Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

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Larry D.
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#196

Post by Larry D. » 28 Jun 2015, 15:10

Hi Bulgaria Specialists:

I am hoping to find someone who knows when the German (Luftwaffe) radar site identified below was built and when it became operational. The closest I can get after a prolonged search is a spring-summer 1943 construction date with an operational date a few weeks before or after 1 August 1943. What do Bulgarian sources say about this radar site? Did it become operational before or after 1 August 1943?

Site ????? (name unknown)
The Mt. Vitosa (Vitosha) site located 17.7 km SSW of Sofia city center and 23.5 km E of Radomir is described as a “Jägermeßstellung” in a postwar list (on website geschichtsspuren.de). The equipment was designated a FuSAn-733 Heinrich Peiler 5 (Jägermeßstellung). The Y-Verfahren (Jagd) was a system whereby the position of the fighter was established through radio range measurement by the Hans E-Mess Gerät and the bearing was established by the Heinrich Peiler. The combination being known as Y-Bodenstelle FuSAn 733. The function of the Jägerleit Stellungen was initially to track day-fighters and report their position to the intercept control center. It looked like a 60-foot, 4-legged forest ranger tower with a small cupola on top upon which sat a pair of “H” shaped antenna. (A photo can be found at: http://www.gyges.dk/Jargerleit%20Stellungen.htm ).

Thanks and I hope someone can help.

Larry D.

GregSingh
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Re: Jägermeßstellung on Mt. Vitosha

#197

Post by GregSingh » 08 Jul 2015, 02:12

Not a Bulgaria Specialist (but loved the Black Sea beaches back in 1960's), here is what I've got.

Vitosha is 19 km long by 17 km wide mountain massif with no less then 10 peaks over 2000 meters above the sea level.
I found one reference (in English, not reliable in my opinion) suggesting that radar station was located on Mount Cherin, which is misspelled mount Cherni Vrah or depending on language we use: Черни връх, Tscherni Wrach, Black Peak.
It's the highest peak - 2290 meters - with a weather station built in 1935.

There is a sort of diary from a religious/spiritual excursion to the area by several people taken in the second half of September 1943. No mention of any grounds being off-limits or anyone being bothered by military personnel. They took some photos, one I attached shows abandoned? weather station. I doubt an object to the right is a radar, more like what's left from a meteorological tower.
240780.jpg
Черни връх - September 1943
Last edited by GregSingh on 08 Jul 2015, 14:32, edited 1 time in total.


Larry D.
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#198

Post by Larry D. » 08 Jul 2015, 13:59

Thanks, Greg Singh. Your contribution is both interesting and helpful. The object to the right of the weather station in the photo could be an FuSAn-733 Jägermeßstellung without the cupola and antenna array - perhaps it was yet to be installed or had been removed. The four-legged tower was about that shape and size.

I suppose the answer to this, if there is one, may lie buried in an obscure file in the Bulgarian State Archives or in a Bulgarian language book about the air war over Bulgaria during WWII. We know it existed from German and Allied records but we don't know when it came on line.

L.

nordfriese
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#199

Post by nordfriese » 09 Jul 2015, 12:10

Hi!

Hoffmann described Mt. Vitosa as a mountain 2286m high. It was a Funkmessgerätestellung
3. Ordnung (RADAR-post 3rd class) with just (?) a "Freya-Flamme (?)".

He also wrote about a "Egon-Jägerführungsgerät" at Vitosa-mountain (2287m), which is to
me a Freya-version.

Where do you got your information about the "Y-Linie" (Hans+Heinrich), please?

Best wishes
Rolf

Larry D.
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#200

Post by Larry D. » 09 Jul 2015, 15:19

Greetings Rolf,

My sources were the two citations in my first post above from 28 June, possibly from other internet sources, from personal correspondence with SES and from personal correspondence with "Dave", a retired USAF Major who is writing a comprehensive documentary about Tidal Wave, the USAAF raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943. My technical description of the Vitosa Jägermeßstellung was not intended as a specific description of the Vitosa site but rather a generic description of a typical Jägermeßstellung. That the Mount Vitosa site may have had a different configuration is entirely likely but the details are unknown to me. My focus is on the date it became operational. I have not been able to find an answer to that question, but I am hoping a Bulgarian researcher interested in the subject and familiar with the surviving records in the Bulgarian archives and in the postwar Bulgarian historical literature on the war may be able to help.

Cheers,

L.

nordfriese
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#201

Post by nordfriese » 09 Jul 2015, 16:03

Hi Larry!

A map of "Jägermessstellungen" from June 1944, the Jägermessstellungen
in the area of Rumania and Bulgaria were (as far as mentioned) just
equipped with single Freya-Egon for Jägerleitung, not with "Y-Linien".

To me (after reading what Mr. Hoffmann wrote), it sounds that the one
at Vitosa-mountain had "just" one Freya-Egon as well.

Best wishes
Rolf

Larry D.
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#202

Post by Larry D. » 09 Jul 2015, 17:27

Hallo Rolf,

Thank you for your additional information. Here is a list of the sources that I have examined so far:

Sources
(1) Website http://www.ww2.dk, click Ground Units, click Luftnachrichtentruppe, click Ln.-Regiments.
(2) NARA RG 242, Microcopy T-77, roll 1421 and/or 1422, ff.339-493.
(3) Directorate of Air Intelligence/Air Ministry information obtained through ULTRA, “Y” Service and on occasion from wartime captured documents and POW interrogations.
(4) Hoffmann, Karl Otto. , Ln: Die Geschichte der Luftnachrichtentruppe, 3 Bde (Neckargemünd, 1965-73).
(5) NARA RG 242, Microcopy T-311, roll 187.


Unit Primary Sources Checked
Ln.-Rgt. 4
Ln.-Rgt. 14
Ln.-Rgt. 40
Ln.-Rgt. 250
Ln.-Rgt. Ostrumänien
Ln.-Rgt. Südost

Lg.Nachr.Rgt. 17
Lg.Nachr.Rgt. 25
Lg.Nachr.Rgt. Charkow
Lg.Nachr.Rgt. Südost

Ln-Abt. 81
Ln.-Abt. 84
Ln.-Abt. 125
Ln.-Abt. 126

Flugmelde-Abt. Bulgarien
schw.Flugmelde-Kp. z.b.V. 3

If you come across the operational date of Vitosa, please keep me in mind.

Cheers,

L.

nordfriese
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#203

Post by nordfriese » 11 Jul 2015, 01:38

Hi Larry!

Thanks for the information!

Best wishes
Rolf

dmg3
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#204

Post by dmg3 » 12 Jul 2015, 08:59

Again vilage Sokolovci
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dmg3
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#205

Post by dmg3 » 12 Jul 2015, 09:04

1941, in Ustovo (now part of Smolian). According to the original site of this photo ( http://www.autogallery.org.ru/m/kruppp70.htm ), the trucks are Krupp Protze.
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krupp-protze-truck-ustovo.jpg

nikolai
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#206

Post by nikolai » 07 Aug 2015, 20:50

carius wrote:44.
2-cm AA gun near Russe "Cherven" street
hi carius,

check this location in google maps. The building on your picture 44. stills stands in Ruse, Bulgaria. Amazing.

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carius
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#207

Post by carius » 09 Feb 2016, 14:25

bul.jpg
Image from ebay.de
George[/i]

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carius
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#208

Post by carius » 10 Feb 2016, 08:34

301033670721 bulgaria.JPG
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George[/i]

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carius
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#209

Post by carius » 16 Feb 2016, 09:45

301033670721 bul.JPG
Image from ebay.de №301033670721
George[/i]

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carius
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Re: Wehrmacht in Bulgaria

#210

Post by carius » 18 Feb 2016, 08:29

bul.JPG
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George[/i]

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