11.11.1917 - a plane was damaged and separated from his group
09.12.1917 - a plane was shot down by the ПАВ headed by 2nd Lieut. Salabashev (33rd ПАВ?)
22.02.1918 - a plane was shot down by 35th ПАВ near Drianovo
15.03.1918 - a plane was shot down near Barnevo
03.04.1918 - a British plane was overthrown near Levunovo
25.04.1918 - a plane was shot down near Rasim Bej
28.04.1918 - a plane was shot down near Gevgeli
08.05.1918 - a plane was shot down near Gormacheg
12.05.1918 - a plane was shot down near Barnevo
04.05.1918 - a plane was shot down near Melnichi
05.05.1918 - a plane was shot down near Barnevo
15.05.1918 - a plane was shot down near Tyrnovo
05.02.1918 - a plane was shot down
24.06.1918 - a plane was shot down by 10th ПАВ
04.07.1918 - a bomber was shot down by 10th ПАВ
09.07.1918 - a plane was shot down by 35th ПАВ
04.08.1918 - two planes were shot down near Gevgeli

[MCP]

ex German Flak

Gun model : Krupp 88mm QF M. 1916
German designation : 8.8cm Kw-Flak
Calibre : 88mm L/45
Weight: 6125 kg
Tube Lenght : 4.010 m
Shell Weight : 9.6 kg
Muzzle Velocity : 718 m/s
Max. Range - horizontal: 18300 m
Max. Range - vertical: 6700 m
Elevation : + 70°
Azimuth : 360°
Remarks : Anti-aircraft gun mounted on pedestals on motor cars (Kw = Kraftwagen). This gun was mounted on a 4 wheel trailers towed on specially fitted army lorries. When in action arms with jacks were swung out to form a secure firing platform. In 1916 this gun was extremely mobile and could swiftly be ready to fire. A similar gun was built by Rheinmetall. In 1916 German Army used some of these guns to protect ports of Black Sea (Varna and Burgas). At least three of them were used by Bulgarian Army during, or more likely after, World War 1. They were still in used by Bulgarian Air Defence in 1920s-1930s

[MCP]

ex Russian guns

Gun model : Putilov 76.2mm QF M. 1914
Calibre : 76.2mm L/30
Weight in action : 1300 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.280 m
Shell Weight : 6,5 kg
Muzzle Velocity : 588 m/s
Max. Range - horizontal: 6600 m
Max. Range - vertical: 5500 m
Elevation : + 65° / - 5° (+ 75° for Putilov 76.2mm M. 1915)
Azimuth : 360°
Rate of fire: 12 rounds a minute
Remarks :
This gun was basically Russian 76.2mm field gun M 1902 barrel equipped with half-automatic sliding wedge breech and installed on top of column mount suitable for antiaircraft-use. The equipment was transported on a two-wheeled platform. Even ammunition of this gun used same cartridge cases as Russian field guns of this calibre. Russians also soon developed slightly improved version called model 1915 Putilov. Designers of the gun were by Captain V.V. Ternovskij and Engineer F. F. Lender, after who Russians called these also as "Lender's guns". Two of these guns used in a Red armoured train were captured by Finnish Army in 1918.

Gun model : Putilov 76.2mm QF M. 1900
Calibre : 76.2mm L/30
Weight in action : 1020 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.280 m
Shell Weight : 6.5 kg (German shell - 6.8 kg)
Muzzle Velocity : 588 m/s
Max. Range - horizontal: 6400 m
Max. Range - vertical: 5900 m
Elevation : + 17° / - 4° (+ 70° for guns transformed into Bak)
Azimuth : 360°
Remarks : Russian Field gun transformed into Bak by German Army.

Gun model : Putilov 76.2mm QF M. 1902
Calibre : 76.2mm L/30
Weight in action : 1040 kg
Tube Lenght : 2.280 m
Shell Weight : 6.6 kg (German shell - 6.8 kg)
Muzzle Velocity : 593 m/s
Max. Range - horizontal: 6600 m
Max. Range - vertical: 5900 m
Elevation : + 17° / - 6° (+ 70° for guns transformed into Bak)
Azimuth : 360°
Remarks : Russian Field gun transformed into Bak by German Army.


General Remarks:
According История на зенитната артилерия… , page 22 with in 1917 Bulgarian Air Defence received from Germany at least twelve special anti-arcraft guns. They are 76.2mm Russian guns seized as trophies by German Army. These were the only real anti aircraft-guns used by Bulgarian Army during WW1. All others guns were in fact modified field guns on improvised mounting. This sound very strange. According with Nicholas GOLOVINE, The Russian Army in the World War, "Economic and social history of the world war. Russian series", New Haven, Yale Univerity Press, 1931, during the war Russian produced only 20 anti-aircraft guns (the so called "Lender's guns", and received another 36 anti-aircraft guns from its allies. But I think there is a convincing solution for this problem. By spring 1915 German Army begun to use anti-aircraft artillery converted from captured guns. The French 75mm M. 1897, the standard gun of French field artillery, had her tubes rearmed by Krupp to 77mm in order to take German standard 77mm ammunition and became 7.7cm Bak L/35. Until the end of the war more than 400 of these guns served with German Army. The same happened with the 76.2mm Putilov M. 1900 and M. 1902 field guns. Russian guns could not be rebored due to the brittle tubes, so they kept their 76.2mm calibre, and when the captured ammunition had been used up, new replacements were manufactured in Germany. They were mounted on pedestals or on trucks. Trasformed into Bak, they were designed pferdebespannte 7.62cm Bak L/30 russ.00 u. 02. I think that Bulgarian Army received some of these guns. Since this is only a supposition, I offered the technichal data of both guns.

Pictures:
I have added four different picture of the so called "special Russian anti-aircraft gun" (специално 7,62-см руско противоаеропланно оръдие):
1. a 76.2mm gun used by Bulgarian Army
2. a 76.2mm gun M. 1900 or 1902 mounted on pedestals used by the German Army
3. a 76.2mm gun M. 1900 or 1902 mounted on trucks used by the German Army
4. a 76.2mm anti-aircraft gun M. 1914 used by the Austro-Hungarian Army

[MCP]

Field guns adapted for anti-aircraft work

In October 1915 Bulgarian Army had only two true anti-aircraft guns. In order to assure an adequate protection to the country against air raid, it was necessary to increase the number of guns. Since it was impossible to buy them abroad, Bulgarian Army adopted the same trick used by all the major powes at the beginning of the war. Field guns stored into the depots or assigned to fortress artillery were put on improvised mounting in order to increase elevation and used in the place of anti-aircraft guns. Since at the beginning of the war Bulgaria had not enough quick-firing guns to arm all the field artillery batteries, at first col. Rakovski had to use the old 87mm Krupp slow-firing guns. The low muzzle velocity of them soon led the request of a for more effective anti-aircraft guns. The next step was the use of modern field guns. Every kind of field gun used by Bulgarian Army during the war was in a great or a little number utilised also as anti-aircraft artillery. Like Germany, Bulgaria used also some captured guns: 75mm Schneider Serbian and 75mm Turkish guns.
At the end of the war, among the guns used by Bulgarian Air Defence only 30% were true anti-aircraft guns, 39% were quick-firing field guns and 31% were old slow-firing guns. The first problem was to adapt guns designed for horizantal fire in order to perform an effective vertical fire. Consequently in order to perform vertical aiming of the regular guns to an angle of 40° - 50°, a pit was dug under the gun trail. Thereafter col. Rakovski developed a special rotating arrangement, made of wood, which allowed for increased elevation angle. The same problem was face up by every Army and a lot of ingenious solution were invented (see the color picture).
According История на зенитната артилерия…, page 24 during World War 1 Bulgarian Army used guns of four different calibres and of six different patterns:
87mm Krupp old pattern field guns,
77mm Krupp field guns, supplied by German Army;
76.2mm Putilov anti-aircraft guns, captured from the Russians and supplied by German Army,
75mm Schneider field guns, Bulgarian or captured from the Serbians,
75mm Krupp field guns, captured from the Turks.
To these guns, we may add the 88mm Krupp anti-aircraft guns used by German Army to protect the sea-shore of Black Sea.
The 8cm slow firing and the 8.5cm quick firing guns mentione by История на зенитната артилерия…, page 20 and 26 are two misprints, since during the War Germany did not use guns with that caliber.


Pictures:
Unfortunately I could not find any picture of an old 87mm gun adapted for anti-aircraft work by German or Bulgarian Army. Pictures:
The first picture show a Schneider gun mounted on the special platform developed by col. Rakovski.

Thanks to Nick for the help.

[Nick]

Thank you, MCP

Excellent job, Marco! Thanks for all your good work!