Bulgarian Paratroopers?

[Blorange]

I've been looking into Bulgaria's Paratroopers during WWII lately. Information seems to be sparse at best - focussing mainly on their actions, as opposed to how they were ordered and their equipment.

The Bulgarians appear to have styled themselves after German paratroopers. Having trained with them that's maybe self explanatory. With them using similar equipment to them such as smocks and parachutes. Particularly they carried many German weapons too such as the MP-40 and MG-34. The Germans seemed to not dropped with their weapons - barring on specific occasions - whereas the Bulgarians, perhaps due to their main arament being an SMG, likely did (at least based on the photographs and video I've seen).

What I'm wondering is how the Bulgarians dropped heavier equipment? Did they use drop containers like the Germans, or some other method? Carrying an MG-34 down on one of those single point German parachutes seems a bit dangerous (and I've read one account of a soldier dying in a training jump). Or was it the case that they dropped with things like Light Machine Guns, but through a lack of support equipment weren't able to carry much else?

I've also found it difficult to find information on how a Platoon was organised. They had seperate SMG, Machine Gun and Mortar platoons (though I'm not sure if they used 5cm or 8cm mortars - both were in inventory). With the regular platoon being 45 men. Beyond that though there's no information than photographs and seeing men lined up in front of their planes.

Its my guess that they'd be organised similarly to the Germans. Three squads and a command element. Maybe 12 men a squad with SMG and some MG-34. The Germans however were armed primarily with rifles, rather than SMG like the Bulgarians, so the Bulgarians may have organised their platoons differently. Presumably the Bulgarians would have attempted to maintaining some level of ranged support due to all of their long range weapons. Perhaps relying on just LMGs - or maybe integrating some snipers like the German paratroopers as well?

Other countries, such as Romania, also issued their paratroopers with SMGs as their main weapon. So they may be a place to look. Ah, its just unfortunate that at the micro level I'm looking for there tends to not be as much information out there.

[dibo]

I've been looking into Bulgaria's Paratroopers during WWII lately. Information seems to be sparse at best - focussing mainly on their actions, as opposed to how they were ordered and their equipment.

Look for this book:
https://knizhen-pazar.net/products/book ... a-druzhina
IT is in Bulgarian, but has the info you are looking for.

The Bulgarians appear to have styled themselves after German paratroopers. Having trained with them that's maybe self explanatory. With them using similar equipment to them such as smocks and parachutes. Particularly they carried many German weapons too such as the MP-40 and MG-34.

Correct - see the back cover of the above book:

Image (2).jpg

The Germans seemed to not dropped with their weapons - barring on specific occasions - whereas the Bulgarians, perhaps due to their main arament being an SMG, likely did (at least based on the photographs and video I've seen).

I am not sure. See:
http://www.lostbulgaria.com/?p=1591
From what I have read - both theories could be possible...But the Bulgarian paratroopers never made actual combat jumps, and the training jumps photographs I have seen - they are always without armament (Except the knife and the pistol). I have seen many photographs of them like this:
https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Съвместно ... opers2.jpg
but the fact is (despite the Wikipedia claims) that at Stracin they fought as assault infantry on foot and were not airdropped (in fact I have not heard of a single combat airdrop of Bulgarian paratroopers during WW2).

What I'm wondering is how the Bulgarians dropped heavier equipment? Did they use drop containers like the Germans, or some other method? Carrying an MG-34 down on one of those single point German parachutes seems a bit dangerous (and I've read one account of a soldier dying in a training jump). Or was it the case that they dropped with things like Light Machine Guns, but through a lack of support equipment weren't able to carry much else?

As I have written - there were never any actual combat drops, only training ones. And I have not seen anything larger than a LMG-34 on the photos of the trainings. My guess is that containers were used.

I've also found it difficult to find information on how a Platoon was organised. They had seperate SMG, Machine Gun and Mortar platoons (though I'm not sure if they used 5cm or 8cm mortars - both were in inventory). With the regular platoon being 45 men. Beyond that though there's no information than photographs and seeing men lined up in front of their planes. Its my guess that they'd be organised similarly to the Germans. Three squads and a command element. Maybe 12 men a squad with SMG and some MG-34. The Germans however were armed primarily with rifles, rather than SMG like the Bulgarians, so the Bulgarians may have organised their platoons differently. Presumably the Bulgarians would have attempted to maintaining some level of ranged support due to all of their long range weapons. Perhaps relying on just LMGs - or maybe integrating some snipers like the German paratroopers as well?

You are probably refering to the organization listed here (30 November 1943):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/68th_Spec ... (Bulgaria)
http://bulgarianparatroopers.eu/index.p ... -balgariya
the details you are looking for is here:

Image (3).jpg

Image (4)-min.jpg

there is one catch here - it was theoretical. The Paratroopers Drujina (Batallion) however never had more than 500-600 men, which was the actual number of paratroopers trained both in Germany and domestically and the paratrooper equipment supplied from Germany (RZ-16 and RZ-20) was for 500 men.

The real organization in 10.1944 was:
HQ with HQ company - command platoon, communication platoon, motorcycle and bicycle platoon, supply platoon
1st and 2nd light paratrooper companies with a command squad and 3 platoons each (76 men in 1st company and 91 men in 2nd company)
3rd light paratrooper company with a command squad and 2 platoons
heavy paratrooper company with a command squad, 2 HMG platoons, 1 20mm ATR platoon, 1 81mm mortar platoon (68 men)
pioneer-assault company with a command squad and 3 platoons (80 men)
sanitary paratrooper platoon
transport planes yato
Total 511 men, but only 415 went to fight the Germans (As 3rd company and most of the HQ units were left at the barracks). They were used as assault troops in 1944 and as special forces in 1945 (two platoons with 1st Bulgarian army in the 3rd Ukrainian front). The losses were heavy - 59 killed and 151 wounded.

Regarding the armament - initially in 1943 it was Manlicher rifles(soldiers), ZK-383 SMG (NCO, officers), 9mm Parabellums (everyone) with the heavy weapons included 20mm ATR Solothurn, 81mm German mortars, Madsen LMG and Maxim HMG. In summmer 1943 this was replaced to MG-34 (2 per squad), MP-40 (several per squad), Walther pistols, K98 carbines, mines "T" and "S", grenades, smoke grenades, explosives, etc. Especially in 10.1944 before the storming of the Stracin, the paratroopers armed themselves with more SMGs, some PanzerFausts, etc.

[Blorange]

Thanks a tonne for the response dibo. Your information was fantastic, and has been key to me moving forward. I can only apologise profusely for taking so long to reply and thank you for volunteering your input.