RECRUITING , AIRDROMES , FORTIFICATION AND SOVIET OFFICERS IN BULGARIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002600440006-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 22, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: April 18, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

OLs'~SSIFICAT bN
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DATE DISTR.
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NO. OF PAGES
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TIAL 25X1 A2g
UBJECT Recruiting; Airdromes, Fort.if ica-
i,ion and Soviet Officers in Bulgaria
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ACQUIRED
DATE OF IA!F
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NO. OF ENCLS.
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REPORT NO.
~! Recr ALL ng
1. At present the classes of 1927 and 1928 are in service. The class of 1928
was called to the colors in November 1948. The class of 1927 began demobili-
zation in November 1948. The selection of recruits for the different arms
is wade six months before their induction by the commission.
2,, The t,'eeding out of recruits on the basis of their political views is made
after their induction. Moreover the intelligence officer asks the Party for
information regarding each recruit. After two months' training those who
inspire confidence are sent to the Trudovak battalions, whose officers are
always Communists.
3~ In the spring of 1948 all the reserve officers and troops were called up for
registration at the local recruiting offices. During this registration each
reserve officer and soldier submitted a detailed biographical statement and
an affidavit t stating how and with whom he corresponded in foreign countries,,
and tether he or any member of his family had been convicted of any crime
since 1923. Then a week later they were sum oned to appear at the same recruit-
ing office. At this second appe'rance they were given a physical examination,
and the officers were provided with a kind of identity card colored red, the
non-commissioned officers with one of rose color, and the soldiers with white
identity cards. On these cards was written the unit to which they had to report
in cc-se of mobilization.
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4,, It is estimated. that the Bulgarian 'Army at present numbers 100,000 men. This
does not include the Security Corps, Trudovaks, etc. There are 80,000 to
1O0,O00?Trudovaks, and 50,000 men in the Security Corps.
11. Ammunition Dumps and Barracks
5.. In Sofia and on the fight near the Hristo-Botev School there are dumps of
artillery ammunition.
6. In Sofia behind the Kingms Park there is a huge ammunition dump.
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At the right of the highway from Burgas to Aitos (sic) and at a distance
of five kilometers from Burgas there is a dump of ammunition for the infantry.
Atiya near Burgas and on the top of Agios Nikolaos (sic) there is a dump
c;f artillery ammunition.
Between Burgas and Pomona in Paporos (sic) there is a dump of artillery
4. xmuni.tion.
10. On the lower slopes of It, Yambol (Kaakambey) there are barracks of 4 Cavalry
Regiment and 29 Infantry Regiment, At a considerable distance above them on
the mountain there is a dump of ammunition large enough to supply a whole
army.
11. Outside Yambol about S or 10 kilometers on the road to Elhovo, there is a
military airdrome, and in it there is a large fuel dump.
M. Airdromes
i2c In Sofia there are two airdromes, one in Vrazhdebna (civilian airdrome) and
the other (military) in Bozhurishte.
IV. Airplane Factories
1, In Yambol only fuselages and wings are made. This factory is located exactly
opposite the railroad station at a distance of four kilometers from it.
l4:, In Kazanlik airplane motors are manufactured.
15. In Karlovo both motors and fuselages and wings are manufactured.
V. Other Factories
16. In Sofia, on 9 September Street near the headquarters of the Transportation
Regiment, there is a factory manufacturing military telephones, batteries,
and oxygen tanks.
17. The central electric power plant for Sofia is located outside the city at a
place called Vtsia (sic)..
18. There is a line of fortifications towards the Turkish border from Strendetch
to Fakiya to I.'.omina Tcherka to Strandja. The construction of.this line of
fortifications was begun in 1943. and Vnas completed in 1944. It consists of
bunkers (ciich are connected by underground passages), anti-tank barriers,
and trenches. Since 1946 they have begun. making various technical. changes in
these fortifications. At present the bunkers are camouflaged to look like
houses. Recently barbed wire entanglements according to the Soviet system
(i.e., about 0.50 m. high and 10 m. wide) have been added to this fortifica-
tion line.
l9. Along the shore from I4?esItrtvria (sic to Burgas and from Burgas to the Turkish
border there are fortification works built by the Germans. At present these
are abandoned, except for setiie units of Trudovaks engaged in maintenance of
;hem.
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VIi. Other Vi.lita y 1Cnforr ti on
20:- At present there are no units of the Soviet Army in Bulgaria, There are
c~n1y Soviet officers. From the beginning of l948'Soviet officers have
been assigned to the various units of the Bulgarian Army down to regiments.
These officers supervise the training and rake recormiendations..
21. Soviet generals have been assigned to the armies; colonels or lieutenant
colonels to the divisions, and captains to the regiments.
22. The pay of the Soviet officers is four times as high as that of Bulgarian
officers of the same rank.
23. In T1areh 1948 most of the officers of the old Bulgarian Army were retired,
24. In Stara Zagora a division of tanks has been formed. A unit of this regiment
left Sofia in June 1948.
TROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
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T1 T~.LLIGiNCE A! fiEMCY