BULGARIA BORDER GUARD COMMANDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R012600090008-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 29, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/04/19: CIA-RDP82-00457RO12600090008-9
`v"n "V. 51-4AA
FEB,1952
0
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Bulgaria Border Guard Commands
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM 15 PROHIBITED.
DATE DISTR. Z'S July 1952
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLE NIFNT TO
REPORt
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. In the latter half of 19+6, Bulgaria formed a Border Troop Command. Later in
1946, the border was divided into six Sektors (0tryads)y five Of which were in the
area facing Rumania, Turkey, Greece, and the Black Sea coast facing Turkey,
while only one Sektor faced Yugoslavia.
2. The Sektor facing Yugoslavia, with headquarters in Sofia, had four battalions
assigned to the area; with one of each in Kula, Dragoman, Zemen, and Sveti
Vraeh. Each battalion was made up of"three companies which are each composed
of three platoons of three squads. The troops were billeted in small huts near
observation towers. The border battalion in Sveti Vrach was directed more to-
ward Greece than '!ugoslavia and had a total of approximately 700 men. Since
the 'Yugoslav-Bulgarian border is 524 kilometers long, there was only one soldier
per kilometer of border.
The Bulgarian border is currently subdivided into 11 Border Sektors, of which
four face'fugq'slavia.. Headquarters of the four Border Sektor Commander are at
Dragoman, Belogradchik, Kyustendil, and Sveti Vrach. Each of the'four Commands
facing Yugoslavia consists of either three or four battalions. Each Border
Sektor Command and each of its battalions has a reserve company of 50 to 60
men, plus a guard wait of approximately 40 men.
There are approximately 75 Bulgarian observation tower positions located along
the Yugoslav border. Each position is staffed with two to four officers and
4+0 to 50 soldiers. The normal complement is three officers, the unit commander,
the politica3,:commissar, and the guard officer. At some tower stations there
are only two officers to divide the above functions.
As of 1 May 1952, the Border Guard force facing Yugoslavia had the following
numerical strengths
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
ARMY # E4 x.
DISTRIBUTION
II
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SECRET
Officers-. Approximately 430, assigned as follows: 70 officers stationed
at the four Border Command posts; 170 officers stationed with the
battalions;' and 190 officers stationed at "the observation tower posts;
b. Non-commissioned officers: Approximately 400, of whom 150 are reservists
and the remainder regular Army-men; the breakdown of these troops is un-
known; and
c. Troops:' 5,340, deployed as follows: 3,400 stationed at the. 75 observation
tower posts; 1,140 in the Border Sektor. Commands, the battalions and in 19
reserve units; a:rad 800.in the 19 guard units,.
Until early 1950, Bulgarian Border Guard troops were armed, for the most part,
with so-called trofeiskel Only a small portion of the-troops were armed with
Soviet weapons at that time. In the spring of 1950, the entire Bulgarian Army
and its Border Guard units were equipped with Soviet weapons. Issuance of these
weapons to the Border Guards facing Yugoslavia was begun in earnest in mid-1950,
by the and of 1950, all troops had received the new Soviet equipment
7. Reserve unit, troops, guard units attached to battalions, and troops with the
The warehouses are amply stocked with ammunition.
Food for the Border Guards is of fairly good quality and quantity. Every soldier
is issued two blankets, one pillow, one summer uniform, one. winter uniform, one
Border Sektor Commands are armed with carbines. Unit commanders are equipped
with automatic Singen2,guns. Approximately one-half.of the trpaps at observation.
tower posts are armed. with akarabinke (possibly carbines F3 and. Vintovkas; the
other half of the troops are armed with automatic Singens.. Active officers and
non-commissioned officers have `fT type pistols.'
Each Border Sektor Command and battalion company has three or four machine guns.
Some of the observatip .tower units have Meksim' heavy machine guns.. An. indefinite
number of 120 mm. guns are kept at Border Sektor supply depots. Each Border
Sektor Command has a fairly large number of Soviet weapons stored in the ware-
houses presumably to equip freshly mobilized troops in the event of an. emergency.
overcoat, one raincoat, one sweater, one pair of gloves, one knitted winter cap,
and two clothes brushes.. A private receives a monthly salary of 35 le;?ra4
10. In. addition to the above-mentioned Border Guards, in 1950 the Bulgarians begat.
forming special battalions known. as Chekist units. These Chekist units fall
within the framework of Border Sektor Commands. Chekist 'troops undergo four
months of instruction, after which they are assigned to,battalions which are
stationed in the larger towns in the vicinity of the border* They have certain
Border ,Sektor control functions and assist regular border units wit: ard
duties
Comment,, Reference may be to trophy weapons to designate old arms.
Comment; Possibly Sphtin., PPSH-41, a 30 caliber submacb p stol
Comments Probably the M-1939 or M-1944 carbine.
Comment-. Probably the 7.62 mm. ,q caliber' 1933 model. 50X1-HUM
~ 3
Comment: According to other reports received"1r *h1s o'fice, the
Ti Border Guard Otryad at Kyustendil is equipped with. mortars arid antitank
guns.
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50X1-HUM