TYPES OF ARMAMENT IN THE BULGARIAN ARMY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R008100330006-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2000
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: July 25, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

0
,ved For Release 2001/03/
CLASSIFICATION Sr
CENTRA
COUNTRY Bulgaria
CIA-RDP82-00457R008100330006-4
T/CONTROL - U.S. OFFTCIALf ONLY 25X1 A
NTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
CONFIDENTIAL'
11BJECT Types of Armffinent in the Bulgarian
?259~ aRCULnrE
25X1X
CD NO.
DATE DISTR.
25 July 1951
NO. OF PAGES 2
r(L 0. OF ENCLS.
sTED BELOW)
SUP PLEMENT 1"p
REPORT NO.
1. Until 145 the Bulgarian Army was equipped largely with weapons of German
manufacture. These weapons were as follows:
a. Pistol - 2 arabellum, v1alther, Sauer and iiauser.
bo Rifle - M8nnl:icher 1895 model (Austrian).
C. Light machine gun - Bren and Madsen,
d. Submachine gun - Schneider.
e. Heavy machine gun - Maxim and MG-34.
f. Mortar - Rheinmetal, 61 mm.
g. Anti-tank grin - 3.7 and 5 cm* Krupp or Rheinmetal.
h., Tanks - Skoda, Renault and German Mark IV.
i. Aircraft -? 141esserschmidt, Fokker trdolfe and Heinkel.
J. Artillery Guns 7,5 rim. Schneider and Krupp; 105 rm? and 150 mm., new German
type; 8.8 cm,, anti-aircraft; 7.5 cm. Bofors mountain
cannon; 2 cm. anti--aircraft fun.. Solothurn; 2 cm. anti..
giin, Solothurn.
20 After conclusion of the last war, the army weapons were slow
Soviet models,: The change-over was acce L.erated after June 1948 1 when dthe
Tito-Cominforni schism took place.
3. At the present time the Bulgarian Army is equipped as follawss
a. Pistol. Parabellum, Hauser, Walther and Sauer (7.65 and 9 mm. weapons),
b. Rifle Soviet 7.62 with attached bayonet. At the present time some
regiments, especially reserve regiments and regiments stationed in the
interior of the country, have not been equipped with the new rifles4
The old weapons are distribut--d to the Militia and forest guards; the
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CONFIDENTIAL in
CONFIDENTIAL letter of 16 October 19Th from the
Director of Central tntalligenoe to the
rohivist of the United States
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RD I %90Wa t9 1 30006-4 f
 Approved For Relea-4
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25X1A
balance is stored for use of the Communist Party and the "atuci.lisry
militia" which is made up primarily of Communist Party members.
co Sub-machine gun - Soviet type with smell circular drum on top which
feeds 72 cartridges into the gun. The Border Guards,, Militia and
some units within the infantry are armed with this weapon.
d. Light machine gun - Soviet Degtyarov with bipod in front. Each
squad in the infantry platoon has one such machine gun. Some of the
units still have the Bran gune
e. Heavy machine gun - Soviet Maxim mounted on two wheel carts. These
guns are water cooled and fire belts of 150 to 200 cartridges. All
former heavy machine guns have been replaced. A portion of the old
weapons were turned over to.Greek guerrillas and the other portion
sent to the USSR.
f. Anti-tank rifle - 1.4 cm. long barreled rifle for use in close quarters
with armored vehicles.
k. Mortar - no changes have been made and units still use the old type.
h. Anti-tank gun - Soviet model Rheinmetal, 4.7 and 5 cm., split trails.
All unit, have been equipped with the new gun.
i. Anti-aircraft machine gun - 12.7 mm. Soviet model. Up to now issued to
only First and Second Armies.
J. Anti-aircraft gun - 3.7 Zenitka. Issued to all anti-aircraft artillery
regimentso
k. Self-propelled artillery - 7.6 Zis. Issued to only certain units in
First and Second Armies.
1. Artillery pieces - Almost all former cannons have been changed over
to the new Soviet weapons. Replacements have been as follows:
(1) 7.5 Schmeiser with 7.62 Soviet model.
(2) 10.5 cm. with 12.2 cm. Soviet model,
(3) 15 cm. with 15.5 cm. Soviet model.
New units are being formed in the artillery equipped with Katyushas,
rockets and heavy mortars (above 15 am.). The Coast Artillery still
has weapons issued during 1917 which had been taken by the Germans
as war trophies from the fortress of Lwow, Poland.
m. Armor - T-3t tanks and Soviet Broniford armored cars. At present
there are about 450 T-34 tanks and 50 Broni-fords in the army.
4. Munitions for rifles,, light machine guns and heavy machine guns are being
produced in sufficient quantity in Bulgarian military munitions factories.
This also includes munitions for pistols and revolvers.
5, The Soviets are .furnishing a limited amount of ammunition with all new
weapons given to the Bulgarian Army. This ammunition is not sufficient
for either combat or field training and usually consists of only a few
rounds for testing.
Spare parts are in extremely short supply and are stored only in army or
higher headquarters. The new Soviet weapons have no spare parts and
replacement parts must be ordered from the USSR. Cannibalizing is practiced
throughout the entire army.
RET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
C1AR?1S 9 D08100330006-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP82-00457R008100330006-4