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The beginnings of Bulgarian military aviation date back to April 24, 1906, when an order was issued to attach an aviation unit of 37 men and three balloons to the railway battalion. By 1912, the Bulgarian army had three aviation units, each with 29 aircraft and 12 pilots. During the First Balkan War, a world-first was the use of aerial bombardment and photographic photography from aircraft. After defeat in the Second Balkan War, the aviation units were demobilized, and foreign pilots left Butgari. An Aviation Company and a Balloon Company were formed in Zamlan. On October 1, 1915, Bulgaria sided with the Central Powers, its air force numbering only five aircraft, but already halfway through the following year, it was recognized as an independent branch of the armed forces. By 1918, the Germans had transferred 66 aircraft to their allies: 12 LVG B.ll, six Roland D.ll, six Roland D.ll, 13 Otto C.l, 18 Albatros C.lll, three Fokker E.lll, and finally eight Fokker D.VII. The latter type of aircraft were not used until the demobilization of the Bulgarian armed forces began on October 4. The Bulgarians also received 10 seaplanes: eight Friedrichshafen FF-33s and two Rumpler 6B1s.
During the Great War, Bulgarian pilots shot down five enemy aircraft and forced five others to abandon their positions. Nine aircraft were lost, four of which were shot down by the enemy, five pilots, and two observers were killed. According to the peace treaty signed on November 27, 1919, Bulgaria was to be deprived of military aviation for 20 years. This resulted in the destruction of 70 aircraft, 10 seaplanes, 3 balloons, 110 aircraft engines, and 76 machine guns by a commission appointed for this purpose. However, Bulgaria was allowed to have a Police Aircraft Unit, which was soon renamed the Aviation Unit under the authority of the Ministry of Railways, Poviat and Telegraph. In 1924, it was renamed the Aviation Directorate. In 1924, Bulgaria purchased one Hanriot HD-14 aircraft, one Potez XV, and two Bristol PTM , as well as two Avro 552 seaplanes, were also built.

At the same time, the Aviation School at Bozurishte Airport resumed operations. In 1925-1926, 30 Potez XVII reconnaissance-bomber aircraft, three Caudron 59s, and two Macchi M.18s were purchased, and in 1927, 10 Letov S-18 aircraft were purchased.

The Establishment of the Butgarian Aviation Industry

In 1924, at the initiative of the Butgarian government, the DAR (Dyrzawm Aeroplanna Rabotilnica) aircraft factory was established on the basis of workshops located at Bozurishte Airport. Its chief designer was Hermann Winter, who had arrived from Germany. The first aircraft built there was the EAR-U-1 9 (Uzunow 1), six units of which were a copy of the German DFW C.V. airliner. The DAR-2, built in 1926-1927 in 12 units, was a copy of the Albatros C.III. In 1929, The production of the DAR-1A aircraft, 12 of which were built, began in 1927. In 1927, the prototype DAR-3 reconnaissance-bomber aircraft first flew, initially powered by a 400 hp Lorrairte-Dietrich engine. Unfortunately, it was lost in a crash. The second prototype was equipped with a 480 hp Gnome-Rhöne Jupiter engine. The DAR factory built a prototype of a three-engine biplane passenger aircraft, the DAR-4, powered by 130 hp Walter Mars engines, which, however, proved unsuccessful. Similarly, the single-unit DAR-5 biplane fighter powered by a 220-hp Gnome-Rhöne Utan engine did not enter series production. Initially, the final design of Winter (who had returned to Germany) remained on paper: the DAR-7, whose design was based on the DAR-5, but whose propulsion was to be a 480-hp Gnome-Rhöne Jupiter 9 engine, and armament was to consist of four machine guns. Although the DAR-7 SS.1 prototype, built under the supervision of Tsvetan Tazarov, flew in 1933, work on it was discontinued after design flaws were discovered. The DAR-6 biplane trainer aircraft, built in two prototypes powered by 85 hp Walter Wega and 145 hp Walter Mars engines (DAR-6A), also did not enter series production. 1935 started aircraft production
school DAR-8 single boards with an amplifier The 130hp Walter Major IV, which was built 12 pieces. Dopiero w 1936 r. series production stream- on the DAR-3 Garwan aircraft built in the these specimens are powered by Wright amplifiers Cyclone has a power of 630 KM. The next built scheéö DAR-3 Garwan II. Around 1939. 12 DAR-3 Garwan III aircraft, which were powered by
with Alfa-Romeo 126 PS 34 radial engines with a power of 750 HP. Based on the DAR-6 Tazarov aircraft developed the DAR-9 engine-powered training aircraft Siemens with a power of 160 HP, which was built in 1941 in 42 copies.
In 1926, the Czechoslovak aviation company Aero founded in Kazantyk, where it built and the plants, which were sold to an Italian company in 1930
Caproni, who gave them their name? Kaproni Bulgaria (KP). In 1932, 10 training planes were built there KB-1 which is the upcoming licensed version of Caproni Ca.100. In turn, the school KB-2UT, created in eight copies was a variety of Caproni Ca.113. The KB-3 training aircraft was created in a series of 20 beach powered by Walter Castor engines
340 HP. KB-4 Chuozuliga tl aircraft built 28 copies were of its version with 9 cylinders In 1938, the Bulgarians purchased 18 training aircraft from the Germans, including 12 Bucker Bu 131s and six more Focke-Wulf Fw 44s. In 1939, the Third Reich acquired 30 Focke-Wulf Fw 44Js, six more Focke-Wulf Fw 58s, and two three-engine Junkers Ju 52/3m transport aircraft. Poland became the second largest supplier of military aircraft, alongside the Germans. On April 9, 1936, the Bulgarians signed a contract for the purchase of 12 fighters. which were captured by German troops, were transferred to Bulgaria in 1940. If it had not been for the outbreak of war, Bulgaria would most likely have received further Polish-made aircraft, as on June 3, 1939, the Bulgarians signed a preliminary agreement for 48 LWS-3 Mewa close reconnaissance aircraft. Furthermore, negotiations were underway regarding the purchase of 30 PZL-46 Sum reconnaissance-bomber aircraft

Landrace Purchases

In the summer of 1934, the Butgarians secretly began
recreating military aviation. Combat squadrons
(Orliak) were organized at Boiurishte and Plovdiv airports. A training squadron was also established at the latter airport, a naval squadron (Jato) at Varna, and a balloon company at Yambol.

The rebirth of the Royal Bulgarian Air Force was officially announced on June 27, 1937. However,
the first purchases had been made earlier. Already in 1936, Germany purchased 12 Heinkel He 51 biplane fighters, 12 Heinkel He 45 single-engine biplane bomber-reconnaissance aircraft, six Focke-Wulf Fw 56 light trainers, and in the category of post-initial training aircraft, six Focke-Wulf Fw 44s and six Heinkel He 72s. The following year, the Third Reich transferred free of charge 12 Arado Ar 65 biplane fighters withdrawn from the Luftwaffe and 12 Dornler Do 11 twin-engine bombers. Germany also ordered two twin-engine training aircraft FocköWulf Fw58.
The delivery was completed in early 1937, but the aircraft were assembled in Bulgaria only in the spring, with four units being delivered to the 12th and 13th Fighter Squadron. On the same day as the PZL fighters, the Bulgarians also ordered 12 PLZ-43 reconnaissance-bomber aircraft, an export version of the PZL-23 Karaé, powered by a French 14-cylinder Gnome-Rhöne 14 Kirs twin-radial engine with a nominal power of 900 hp and a maximum power of 930 hp, which powered a three-bladed propeller. At the turn of April and May 1937, all 12 aircraft were delivered. These aircraft became part of the equipment of the 2nd Fighter Squadron (JATO) of the 1st Instructor Squadron, and were later used for training missions. On March 31, 1938, the Bulgarians signed a contract for 42 PZL-43A aircraft, which were powered by Gnome-Rhöne Mislral Major 14 N01 engines with a nominal power of 950 hp and a maximum power of 980-1020 hp. Although Poland considered acquiring these aircraft for its own needs, it decided against it. This step was taken and from the spring of 1939 until the end of August, 36 machines were sent to Bulgaria and equipped with the 1st Line Squadron. Of the six machines remaining in Poland, four were destroyed in September 1939 and two,

About 30 twin-engine PZL-37 bombers were produced. In 1939, the Bulgarian Air Force took over a single Polish PWS-26 trainer aircraft, whose crew had flown over from Romania.
Bulgarian Combat Aircraft
In 1939, both Bulgarian aviation plants were able to begin serial production of the combat aircraft they had built. The focus was on the production of the simplest reconnaissance aircraft.
At the Kaproni Bulgaria plant, the KB-5 reconnaissance aircraft was developed based on the KP-4 aircraft. Its prototype was initially powered by a 430/460 hp Piaggio P.VIIC1 engine with a three-blade propeller, which was later replaced by a Walter Polux II with 450 hp takeoff power, which drove a two-blade wooden propeller. The machine was armed with a fixed machine gun for the pilot and a mobile machine gun mounted on a turntable for the observer. It was also capable of carrying 200 kg of bombs (8 x 25 kg) on under-wing launchers. Including the prototype, 45 KB-5 Chuchuinga III aircraft were built between 1939 and 1942, with serial numbers 73-117.
A more advanced design proved to be the KB-11 close-in reconnaissance aircraft, designed by Carlo Kaligarsia. It was a monoplane aircraft of mixed construction, with wings supported by struts attached to a fixed landing gear. It was powered by a single-radius, 9-cylinder Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 engine with 750 hp, which drove a three-blade Italian propeller. The aircraft had a two-seater cockpit with extensive glazing, which extended to the sides to increase the observer's field of view. This solution, however, raised considerable concerns, as the cockpit, located above the wing, was dangerous in the event of a capsize, and the wings restricted the crew's field of view. As it turned out, the KB-11-1 prototype exhibited instability and uncontrollability during takeoff and landing. In 1941, a modified KB-11-11 prototype was built, featuring a parasol wing supported by struts attached to the fuselage and a redesigned landing gear. This time, the aircraft demonstrated very good flight characteristics and entered series production. The KB-11 Fazan had
armament consisting of two 7.92 mm M30 machine guns, mounted in the fuselage and synchronized with the engine speed, and two movable machine guns, mounted on a turntable and operated by the observer. Bomb launchers mounted on the fuselage they allowed the carrying of bombs weighing 400 kg.

Due to the lack of Italian power units, only six machines were built in 1941, with serial numbers from 142 to 147. Subsequent machines
were powered by PZL Bristol Pegasus XX engines with 835 hp, sold by the Germans and captured in Poland, which were used to power a two-blade propeller developed by Butgaria. In 1942, it was built
There were 43 KB-11A machines with numbers powered in this way series from 148 to 190. In the years 1940-1941 at the Kaproni Bulgaria plant nine KB-309 (KB-6) aircraft were also built,
which are a licensed variant of the village two-engine a small Caproni Ca.309 aircraft, with a modified line of the rear part of the hull. Machines these used in Bulgaria as transport and light aircraft and training aircraft.
At the Dyrzawna Aeroplanna Rabotilnica plant Tsvetan Lazarov's team developed a mixed a low-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear. The DAR-10A was a two-seat reconnaissance and bomber aircraft with an enclosed cockpit, adapted for dive-dropping bombs. It was powered by an 860 hp Alfa Romeo 128 RC.21 engine, which powered a three-blade propeller. The aircraft was armed with a 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub, two machine guns in the fuselage, one for an observer, and 450 kg of bombs, including 250 kg of bombs carried under the fuselage. The prototype first flew on 2 July 1941, but was lost in October 1942 in a crash caused by fuel shortage. Production of the machine was not undertaken due to ongoing negotiations with Germany regarding the supply of Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers. Nevertheless, in the summer of 1943, work was begun A development version designated DAR-10F was developed, powered by a 14-cylinder Fiat A.74RZ engine in a double-radial configuration with a maximum power of 950 hp. The aircraft was to be armed with two 20 mm cannons and two forward-firing machine guns, and a twin machine gun for the deck gunner. The prototype aircraft conducted test flights in 1945, but by then the design no longer had any prospects and the program was terminated.
Expansion of Military Aviation
After the Third Reich occupied Czechoslovakia, a new military aviation system emerged. The Germans created the opportunity to purchase aircraft from the disbanded air force of that country at attractive prices. This way, Bulgaria acquired 78 Avia B.534 biplane fighters, 60 Letov S-328 reconnaissance aircraft, 32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license-built version of the Soviet SB-2 aircraft), 12 Aero MB.200 bombers (a license-built version of the French Bloch MB.200, 28 Avia B.122 training aircraft, and one Aero A.304 twin-engine bomber.

In 1939, the Bulgarian Air Force performed 101,187 flights lasting a total of 28,231 hours, during which 48 aviation incidents were recorded,
including eight crashes.

Due to the tense situation in the Balkans, large purchases were made in 1940 from the Third Reich, where 63 machines were ordered. The most important items were 20 Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter aircraft and 10 (11 delivered) Dornier Do 17R reconnaissance aircraft in Bulgaria, also used as bombers. In addition to the combat aircraft, 24 Arado Ar 96 advanced training aircraft were also acquired, six Messerschmitt Bf 108 service aircraft, three Fieseler Fi 156 Storch pilot aircraft.

Regarding the most important Bf 109Es for Bulgaria,
in June 1940, the Germans delivered only 10 Bf 109E-3as. These aircraft were used to equip two squadrons – the 682nd Jato and the 692nd Jato. Only at the beginning of 1941 did nine more aircraft, in the Bf 109E-7 version, arrive in Bulgaria (the missing aircraft was lost during a transfer flight). They were sent to 17P, bomber squadron 115 Orliak, and reconnaissance squadron 73rd Jato. On July 1, the 6th Fighter Regiment was formed, which was to group fighter units, and the 5th Bomber Regiment, which grouped twin-engine bomber units. In the spring of 1941, the fighter force was reorganized, creating three fighter squadrons. The 1/1 Orliak Squadron had three squadrons of Avia B.534 aircraft (34 aircraft), the 1/6 Orliak Squadron had two squadrons (10 Bf 109E-3 and 11 PZL-24B), and the 2/6 Orliak had two squadrons of B.534 aircraft (24 aircraft). In addition, there was an independent squadron in Okop with 12 B.534 aircraft. In 1940, there were 120,805 flights lasting 39,692 hours, during which 158 incidents were recorded, including seven disasters.
On February 8, 1941, Bulgaria consented to the stationing of German troops on its territory, and on March 1, it joined the Axis powers. In April, German troops stationed in Bulgaria, including over 414 aircraft of the VIII Fliegerkorps, participated from Bulgarian territory in the aggression against Yugoslavia and Greece. In return, Bulgaria was to receive Malopolska territories lost as a result of World War I. On April 6, one of the Yugoslav Oo 17Ka bombed Sofia, killing eight people, and a dozen Dorniers attacked German columns. In the area of Kyustendil, where, in addition to eight German and two Bulgarian soldiers, 59 Bulgarian civilians watching a passing column were killed.
The war in the Balkans brought certain equipment benefits to the Bulgarian air force, as the Dorniers acquired from Germany were joined by six Do 17Ka aircraft captured by German forces in Yugoslavia and handed over to the Bulgarians along with numerous spare parts. Nine more heavily damaged aircraft of this type captured there could not be restored to airworthy condition.
In the second half of 1941, the Bulgarian air force had 561 aircraft, of which 411 were operational. The fighter squadrons were equipped in 18 Bf 109E, 73 Avie B.534 and 11 PZL-24B. bomber had 18 Do 17, 32 Avie B.71 and 12 Avia MB.200. Battlefield support aviation was repeated with 33 PZL-43 and one DAR-10 aircraft. Reconnaissance units had 10 He 46, 60 Letov
S-328 and 22 KB-5 III. Transport and command units had 11 Do 11 8 Fw 58s, 2 Ju 52/3ms, 6 Bf 108s, 3 Fi 156s, and 9 K8-6s. Training units had 11 Ar 65s, one He 51, 4 Fw 56s, and 29 Avia B.122s. Training units had 39 Fw 44s, 5 He 72s, 10 Bu 131s, 6 DAR-8s, and 6 DAR-9s.

On June 22, Axis forces attacked the USSR, but Bulgaria, which had good relations with that country, refused to participate in this campaign. At the Germans' request, the Butgarian air force nevertheless protected the Black Sea coast. To this end, a squadron equipped with nine Letev å-328 aircraft was attacked, which had completed 173 sorties from August 8 to the end of the year. Five of these sorties involved encountering unidentified submarines, and on October 15, the missing Soviet submarine M-58 was lost, presumably due to the loss of one of the crews that dropped two 20 kg bombs. On December 13, 1941, Bulgaria declared war on the United States and Great Britain. The Bulgarian army entered Serbia, where it served as occupation troops in place of the withdrawn German troops. When Bulgaria entered the war on the Axis side, a new national emblem was painted on its aircraft, consisting of a black St. Andrew's Cross on a white square. In 1941, 42,215 flights were made, lasting 42,215 hours, during which 142 incidents were recorded, including 11 crashes. In 1942, the Butgarian air force was only slightly strengthened, receiving two He 60 and two He 42 seaplanes in the second half of 1942. Only in 1943 did the Bulgarians receive significant reinforcements from Germany. Sixteen Bf 109G-2 fighter planes arrived, which were assigned to the 3/6 Orliak Squadron stationed at the airfield.Kartowo. In July, the Germans supplemented this delivery with a dozen used aircraft of this type, in August they delivered one fighter, in September six, in November six more, and in December one. In the spring, 12 disassembled Czechoslovak Avia B.135 monoplane fighters were received. However, after being assembled, which occurred only in the second half of the year, they were only suitable for training missions (due to problems with the structural strength). In April, the Germans delivered 12 Ar 196 seaplanes, which were used to equip Squadron 161. In August, the 2nd Assault Regiment received 12 Ju 87R-2 dive bombers. The Domières' reserves were supplemented in September with the transfer of six Do 17Ms.
At the end of the year, the 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment received 18 Fw 189 short-range reconnaissance aircraft. Additionally, a single He 111H-16 bomber was acquired, which was used to transport very important people.
After occupying Vichy territory, in early 1943, the Germans handed over to the Bulgarians, who had previously been interested in They were interested in purchasing Bloch fighters (20 MB.152s), 87 newly built Dewoitine D.520 fighters at the SNCASO plant under their supervision. The Germans also trained approximately 40 Bulgarian pilots for these aircraft, which was carried out in the training regiment of JG 107. Although the initial order was increased to 120 aircraft, the Bulgar Air Force ultimately received only 96 Dewoitine fighters. The first 46 aircraft flew to Bulgaria in September 1943 and equipped the 2/6 Orliak Squadron, which achieved combat readiness by the end of the year. In early 1944, a new squadron, 4/6 Orliak, equipped with these aircraft was also formed. After the first Allied air raids on Sotig, more on that later, in early 1944, the Germans delivered 28 more heavily armed Bf 109G-6 fighters, and by May a total of 45 such machines had reached Bulgaria. In the summer, the Bulgarians received another 44 Bf 109s. According to slightly different data, the Bulgarians acquired a total of 84 Bf 109G-2s and 58 Bf 109G-6s from the Germans. In 1944, the Germans provided the 112 Orliak Squadron with Ju 87D attack aircraft, which were to be used to eliminate partisans. In total, the squadron received 40 such planes, 13 of which initially towards the year and on May 19. Junkers were replaced by PZL-43 aircraft, with two squadrons of them transferred to reconnaissance aviation. In addition to combat aircraft, in 1944 the Germans also supplied the Bulgarians with training aircraft - 10 armed twin-engine Fw 58s (which were also intended to be used in anti-partisan combat), nine Bucker Bu 181s, and an Arado Ar 96.
Ploestl
The war with the Western Allies, assumed to be "symbolic" by the Bulgarian elites, remained so for a long time. Only on June 12, 1942, thirteen German B-24 Liberator bombers bombed the Romanian oilfield in Ploesti. On the way back, the American planes flew into Bulgaria. Bulgarian airspace, but Bulgarian air defense did not react. A different story occurred during the second, much heavier USAAF raid on Ploesti, when on August 1, 1943, 178 Liberators taking off from Libyan airfields attacked Romanian refineries from low altitude. During the Americans' flight to their target, the route of which passed over Bulgaria, the Bulgarian air force scrambled fighter units. The pilots of ten Avia B.534 aircraft belonging to the 612th and 622nd Airborne Divisions, however, due to the lack of aerial installations, were unable to climb to the altitude at which the enemy was tracking. In turn, two Bf 109G flights scrambled by 3/6 Orliak failed to intercept the enemy. It was a different story, as the scattered American aircraft attacked the target, suffering heavy losses.
The whole thing made it to bases at a lower altitude. The scrambled Avia B-534 fighter pilots managed to attack the enemy, but they began firing from too great a distance, and the small-caliber armament of the Czechoslovak aircraft proved completely ineffective against the heavy bombers, which, taking advantage of their speed advantage, quickly lost Butgaréw. Much more effective were the pilots of the four-plane flight of the 3/6 Orliak Squadron, flying Bf 109G-2s. Due to the pairs taking off approximately 5 minutes apart, they split into two formations. Of the leading pair that encountered four bombers, Lieutenant Stojan Stojanow reported that one Liberat was shot down in a head-on attack and the other damaged. His sidekick, Second Lieutenant Ivan Bonew, achieved the same result. The second pair was formed by Second Lieutenant Christo Krysteva. and Second Lieutenant Peter Boczew each claimed one victory, while the explosion of the plane hit by Bonchev in two attacks was observed, the crew of which abandoned their plane by parachute. Krystew made a forced landing due to lack of fuel. Later, the wreckage of six planes was found in the combat area, and Stoyanov was credited with two kills, although the description of the fight contained in his memoirs indicates that he did not see the bombers he hit fall, only noting that both planes left the formation. The same thing happened with the plane hit by Bonchev, which both Bulgarians ran out of ammunition to finish off. In fact, in the area of the Bulgarian-Yugoslav border, the Americans lost only two bombers, both belonging to the 343rd BS from 98th BG. B-24D-CO with serial number 41-11840, with both internal engines disabled, was forcibly flown to Yugoslavia, near the border with Bulgaria, and six of Julian T. Darlington's 1/U crew, including both pilots, were taken prisoner. Four, however, managed to return to the Unit with the help of partisans. This aircraft was probably damaged by Stoyanov's parachute. The other aircraft, undoubtedly destroyed by Bonchev, was also destroyed. It was a B-24D-53-CO, number 42-40364, which burst into flames and crashed near Skopje, with only the tail gunner of the nine-man crew, commanded by Lt. James A. Gunn III, surviving. Another incident occurred on the 21st of February, when a pair of planes from the 3/6 Orliak M1 squadron shot down one of the P-38 Lightning fighters operating over Skopje, but the Americans did not confirm such a loss.
In the Defense of Sofia
On November 14, for the first time, American air forces targeted Bulgarian territory, specifically the railway marshalling yard in the country's capital. The raid involved 96 twin-engine B-25 Mitchell bombers taking off from Tunisian airfields. They formed two formations of 48 aircraft each, provided by the 321st and 340th Airborne Divisions. Each bomber carried six 227 kg bombs, some with fuses with a delay of 1 to 24 hours. Fighter cover was provided by 46 P-38 Lightnings from the 82nd Fighter Group. In the target area, the Americans found very good weather conditions, and the bombers approaching from the east at an altitude of just under 2,000 meters were able to accurately place their bomb load. After the attack, a fire was observed with flames reaching an altitude of several hundred meters. feet. The anti-aircraft artillery barrage was intense, but inaccurate. According to Bulgarian data, 846 shells were fired at the American bombers. After dropping the bombs, the formation of the 321st 8G was unsuccessfully attacked by 10-12 Bf 109s and 4-5 planes identified as "Fw 190s." The airborne gunners reported a probable shot down of one Bf 109 and damage to another. One of the crews also reported a hit on a Bf 109. The Bulgarians scrambled 13 Bf 1G9G fighters from the 3/6 Orliak Squadron, but this occurred when the enemy was already over the target. The Bulgarian pilots attacked in disorganized formations, taking off in single flights, which were easily stopped by the Lightning pilots. Only 2nd Lt. Peter Bochev, Sergeant Alexander Petkovsky, and Lieutenant Nikolai Jordanov each reported damaging one B-25.

Sergeant Nikola Kralichev's plane had a landing gear failure, but despite it being in the extended position, he launched an attack during which his machine was damaged, forcing the brave yet reckless pilot to make a forced landing. At the airport, Pavel Pavtov attempted to land on the damaged plane, but he overshot it and struck the base of the airport lighting, crashing his plane and sustaining injuries. He probably also attempted a belly landing, as it later turned out, having been severely wounded in the legs of the Fw. Jordan Todarov, but twice dismissed by a rocket fired by the officer in command - who thought the pilot was mistakenly attempting to land with the landing gear retracted - eventually stalled the plane in a spin and died in a crash.
After returning, the pilots of the 82nd F6 escorting the bombers reported shooting down three Bf 109s and two Fw 190s, one probable shot down, and damaging four enemy fighters. Ultimately, the pilots were credited with six confirmed victories, including two credited to Lt. Sammy E. McGuffin, although, as it appears from Butgarsky reports, they were unable to observe the crash of the two planes they hit. The American loss was a P-38G-10 belonging to the 95th Fighter Squadron, serial number 42-13238, which was hit over Sofia. While returning on one engine, it disappeared over Yugoslavia while the formation was breaking through the cloud layer. Lt. Roy R. Hurst was reported killed in action. As it turned out, his plane collided with a mountain in the Skopje area. The downing of this machine Lieutenant Mikhail Grigorov, who flew Bf 109E 672 Jato, which took off from Skopje Airport, is credited with the crash. Furthermore, the 95th FS lost Ughtninga 42-13189 in an accident during takeoff from Lecce, the pilot of which died from injuries. According to Butgarian data, 47 buildings were destroyed during the raid, 59 people died, and 146 were injured. On November 24, ten days after the first raid, the Americans deployed another formation over Bulgaria. This time, the group consisted of 31 four-engine B-24 Liberator bombers escorted by P-38 fighters from the 82nd Airborne Group. The target was again the marshalling yard in Sofia. This time, the weather was poor, and before reaching the target, one-quarter of the bombers and one-third of the fighters turned back. Due to poor visibility, only 17 bombers belonging to the 376th BG managed to drop their bombs on the designated target, while the crews of the 98th BG were hampered by cloud cover. The Americans assessed that the bombs hit the target but failed to block rail traffic. Bulgarian data indicates the destruction of 87 buildings, the deaths of five, and the wounding of 29 people. Anti-aircraft artillery fired 584 shells.
This time, the 3/6 Orliak Squadron scrambled with 19 aircraft. Their pilots had been warned in advance about the raid, and a faster takeoff allowed them to climb in an orderly formation to an altitude of 7,000 meters. According to the Americans, the Bulgarians attacked after dropping their bombs. The Bf 109 pilots attacked in a much more deliberate manner. One squadron linked up the Lightnings, while the other two targeted the bombers, attacking head-on and then following the American formation to the border. The Liberator shot down was reported by Captain Chudomir Toplodolski and Sergeant Kristo Koev, and the damage was claimed by Lieutenant Stoyan Stoyanov and Second Lieutenant Mikhail Grigorov. In addition, two Lightnings were allegedly damaged by Second Lieutenant Mikhail Uzunov and Sergeant Nikola Kralichev. There were losses, as Second Lieutenant Mitjo Disov was killed in combat. Second Lieutenant Patyr Bochev was seriously wounded and found lying prone in uninhabited terrain, as were Second Lieutenant Mikhail Grigorov and Second Lieutenant Mikhail Uzunov. In total, the Bulgarians had to write off three Bf 109Gs, and three others were damaged. Sergeant Khristo Tsankov Koev, among others, returned to the airfield on the damaged plane. According to the recollections of Stoyanov, who had to withdraw from the fight due to lack of ammunition, Tsankov was supposed to finish off the bomber he had damaged and knocked out of the formation. Stojanow dismissed him a complete victory in which he participated.

The pilots of the escorting light aircraft claimed one confirmed kill and two probables, but ultimately the victories were credited to Maj. William R. Litton of the 96th Fighter Squadron and 1/Lt. Charles W. Hicks of the 97th Fighter Squadron. The bombers' gunners, however, claimed three fighters shot down. The 376th Fighter Squadron lost two Liberators to fire from Bulgarian fighters, both of which fell over Yugoslavia. Of the crew of B-24D-125-CO 42-41018, one airman was killed on the ground, and the remaining nine were captured. Meanwhile, a burning B-24J-15-CO 42-73137 crashed over the part of Yugoslavia occupied by Butghar forces. Interestingly, the crew of this second plane consisted of nine Yugoslavs, and only one of the gunners was an American; after being captured by the Germans, they were handed over to the Bulgarians. On the way back, one of the lightenings, piloted by 2/Lt. Edward Tinker, had to ditch due to fuel shortage, but the pilot was rescued. On December 10, the 15th Air Force launched another bombing raid over the Sofia railway station. The 98th and 376th BG deployed 31 Liberators, while the 82nd FG provided 42 Lightnings. The 3/6 Orliak Squadron countered with 17 Bf 109Gs, with Lieutenant Stoyanov, Sergeant Petkovsky, Lieutenant Kovachev, and Second Lieutenant Uzunov reporting damage to bombers, while Captain Toplodolsk, Lieutenant Kiumiurdziyev, and Lieutenant Iliev reported damage to fighters. No losses were recorded. Sixteen D.520s from the 2/6 Orliak Squadron took off from Kartowo Airport. They scored only one probable victory over a B-24, but the commander of one of the squadrons, Captain Paweł Pawlow, was killed in combat. Seven D.520s from the 662nd Jato also participated in the engagement. operating from Wrazdebna, one of which returned damaged by 12 hits. Anti-aircraft artillery fired 941 rounds. This time, the American bombing proved inaccurate. A large portion of the bombs fell on the Wrazdebna airfield. A total of 11 people were killed on the ground, including six women and four children. The American bombers returned intact, but P-38G-1 O-LO 42-12894, in which Harry L. Downey of the 97th FG was killed, was lost. It may have been shot down by Butgars, but Uffz also reported the downing of an aircraft of this type in the Tirana area. Rudotf Philipp of IV/JG 27. The commander of the 11. Staffel group, Lt. Wolfgang Hohls, was killed in combat with the Lightnings. The Germans may have suffered even greater losses, as the pilots of 82. FG claimed credit for shooting down eight Bf 109s and one Fw 190, and another probable victory.
For the second time in December, American bombers appeared over Bulgaria on the 20th of the month. This time, too, the bomber formation was provided by the 90th and 376th BG, which scrambled 37 Liberators. Escorted by 46 Lightnings belonging to the 82nd FG. Bombs dropped by the Americans destroyed over 100 buildings in Sofia, while 64 people died on the ground and 93 were rescued. This time, the 3/6th Orliak scrambled 16 Bf 109Gs, while the entire 2/6th Orliak, already operating from the Vrzdebna airfield, scrambled 24 D.520s. This first unit fought
a very tense battle, during which, according to witnesses, Lt. Spisarewski first shot down one bomber and then collided with another, whose tail section was torn off by his fighter. Bulgar was killed, but ultimately he was credited with only one kill, with the ramming considered intentional. The Bulgarian fighter collided with B-24J-45-CO 42-73428, belonging to the 515th BS of the 376th BG. Of the ten-man crew of 2/Lt. Robert W. Brown, only one of the side gunners survived. Although the Americans lost only this one bomber in this action, two other victories against B-24s were recorded on the Bulgarian side, which were credited to Lieutenant Ivanov and Lieutenant Marinopolsky of Z3/6 Orliak, from which Lieutenant Stojanov, Lieutenant Bonchev, Second Lieutenant Kmirdiev, and Sergeant Petkovsky also reported damage to their Lieutenant-24s. The Bulgarian fighters imposed They also put up a difficult fight for the pilots of the 82nd Fighter Group, after which Captain Toplodolsky, Second Lieutenant Jordanov, Lieutenant Pavlov, and Second Lieutenant Kmirdiev from the 3/6 Orliak achieved successes, but Second Lieutenant Georgi Raychev Kiumiurdayev was killed after one of them was shot down. The D.520 formation from the 2/6 Orliak ignored the escort at the beginning of the engagement and conducted a head-on attack on the bomber formation, but later Nikola Nachev and Georgiy Atanasov reported the downing of two fighters, although no irretrievable losses were recorded. However, many of the Bulgarian fighters returned with damage.
The 82nd Fighter Group lost three P-38G-15-LO Lightnings in combat with Bulgarian fighters, with all three pilots surviving and being captured. They were 2/Lt George Mitchell of the 96th Fighter Flight, piloting aircraft serial number 43-2151, and two pilots of the 97th Fighter Group: 2/Lt John McLendon, flying aircraft 43-2352, and 2/Lt Edward Tinker, flying aircraft 43-2413. Tinker was shot down by Kyumiurdziyev, whose aircraft was shot down moments later by 2/Lt Donald Foley. Upon their return, the pilots of the 82nd FG reported shooting down two Bf 109s, one Fw 190, and damaging another four Bf 109s, while the bomber gunners reported shooting down six fighters and possibly shooting down another three. On January 4, 1944, the Americans intended to bomb Sofia with a formation of 86 B-17 bombers from the 2nd, 97th, 99th, and 301st BGs, escorted by 69 P-38 fighters from the 1st, 14th, and 82nd Air Forces, which were supported by 23 single-engine P-47 Thunderbolt fighters from the 325th Air Force until they reached the Yugoslav coast. Due to cloud cover and fog, the bombing of the Bulgarian capital was abandoned, and instead, 40 bombers dropped 81 tons of bombs on the railway lines in the Dupnica area. The Butgarian fighters mostly failed to find the enemy.
From the scrambled D.520 formation, only Captain Bacharov reported shooting down a B-24. The Americans recorded an attack by around ten enemy fighters, with fire from the MLA bombers' onboard gunners probably shooting down one of them. In addition, the escorting Lightnings shot down a He-111 bomber towing a transport glider. West of Sofi, 23 more Thunderbolts from the 325th Fighter Group provided bomber escort. On January 10, a raid on Sofi carried out 142 B-17 bombers belonging to the 2nd, 97th, 99th and the 301st BG, flying under the escort of 38 fighter planes Polish P-38 from the 14th FG. Butgarian fighters attacked about 20 minutes before the Americans reached their destination.

3/6 Orliak scrambled 16 Bf 109Gs, with Sergeant Cwetko Zagorski claiming a B-17 downed. Most of the remaining pilots were engaged by the escorting Lightnings, against which Captain Czudomir Toplodolski, Lieutenant Stojan Stojanow, and Second Lieutenant Genezo Iwanow triumphed. The unit suffered no losses. 2/6 Orliak Squadron took part in the fight with 23 aircraft. Taking advantage of the lightening's engagement with the Messerschmitts, they managed to conduct a frontal attack on the bomber formation and claimed four B-17s shot down, with the victorious pilots being Lieutenant Dimitrov, Lieutenant Batgaranov, Second Lieutenant Gochev, and Second Lieutenant Ivanov. Furthermore, three more B-17s and four P-38s were damaged. The Bulgarians confirmed the loss of two D.520 pilots (Toma Boev and Atanas Krystew), and another plane of this type, piloted by Nikol? Naczew, made a forced landing. Krystew, after parachute jumping, was shot in the air by an American pilot. The 1/6 Orliak Squadron, flying D.520s, and the 4/6 Orliak Squadron, flying both Dewoitine and Messerschmitt fighters, also took limited part in the combat, claiming the downing of one more bomber. Lieutenant Simeon Mikhailov from the 4/6 Orliak Squadron, flying a Bf 109G-2, was also killed. In addition to the Bulgarian aircraft, the German squadron of I/JG 5 participated in the interception, but it was surprised by the Lightnings of the escort and, without success, lost four Bf 109s. The commander
German unit, Captain Gerhard Wengel, who turned out to be the only German pilot killed in the defense of Sofia during the entire war.
Pilots of the 14th FG claimed eight confirmed and four probable victories against Axis fighters, but were ultimately credited with nine confirmed kills, five of which were against Bf 109s and four against "FW 190s," as the D.520 fighters were later identified. P-38G-15-LO 43-2458, piloted by Capt. George E. Richards, who was caught in an enemy engagement, did not return from action.
Bulgarian fighters managed to shoot down two machines from the bomber formation. The 99th BG lost B-17F-40-BO 42-5170, with the entire crew killed. The 2nd BG lost B-17F-25-VE 42-5811, with three crew members surviving, while another aircraft returned damaged. with a dead man on board. The bomber crews reported, with great exaggeration, the shooting down of as many as 30 enemy fighters, and the probable downing of another 14. The retreat of the American formation was to be met by 44 Thunderbolts with shorter range, from the 325th Fighter Group, from which a P-47D-10-RE, piloted by Lt. Beverly Miller, had sailed off the Yugoslav coast due to engine failure. The Bulgarian anti-aircraft artillery fired 1,958 rounds, and its fire was assessed by the Americans as moderate but accurate. This, along with fighter attacks, caused the bombs dropped in Wick-Six fell outside the designated bombing area. During the night, the Bulgarian capital was bombed by 44 RAF Wellingtons. As a result of both attacks, 448 buildings were destroyed, 947 people were killed, and 611 were wounded. For the third time in January, American bombers appeared over Butgariq on the 24th. This time, 114 B-17s from the 2nd, 99th, and 301st BGs escorted by 64 P-47 fighters from the 325th FG.
For the second time, Sofia was saved from an air raid by thick clouds. 39 B-17s from the 97th BG bombed the city of Vratsa. A formation of bombers belonging to the 2nd BG broke away from the main group and flew over Bulgaria, making an emergency bomb drop over Albania. Unfortunately, one of them damaged one of the bombers from the separated flight below, which later crashed in Yugoslavia. Five more planes were lost due to fuel shortages. One landed on the Albanian coast, its crew captured, while four ditched in the sea, their crews rescued. Furthermore, the 99th BG and the 301st BG lost one B-17 each over Yugoslavia, the latter being shot down by anti-aircraft fire. The Americans were also attacked by Bf 109s belonging to the German Squadron III/JG 27, whose pilots reported shooting down two B-17s. In the spring, the 2/6 Orliak Squadron received Bf 109G fighters in place of the D.520s it had previously used, transferring its aircraft to the other two squadrons equipped with Dewoitine fighters.
The Allied Air Force carried out further attacks on Sofia only in the second half of March. On the nights of March 16 and 24, several dozen RAF bombers appeared over the Bulgarian capital. During these initial raids, 72 buildings were destroyed, 43 people died, and 58 were wounded.
On the night of March 29-30, several dozen RAF bombers once again appeared over the capital of Butgar. In the group of the 15th AF, which had been incorporated by that time many new units. The strike force consisted of 114 B-17s from the 5th BW and 252 B-24s from the 47th and 304th Infantry Division, which escort? provided 96 P-38s from the 14th and 82nd FGs and 24 P-47s from the 325th FG. The first American bombers to intercept 20 Bf 109G from the 3/6 Orliak squadron. According to the Bulgarians, Christo Kostakiev achieved an unusual success, as his bomber, fired upon from a distance of 300-50 m, was about to explode, destroying the neighboring machine as well. However, according to the Americans, both B-17G-25-BOs belonging to the 20th BS of the 2nd BG collided under

The maneuver was performed while entering a bombing course. At that moment, the squadron's lead aircraft abruptly changed course, and into the air disturbance that arose behind it, aircraft 42-31851, piloted by 1/Lt. Fred O. Wickam, flew. He lost control of the aircraft, which struck aircraft 42-31683, piloted by 1/Lt. Leroy P. Pigney, flying below. None of the crews of either aircraft survived, and their wreckage They fell near the village of Kosharevo. Next to the one from the 2nd B-6 squadron, two other B-17s were seriously damaged by fighter fire.
Kostakiev's Messerschmitt also sustained damage, as a result of which Bulgar was forced to make an emergency landing, which he did in the area where both bombers went down.
2nd Lt. Damev made a similar emergency belly landing. Sergeant Khristo Tsankov from the 3/6th Orlyak squadron, who was credited with damaging a B-17, was killed. Also participating in the interception of the B-17 formation were 28 D.520s from the 1/6 Orliak Squadron and six similar aircraft from the JATO 662 Squadron 2/6, as well as 19 Bf 109s from the JATO 664 and 652 Squadrons 2/6. The pilots of the 1/6 Orliak Squadron claimed one B-17 shot down (Lieutenant Bogdanov) and one P-38 (Lieutenant Terziev), but five D.520s were lost, with Jordan Kubadinov and Ivan Boyadziyev killed, and Ivan Pasov slightly wounded. The JATO 662 engaged in combat with the Lightnings, and damage to such aircraft was reported by Lt. Asen Kovachev and Sgt. Atanas Mateyev. From the 2/6 Orliak, Second Lieutenant Wiktor Atanasov and Lieutenant Nadelczo Bonczew also claimed to have shot down a B-17. When the second-echelon Uberator formations approached the Bulgarian capital, the Butgarian fighters from the front-line units were in the process of restoring combat readiness. To intercept the opposing Only a flight of four Avia B.135Bs took off. A pair of Captain Krysto Atanasov and Sergeant Jordan Fedinandov attacked one of the bombers that was trailing the formation, and each of them ignited one engine, claiming a kill. The Americans did lose one Liberator, but it was a B-24H-15-FO belonging to the 723rd BS of the 450th BG, which had been lost over the sea.
B-17F-105-BO 42-30465 was also lost over the Adriatic. belonging to the 419th BS of the 301st BG, whose crew was captured.
A total of 77 Bulgarian fighters participated in intercepting the American air raid on March 30. According to the total data, they shot down four bombers and three Lightnings were lost, and 10 bombers and three fighters were damaged. American fighter units reported the following certain successes: 1st FG - six D.520s, 82nd FG - four Bf 109s and one Fw 190, 14th FG - one Bf 109, 325th FG - one "MC.205." P-38G-10-LO 42-13452 belonging to the 37th FS from the 14th FG, whose pilot, Lt. Charles Townsed, was reported missing in action, disappeared without a trace. The bombers' gunners reported shooting down five fighters with certainty and two with probable kills. As a result of the bombing, as many as 3,575 buildings were destroyed and 139 people were killed. On April 4, bombers of the 15th AF attacked the marshalling yard in Bucharest. Butgarian fighters were also involved in the action. Second Lieutenant Peter Petrov reported shooting down one B-24 and damage to the second one, while Second Lieutenant Michail Banow damaged the Lightning.
On April 5, the 15th Air Force began its offensive against the Romanian oilfield at Ploesti. Simultaneously, B-17 bombers from the 463rd Air Force and B-24s from the 460th Air Force bombed the Nis railway station in Yugoslavia. The Bulgarian 3/6th Eagle Squadron, with 20 Bf 109Gs, took off with Lightnings escorting Liberators. 2nd Lt. Gencho Ivanov reported damage to one of the American fighters, whose fire damaged Lt. Stoyan Stoyanov's plane. The 82nd Air Force lost P-38F-13-LO 43-2180 to a fuel leak, piloted by 2/Lt. John W. Lindström
of the 48th FS later returned to his unit with the help of partisans. Over Bulgaria, southeast of Sofia, B-17G-5-BO 42-31182 belonging to the 419th BS of the 301st BG was shot down by fighters, and its crew was captured.

On April 9, Sergeant Vaselin Tertsev was credited with shooting down a four-engine bomber, but the 15th Air Force did not conduct combat operations that day.
On April 17, bombers of the 15th Air Force struck targets in the Belgrade area and the marshalling yard in Sofia.
Over Bulgaria, 250 Liberators belonging to the 47th and 304th BW were dispatched, escorted by 46 Mustangs from the 31st Fighter Group and 44 Lightnings from the 14th Fighter Group, joined by 24 Thunderbolts from the 325th Fighter Group, which were originally intended to operate over Yugoslavia. The Bulgarians scrambled 37 fighters – 14 Bf 109s from 3/6 Orliak, 16 Bf 109s and two D.520s from 2/6 Orliak, and five D.520s from 1/2 Orliak. Facing single-engine escort fighters for the first time, their pilots mistook them for their own planes from other squadrons or German fighters, easily being surprised. In the one-sided battle, Captain Luben Kondakov and Second Lieutenant Ivan Stefanov from 3/6 Orliak were killed. From 2/6 Orliak, Lieutenant Dimitar Popov, Second Lieutenant Veselin Rachev, Lieutenant Christo G. Arnaudov, and Sergeant Viktor Atanasov were killed. The commander of this unit, Captain Boshnakov, jumped from the hit aircraft but sustained injuries during the jump due to a throat tube getting caught around his neck. Lieutenant Nediatko Bonchev, who allegedly collided with the tail of the B-17, jumped unharmed from his aircraft. In addition, Sergeant Ivan Somlev was killed in the D.520. Three fighters, including one Devoitine, were forcebly landed. Although Bonchev was credited with an air victory for allegedly ramming a B-17, this is not supported by the facts, as the only bomber lost by the Americans that day was a B-24H-5-CF belonging to the 451st BG, shot down by anti-aircraft defenses over Mostar. Damage to the bombers was reported by Captain Nikolai Boshnakov, Lieutenant Asen Kovachev, Lieutenant Nikolai Jordanov, and Lieutenant Vladimir Aleksandrov. In addition, the fallen Second Lieutenant Stoyanov was credited with a damaged Mustang.
Thunderbolt pilots from the 317th FS of the 325th FG reported four confirmed and one probable Bf 109 kills, with two confirmed kills by 1/Lt Eugen H. Emmons, one each by F/O Paul J. Kastner and 1/Lt Gerald B. Edwards. Mustang pilots from the 31st FG claimed three Bf 109 kills, two by Col. Charles M. McCorkle of the group headquarters and one by Capt. Samuel J. Brown of the 309th FS. The only American loss was P-51B-10-NA 42-106479, in which 2/Lt Raymond Lynn Dameron of the 309th FS disappeared without a trace in the target area. The bombers' gunners were undoubtedly responsible for some of the Bulgarian losses, claiming 14 confirmed kills and 2 probables. American bombs destroyed 749 buildings in Sofia, killing 128 people and wounding 69. Bulgarian anti-aircraft artillery fired 3,062 rounds that day, reporting damage to three bombers. As it turned out, the April 17th raid was the last Allied air strike on Sofia. This was related to secret talks held by Bulgarian diplomats with representatives of the USSR, which assumed Bulgaria's entry into the Allied camp.
Supporting the Allies
Although the Bulgarian government was considering switching sides in the ongoing war, the Butgarian Air Force continued to fight on the Axis side. This primarily concerned the fighter aircraft, which, overflying Butgaria, attacked American bombing raids en route to the Romanian oilfield at Ploesti. On May 1, 1944, the Bulgarian Air Force numbered 13,500 soldiers, and its personnel included 500 aircraft, half of which were machines in front-line units. After the enemy introduced single-engine fighters, the Bulgarians decided not to use Dewoitine fighters in combat, although on May 1st, 44 D.520s were in airworthy condition. That day, three French fighter pilots claimed a collective kill of a B-17. On May 5th, in action against planes flying over Ploesti, Lieutenant Kristo Koliev claimed to have shot down a bomber from formation. On May 18, Butgarian fighters from the 3/6th Orliak successfully intercepted B-24 bombers returning from the bombing of Ploesti over Yugoslavia, with 2nd Lt. Yevgeny Topchev, 2nd Lt. Ivan Bonev, and Sergeant Dako Dakov reporting the downing of three of them. Over Yugoslavia, pilots of ll/JG 51 also reported the downing of two Liberators. The Americans lost seven B-24s and seven B-17s that day, of which five Liberators crashed in Yugoslavia - two from the 459th BG and one each from the 449th BG, 454th BG, and 460th BG, as well as a B-17 from the 99th BG.
A similar operation carried out on June 11th was less successful, when 392 B-24s and 121 B-17s attacked targets in Romania. The 3/6 Orliak Squadron then scrambled 16 Bf 109Gs, which failed to intercept the enemy, but after landing and refueling, some of them took off against the returning Americans. Second Lieutenant Marin Tsvetkov and Second Lieutenant Todor Rozev each claimed to have shot down one B-24. After leaving his plane by parachute, Second Lieutenant Ivan Bonchev was shot dead by the Americans in mid-air. He was posthumously credited with shooting down a Mustang, but his actual casualty may have been the P-51B-5 43-7024 lost over Bulgaria by the Americans, in which Lt. Joseph Riley of the 5th FS, part of the 52nd FG, was killed. During the landing, he was attacked by the Mustang of Lt. Toshko Christov, who had made a forced landing in a field in the damaged aircraft.
Luftwaffe fighters also participated in the action, with pilots claiming 10 B-24s shot down, three more downed, and two B-17s and two P-38s downed, while Romanian pilots claimed four bombers shot down. The Americans lost a total of nine Liberators (including one interned in Turkey), one B-17, two Mustangs, and two Lightnings in this action. The escort fighter pilots claimed 20 kills, 16 of which were claimed by the 52nd Fighter Group. On June 12, British night bombers attacked Kartovo airfield, destroying 18 Bulgarian aircraft and killing 20 personnel. On June 23, 231 B-24s and 139 B-17s attacked targets in Romania. Bulgarians from the 3/6 Orliak Squadron struck on planes returning from action. Lt. Stoyan Stoyanov shot down a Liberator that was supposed to land later in the Skopje area. It was most likely B-24H-15-CF 41-29530 belonging to the 724th BS of the 451st BG. Additionally, Lt. Boris Damiev, 2nd Lt. Yevgeny Tonchev, and W/O Toshko Khristov reported damage to bombers. On the Butgarian side, three Messerschmitts were damaged. In total, the Americans lost three B-24s, six B-17s, and seven P-51s in this raid. The escort pilots claimed 22 kills.
On June 24, 280 Liberators attacked targets in Romania. 14 Bf 109 from the 3/6 Orliak squadron passed B-24H-15-DT 41-28846 belonging to the 449th BG, returning alone due to engine failure, was captured. It was shot down by Lt. Stoyan Stoyanov, 2nd Lt. Mikhail Uzunov, and W/O Kirit Stoyanov, who, interestingly, reported shooting down a B-17. Moments later, Lightnings from the 82nd Fighter Group descended on Bulgarów, their pilots reporting the downing of seven fighters that were attacking the lone bomber. Sergeant Cvetko Zagorski, who was credited with shooting down the bomber, was killed in combat. 2nd Lt. Christo Krystev crashed his plane during a forced landing, sustaining serious injuries. Second Lieutenant Todor Rozev, trapped in the trapped cockpit, was saved at the last moment by a fuel tank explosion, which ejected him from the plane at low altitude. Second Lieutenant Mikhail Banov, Yevgeny Tochev, and Tsveten Gruev landed on the belly, and returned with damaged planes. Second Lieutenant Georgi Georgiev's P-38 reported damage to one Lightning.
The Butgarian unit took off for the second time that day, intercepting returning bombers. Lieutenant Boris Damev and Second Lieutenant Marin Tsvetkov claimed the downing of the solo bombers. Flying with this squadron was Second Lieutenant Peter Petrov of the 2/6 Orlyak, who was credited with shooting down a bomber. This time, the Bulgarians shot down B-24J-85-CO 42-100259 belonging to the 343rd BS of the 98th BG, of which only one crew member survived. A total of 15 B-24s and two P-51s did not return from the mission. German units reported shooting down three Mustangs and eleven Liberators, and knocking out three more bombers from the formation.
In turn, the Romanian Grupul 9 reported shooting down three Liberators. In addition to the Lightning pilots, Mustang pilots claimed five. On June 28, Liberators from the 304th BW, without countermeasures from Bulgarian fighters, accurately bombed Kartovo airfield, where as many as 70 Bulgarian aircraft were destroyed (including two Bf 109Gs and all PZL-24s) and 25 personnel were killed. Lieutenant Ansen Kovachev was wounded. Additionally, a pair of escorting Mustangs strafed Ignatius airfield, damaging seven Ju 87Ds lined up in a line. One B-24 bomber was shot down by 75 mm anti-aircraft guns in Sopot, but the Americans recorded no losses. After losses on the ground, the 4/6 Orliak was disbanded, and its equipment was taken over by the 1/6 Orliak. On July 22, while participating in the interception of bombers from the 15th Air Force flying to bomb Ploesti, Second Lieutenant Peter Boczew shot down one aircraft in formation.

In the defensive formation, Second Lieutenant Marin Tsvetkov damaged and forced another bomber to abandon it. Captain Chudomir Tsplodolski, Sergeant Nikola Kralichev, and Sergeant Dimitri Somov reported shooting down bombers, for which they received only one point each, so it was probably a team kill. The Americans lost 13 Liberators, three B-17s, and five Lightnings. That day, German pilots also claimed six B-24s shot down and one knocked out of formation, and they also shot down two P-38s. On August 1, the shooting down of a B-24 bomber by Second Lieutenant Kristo Krestev was recorded, but the Americans did not conduct any operations that day. On August 10, Butgarian planes once again intercepted American bombers participating in the raid on Ploesti. Four aircraft separated from the defensive formation were reported shot down (or two team kills, as the pilots received only one point each for these kills). Two points were awarded to Second Lieutenant Peter Bochev, one each to Captain Kristo Atanasov and Sergeant Stefanov Konozov. The Americans lost 16 B-24 bombers and one B-17, while the German fighters only reported shooting down P-51 fighters.
On August 17, 51 B-17s bombed Niš airport in occupied Yugoslavia, losing one aircraft to anti-aircraft fire. The airport was later strafed by P-38s from the 82nd Fighter Group, which lost three Lightnings in this mission. Six Bulgarian S.328s, three B.534s, and one Fl.156 were destroyed at the bombed airport. One of the B.534s stationed at this airport had previously been shot down by partisans. That same day, the 3/6 Orliak Squadron participated in intercepting planes flying over Ploesti. The bomber was shot down by 2nd Lt. Peter Bochev,
and damage to enemy aircraft and their removal from defensive formations were reported by Captain Kristo Atanasov, Lieutenant Boris Damev, Lieutenant Peter Manolov, Lieutenant Nikola Nikolov, Lieutenant Colonel Marin Tsvetkov, and Warrant Officer Kiril Stoyanov. The Americans lost 19 Liberators. German pilots were said to have shot down only one Mustang, with the 31st Fighter Group actually losing such an aircraft in combat over the Niš region, but due to a fuel system failure, claiming two Bf 109s shot down.
The last engagement with the Americans took place on August 26th, and involved 16 Bf 109Gs belonging to the 3/6th Eaglets. As usual, the squadron intercepted aircraft of the 15th Air Force, whose mission was to bomb Romanian territory. One point each was awarded to Captain Kristo Atanasov, Second Lieutenant Peter Bochev, and Warrant Officer Nikola Takov, who most likely shot down one aircraft together. In turn, in combat with fighters, One Lightning kill was claimed by Lt. Stojan Stojanov, who returned in an aircraft flooded with oil from a crashed enemy aircraft, and the damage was claimed by W/O Kiril Stojanov. Bulgarian casualties could have been B-24H-15-CF 41-29460 of the 449th BG or B-24H-15-DT and B-24G-10NT 42-78240, both from the 455th BG, which crashed in Yugoslavia. Losses in the Lightnings were not recorded, but P-38J-15-LO 43-28795 Z96FS/82nd FG was recorded in Italy. From May 16 to August 26, the Butgarian Air Force achieved 15 air victories against bombers.fighters and four against fighters, with the loss of eight of their own aircraft, four of which were recorded after forced landings. During the entire period of fighting on the Axis side, i.e., from August 1, 1943, to September 9, 1944, the Butgarian fighter air force performed 970 combat sorties, including 3/6 Orliak Squadron - 550 sorties, 2/6 Orliak Squadron - 275 sorties, 1/6 Orliak Squadron - 90 sorties, and 4/6 Orliak Squadron - 52 IDAs. During these operations, 27 fighter aircraft were lost, and over 30 suffered forced landings, of which 18 were recorded. Losses among fighter pilots amounted to 23 killed. In return, 53 confirmed air victories were achieved, 37 of which were against bombers. Fourteen were fired against four-engine fighters and 16 against fighters, and 73 aircraft were damaged. Another four bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses. On Bulgarian territory, 117 wrecks of Allied aircraft were counted, shot down over Bulgaria and crashed after being damaged over Romania. A total of 187 Allied airmen died in Bulgaria, and a further 69 died in hospitals. 329 airmen were held in Bulgarian captivity—which was, by the way, much more comfortable than in other countries. Allied bombings destroyed 12,000. buildings and caused the death of 1,828 people and the wounding of 2,370.
Patriotic War
On September 8, a coup took place in Bulgaria, and the new government declared war on the Third Reich, which initiated the so-called Patriotic War. The coup was connected with with the establishment of "people's tribunals," which sentenced many representatives of the former elite to death. This did not spare the senior officers of the air force. Among them were, among others, Pike V. Walkov, commanding the 6th Fighter Regiment, Major K. Iliev, commanding the 2nd Assault Regiment, and Captain M. Petrov, commanding the 4/6 Eagle Squadron. On September 1, 1944, the Butgarian air force had 280 members of the flying crew, including 160 pilots. There were 137 operational combat aircraft and 28 auxiliary aircraft, the 6th Fighter Regiment had 101 Bf 109G aircraft, but only 34 of them were operational, as well as 32 D.520s, of which 16 were operational. These aircraft were distributed as follows: 1/6 Orliak - 32 (16 operational) D.520s, 2/6 Orliak 52s (16 operational) Bf 1096s, 3/6 Orirak - 49 (19 operational) Bf 1096s.
The 2nd Assault Regiment had 59 Ju 87R/D aircraft, 38 of which were operational, and 26 Avia B.534 fighters, only six of which were operational.
The Ju 87R/Ds constituted the equipment of the 1/2 Orliak, while the Avias had 2/2 Orliaks

The 5th Bomber Regiment had 20 to 17 different versions, of which 14 were operational, equipping the 1/5th Orliak, and 20 (of which 12 were operational) Avia B-71s, now completelyobsolete, in the 2/5th Orliak. The 1st Reconnaissance Regiment had 17 aircraft (including 14 operational) Fw 189s in the 3/1st Orliak, 14 KB-11s and 15 S.328s in the 4/1st Orliak, and fiveDo 17Ps (including four operational) in the 73rd Jato.Next to these, the 113th Jato was in service. Thirteen PZL-43s, including seven operational, and 123rd Jatos, including 11 such aircraft, including six operational. Additionally, 161st Jatoshad seven operational and five inoperative Ar 196 seaplanes. The auxiliary air force included 12 Ju 52/3ms, 10 Fi 156s, and six KB-5s. On September 9th, combat operations began in thesouth against German troops stationed in Yugoslavia. Thirty-five sorties were flown that day. The 3/6 Orliak Squadron strafed the airfield in Niš, where six Bf 109s prepared for takeoff wereallegedly destroyed. However, German anti-aircraft artillery shot down a Messerschmitt, in which one of the distinguished Bulgarian pilots, Second Lieutenant Marin Tsvetkov, went down. SixDomlers from the 1/5 Orliak carried out combat operations, one of which landed at Bruch due to damage from anti-aircraft fire. Of the nine Ju 87Ds from the 1/2 Orliak, one machine did notreturn, its pilot escaping to the German side of the front. The German Air Force responded by sending six Bf 109s, which destroyed a fuel depot in Bulgaria and shot down one of the six re-based Avia B.534s. 16 bridges, 11 railway stations, and other items. Between September 9 and October 7, the Bulgarian Air Force completed 1,233 combat sorties, 30% of which werereconnaissance, 20% fighter, and 50% ground support. On the other side, only a few reconnaissance aircraft were seen, which, however, resulted in the withdrawal of their own KB-11aircraft, which were notoriously mistaken for German Hs 126s and fired upon from the ground by their own forces. During this first phase of the war, the Bulgarian Air Force lost five Bf109Gs, two D.520s, two Ju 87D-5s, and two B.534s, along with 13 of their crew members. By December 2nd, 3,744 sorties had been made, destroying on the ground 25 aircraft, 85 artillerybatteries, 694 motor vehicles, 23 locomotives, and 496 railway wagons.Own losses amounted to 32 aircraft and 18 pilots. On November 3, a German Fw 190 shot down a Bulgarian Ju 87D.In November, one Do 17P was also lost over Macedonia, crashed after being damaged in an accidental attack by a South African Mustang.The 6th Fighter Regiment flew 650 combat sorties during the Patrol War, during which it destroyed 14 aircraft, 120 vehicles, three tanks, 10 artillery tractors, two fuel tanks, Two anti-aircraftartillery positions were destroyed and two trains were immobilized. This was compensated by the loss of nine Bf 109Gs and seven D.520s. Among the mighty six pilots were two who haddistinguished themselves in previous combat with Allied aircraft. On the 5th, a Bf 109 hit from the ground exploded during a forced landing, killing the second-most effective Butgarian pilot incombat with the Allies, 2nd Lt. Peter Boczew (he had 13 victories on his account, counted in the BTF point system for shooting down three bombers individually, three as a team anddamaging one), and on November 10, Lieutenant Nedelcho Bonczew (8 victories, two bombers) was shot down. . One of the formation's survivors was captured, but during the Germanretreat, unable to keep up with the column, he was shot.Already 87 from the 1/2 Orliak squadron flew 1,093 sorties. Also participating in the fighting were Avia B.534s from the 2/2 Orliak, which flew 140 sorties, destroying, among others, 22artillery batteries, destroying or damaging 52 trucks and 62 anti-tank vehicles.The bombers from the 1/5 Orliak flew 362 sorties without any losses, destroying 173 vehicles and 42 railway vehicles. 7 combat vehicles, and over 10 aircraft at the airfields.Among the Butgarian reconnaissance units, the 3/1 Orliak Squadron completed 315 sorties, the 4/1 Orliak 138 sorties, and the 73rd Jato Reconnaissance Squadroncompleted 125 sorties.In 1945, the Bulgarian Army no longer conducted combat operations, so most of the sorties, 680, were performed by the Link Squadron operating on behalf of the 1st Army.On March 31, 1945, a new fighter squadron, 642 Jato, was formed in Hungary. which was equipped with Soviet Tavochkin TA-5 fighters and took part in the operations of the last weeks ofthe war.In total, from September 9, 1944, until the end of the war, the Butgarian Air Force conducted 4,424 combat sorties.PeaceAfter the war, the Butgarian Air Force experienced a second wave of repression, as part of which approximately 100 officers were dismissed from service. Already in the spring, the air forcewas supplemented with a number of Bf 109 fighters and Ar 96 trainer aircraft captured by the Red Army. After the war, however, most fighting machines of German production weretransferred to Yugoslavia along with domestic KB-11 aircraft. Meanwhile on the state of the reorganized Bulgarian aviation mainly machines of Soviet construction. equipped the 16th and36th Fighter Regiments consisted of 90 fighters Yakoviev Yak-9 and 30 Yak-9UIn 1948 30 Yak-9P. The 2nd Assault Regiment took over six of the 120 Ljuszyn II-2 . Of the 98 Petlakov Pe-2 bombers received by the Bulgarians, 30 were used by the 15th ReconnaissanceRegiment, while 51 of these aircraft were transferred to Yugoslavia. The 25th Mine Torpedo Regiment received 36 Tupolev Tu-2T aircraft.

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