Order of battle of the Bulgarian Army in the First Balkan War (1913)
Encyclopedia
The following is the Bulgarian Order of Battle at the beginning of the second phase of the First Balkan War
as of January 21, 1913.This order of battle
includes all combat units, including engineer
and artillery
units, but not medical, supply
, signal
and boarder guard units.
the Bulgarian and Ottoman governments concluded an armistice on and agreed to attend a peace conference in London
. For almost a month the talks at St. James's Palace
achieved very little when on the Young Turks
, led by Enver Bey staged a coup and seized power in Constantinople. The new government was determined to hold on to Adrianople at all costs, a position which Bulgaria viewed as unacceptable and led to the denouncement of the armistice on 16 of January 1913. With the initiative in their hands and with a a renewed sense of confidence in their war leaders and in their ability to successfully fight the Bulgarians, the Ottomans decided to execute an offensive plan that was devised in mid December 1912. Leaving their small remaining forces in Epirus
and Albania
on their own the Ottomans focused entirely on the Thracian Theater where they planned a full-scale, corpslevel, amphibious invasion on the western shore of the Sea of Marmara was to be attempted with simultaneous attacks by the provisional corps on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the Çatalca Army, while the Adrianople garrison and conducted diversionary attacks.
. As early as December 1912 they realized that the rear of their Second Army at Adrianople or of their First and Third Armies could have easily been threatened by a large Ottoman offensive using the Gallipoli Peninsula as its staging point. To counter this threat the Bulgarian high command decided to transfer all its forces that were previously fighting on the Western Theater as they had fulfilled their objectives there and on 15 of December 1912 formed the new Fourth Army. It was a powerful force of 93,389 men under the command of Major General
Stiliyan Kovachev
. Meanwhile at Adrianople the formation of a new 11th Infantry Division and the arrival of two Serbian infantry divisions allowed the Bulgarians to divert additional forces to support the armies on the Chataldzha line. In general the Bulgarians had the capture of Adrianople as their priority while the remaining three field armies of some 284,121 men were to assume a defensive stance and repel the Ottoman offensive.
, who was also appointed commaner of the combined First and Third armies.
Third Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Radko Dimitriev
.
was commanded by Major-General Stiliyan Kovachev
.
was commanded by lieutenant-general Nikola Ivanov
.
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
as of January 21, 1913.This order of battle
Order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
includes all combat units, including engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units, but not medical, supply
Military Supply Chain Management
Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services. The broad management scope includes sub-suppliers, suppliers, internal information and funds flow.-Supply:...
, signal
Military communications
Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
and boarder guard units.
Background
After the First Battle of ÇatalcaFirst Battle of Çatalca
The First Battle of Çatalca fought between was one of the heaviest battles of the First Balkan War. It was initiated as an attempt of the combined Bulgarian First and Third armies, under the overall command of lieutenant general Radko Dimitriev, to defeat the Ottoman Çatalca Army and break through...
the Bulgarian and Ottoman governments concluded an armistice on and agreed to attend a peace conference in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. For almost a month the talks at St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
achieved very little when on the Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
, led by Enver Bey staged a coup and seized power in Constantinople. The new government was determined to hold on to Adrianople at all costs, a position which Bulgaria viewed as unacceptable and led to the denouncement of the armistice on 16 of January 1913. With the initiative in their hands and with a a renewed sense of confidence in their war leaders and in their ability to successfully fight the Bulgarians, the Ottomans decided to execute an offensive plan that was devised in mid December 1912. Leaving their small remaining forces in Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
and Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
on their own the Ottomans focused entirely on the Thracian Theater where they planned a full-scale, corpslevel, amphibious invasion on the western shore of the Sea of Marmara was to be attempted with simultaneous attacks by the provisional corps on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the Çatalca Army, while the Adrianople garrison and conducted diversionary attacks.
Bulgarian preparations
During the armistice the Bulgarians took several important measures to improve their strategic and tactical situation in ThraceThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. As early as December 1912 they realized that the rear of their Second Army at Adrianople or of their First and Third Armies could have easily been threatened by a large Ottoman offensive using the Gallipoli Peninsula as its staging point. To counter this threat the Bulgarian high command decided to transfer all its forces that were previously fighting on the Western Theater as they had fulfilled their objectives there and on 15 of December 1912 formed the new Fourth Army. It was a powerful force of 93,389 men under the command of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Stiliyan Kovachev
Stiliyan Kovachev
Stiliyan Kovachev was a Bulgarian General. During the First Balkan War he commanded the Rodopi Detachment and later 4th Army...
. Meanwhile at Adrianople the formation of a new 11th Infantry Division and the arrival of two Serbian infantry divisions allowed the Bulgarians to divert additional forces to support the armies on the Chataldzha line. In general the Bulgarians had the capture of Adrianople as their priority while the remaining three field armies of some 284,121 men were to assume a defensive stance and repel the Ottoman offensive.
Chataldzha Line
First Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Vasil KutinchevVasil Kutinchev
Vasil Ivanov Kutinchev was a Bulgarian officer. He began his military career in 1879 after graduating from the Military School in Sofia...
, who was also appointed commaner of the combined First and Third armies.
- 1st Sofia Infantry Division ( Major-General ToshevStefan ToshevStefan Toshev was a Bulgarian General, from World War I. His mother was a teacher from the period of the National Revival. He volunteered in the Bulgarian Opalchentsi Corps during the Russo-Turkish War and later served as a translator. On 10 May 1879 he graduated the Military School in Sofia in...
)- 1st Brigade
- 1st "Sofia" Infantry Regiment
- 6th "Turnovo" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 37th Infantry Regiment
- 38th Infantry Regiment
- 4th QF FARQuick-firing field artillery regiment (QF FAR), mountain artillery regiment (MAR).
- 4th FAR
- 1st Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 3rd Balkan Infantry Division ( Major-General Sarafov)
- 1st Brigade
- 11th "Sliven" Infantry Regiment
- 24th "Black Sea" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 29th "Yambol" Infantry Regiment
- 32nd "Zagora" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 41st Infantry Regiment
- 42nd Infantry Regiment
- 6th QF FAR
- 6th FAR
- 3rd Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 6th Bdin Infantry Division ( Major-General Tenev)
- 1st Brigade
- 3rd "Bdin" Infantry Regiment
- 15th "Lom" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 35th "Vratsa" Infantry Regiment
- 36th "Kozloduy" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd QF FAR
- 6th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 10th Infantry Division ( Major-General Bradistilov)
- 1st Brigade
- 16th "Lovech" Infantry Regiment
- 25th "Dragoman" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 47th Infantry Regiment
- 48th Infantry Regiment
- 10th FAR
- 10th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
Third Army was commanded by Lieutenant-General Radko Dimitriev
Radko Dimitriev
Radko Dimitriev was a Bulgarian General, Head of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army from 1 January 1904 to 28 March 1907.-Biography:...
.
- 4th Preslav Infantry Division ( Major-General BoyadzhievKliment BoyadzhievKliment Boyadzhiev was a Bulgarian General during the Balkan Wars and First World War.Born in Ohrid, he studied in an elementary school there. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 he emigrated to Sofia...
)- 1st Brigade
- 7th "Preslav" Infantry Regiment
- 19th "Shumen" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 8th "Primorski" Infantry Regiment
- 31st "Varna" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 43rd Infantry Regiment
- 44th Infantry Regiment
- 5th QF FAR
- 5th FAR
- 5th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 5th Danube Infantry Division ( Major-General Hristov)
- 1st Brigade
- 2nd "Iskar" Infantry Regiment
- 5th "Danube" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 18th "Etarski" Infantry Regiment
- 20th "Dobruja" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 45th Infantry Regiment
- 46th "Troyan" Infantry Regiment
- 1st QF FAR
- 1st FAR
- 5th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 9th Pleven Infantry Division ( Major-General Sirakov)
- 1st Brigade
- 4th "Pleven" Infantry Regiment
- 17th "Dorostol" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 33rd "Svishtov" Infantry Regiment
- 34th "Troyan" Infantry Regiment
- 9th QF FAR
- 9th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
Gallipoli Peninsula
Fourth ArmyFourth Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Fourth Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II....
was commanded by Major-General Stiliyan Kovachev
Stiliyan Kovachev
Stiliyan Kovachev was a Bulgarian General. During the First Balkan War he commanded the Rodopi Detachment and later 4th Army...
.
- 2nd Thracian Infantry Division ( Colonel Geshov)
- 1st Brigade
- 9th "Plovdiv" Infantry Regiment
- 21st "Srednogorian" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 27th "Chepinski" Infantry Regiment
- 39th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd QF FAR
- 3rd MAR**
- 2nd Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 7th Rila Infantry Division ( Major-General TodorovGeorgi Todorov (general)Georgi Stoyanov Todorov was a Bulgarian General who fought in the Russo-Turkish War , Serbo-Bulgarian War , Balkan Wars and First World War .-Biography:At the age of 19 he volunteered in the Bulgarian Corps during the Russo-Turkish...
)- 1st Brigade
- 13th "Rila" Infantry Regiment
- 28th "Pernik" Infantry Regiment
- 22nd "Thracian" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 14th "Macedonian" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 49th Infantry Regiment
- 50th Infantry Regiment
- 7th QF FAR
- 7th FAR
- 2nd MAR
- 5th Cavalry Regiment
- 7th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- Cavalry Division ( Major-General Nazlamov)
- 1st Brigade
- 2nd Cavalry Regiment
- 4th Cavalry Regiment
- 7th Cavalry Regiment
- Mixed Cavalry Brigade
- 1st Cavalry Regiment
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- 6th Cavalry Regiment
- 2/2 Infantry Brigade
- 28th "Stremski" Infantry Regiment
- 40th Infantry Regiment
- 2/3 QF FAR Section
- 1/3 QF Howitzer Battery
- 1st Brigade
- Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer CorpsMacedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer CorpsThe Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 and consisted of Bulgarian volunteers from Macedonia and Thrace, regions still under Ottoman rule, and thus not subject to Bulgarian military...
( Major-General Genev)- 1st Brigade
- 1st "Debar" Infantry Battalion
- 2nd "Skopie" Infantry Battalion
- 3rd "Solun" Infantry Battalion
- 4th "Bitolia" Infantry Battalion
- 2nd Brigade
- 5th "Odrin" Infantry Battalion
- 6th "Ohrid" Infantry Battalion
- 7th "Kumanovo" Infantry Battalion
- 8th "Kostur" Infantry Battalion
- 3rd Brigade
- 9th "Veles" Infantry Battalion
- 10th "Prilep" Infantry Battalion
- 11th "Serres" Infantry Battalion
- 12th "Lozengrad" Infantry Battalion
- 2/2 QF FAR Section
- 4/4 MAR Section
- 1st Brigade
Adrianople
Second ArmySecond Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.-History:After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates , each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three...
was commanded by lieutenant-general Nikola Ivanov
Nikola Ivanov
Nikola Ivanov was a Bulgarian general, Chief of the Headquarters of the Bulgarian Army between 10 May 1894 and 29 November 1896, Minister of war between 29 November 1896 - 30 January 1899...
.
- 8th Tundzha Infantry Division ( Major-General Kirkov)
- 1st Brigade
- 12th "Balkan" Infantry Regiment
- 23rd "Shipka" Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 10th "Rhodope" Infantry Regiment
- 30th "Sheinovo" Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Brigade
- 51st Infantry Regiment
- 52nd Infantry Regiment
- 8th QF FAR
- 8th FAR
- 8th Pioneer Battalion
- 1st Brigade
- 11th Infantry Division ( Major-General Velchev)
- 1st Brigade
- 55th Infantry Regiment
- 56th Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Brigade
- 57th Infantry Regiment
- 58th Infantry Regiment
- 11th FAR
- 1st Brigade
- 3/9 Infantry Brigade (Major-General Grancharov)
- 53rd Infantry Regiment
- 54th Infantry Regiment
- 2/9 QF FAR Section
- Second Serbian ArmySecond Army (Serbia)The Serbian Second Army was a Serbian field army that fought during World War I.During the First Balkan War, the Second Army participated in the Battle of Kumanovo along with the Serbian First Army and the Serbian Third Army and was deployed in the area around Kyustendil...
was commanded by General Stepa StepanovićStepa StepanovicStepa Stepanović OSS OCT GCMG was a field marshal of the Serbian Army who distinguished himself in Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918.Stepa Stepanović was born in the village of Kumodraž outside of Belgrade on...
.- Timok Division I Line
- Danube Division II Line