ORDER OF BATTLE: ARTILLERY UNITS IN THE STARA ZAGORA AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004600500005-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 2, 2007
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: July 31, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

INFORMATION REPORT
Order of Batt:ieo Artillery Units
in the Stara Zagora Area
This is UNEVALUATED
Information
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United State., Within the mean-
Ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794. Of the U.B. Code, is
amended. Its transmission or revelation of it, content,
to or receipt by an unauthorised person to prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
ATillery Uni~t
1. An unidentified artillery units lis quartered in barracks
located just after the last houses on the western outskirts of Stara Zagora 25X1
on the southeast side of the road to Chi n.
a portion of the soldiers
triad gone to summer camp near arc revo N !12-35, E 23-21,), Sofia
0koliya, where it had teen since 1 April 1953. These soldiers went to their 25X1
summer camp without taking the{-r materiel. Later, on 5-6 May 1953, almost
all of the remaining personnel of the unit, both soldiers and officers, together
with the materiel cf the unit. left their barracks at night
these men t:,d left.. there were still approximately 100 soldiers who remained at
the barrack FA take tare of their upkeep.
STATE iX1A RMY EV NAVY A: AIR FBI I JAEC
641230
25X1
Approved For Release 2007/11/02 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA004600500005-4
 ere were approximately 700-800 soldiers at
the barracks,, not counting any who might have gone to summer camp prior to
1 April 1953F I
4. 25X1
Itank as well as artillery personnel there and 25X1
the tank group consisted of oximately 15 percent of the 2b/II
military personnel located at these barracks. 25X1
the artillery men and the tank personnel were not living separately in different
barracks quarters but together in the two barracks bui 25X1
On 25X1
April construction of a large brick garage with repair workshops for
tanks was started in the barracks area. As of 1 July 1953, the main work on
the construction had been completed.
5. The five garages in the barracks area (see No. 8 in the sketch attached as an
Appendix on page ?) were filled with uns similar to the 122 mm. M-1 0
howitzer in the Red Army manual.
6. The guns mentioned in Para. 5 above were drawn by motor transport vehicles.
The parking area (see No. 5 in the attached sketch) was filled with an unknown
number of 21S 5 trucks.
25X1
oarsm"apons carried by the
artillery unit personne_
Soviet rifles a
25X1
Soviet PP-I. i automatic submachine
guns.
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
goes to summer camp at Pancharevo where they train from 1 April to early September25X1
every summer this unit, together with its materiel section, 25X1
10. The guard of the barracks area consisted of five permanent posts as follows:
a. One at the gated
b. Three in front of the garages; and
c. One in front of the sentry house.
 Approved For Release 2007/11/02 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA004600500005-4
The watches generally consisted of one soldier per post and two in reserve,
changing every two hours. The soldiers standing at the posts were armed
with automatics. At night time there were also patrols.
11. This artillery unit had munitions depots
somewhere north of town and near the west side of the "Avazmn"
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Trudovak Unit Working in Barracks Area of Artillery Unit in Stara Zagora
14. Since 1 April 1953, a Trudovak unit of Trudovak Compare 25X1
subordinate to Trudovak Battalion of the Stara Zagora Trudovak 25X1
Arisade has bean quartered in the area of the barracks of artillery unit,
tanks. It was planned that this unit remain in the barracks area until the end
of December 1953; and that after the garage was completed they would carry out
some repairs on the barracks. The Trudovaks in this unit had also been there
in 1952 when the garages shown as No.5 and No. 6 on the attached sketch were
constructed.
15. The barracks area of artillery unit) Stara Zagora, is in the
shape of a capital "L" with branches almost, equal length and about 500 x 400
25X1
25X1
x 200 meters in size. The area is enclosed by a barbed wire fence on all sides.
The north side, with a width of about 200 meters, touches the southeast`side
of the road to Chirpan, where the barracks gate is located.
16. Until 1952, the barracks was composed of approximately 13 buildings, as follows:
a. Two large almost identical 3-story barracks buildings, located near the road
to Chirpan, and approximately 100 x 30 meters in size, painted yellow and
roofed with stone slabs;
b. Two identical 1-story sheds about 110 x 15 meters in size, painted yellow
and roofed with red Marseilles tile; these are the oldest. buildings in the
barracks area; in one of them (see No. 3 of the attached sketch) there are
located accomodations for the command ersonne the Trudovak unit,
subordinate to Trudovak Company and other rooms with 25X1
unknown use; in the other shed see No. 14 o e attached sketch) is the
"Dims trov Room" and there are storerooms for cement and other materials
and equipment of the Trudovak unit;
c. Five (sic) garages, old brick buildings, about 60 x 15 meters in size, painted
yellow and roofed with red Marseiles tile, set in a straight line, and located
in the southern half of the area(see No. 8 in the attached sketch); these are
1-story buildings; these garages are for the materiel unit of the artillery
unit and are particularly used for storing guns; each garage is equipped with
two lark crooden double doors;
 d. One brick shed, 1-story, approximately 30 x 20 meters in size, whitewashed,
and roofed with red Marseilles tiles; at the time when the divisional
artillery regiment was quartered in these barracks, this building was used
as a veterinary laboratory, but it is now used as a warehouse (see No. 9
of the attached sketch);
e. One 1-story brick shed (see No. 10 of the attached sketch), without inside
dividing walls, whitewashed and roofed with red Marseilles tiles; it is
used for the needs of the Trudovak unit completing construction and repair
work in the barracks area; and
f. One 1-story shed (see No. 11 of the attached sketch), built of unbaked bricks,
unpainted, roofed with red Marseilles tile, and about 10 x 10 meters in size;
used as guard quarters and so forth.
The last three of these buildings are arranged next to each other in the southern
part of the barracks area.
17. In 1952, a Trudovak unit) I arrived at the area and started 25X1
constructing new buildings,as follows:
a. Two new, identical 1-story garages for motor transport vehicles in the area
between the soldiers' quarters and old garages; these were built of lime
bricks and are approximately 50-60 x 20 meters in size; as of 1 July 1953 they
had not been painted; they are roofed with red Marseilles tile; (see No. 5
and No. 6 of the attached sketch); after completing these buildings the
Trudavaks were sent away from this barracks area.
18. On 1 April 1953, another group of Trudovaks composed of approximately 40 men,
barracks area and started constructing a new, modern, brick garage for tanks
and including repair workshops.
19. The garage (see No. 7 of the attached sketch) is approximately 80-100 x 20 meters
in size. Its walls are constructed of limestone bricks and the roof is of red
Marseilles tile. As of 1 July 1953, it had not been painted on the outside. The
windows were located only along the sidemhich''?is 20-imeters long. Inside, the
garage is divided into six sections with interior walls of brick. In the middle
of each of these sections there is a concrete depression to allow working under
the tanks. This is a pit about 3-4 meters long and two meters wide (the dimensi ms
of a tank), and about two meters deep. Along the length of this pit there are two
reinforced concrete walls about 50 centimeters thick, over which the treads of
the tanks are supposed to be placed. On the two sides of these pits, as a base,
there are concrete supports, and the section underneath is also of concrete.
20. It was reported that a concrete platform is to be constructed along the entire
north side of the garage and is to be 20 meters wide.
until the end of December 1953 and that, after completing the garage, it is to
carry out some kind of repair work in the barracks area.
22. Between the new garage for tanks and the two garages for motor transport vehicles
constructed in 1952 and the old sheds there is a parade ground. On the east side
of the barracks area are the first houses of the city of Stara Zagora; on the south
side there are tilled areas and on the west there are meadows.
 23. An unidentified artillery unit is located in Stara Zagora in 25X1
barracks situated in the northwest end of town., in the center of a residential
area, on the north side of the road to Kazanluk, through Dubrava village,
Kazanluk Okoliya. On the southwest side of these barracks there is the Officers
Club of the Stara Zagora garrison, and on the northeast side are located the
barracks of the Stara Zagora Trudovak Brigade 25X1
Stara Zagora 25X1
and the residents of the area spoke of the
an artillery unit.
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
26. On 15??20 May 19531 four tanks leaving the barracks area
headed along the road t~_uw. These talks resemble the TS-1 front type,
as shown in the Red Army menual.
In the summer this unit
goes o camp near ancharevol a is o iya.
Milit;,ry Units in Kazanluk
27. An unidentif,.e d infantry unit; probably a regiment, is located in Kazanluk. It
is quartered in barracks ]~cated in the center at' the town, about 200 meters
northwest of the central squares just north of the road from Kazanluk to Koprinka,
Kazanluk Okoliya.
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
in the barracks located 25X1
immediately beyond the last houses in the western outskirts of Kazanluk and
on the north side of the old Kazanhuk-Kalofer road, Dabout 50 trucks, 25X1
all zrs 5s. these trucks were rather new. 25X1
30. moving along the road from Gabrovo to Kazanfuk about 4-5 25X1
tanks which resemble the TS-1 front type, as shown in the Red Army manual. 25X1
there is a tank unit in Kazanluk 25X1
"25X1
Military Unit in Raykova Mogila, Svilengrad Okoliya
31. there is some kind of military unit in 25X1
Ray ova Mogila (N 41-49, 26-11b), Svilengrad Okoliya. 25X1
 Sketch of the Artillery Unit
Barracks Area 25X1
32. The following legend refers to a sketch of the barracks area of the arts e
Stara Zagora
included as an Appendix on pag g
1. Barracks buildings
2. Barracks buildings
3. Headquarters of Trudovak
1a. Of#ices~ ?Dimitrov Room", and storerooms for Trudovak unit materiel
5. Garage for transport vehicles
6. Garage for transport vehicles
7. New garage and repair workshop for tanks
7a. Concrete platform in front of garage
8. Parking area for guns
9. Quarters of Trudovak~
10. Warehouse
U. Quarters for guards
12. Parade ground
13. Meadows
114. Houses under construction on edge of Stara Zagora
15. Tilled ground
16. Stara Zagora-Chirpan road
Barbed wire fence
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