Bulgarian Navy

[Interbellum]

According to the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine signed on 27 November 1919, Bulgaria was not allowed to have warships with the exception of 4 small torpedo boats on the Black Sea and 6 motor boats on the Danube river to defend the coast and to control fishing.

[Interbellum]

Torpedo boats of Drazki class, 4 units: Дръзки, Храбри, Смели and Строги - obsolete torpedo boats of Normand 38-m class, built for Bulgaria in France by Schneider shipyard in 1907-1908 in the amount of 6 units. Participated in the First Balkan War and World War I (Шумни was lost on Russian naval mine 11.9.1916, Летящи wrecked on rocks 28.11.1918 after armistice already). Дръзки, Храбри and Строги were repaired in the end of 1919 with removal of torpedo tubes (according to the Peace Treaty conditions, actually the torpedo tubes were installed temporarily and secretly for training firings from 1925) and installation of minesweeping equipment. Смели was commissioned again with the same armament in winter 1923-1924. In 1934, all 4 torpedo boats were modernized again - 1 x 2 deck torpedo tubes were returned back, 47 mm Schneider guns were replaced with 37 mm German semi-automatic guns C/30 mounted in centerline.

97.5 t; 38 x 4.04 x 2.4 m; 3-cyl VTE reciprocating; 2 water-tube boilers; 1950 hp; 26 knots; coal 11 t; 30 men; 2 - 47 mm Schneider guns + 3 - 450 mm torpedo tubes (1 fixed in the bow, 1 x 2 deck).

[Interbellum]

Submarine chasers of Chernomorets class, 2 units: Черноморец and Беломорец - submarine chasers of SC 110-ft class, built in USA in 1917. Transferred to France as C-27 and C-80. Purchased by Bulgaria from the French Navy and accepted by Bulgarian crews in Istanbul 24.10.1921. Motor boats with wooden hulls. Initially armed with one 57 mm or 76 mm gun and two machine guns, also equipped with minesweeps. In 1928, transferred to Danube river and rearmed with one 47 mm gun and two machine guns.

77 t; 33.5 x 4.7 x 1.8 m; 3 petrol engines; 660 hp; 17 knots; 20 men; 1 - 57 mm gun + 2 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

[Interbellum]

Patrol boats of Konduktor Dokuzanov class, 4 units: Кондуктор Докузанов, Миньор, Взрив and Капитан-лейтенант Минков - motor launches built in Canada for the French Navy in 1917. Purchased by Bulgaria from France in Istanbul in 1921 in the amount of 4 units, of which Миньор sank on the Danube river in 1932 and Кондуктор Докузанов was excluded from service in 1934.

37 t; 23.8 x 3.75 x 1.4 m; 2 petrol engines; 440 hp; 17 knots; 8 men; 2 - 7.92 mm machine guns.

[Dili]

Interesting, do you have data on the Bulgarian Navy in Northern Aegean?

[Interbellum]

Interesting, do you have data on the Bulgarian Navy in Northern Aegean?

As you know, Bulgaria lost access to the Aegean Sea after WWI, and acquired it again during WWII (in 1941) as the German ally. So in 1943, the White Sea (as the Aegean Sea is called in Bulgaria) flotilla consisted of 4 mine-sweeping motor boats 23.5 t (Марица, Места, Струма and Вардар), 2 motor-sailing harbor launches (Свобода and Козлодуй) and 9 motor launches.

[Dili]

Yes , do you have any data on those?

[Interbellum]

Yes , do you have any data on those?

Mine-sweeping motor boats of Maritsa class, 4 units: Марица, Места, Струма and Вардар - built by the state shipyard in Kavala for the Aegean Sea (White Sea) flotilla in 1943. Wooden hull, equipped with MWM diesel and MRD minesweep. When Bulgaria switched sides they were given to Greece (in October 1944) including 4 unfinished mine-sweeping motor boats of the same class.

23.5 t; 1 diesel engine; 80 hp; 8 knots; 8 men; 1 - MG-34 machine gun.

[Dili]

Thanks interbellum, small ships. Did they operated as team with that MRD mineseewp or as single.

[Interbellum]

I don't know exactly but I guess they could be used as single motor boats to defend Kavala base. MRD minesweep was a small contact sweep (the same German MPG sweeps were used by Bulgarian mine-sweeping motor boats of MChK class in the Black Sea) and each mine-sweeping motor boat had it on board.

[Interbellum]

Small torpedo boats of Vasil Levski class, 2 units: Васил Левски and Христо Ботев - very obsolete small torpedo boats built in Russia (St. Petersburg) in 1877-1878 as Бычок and Черепаха. Sold to Bulgaria in June 1884. In early 1900s both were rearmed with machine guns only. Discarded from service in 1936 (Христо Ботев) and 1938 (Васил Левски).

20 t; 18.3 x 2.3 x 1.1 m; 2-cyl steam engine, locomotive boiler, 220 hp; 13 knots; 9 men; 2 spar torpedoes.

[Interbellum]

Minesweeping boats of Nesebyr class, 2 units: Несебър and Емона, built in Russia. Bulgaria purchased those small motorboats and used them for coastal minesweeping operations since 1916. They were in service during World War II also.

18 t; petrol engine, 60 hp; 7.6 knots; 1 - 7.9 mm machine gun and mechanical minesweeping gear.

[Interbellum]

Naval ensign of Bulgaria from 1879 to 1949.

[Interbellum]

Structure of the Royal Bulgarian Navy in June 1941
http://www.niehorster.org/032_bulgaria/ ... vy_41.html (Royal Bulgarian Navy)
http://www.niehorster.org/032_bulgaria/ ... k-sea.html (Black Sea Flotilla of the Royal Bulgarian Navy)