Bulgarian army in World War one

[Kelvin]

Bulgaria was considered as Prussia of the Balkan. As she joined Germany in WWI, was credit to German army or not ? Did her military power was powerful than other Balkan states like Serbia, Romania, Montenegro and Greece.anyone have feedback on that ?

[Dave Bender]

http://forum.boinaslava.net/showthread. ... 610&page=7
Yes the Bulgarian army was very good. The soldiers were well trained and they had a good officer corps. Bulgaria adopted QF artillery in 1904, which is pretty early.

[Kelvin]

Bulgaria was capable of putting 600,000 men in the battlefield since she had a population of 4 million in 1914, did German equipped all of her army during the war. Some sources said Bulgaria depended on German economic assistance even befor the war as Geramn provided 500 million leva loan to her in 1913

[Benoit Douville]

Another thread about Bulgaria during World War I:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53755&hilit=Bulgaria+during+World+War+I

Regards

[Kelvin]

Hi, Benoit, thank for your data, but any data on organization of Bulgarian army when she joined the war. like her divison organization. What I know was her divison size was over 20,000 men and was much larger than other powers. How were they equipped, German arms or other ?

[adolpheit]

Bulgarian weapons on 10 September 1915

251 713 - 8mm rifles Mannlicher M. 1888, M. 1895 with 150 810 600 rounds
9 513 - 8mm carbines Mannlicher M. 1890/95 with 1 781 800 rounds
46 056 - 7.62mm rifles Moisin Nagant M. 1891 with 42 750 000 rounds
54 912 - 10.67mm rifles Berdan 2 with 27 757340 rounds
12 982 - 7.92mm rifles Mauser M. 1890, M. 1893, M. 1903 with 11 188 000 rounds (Turkish war trophies)
3 614 - 7.65mm rifles Mauser-Martiny with 900 000 rounds
12 800 - 15.24mm rifles Krnka M. 1869 with 1.224.000 rounds
995 7mm - rifles Mauser-Koka-Djurich M. 1880/1907 with 86 000 rounds (Serbian war trophies)
1 112 - 10.67mm revolvers Smith & Wesson with 105 320 rounds
3 957 - 7.65mm pistols Parabellum M. 1903 and 9mm pistols Parabellum M. 1911 with 273 000 rounds
248 - 8mm heavy machine guns Maxim M. 1907, M. 1909 with 10 667 763 rounds
19 000 sabres and swords


Strenght of Bulgarian Artillery on 10 September 1915
model - gun - shells

Field Artillery
75mm QF guns Krupp M. 1903, and 75mm QF guns Schneider-Canet M. 1904 : 428 - 249 241
87mm guns Krupp M. 1897: 162 - 68 887
87mm guns Krupp M. 1897 (reserve batteries) : 60 guns - 6854
120mm QF howitzers Schneider-Canet M. 1909: 34 - 17 088
120mm QF howitzers Krupp M. 1891 : 30 - 8 513

Mountain Artillery
75mm QF guns Schneider-Canet M. 1907 : 38 - 52 146 for both QF guns
75mm QF guns Krupp M. 1904 : 65
75mm guns Krupp M. 1886 and 75mm Schneider M. 1897: 42 - 17 859

Fortress and Siege Artillery
150mm QF howitzers Krupp L/14 : 14 - 5 876
150mm howitzers Schneider L/12 : 24 - 8987
150mm guns Krupp L/30 : 10 - 2 780
120mm guns Schneider L/28 : 22 - 9 924
120mm guns Krupp L/25 : 9 - 4 146
105mm QF guns Krupp L/30 : 12 - 1 175
87mm guns Krupp M. 1897 and M. 1886 : 78 - 30 581
75mm guns Krupp M. 1886 : 60 - 21 628
75mm guns Krupp M. 1886 (reserve batteries) : 16 - 2 048
57mm QF guns Gruson M. 1893 : 26 - 38 046
75mm QF anti ballon guns Krupp M. 1912 : 2 - 400
24 pdr (152mm) long guns M. 1867 : 8 - 7 796 for both 24 pdr guns
24 pdr (152mm) short guns M. 1867 : 9
6 inch (152mm) mortars M. 1867 : 12 - 5 565
9 pdr (106.7mm) steel and bronze guns M. 1867 : 48 - 17 197

Coastal and Navy Artillery
240mm QF costal guns Schneider M. 1906 : 2 - 278
100mm QF guns Schneider M. 1898 : 4 - 1 312 (2 on the trainer cruiser Nadezhda)
65mm QF guns Schneider M. 1898 : 2 - 917 (on the trainer cruiser Nadezhda)
47mm QF guns Schneider M. 1898 : 2 - 1 440 (on the trainer cruiser Nadezhda)
47mm semi-automatic guns : 12 - 1 650 (on six torpedo boats)
76.2mm QF gun Armstrong M. 1889 : 1 - 799
57mm QF Maxim- Nordenfeld (or Armstrong) gun : 1 - ?

SOURCES :
- История на служба "Артилерийско въоръжение" в Българската армия 1878-1990 година, pp. 91-92;
- Кратък обзор на бойния състав, организацията, попълването и мобилизацията на българската армия от 1878 до 1944г., p.199.

[adolpheit]

Bulgarian Army Units at the outbreak of WW1

Infantry
The Bulgarian Army was organized in peace in three Inspection:
1st: (Sofia) : 1st, 6th, 7th, Infantry Division,
2nd: (Plovdiv) : 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 10th Infantry Division,
3rd: (Shumen) : 4th, 5th, 9th, Infantry Division.
In peace each regiment had 2 battalions (druzhina) of 4 companies and one battalion of 2 companies. With the mobilitazion each regimental district provided men for one active regiment with 4 battalions of 4 companies, 1 and half batalion for a reserve regiment, a replacement battalion with 6 companies, 1 Opalchenie (Territorial) battalion (first call), 1 Opalchenie battalion (second call), and 2 etappe companies. But 10th Inf. Division formed only 2 replacement battalions (instead of 4) and no reserve regiments at all. Actually all the replacement regiments formed only 4 companies. The Opalchenie first call battalions could be employed also outside of the Bulgaria, the second call battalions only for the defence of the Homeland.
There were also 20 border guards compagnies. At the mobilisation all of them expanded into battalions with the exception of battalions 11th-13th, covering Turkish border. In the first periods of the war these 17 battalions operated separately later were merged into existing regiments or newly formed regiments.

1st Sofian Inf. Division (Sofia);
1st IBrig. (Sofia): 1st Sofian Inf.Rgt. (Sofia) and 6th Tyrnovo Inf.Rgt. (Sofia);
2nd IBrig.:16th Lovech Inf.Rgt. (Orhanie); 25th Dragoman Inf.Rgt. (Tzaribrod)
In wartime 1st IBrig. created 41st Inf.Rgt., 2nd IBrig. 42nd Inf.Rgt.,which formed the 3rd IBrig.

2nd Tracian Inf. Division (Plovdiv)
1st IBrig. (Plovdiv): 9th Plovdiv Inf.Rgt. (Plovdiv) and 21st Srednogorian Inf.Rgt. (Plovdiv)
2nd IBrig. (Pazardjik);27th Chepino Inf.Rgt. (Pazardjik) and 28th Strema Inf.Rgt. (Karlovo)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 43rd and 44th Inf.Rgt.

3rd Balkan Inf. Division (Sliven)
1st IBrig. (Sliven): 11th Sliven Inf.Rgt. (Sliven) and 24th Black Sea (Chernomorsky) Inf.Rgt. (Burgas)
2nd IBrig. (Jambol): 29th Jambol Inf.Rgt. (Jambol) and 32nd Zagorian Inf.Rgt. (Nova Zagora)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 45th and 46th Inf.Rgt.

4th Preslav Inf. Division(Shumen)
1st IBrig. (Shumen): 7th Preslav Inf.Rgt. (Shumen) and 19th Shumen Inf.Rgt. (Razgrad)
2nd IBrig. (Varna) 8th Coast (Primorsky) Inf.Rgt. (Varna) and 31st Varna Inf.Rgt. (Eski Djumaja
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 47th Inf.Rgt. and 48th Inf.Rgt.

5th Danubian Inf. Division (Ruse)
1st IBrig. (Russe): 2nd Iskyr Inf.Rgt. (Ruse) and 5th Danubian Inf.Rgt. (Ruse)
2nd IBrig. (Veliko Tarnovo): 18th Etyr Inf.Rgt. (Veliko Tarnovo) and 20th Dobrudzha Inf.Rgt. (Veliko Tarnovo)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 49th and 50th RInf.Rgt.

6th Bdin Inf. Division(Vidin):
1st IBrig. (Vidin): 3rd Bdin Inf.Rgt. (Vidin) and 15th Lom Inf.Rgt. (Belogradchik)
2nd IBrig. (Vratza): 35th Vratza Inf.Rgt. (Vratza) and 36th Kozloduj Inf.Rgt. (Orjahovo)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 51st and 52nd RInf.Rgt.

7th Rila Inf. Division (Dupniza):
1st IBrig. (Kjustendil): 13th Rila Inf.Rgt. (Kjustendil) and 26th Pernik Inf.Rgt. (Radom)
2nd IBrig. (Samokov): 14th Macedonian Inf.Rgt. (Gorna Djumaja) and 22Thracian Inf.Rgt. (Samokov)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 53rd and 54th RInf.Rgt.

8th Tundzha Inf. Division (Stara Zagora):
1st IBrig. (Haskovo): 10th Rhodopean Inf.Rgt. (Haskovo) and 30th Shejnovo Inf.Rgt. (Semeonovgrad)
2nd IBrig. (Stara Zagora):12th Balkan Inf.Rgt. (Stara Zagora) and 23rd Shipka Inf.Rgt. (Kazanlak)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 55th and 56th RInf.Rgt.

9th Pleven Inf. Division (Pleven)
1st IBrig. (Pleven): 4th Pleven Inf.Rgt. (Pleven) and 17th Dorostol Inf.Rgt. (Pleven)
2nd IBrig. (Svistov): 33rd Svistov Inf.Rgt. (Svistov) and 34th Trojan Inf.Rgt. (Lovech)
In wartime: 3rd IBrig .: 57th and 58th RInf.Rgt.

10th Mediterranean (Belomorska) Inf. Division (Gumurdzhina)
1st IBrig. (Xanthi); 37th PInf.Rgt.in Inf.Rgt.(Xanthi) and 38th Odrinean Inf.Rgt. (Kyrdzhali)
2nd IBrig. (Gumurdzhina): 39th Salonika Inf.Rgt. (Gumurdzhina) and 40th Mediterranean (Belomorski) Inf.Rgt. (Dedeagach)
10th Inf. Division did nott form a reserve brigade.

In october 1915 11th Macedonian division was raised with more than 33 000 Macedonian emigrants It consisted of 1st-6th Macedonian Inf.Rgt., later 59th-64th Inf.Rgt.) of 3 batalions each.

Cavalry
There were 4 cavalry brigades and 11 cavalry regiments of 4 squadrons each.
Lejbgard Cavalry Regiment (Sofia).
1st Cav.Brig. (Sofia): 1st Cav.R. (Sofia),2nd Cav.R. (Lom) and 5th Cav.R. (Breznik)
2nd Cav.Brig. (Sliven): 3rd Cav.R. (Plovdiv), 4th Cav.R. (Jambol) and 7th Cav.R. (Sliven)
3rd Cav.Brig. (Russe): 9th Cav.R. (Ruse) and 10th Cav.R. (Shumen)
4th Cav.Brig. (Dedeagach): 6th Cav.R. R (Harmanli) and 8th Cav.R. (Dedeagach)

Artillery
There were 10 artillery regiments of 9 batteries each (assigned to the Infantry Division)
1st Arty.Rgt. (Razgrad (5th Inf. Division), 2nd Arty.Rgt. (Vratza) (6th Inf. Division), 3rd Arty.Rgt. (Plovdiv) (2nd Inf. Division), 4th Arty.Rgt. (Sofia) (1st Inf. Division), 5th Arty.Rgt. (Shumen) (4th Inf. Division), 6th Arty.Rgt. (Sliven) (3rd Inf. Division), 7th Arty.Rgt. (Dupnica) (7th Inf. Division), 8th Arty.Rgt. (S.Zagora) (8th Inf. Division), 9th Arty.Rgt. (Sevlievo) (9th Inf. Division) and 10th Arty.Rgt. (Gumurdzhna) (10th Inf. Division).
With the mobilitazion they created 10 Artillery Brigades of 2 Artillery Regiments (on paper 6 batteries each, but 15 batteries were lacking and were usually replaced with mountain artillery batteries)
Directly subordinated to the Artillery Inspection:
-- 3 mountain artillery regiments; 1st (Berkovitza), 2nd (Dupnitza) and 3rd (Asenograd) with 6 (1st and 3rd regiments) or 8 (2nd regiment) batteries in peace.
-- 3 howitzers artillery regiments of 6 batteries; 1st (Sofia), 2nd (Stara Zagora) and 3rd (Shumen)
-- 3 fortress artillery regiments in Sofia, Shumen and Vidin. At the outbreak of the war they formed three heavy artillery regiments.

Engineer
5 Pioneer battalions: 1st (Sofia), 2nd (Plovdiv), 3rd (Jambol), 4th (Shumen), 5th (Nikopol). With the mobilitazion they formed 10 battalion attached to the Infantry Division. Every battalion had 2 pioneer companies, 1 telegraph half-company and 1 pontoneer half-company.
Directly subordinated to the Engineer Inspection:
-- 1 pontoneer battalion (2 heavy company with 53m bridging material system Birago and 2 light companies with 150m Austrian bridging material)
-- 1 telegraph battalion (3 telegraph and optic companies and 1 radio-telegraph company)
-- 1 railroad battalion (3 operation and 3 construction companies)
-- 1 specialist battalion with :
------ searclight company
------ automobile company with 68 motor vehicles (with the mobilitazion 95 civil cars and lorries were added);
------ balloon company with 750 cubic metres kite ballon "Solun"
------ aeroplane unit with 2 twin seat Albatros B-1, 2 two-seat Bleriot IX-2, 1 single seat Bleriot IX bis

[Kelvin]

Hi, Adolpheit, thank so much for your data on Bulgarian army. Your knowledge on Bulgarian army is remarkable. Your sources you quot in Bulgarian arm, can you tell me their book names in English translation ? thank.

[adolpheit]

History of the "artillery armaments" service in the Bulgarian Army 1878-1990.

Brief synopsis of the war composition, organization, replenishment and mobilitazion of the Bulgarian Army from 1878 to 1944.

Best.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Guys,

As Bulgaria was closest to the Turkish capital, Istanbul, the Bulgarian Army had fought the major battles against the Turks in the First Balkan War in 1912. It casualties were therefore highest of the Balkan states.

It had then lost the Second Balkan war in 1913 against its earlier Balkan Allies and the Turks, again suffering the heaviest losses.

As a result, by WWI the Bulgarian Army had already taken the severest hammering in the Balkans. It was probably therefore past its relative best.

Nevertheless, even in this condition it performed well against the Romanians in 1916 and held most of the line against the better equipped Anglo-French in Salonika in 1917-18. However, the cumulative strain of six years of heavy warfare had reduced it to a weakened condition and it eventually collapsed in the general debacle of the Central Powers in late 1918.

Given its handicaps, the Bulgarian Army gave a creditable performance over 1912-18. There is definitely a book in this for somebody.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Kelvin]

In my opinion, Bulgarian army was the best in Balkan. She dared to challenge other Balkan states and Turkey in Second Balkan War make me pay more respect to this army. Russia was natural ally of Bulgaria. It was Russian fault to not to get Bulgarian forces as her ally.

[Vasil]

Hi guys I am new to this forum but I can give some stats on the Bulgarian army in World War one.

By the end of september 1915 just before the Serbian campaign the army mobilised 15 908 officers and 600 772 soldiers and on the 15 Semptember 1918 the army had grown to 877 392 officers and soldiers out of total population of about 4 700 000 people. So for the size of the country it was a large army and bigger then the armies of Serbia and Greece and as big or a little bit bigger then the army of Romania. However it is true that the army was nor fully prepared for the war in 1915 and there were shortages of war materials. Prior 1915 the army had 372 603 rifles insted of the required number of 521 509 so orders had to be made from Austria and Germany but they were not fulfilled on time. There were 1211 guns with about 500 shels per each one. The number of heavy machine guns was increased compared to 248 at the start of the First Balcan War so tha by the end of the war more then 3127 of them were delivered as well as 284 light mortars ,162 medium mortars,1932 granade launchers,8 flamethrowers and 528 artillery pieces.
Hope this information is of some use.

Cheers

[glenn239]

Guys - can you give more detail on the Bulgarian army's situation between its defeat in the 1913 war and Bulgaria's intervention in 1915? Specifically, after the 1913 war how long was it before the army considered itself sufficiently recovered for another go-around with Serbia?

[cj]

Hi guys I am new to this forum but I can give some stats on the Bulgarian army in World War one.

By the end of september 1915 just before the Serbian campaign the army mobilised 15 908 officers and 600 772 soldiers and on the 15 Semptember 1918 the army had grown to 877 392 officers and soldiers out of total population of about 4 700 000 people. So for the size of the country it was a large army and bigger then the armies of Serbia and Greece and as big or a little bit bigger then the army of Romania. However it is true that the army was nor fully prepared for the war in 1915 and there were shortages of war materials. Prior 1915 the army had 372 603 rifles insted of the required number of 521 509 so orders had to be made from Austria and Germany but they were not fulfilled on time. There were 1211 guns with about 500 shels per each one. The number of heavy machine guns was increased compared to 248 at the start of the First Balcan War so tha by the end of the war more then 3127 of them were delivered as well as 284 light mortars ,162 medium mortars,1932 granade launchers,8 flamethrowers and 528 artillery pieces.
Hope this information is of some use.

Cheers

Flamethrowers? I had no idea. Were they Austro-Hungarian or German models? which unit received them? When did they enter service? where did they see action?

thanks
CJ

[adolpheit]

Flamethrowers? I had no idea. Were they Austro-Hungarian or German models? which unit received them? When did they enter service? where did they see action?

thanks
CJ

1. German (two heavy, six light)
2. Sturm Battailon (Shturmova Druzhina) trained by a team from German Sturmbataillon Nr. 5, it never operated as a whole but was split in various detachment which operated independently
3. winter 1916
4. first time at the "Red War" on May 1917 (Baba planina Macedonia), then at Doiran in September 1918