MILITARY UNITS NEAR THE YUGOSLAV BORDER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007900410001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 9, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

COUNTRY
SUBJECT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
CLASSIFICATION S
Approved For Release 2000/06/26 : CIA-RDP82-00457R007900410
INFORMATION REPORT
Bulgaria
Military Units Near the Yugoslav
Border
CD NO.
DATE DISTR. 9 June 1951
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
April 1951
The 3 Infantry Regiment is located in the cities of Vidin and Kula
and in the village of Gumzovo. Other military units in these locations
include:
(1)
(1)
(2) Headquarters of a border guard battalion. This
unit is in addition to a battalion of 3 Infantry
Regiment which has also been located in Kula since
the spring of 1950.
(1) One battery of 1.05 mm howitzers,, from 2 Howitzer
Artillery Regiment of 6 Infantry Division.
(2) Approximately 300 troops, employed in the digging
of trenches along the Bulgarian Yugoslav border
near Gumzovoc, In April 1951, they were transferred
to Vidin where it is believed they will be similarly
employed.
(2)
An artillery battery equipped with 10 small-
calibre cannon.
Three batteries of howitzers, which arrived in Vidin
from Vratsa in December 1950. They are equipped with
12 howitzers of unidentified type and calibre.
The 2 Howitzer Regiment and an unidentified anti-tank
regiment, which were reformed in Vidin toward the
end of 1950.
2. A cavalry division recently was reformed in Yambol. One part
of this division has been attached to an infantry unit in Sofia, and
CLASSIFICATION S_ nary
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 Approved For Release 2000/06/26 : CIA-RDP82-00457R007900410001-3
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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another part to an infantry unit in Vratsa. The reorganization is
allegedly in line with the Bulgarian defense plan against Yugoslavia.
3. One military freight train was loaded daily with supplies at Poduene, near
Sofia. The trains unloaded their freight at Dragoman and Kalotina, near
the Yugoslav border. On 11 April one such train was observed arriving
in Dragoman -with 20 cars attached. Five of these cars were unloaded at
Dragoman and the other 15 at Kalotina. On 15 and 16 April, a freight
train arrived at Kalotinaand unloaded building materials for the con-
struction of military barracks., There is much activity in preparation
for the building of fortifications in the area.
1. In the village of Grlyan (sic),, 11 kilometers west of Kyustendi.l, there
are 8 tanks of the T-35 type, which came from the tank regiment in
Kyustendil.
March 1951
5? In early March troops were moved to the district of Belogradehik$ and
distributed as fellowss approximately 300 in the village of Targovishte;
300 in the village of Dolni Loan; 300 in the village of Chuprene; 200
in the village of Struin Dole Preparations are also being made in the
villages of Stakevtsi and Verbovo for the arrival of troops. The troops
have begun digging trenches in the vicinity of the towns mentioned.
February 1951
6. Early in the month of February a construction unit arrived in Zelen Dol (sic)
where they began building barracks and a camp. In late February, two
infantry battalions arrived and were billeted in four barracks which had
been completed by that time. It is believed that the two battalions are
from 14 Infantry Regiment at Gorna Dzhumeyaa.
7. About 20 February two infantry battaliona, whose place of origin is
unknown, arrived in Gorna Dzhumavya and were billeted in 14 Infantry
Regiment barracks. One of these two battalions is known as the
Georgi Diniitrov Battalion.
8. An infantry unit with light artillery arrived in Tun, from & military
formation located in the village of Turyakovtsi, south of Trend
Tsnuary 1951
9. One infantry regiment was transferred from the Sofia sector to Kyustendil
and is billeted in the Duvaanska Warehouse. Two days after the arrival
of the above regiment in Kyustend'a1s an infantry battalion reached the same
town from Sofia and proceeded on to the village of Lozno, where it waa
billeted in and around the elementary school.
Late 1950
10? Five hundred youths of the 1930 age group were brought together in
Belogrradchik where they currently are being trained and formed into a
border battalion. Similar border battalions are being or have been
trained and formed in each sector of the Bulgarian-Yugoslav border.
These border battalions differ in training and composition from the regular
army battalions. The border battalion in Belogradchik was to have
finished its training in late April 1951, at which time it was to be
aisaai6ned to regular service on the border.
11. An artillery regiment was transferred from thumen to Lomb There is also
a tank baattaalion, equipped with T-34 tanks, in Loan.
Approved For Release 2000/06/26 : CIA-RDP82-00457R007900410001-3