Bulgarian OOB19 v.9

[Pibwl]

Originally Posted by DRG

*******134 Aero MB 210 *Bulgarian Air Force received six aircraft from Germany"...it stays now as Bloch MB210

QUOTE:Après l’armistice, 120 MB 210 sont dénombrés en zone non occupée et vingt en Afrique du Nord. 37 sont capturés par les Allemands en 1942, dont six sont cédés à la Bulgarie .

That's interesting. Personally I doubt it, for Bulgarian book doesn't know about this type, and surely in 1942 they were fit for nothing more but training (Bulgarians would sure prefer more Do 17s...) - but since the Germans managed to sell them H-39 tanks in 1944, everything is possible...

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The tanks are quite carefully made in this OOB, but I have a few comments:

01 Vickers 6 Ton - according to a Vickers monograph Tank Power series and this Russian page http://alternathistory.com/bronetank...-mirovoi-voine , first were delivered on 4 January 1938, rest in July 1938 (now 1/37 - such year can be met in some articles).
CMG was 8 mm Schwarzlose according to a monograph. Same for unit 282.

02 Ansaldo L.3/33 - when they were sold, they were designated CV-33, but according to https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carro_Veloce_L3/33 they were just known as "Ansaldo-Fiat" (bg.wikipedia pages on tanks have usually separate paragraphs on Bulgarian service, which seem quite reliable, and among sources there is mentioned K. Matev "Бронетанкова техника 1935 – 1945"). Same for unit 283.

03 Skoda Pz 35 (t) - they were known just as Skoda tanks (https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/LT_vz.35) - I guess that Skoda LT vz.35 would be more appropriate, than Pz.35.

04 PzKw 35R 731(f) - there's no page on bg.wikipedia, but I can bet they were known just as Renaults (or even "Reno", like https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0...%BD%D0%BE_FT17) R-35, not PzKpfw.
All publications say, they were grey - icon 1410 is better, especially, that a single known photo shows the tank with a tail. It also shows, that it had a short SA-18 gun, not SA-38.
Same for unit 284, save the camouflage, which might have been green indeed by then.

08 PzKw V - in Bulgaria known as "Pantera"(https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerkampfwagen_V)

09 JPz38(t) Hetzer - in Bulgaria known as Praga assault gun - maybe SO Praga (SO - Shtormovo oridye, assault gun) https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%AF...86%D0%B5%D1%80

10 PzKw IVg - in Bulgaria known as Maybach. Initially they were in Wehrmacht olive or Dunkelgelb sand color (as manufactured - icon 1409), only from 1945 they were painted Soviet green - https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerkampfwagen_IV

11 Skoda T-11 - delivered in 9/40 according to a Polish article, or in 10/40 according to https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/LT_vz.35 (now 7/40)

14 StuH 42 - I could find info in any articles, that Bulgaria used StuH 42; there's no mention on https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A9...D1%86%D0%B5_42 either

15 PzKw 39H 735(f) - known just as Hotchkiss (may be also H-39). A preserved tank has short SA-18 gun https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotchkiss_H35

16 JPz IV/70A - according to https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%AF...D0%B5%D1%80_IV only one JgPz IV/70 was used (but in ordinary V variant, not Alkett), and one JgPz IV/48. The photo is IV/48.
(They were green, but I know it's not too important to bother...)

It is now in a formation 075 with a single Stug, there might be IV/48 added instead.

287 JPz IV/70A - same as above, but class Assault Gun after 6/45. There is a danger, that a battery with seven such vehicles can be taken... A Polish article says they had 15 Jpz IV in 1946, but I'd rather believe Bulgarian Wikipedia, which describes further fates of both machines.
Same for 288 JPz38(t) Hetzer - there were only four, and 017 Scafo L-40 - only two (although I couldn't find confirmation, that it was this type - there is a mention about two "SPA" vehicles in an article on Turan tank https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2...B0%D0%BD%D0%BA).

I don't know if there is a sense to gather all these vehicles after 6/45 in a common Assault gun class - maybe it's better to keep them separated, like in 3/45-5/45?
Moreover, on a page https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2...B0%D0%BD%D0%BA) there is a mention, that 4 Hetzers and 5 other SP-guns formed a SP-gun battery within the 1st Army. The others were surely 2 Jpz IV and maybe 3 Stugs?.. or a command Turan and two L-40, although they are said to create a recce platoon?
Maybe it's worth to create in 3/45 and keep until the end such mixed unit, instead of formation 12 Assault Gun Bty?