Military vehicles - Bulgaria: books

The Armoured Forces of the Bulgarian Army 1936-45 : Operations, Vehicles, Equipment, Organisation, Camouflage & Markings

This book provides a detailed history of motor vehicles and armoured fighting vehicles in the Bulgarian Army from 1936, during the last years of peace, until the end of the Second World War in 1945.
For much of this period, Bulgaria was allied to Germany. The Bulgarian Army was mainly equipped with German weapons, or equipment captured by the Germans and then sold to Bulgaria. The negotiations as well as supplies of motor vehicles and armoured vehicles are described at length.

The combat service of the army's armoured units is also described in detail, firmly based on archival research. Despite Bulgaria's entry into World War II as early as 1941, the only military actions during the first period of the war were related to the occupation of parts of Yugoslavia and Greece.
The real combat service of the Bulgarian Army began in September 1944 against its former ally, the Germans. The delivery of armoured fighting vehicles for 1st Bulgarian Army from the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front 1945 is described in detail.

Until very recently, the fate of all armoured fighting vehicles in the Bulgarian Army in 1945 remained completely unknown. The classified status of the documents prevented any detailed study. However, this is now possible, and full coverage is provided.

In addition to a detailed narrative, the author also provides full information covering camouflage, markings, and unit insignia. The authoritative text is supported by over 600 photographs (the majority of them previously unpublished), colour profiles showing camouflage, markings, colour unit insignia and colour battle maps.

This book is a result of the author's years of study in the Bulgarian Central Military Archive. Such a detailed study on this topic has not appeared before, and the author's work is unlikely to be superseded.

Kfz und Panzer der Achsenmächte 1939-1945

Über die Panzer der Verbündeten des Dritten Reichs in Europa und deren praktischen Einsatz ist auch 75 Jahre nach Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges erstaunlich wenig bekannt. Dabei setzte etwa Italien bereits im Ersten Weltkrieg Panzer ein und besaß mit Fiat und Ansaldo sogar zwei eigene Hersteller?rmen. Später baute Italien eine Reihe selbstkonstruierter leichter und mittelschwerer Modelle. Mit dem Typ P40 entstand sogar ein schwerer Typ.

Ungarn orientierte sich bei seinen Eigenentwicklungen an tschechischen oder schwedischen Modellen. Rumänien verfügte über leichte Panzer tschechischer sowie französischer Herkunft. Bulgarien kaufte nicht nur leichte Panzer, die in Italien bzw. England hergestellt wurden, sondern auch tschechoslowakische Typen. Finnland setzte hauptsächlich Panzer sowjetischen Ursprungs ein.

Gabriele Faggioni beschreibt ln diesem einmaligen Band alle wichtigen Panzertypen die bei den europäischen Verbündeten des Deutschen Reichs wie Italien, Finnland, Slowakei, Ungarn, Rumänien, Bulgarien und Kroatien in den Kriegsiahren 1939 bis 1945 an die Fronten geschickt wurden.
Er beantwortet die Fragen, wie die Panzer militärisch eingesetzt wurden, wie sie bewaffnet waren und wie sie sich bewährten. Illustriert wird dieses Buch von rund 200 historischen, meist seltenen Aufnahmen.

Tanks of Hitler's Eastern Allies 1941-45 (Osprey)

The titanic armor battles of the Russian Front are widely known, but the role of Germany's eastern allies is not as well known. Two of these countries, Romania and Hungary, manufactured their own tanks as well as purchasing tanks from Germany. These ranged from older, obsolete types such as the PzKpfw 35(t) all the way up to the latest and best German vehicles including the Tiger I and Hetzer.
These tanks played a frequent role in the battles in southern Russia and Ukraine and were especially prominent in the disaster at Stalingrad where the Red Army specifically chose the weaker Romanian and Hungarian salients for their critical envelopment operation.

This book will provide a broad survey of the various and colorful tanks used. Besides covering the largest of these Axis tank forces, this book will cover the many smaller and lesser known forces including the Italian contingent in Russia, the Finnish armored force, and the small but interesting armored forces of the Russian Vlasov (RONA), Croatian, Bulgarian and Slovakian armies.