TROOP MOVEMENTS AND ORDER OF BATTLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500490117-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 117
• Publication Date: May 3, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPOR7
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Bulgaria
Troop Movements and Crider of Battle
n11 OOCYHtNf cOHt*IN1 IHIOWr7 .N ArrLCTinO TN[ nAtl onAL oirln[1
OF INC ONI T[0 ^TATII. WITHIN TO 11AHINO OW TITLI 16. $1CT10N1 711
AN0 1-A. 01 TN[ u./. CODA, 11 AMLI010. ITS.TWAH/rII$ION OW not.
LOTION OF ITS CO.TInti TO ON Itc11WT AT AN O0AOTNOHI000 PINION 11
DATE DISTR. 31r1e1y 1954
NO. OF PAGES 5
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. The Intelligence Section (Razuznavatelen Otdel) of the Head uartere of the
Army in Sofia, RO-2, (the section for internal intelligence), in conJunctian
with the State Security and the XiniztZy of Interior have recommended to the
Minister of Defense, Colonel General PeturJ j- that army unite be
sent to the Vratea-Mikhaylovgrad-Belogradohik area to strengthen and safeguard
order and eeourity since the local population is in almost open revolt agairet
the authorities. A large number o: persons have fled to the mountains (Stara
Planina) to join in an open armed resistance. Movements of Yugoslav troops
towards the Bulgarian border were observed at the mouth of the Timok River
near Vidin.
2. In response to this recommendation, the Headquarters of the Army ordered the
commanding officer of the 36th Cryakhovo Infantry Regiment in Ciryakhovo to
move the let and 2nd battalions (druzhina) of the Regiment to the Mikhaylovgrad-
Belogradohik area and together with the regiment headquarters to remain there
in military readiness and safeguard the units from partisan action.
3. lei response to these instructions, the occmanding oi'fioor of the regiment,
Colonel 2zagjaaWa (fnu),sent the two battalions of the regiment in three
groups to Meedra railroad station where same companies went on by train and
others marched along assignod routes. The regimental headquarters was brought
by train, and was not up near Mikhaylovgrad. Its supply unit arrived by truck.
4. the following order of battle was reported to the
ea guar ere ox: z
This First Infantry Battalion with the mortar oompany, the heavy machine gun
company, an antitank company, and a signal platoon are located about eight km
from Belogradohik, upstream the Lan River. The battalion hoadq-1:arters 9.s
in the village of Falkovete L ' sic.' ' ]near the bridge over the river
where there are atone build go,
0WIDE1ITIAL
SEE LAST PA02U MR 9UBJEf;T & rAIRITA ComS
DISTRIBUTION o STATE lARNT NAVY AIR F61
This report w for the use within the USA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or
Agencies indicated snout. It in not to be trariemitted ovareoas without the concurronee of the
originating office through the A.eietant Directo>, if the Office of. Collection and Dissemination, CIA.
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The State Security and unite of DOSO fDobrovolna arganizate a za Sudeyetvie
na Otbrana.? Voluntary Organization For Defense Cooperatianjare located in
the. houses of a farmer private farm which is between Belogradohik and
Falkovets, on the right aide of the highway going from Belogradohik to
Ruzhintai.
The Second Infantry Battalion with a mortar company, a heavy machine. gun company,
and a signal platoon are located in Berkovitaa and the.battalion headquarters
is in Mikhaylovgrad.
The special battalion of the Regiment with the supply unit (domakinatvo)
remaiaei' in garrison at Qryakhovo in the barracks of the 36th Infantry Regiment.
-5. According to Information received, the Headquarters of the frontier troops
under the Ministry of Interior and the section for strengthening the borders
and the border zones (formed under the headquarters of the army in 1948) had
temporarily almost discontinued their activity along the Yugoslav frontier
since attempts were being made after Stalin's death for a rapprochement
between the USSR aLd Yugoslavia which would include neighborins;? Satellite
governments. Recently, however, this activity was again resumed and labor
service units from the labor Service Brigade in Plevon,whioh work wherever
there are military unite, were again noticed along the entire border.
25X1 6. following activities were observed along the
or ers bone 005-1-Es, but not the entire labor service brigade from Plevag
which is one of the six labor service brigadee in Bulgaria, were gradually
moved to the border sector at the northern border upstream on the Timok
River in the direction of Kom Mountain (Vrukh) in the Stara Planina.
7. The brigade battalions received their assignments and began cleaning out
and inspecting previously dug tronohesr, pits, wire entanglements, and tank
obstacles. They began reinforcing bridges of rondo leading to the border.
Work on fortifioationa at bends in the highways and on hills was also begun.
8. Two battalions frasn the Third Vidin Regiment in Vidin were brought close
9.
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to the Yugoslav border and located as follows:
Che battalion wan in the area of Vruehna Ohulca Mountain opposite Salese
and Zajeoar (in Yugoslavia).
The second battalion was located in the area of Bregovo three km from the
border. The battalion confiscated the private dwellings of exiled villagers
and interned oppositionista.
Unite from the Sofia 6th Arfantry Regiment and from the Guard rogimint in
Sofia. wore brought to the ISyustendil frontier sector near the Yugoslav
border and were assigned as follows:
An army unit with support from DOSO nod the frontier troops to the area
off' Garnnnvtni in the direction of Boeilgrad upstream an the LL'agoviehtitea
River.
Army units and guard (partisans) unite to Losno and Porivol, Kyustendil
C4coliya. Private housos and schools were taken over for the men.
Tho border fuohastukj diatriot of Tro ano wan reinforced during
by frontier troops which
ammo rom the eman ra oa station s r o.
11. I Ithere was a call-up of man in the 1933
o ass. y Won man w no completed their accord ary education ware
called, while faruore and workers were not called because they were needed
in their work and because of the harvest soacon.
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12. In Sofia, near the central prison, in the Headquarters of the frontier troop
barracks, where an antiaircraft unit (otd.elonie) was formerly stationed, there
is now a "Chekiati" regiment. Their uniform is like that of other troops
except that they wear blue cape. They are subordinate to the Ministry of
Interior. Chekisti are formed into groups coiled "Tayfun".
13. Near the Chekisti barracks in the direction of the railroad station and the
highway to Nadezhda (Lam highway), are the barracks and school of the
railroad regiment. There are fuel tanks near the bridge and the barracks
on the highway to Nadezhda.
14. A tank unit composed of tanks supplied by the USSR is stationed in the
barracks of the Lamer Fir t Cavalry Regiment opposite the "Svebola"
(Freedom) Park Lin SoA0. There are tank units also in the barracks
at Gorna Banya and Garublyane. These units have two t;YPPes of tanks, the
"T-34" and the "XIS" (which is heavier than the "T-34").
15. There areheavy antitank guns on the Slatina, Kon'ovo, and Lozen redoubts.
Their positions are protected by barbed wire and access to these is granted
only to sentries and their superiors.
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remained for one month,same remained for leas time, and some for more. Those
who were released did not tell what unit they badbeen in or what their
assignments were oucause the political commanders and other chiefs had
forbidden them to tell under penalty of the severest punishment for divulging
military secrets.
17. The 34th Infantry Regiment, an aircraft repair shop, a school fur workers
in aircraft repair shops and factories, and an airfield, are located in Loveoh.
18. The headquarters of the 6th Tank Division is located in the barracks four km
east of Sofia. It has three mot iz infantry regiment.;, tanks, and
artillery pieces. The regiment L a?_/ have a headquarters company and three
battalions. The commanding officer of the 3rd battalion is Hurtu K r y,
about 40 years old, a former partisan, and a fanatic Comaunlat.
19. Nurtev'' brother is the director and administrator of the Belene oonoentration
camp In S-rishtov CBcoliya, which is known as the worst camp for punishin
inmates. The political oamnander of the battalion is Captain D!~!'nu)
from Lam Ckoliya.
20. The 3rd battalion of the Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 6th Tank Division
has the following compositions headquarters company, two rifle companies,
one heavy maohine gun company, one aertar company, and one tank platoon.
The commanding offioerof the headquarters oompany is First Lieutenant
=Uae (fnu) from Berkovitsa Mollya (a reserve officer).
21. The company has the following platoonat
a) Signal platoon which consists of three squq of Live an eaoh with
a telephone (switchboard (vrumko)) attd'two 4 portablej radios with
two men eaoh (c? 20 menand one noes-oomsissioned officer in all).
b) Quartermaster platoon with three squads of ten men each. Ono is
the headquarters squad with o.)rkm and couriers. The second in
supply and the third squad is the medical squad. There are about
30 men in all. The company is armed with Soviet Vinton
carbines and Soviet Shpagin automatic weapons L pistols . The
weapons are completely now.
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22. The First Motorized Rifle Company has three platoons of 20 men each with
a compact commander d three platoon leaders. This is true also for the
Second Motorized ?_/Rifle Company. Both companies are armed with
Soviet Vintovka rif ,e, the ammanders are armed with Soviet Shpagin
automatic weapons L piatols,J.: Each squad has one nDPt' light machine
gun. The heavy machine gun caapany has three platoons of 20 men eeoh.
Eeah platoon has three Shvertaloze heavy machine gun, on trucks, and the
men are armed with Vintovka rifles, the gunners have pistols.
23. The mortar company has threeplatoons of 20 men each and each platoon
has three completely new Soviet 82 mm mortars. The soldiers are armed
with carbines. The tank platoon has three T-34 tankr? and 15 ooldiera.
The battalion has 20 more trucks for carrying the personnel, weapons,
and ammunition.
24. A tank brigade which is under the 6th Tank Division is located in the
barracks near Sofia, and Simeonovo, where the former antiaircraft
regiment wac quartered. The barracks are near the American College.
25. On the highway to Plovdiv, four km from Sofia, the artillery regiment
and headquarters of the 6th Tank Division are located. There is also
a truck regiment here. The headquarters of the airforce and units of
the Infantry Headquarters of the First Army are quartered in the block
of barracks on Patriarkh Eftimiy Street and Stalin (formerly Ferdinand
Street) 1-here the lot and 6th Infantry regiments were formerly quartered.
26. An infantry regiment and warehouses of the main Qi:artermaater Unit are
now in the Lozeneta ward (Kvartal). They are quartered in the former
barracks of the School for Reserve Officers. 'here barracks go an
far as the Arsenal. The weapons 'warehouaea of the First Army are also
there. The guard regiment is quartered in the barracks of the Cavalry
Guard regiment :a Zaimov Boulevard (formerly Regentaka Street) near
the former Svoboden Teatur (Free Theatre) near the Vasil Ievaki
Monument. The Officers' Political School and the Chekiati Regiment
are quarters in the barracks near the Central Priaon. A large
motorized unit in quartered in new barracks about 200 m from Sukhodol,
Sofia Okoliya, in the direction of Gorna Banya. The headquarters of
the 6th Infantry Division is in .T!'ratea.
27. A new airfield for jet planes has been built between Kumaritsa and
Dobroalavtai, Sofia Ckoliya. A large concrete runway and underground
hangars were oonetruoted. Civilians and persona without special
permission from the military authorities are not allowed within a
wide area surrounding the airfield.
28. A new airdrome is located on the left aide of the railroad line from
Plovdiv to AnenovRrad (four km frc7 Asenovwrad). Qliv two la-Tire
or an unionown type.
29. An airfield for jet planes has been built near Gabrovnitea, Lam
Ckoliya. Construction was begun in 1950. The workers were soldiers
and trudovaks. Civilians were not allowed to work even on a voluntary
(unpaid) basin. The airfield has a concrete runway and underground
hangars, and is hidden from view from the highway and the railroad.
There are jet aircraft and Soviet aviators at the airfield (information
comes from persons in the village).
30. In Dolna Mitro oli a Pleven Okoli a there is a runway for jet
planes. There IL,
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also an near tare Zagora, for which the old
oirfield was converted. Recently in landing, a pilot lost control and
the Etrcraft cracked up on the runway.
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31. The Voenna Rempa (Military Ramp) kvartal (ward) is located in a so-called
triangle famed by one aide of the Central railroad station in Sofia, by
the "Triugulsik" (Triangle) kvartal between Sofia and Eadechda, and by
the former Baklsh Rubber Factory. (Now the "Georgi Dimitrov" Plant for
tubber and rubber products for trucks and other motorized units). In
the Voenna Rnmpa kvartal.on the Sofia-Iliente -Stalin ra oad line at
the Voenna Rampa stop there is a factory far L vegetable/ oil and
cactcr oil. Castor oil refined from castor beano is put into barrels
wrioh are sealed by a special Bulgarian-Soviet Commission named by
the Ministry of Defense with the following inscription: "Food Export,
Castcr Oil (in Russian)". The barrels are sent to the USSR where most
of the oil is used for lubricating oil far aircraft engines. The factory
works without interruption in three ahifts. The general capacity is six
tone (tonal) of cbl per 24 hours. The director of the fact-~j is TrifuILcr
(fnu), a Communist, who was armed recently. He was founarly in the
Directorate of State Security. The Assistant Director ind Technical
Director is a Communist named Vladimir MwukQY,about-30 years old, who
came from Burgas where he was formerly director of. the Export warehouses
for ore intended for the USSR. A similar faotcr ' far light oils from
earn is located in Zhablyano, Radcmir 0koliya, about 1l km from the
station of Zhablyano and about six km from Zemen railroad station. The
oil produced in this factory is taken by train to the Voenna Rampa
factory for further refining. The oil is used in aviation in Bulgaria
end the USSR.
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