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Bulgaria - Airforce Order of Battle |
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Early Years
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1912 Bulgaria received its first airplane – Bleriot XI with which on 13 August 1912 Simeon Petrov flew to become the first Bulgarian to pilot an airplane over Bulgaria.
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First and Second Balkan War
World War I |
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- 12 LVG B.II – reconnaissance aircraft, the first group of six arriving in November 1915. Those two seaters were also used as fighters by the Bulgarians, as dedicated "scouts" were not available.
- 13 Otto C.I – a twin-tailed pusher bomber. The first Otto in arrived in May 1916.
- 18 Albatros C.III – reconnaissance aircraft, also used as trainers. First delivery in August 1916.
- 12 DFW C.V – reconnaissance aircraft, first arriving in August 1917.
- 6 Roland D.II fighters. During July 1917 the first of these arrived with the Section.
- 6 Roland D.III fighters, the first arriving at the end of 1917.
- 3 Fokker E.III fighters, first of these delivered in the spring of 1916.
- 8 Fokker D.VII – the best fighter used by Bulgaria in World War I. Delivery took place in September 1918 and they saw no action. 7 were scrapped in accordance with the peace treaty. The 8th flew as a two-seater after the war.
- 2 Albatros C.I. These were ordered by the Ottoman Empire before Bulgaria entered the war. During early 1915 a couple landed on then neutral Bulgarian territory after a navigational error, and they were seized.
Bulgarian Navy Aviation
- 8 Friedrichshafen FF-33 floatplane bombers, starting in 1916
- 2 Rumpler 6B1 floatplane fighters, starting in 1916
Captured Aircraft
Interwar Period
DFW C.V
Albatros C.III
Fokker D.VII survived Allied destruction.
The Mixed Planes
Grigorov-1 Seaplane.
An Aeroflight Section under the Ministry of Railways, Postal Service and Telegraph was created in 1920. Bulgarian aviation personnel assembled two airplanes from hidden spares and parts, salvaged from the destroyed military airplanes. The two aircraft, known as "the mixed planes", recorded about 1000 flight hours altogether. The sole remaining Bulgarian Fokker D.VII was disguised as a two-seater,
1925
Potez XVII
Bristol Lucifer
Macchi 2000/18 flying boats
Uzounov-1" (an indigenous variant of the wartime German DFW C.V)
DAR-2 (indigenous variant of the German Albatros C.III of the same era)
1926
DAR-1 were produced
1927
The 1927 structure of the Directorate was the following:
1928
In 1928 the Ministry of War started the ambitious 10-year program for development of the military aviation (still banned by the peace treaty). According to the plan the following structure had to be achieved:
1933
1933 the Bulgarian Council of Ministers approved the following wartime order of battle of the aviation:
Albatros C.III
Fokker D.VII survived Allied destruction.
The Mixed Planes
Grigorov-1 Seaplane.
An Aeroflight Section under the Ministry of Railways, Postal Service and Telegraph was created in 1920. Bulgarian aviation personnel assembled two airplanes from hidden spares and parts, salvaged from the destroyed military airplanes. The two aircraft, known as "the mixed planes", recorded about 1000 flight hours altogether. The sole remaining Bulgarian Fokker D.VII was disguised as a two-seater,
1925
Potez XVII
Bristol Lucifer
Macchi 2000/18 flying boats
Uzounov-1" (an indigenous variant of the wartime German DFW C.V)
DAR-2 (indigenous variant of the German Albatros C.III of the same era)
1926
DAR-1 were produced
1927
The 1927 structure of the Directorate was the following:
- A fighter yato, flying the DAR-1s
- A bomber yato, flying the DAR-"Uzounov-1" and DAR-2
- A recon yato, flying the Potez XVIIs
- A seaplane yato, flying the Avro 522 floatplanes and the Macchi 2000/18 flying boats
- An aeroplane school, flying the Caudron C-59, the Henriot XD.14 and the Šmolnik Š.18
1928
In 1928 the Ministry of War started the ambitious 10-year program for development of the military aviation (still banned by the peace treaty). According to the plan the following structure had to be achieved:
- 4 army fighter orlyaks, each made of two yatos, or overall 8 yatos flying 96 fighter planes
- 4 army recon orlyaks, each made of two yatos, or overall 8 yatos flying 96 recon planes
- 18 divisionary recon yatos, basically air support aviation, each flying 12 planes or 216 planes altogether
- Strike Aviation Brigade with:
- Fighter Orlyak of 48 machines
- Bomber Orlyak of 36 machines
- Recon Orlyak of 2 machines
- Maritime Orlyak
- 2 seaplane fighter yatos, flying 24 fighters
- 2 seaplane bomber yatos, flying 18 bombers
1933
1933 the Bulgarian Council of Ministers approved the following wartime order of battle of the aviation:
- a mixed orlyak of:
- a fighter yato
- a bomber yato
- a recon yato
- a liaison and photographic survey yato
- a maritime yato
- a training orlyak
- a Pilot School at Kazanlak airfield
- a balloon company (which was never actually created, as the balloon was considered obsolete for military purposes at the time).
1937 - 1939 Rebirth |
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1937
2 Arado Ar.65 fighters
12 Heinkel He.51 fighters
12 Dornier Do.11 bombers
12 Heinkel He.45B recon planes
14 PZL P.24B fighters
12 PZL.43A light bombers
42 PZL.43B light bombers
12 PZL.24F fighters,
1938
78 Avia B-534 biplane fighters
32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license version of the Soviet SB bomber)
12 Bloch MB.200 bombers
62 Letov Š-328 reconnaissance aircraft
28 Avia Bs.122 trainers.
Deliveries of the second batch of Polish orders started in early 1939, with 33 PZL.43Bs and 8 PZL.11Fs
2 Arado Ar.65 fighters
12 Heinkel He.51 fighters
12 Dornier Do.11 bombers
12 Heinkel He.45B recon planes
14 PZL P.24B fighters
12 PZL.43A light bombers
42 PZL.43B light bombers
12 PZL.24F fighters,
1938
78 Avia B-534 biplane fighters
32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license version of the Soviet SB bomber)
12 Bloch MB.200 bombers
62 Letov Š-328 reconnaissance aircraft
28 Avia Bs.122 trainers.
Deliveries of the second batch of Polish orders started in early 1939, with 33 PZL.43Bs and 8 PZL.11Fs
World War II |
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1939
10 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 fighters
11 Dornier Do 17M/P bombers
6 Messerschmitt Bf 108 light liaison and utility aircraft
24 Arado Ar 96B-2
14 Bücker-Bestmann Bü 131 trainers.
1940
PZL P.43B 11 or 12
DAR-3
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4
Avia B.534
Avia B.122
Aero S.328
Avia B.71
Dornier Do 11D
Avia MB.200
42 DAR-9
45 KB-5
KB-6 – Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft
1941
6 Avia B.71
9 Dornier Do 17M bombers
1944
Focke-Wulf Fw 189A-2
Aero S.328
Bulgarski Caproni KB-11
Junkers Ju 87D-5
Dornier Do 17M/P/Ka-1
Dewoitine D.520
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/6
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/4/6
Dornier Do 17P
Junkers Ju 52/3m
10 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 fighters
11 Dornier Do 17M/P bombers
6 Messerschmitt Bf 108 light liaison and utility aircraft
24 Arado Ar 96B-2
14 Bücker-Bestmann Bü 131 trainers.
1940
PZL P.43B 11 or 12
DAR-3
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4
Avia B.534
Avia B.122
Aero S.328
Avia B.71
Dornier Do 11D
Avia MB.200
42 DAR-9
45 KB-5
KB-6 – Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft
1941
6 Avia B.71
9 Dornier Do 17M bombers
1944
Focke-Wulf Fw 189A-2
Aero S.328
Bulgarski Caproni KB-11
Junkers Ju 87D-5
Dornier Do 17M/P/Ka-1
Dewoitine D.520
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/6
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/4/6
Dornier Do 17P
Junkers Ju 52/3m
Order of Battle 1940
The Air Force order of battle comprised the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army Aviation Orlyaks (Army Air Groups or air regiments), each attached to the correspondingly-numbered field army. Each orlyak had a fighter, a line bomber and two reconnaissance yatos (Squadrons).
There was also an Independent Aviation corps, which combined the 5th Bomber and 6th Fighter Regiments.
The training units consisted of the "Junker" School Orlyak at Vrazhdebna airfield, the 2nd Training Orlyak at Telish airfield (called the Blind Flying Training School) and the 3rd Training Orlyak at Stara Zagora airfield. In 1940, the Bulgarian aviation industry provided the HMAT with 42 DAR-9, 45 KB-5 aircraft and the serial production of the KB-6 – Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft was scheduled to commence.
1st Orliak in Bojourishte
113th Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
123rd Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
133rd Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
142nd Yato DAR-3 3 Training
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4
2nd Iztrebitelen Orliak in Karlovo
212th Yato Avia B.534 15
222nd Yato Avia B.534 15
232nd Yato Avia B.534 15
242nd Yato Avia B.534 15
253rd Yato Avia B.122 10 Training
Avia B.534 10
3rd Rasusnavane Orliak in Yambol
313rd Yato Aero S.328 12
323rd Yato Aero S.328 12
333rd Yato Aero S.328 12
343rd Yato Aero S.328 12
373rd Yato DAR-3 3 Training
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4 6
5th Bombandirovachen Polk in Plovdiv
515th Yato Avia B.71 12
525th Yato Avia B.71 12
535th Yato Dornier Do 11D 12
545th Yato Avia MB.200 12 Training
There was also an Independent Aviation corps, which combined the 5th Bomber and 6th Fighter Regiments.
The training units consisted of the "Junker" School Orlyak at Vrazhdebna airfield, the 2nd Training Orlyak at Telish airfield (called the Blind Flying Training School) and the 3rd Training Orlyak at Stara Zagora airfield. In 1940, the Bulgarian aviation industry provided the HMAT with 42 DAR-9, 45 KB-5 aircraft and the serial production of the KB-6 – Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft was scheduled to commence.
1st Orliak in Bojourishte
113th Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
123rd Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
133rd Yato PZL P.43B 11 or 12
142nd Yato DAR-3 3 Training
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4
2nd Iztrebitelen Orliak in Karlovo
212th Yato Avia B.534 15
222nd Yato Avia B.534 15
232nd Yato Avia B.534 15
242nd Yato Avia B.534 15
253rd Yato Avia B.122 10 Training
Avia B.534 10
3rd Rasusnavane Orliak in Yambol
313rd Yato Aero S.328 12
323rd Yato Aero S.328 12
333rd Yato Aero S.328 12
343rd Yato Aero S.328 12
373rd Yato DAR-3 3 Training
Bulgarski Caproni KB-4 6
5th Bombandirovachen Polk in Plovdiv
515th Yato Avia B.71 12
525th Yato Avia B.71 12
535th Yato Dornier Do 11D 12
545th Yato Avia MB.200 12 Training
Order of Battle September 1944
1st Rasusnavane Polk
3/1 Orliak Focke-Wulf Fw 189A-2 14
4/1 Orliak Aero S.328 15
Bulgarski Caproni KB-11 14
2nd 'Stuka' Polk
1/2 Orliak Junkers Ju 87D-5 29
2/2 Orliak Avia B.534 19
5th Bombandirovachen Polk
1/5 Orliak Dornier Do 17M/P/Ka-1 20
2/5 Orliak Avia B.71 21
6th Iztrebitelen Polk
1/6 Orliak Dewoitine D.520 30
2/6 Orliak Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/6 52
3/6 Orliak Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/4/6 49
4/6 Orliak Dewoitine D.520 30
73rd Yato za Dalechno Rasusnavane Dornier Do 17P 5
Presnosno Yato Junkers Ju 52/3m 4
3/1 Orliak Focke-Wulf Fw 189A-2 14
4/1 Orliak Aero S.328 15
Bulgarski Caproni KB-11 14
2nd 'Stuka' Polk
1/2 Orliak Junkers Ju 87D-5 29
2/2 Orliak Avia B.534 19
5th Bombandirovachen Polk
1/5 Orliak Dornier Do 17M/P/Ka-1 20
2/5 Orliak Avia B.71 21
6th Iztrebitelen Polk
1/6 Orliak Dewoitine D.520 30
2/6 Orliak Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/6 52
3/6 Orliak Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/4/6 49
4/6 Orliak Dewoitine D.520 30
73rd Yato za Dalechno Rasusnavane Dornier Do 17P 5
Presnosno Yato Junkers Ju 52/3m 4