WesWorld

[SIZE=3]YEAR-TO-DATE SUMMARY[/SIZE]

January 6
The first completed Bulgarian section of the A1 Autostrada, between Sofia and Plovdiv, opened today despite chilly weather and snow flurries. A ceremonial auto convoy led by Tsar Boris and Tsaritsa Ioanna in the Tsar's personal Horch 853, drove the 135km section of road from Sofia to Plovdiv in only one and three-quarters hours. The rest of the ceremonial first convoy, composed of passengers and drivers ranging from foreign ambassadors to private citizens, made the journey in similar times. The road opens to general travel on January 8th.

Further work on the rest of the A1 Autostrada, which will connect to Byzantium on the east and Yugoslavia in the west, is underway. Construction on the A3, which will run along the Black Sea coast from Byzantium to Romania, is also under construction.

January 17
The Bulgarian Royal Navy reported today that the ship's company of the battleship Varna will be strengthened with new trainees. With the acquisition and impending delivery of the HMS Royal Oak (soon to be BNS Sofia), the Navy has begun reducing the role of the aging Varna, and the ship has moved into a static training role. After the delivery of the Sofia, Varna will be retired and converted to a museum ship in her home port, showcasing the history of both the Bulgarian Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet the ship was built to serve. In the meantime, Varna continues to take short training cruises in the western Black Sea to prepare the ship's company for transition to the Sofia.

February 18
Laszlo Jozsef Biro has announced that his company, the manufacturer of a spill-proof pen, will be moving to a new factory currently under construction near Sofia. The company has seen outstanding performance since entering operation in 1939, and has outgrown its current manufacturing facility in the recently-renovated Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares factory.

March 12
Laszlo Jozsef Biro confirmed that his firm is conducting negotiations with the German firm, Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, and a new French startup firm called Société Bic, to sell pens under the Biro brand name in Germany, France, and Western Europe as a whole.

March 31
General Dimitr Vasilev Ayryanov has been appointed commander of the Bulgarian Air Force.

April 2
Medodobiven Kombinat Pirdop has announced that shipping of copper cathodes has begun.

April 11
With the upsurge in foreign orders for Swiss and Bulgarian-made small arms, Kazanlak Arsenal has sought further expansion, requesting a government loan to expand their current facilities. The new expansion aims for minimum production of at least 100,000 rifles per year, plus other equipment.

April 14
The Bulgarian Air Force has recommended the rental of a Blohm und Voss Bv146 aircraft to evaluate for RFP #1106 (transport aircraft to replace the KB-309 Papagal). If the test aircraft is satisfactory for VNVV use, twenty-four aircraft shall be ordered at the completion of testing.

May 12
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines formed today, on the long-inactive base of the defunct Bunavad. Four secondhand Wibault 280s have been leased to provide service until further aircraft can be acquired.

May 22
Bulgaria celebrates Saints Cyril and Methodius Day.

June 2
Obshtestvo Biro announced today that they have completed manufacturing and licensing agreements with both Germany's Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft and the French-based Société Bic to manufacture patented "Biro Spill-Proof Pens" for sale in Western Europe and beyond. Under the terms of the agreement, Bic and Faber-Castell will not compete with Obshtestvo Biro in the Balkans region until 1950, while Biro will not sell further production licenses for the pens until 1946.

June 10
The chiefs of the Bulgarian Navy met today with the Sobranje's defense committee to discuss further programs to build the Navy. With the acquisition of the British battleship Royal Oak, soon to be formally transferred to Bulgarian service as the BVK Sofia, the battleship Varna will be retired from the Navy to serve as a museum ship. The acquisition of the Sofia is still a heated issue in the country, due in part to the battleship's price tag, which has taken a sizable chunk of the Navy's budget since 1938. Some officers in the Navy and many members of the Sobranje have gone as far as suggesting that the Sofia be sold. However, with the end of payments next month, the Navy received permission from the Sobranje to begin construction on the fourth Kyustendil class destroyer, to be named BVK Veliko Tarnovo. Funds were also given to rebuild Bulgaria's eighteen Atlantean-built 35-tonner MTBs with Daimler-Benz diesel engines.

June 16
A Bourgas man, Boris Boyadzhiev, the so-called Blind Bard of Bulgaria, brought out his book of blank-verse ballads. The book, The Black Balalaika, was billed by British BBC broadcasters as "Bloody brilliant!"

June 19
A self-proclaimed psychic and prophet, Miss Anna-Maria Tosheva of Kazanlak, was killed today while attempting to demonstrate her supposed ability to levitate. The 64-year old Tosheva and approximately thirty of her followers hiked into Tran Gorge to find a "mystic ley-line and meditation circle". During the hike, Tosheva announced that she would levitate herself across the gorge, and walked off a cliff, whereupon she fell approximately fifteen meters. According to police, Tosheva broke her neck on impact and died within minutes. One of her followers allegedly attempted to levitate himself down to rescue her, but broke both legs and both arms in the fall. Tosheva's former husband, Milev Toshev, paid tribute to his wife with the statement "She was one-tenth deluded and nine-tenths insane."

A Bulgarian police spokesman, speaking on the incident, said "We highly advise people not to challenge the laws of gravity to a duel."

June 28
The German-Bulgarian Institute for Agricultural Science was established today in Sofia. The Institute, affiliated with the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft of Germany, will conduct research into plant breeding in order to improve agricultural output in the country's crops, contributing to the work of other scientists around the world.

July 11
A representative of the Bulgarian Air Force observed flight trials of the Yugoslavian Soko "Orao" radial-engined fighter. "It appears to be a very potent and powerful craft," he reported.

July 14
Construction crews broke ground today on a large new beach-front hotel in the region of Varna, beginning the "Black Sea Golden Sands Resort" project. Tourism in Bulgaria has risen substantially over the last four years, but has not yet been matched by a rise in investment.

July 23
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines acknowledged that it had placed an order for two Breguet Br.810 Bretagne medium airliners, and was investigating the possibility of purchasing four Blohm-und-Voss Bv144 regional airliners, in order to replace the four leased Wibault 280s currently in service.

July 28
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines received a Blohm-und-Voss Bv144 demonstrator today, with the aircraft being delivered to the airline's headquarters at Sofia.

August 4
The Bulgarian Air Force delivered a note to the Yugoslavian government expressing their interest in evaluating the Soko Orao fighter for possible purchase and license-production at DAR.

August 15
With the approaching completion of the Rousse-Giurgiu Friendship Bridge over the Danube, work on the A2 Autostrada between Rousse and Burgas has picked up the pace, with construction said to be one-quarter complete at the beginning of August. The A2 will cross the Rousse-Giurgiu Bridge, connecting the Black Sea city of Burgas to the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

January 6
The first completed Bulgarian section of the A1 Autostrada, between Sofia and Plovdiv, opened today despite chilly weather and snow flurries. A ceremonial auto convoy led by Tsar Boris and Tsaritsa Ioanna in the Tsar's personal Horch 853, drove the 135km section of road from Sofia to Plovdiv in only one and three-quarters hours. The rest of the ceremonial first convoy, composed of passengers and drivers ranging from foreign ambassadors to private citizens, made the journey in similar times. The road opens to general travel on January 8th.

Further work on the rest of the A1 Autostrada, which will connect to Byzantium on the east and Yugoslavia in the west, is underway. Construction on the A3, which will run along the Black Sea coast from Byzantium to Romania, is also under construction.

January 17
The Bulgarian Royal Navy reported today that the ship's company of the battleship Varna will be strengthened with new trainees. With the acquisition and impending delivery of the HMS Royal Oak (soon to be BNS Sofia), the Navy has begun reducing the role of the aging Varna, and the ship has moved into a static training role. After the delivery of the Sofia, Varna will be retired and converted to a museum ship in her home port, showcasing the history of both the Bulgarian Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet the ship was built to serve. In the meantime, Varna continues to take short training cruises in the western Black Sea to prepare the ship's company for transition to the Sofia.

February 18
Laszlo Jozsef Biro has announced that his company, the manufacturer of a spill-proof pen, will be moving to a new factory currently under construction near Sofia. The company has seen outstanding performance since entering operation in 1939, and has outgrown its current manufacturing facility in the recently-renovated Sucreries Raffineries Bulgares factory.

The major German pen and pencil manufacturer Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, forwards a request to the Biro firm regarding the acquisition of licence and manufacturing rights to the Biro spill-proof pen. Faber-Castell in interested in acquiring exclusive rights for German home territories.

Mr. Biro will carefully consider such an offer.

March 12
Laszlo Jozsef Biro confirmed that his firm is conducting negotiations with the German firm, Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, and a new French startup firm called Société Bic, to sell pens under the Biro brand name in Germany, France, and Western Europe as a whole.

March 31
General Dimitr Vasilev Ayryanov has been appointed commander of the Bulgarian Air Force.

April 2
Medodobiven Kombinat Pirdop has announced that shipping of copper cathodes has begun.

April 11
With the upsurge in foreign orders for Swiss and Bulgarian-made small arms, Kazanlak Arsenal has sought further expansion, requesting a government loan to expand their current facilities. The new expansion aims for minimum production of at least 100,000 rifles per year, plus other equipment.

Faber Castell is heartened by the news and hopes that negotiations can be concluded swiftly and profitably for all concerned.

April 14
The Bulgarian Air Force has recommended the rental of a Blohm und Voss Bv146 aircraft to evaluate for RFP #1106 (transport aircraft to replace the KB-309 Papagal). If the test aircraft is satisfactory for VNVV use, twenty-four aircraft shall be ordered at the completion of testing.

RFPs #1107 and #1108 will be delayed until FY 1942 due to financial reasons.

Blohm and Voss are very pleased with the recommendation brought forward and advise that a Bv146 demonstration aircraft can be sent to Sofia within thirty days of request.

Dear Blohm and Voss,

As per the recommendation of the VNVV, we wish to request the acquisition of one (1) Bv-146 aircraft to serve as a trials and demonstrator aircraft for RFP #1106, with trials to commence upon the delivery of the aircraft.

Thank you,
The Bulgarian Department of Defense (Procurement Office).

From: Blohm und Voss Flugzeugbau
To: Bulgarian Department of Defense (Procurement Office)

Your order for one Bv146 demonstration aircraft is acknowledged. Delivery to Sofia anticipated for 22 May.



------

Meanwhile, in the shop manager's office.

"Klink, I don't care how much overtime it takes, the Bulgarian demonstrator will be delivered on time. There's a potential order for two dozen aircraft at stake!"

"Yes Herr Burkhalter. Of course Herr Burkhalter. Immediately Herr Burkhalter."

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan
"Yes Herr Burkhalter. Of course Herr Burkhalter. Immediately Herr Burkhalter."

"3 bags full, Herr Burkhalter!!"

April 28
Bulgarian chef "Iron Ivan" Izdanov, the proprietor of a Sofia restaurant known as IRON IVAN'S, opened a new branch of his famous restaurant in Bourgas. A nearby competitor made the mistake of heckling the restaurant's opening ceremony, and Iron Ivan, a 221cm-tall, 190kg former professional wrestler, waded into the crowd to face off with the heckler, announcing "Soon my restaurant crush you like garlic cloves!"

Interviewed afterwards by newspapermen, Iron Ivan commented "All my life I love good food. Because I was big and strong, I wrestled for living, but I always want to be master chef. It was childhood daydream, but daydream never was in reach. Then one day it get too close, so I wrestled childhood daydream into submission and made it cry for momma. Opening new restaurant here in Bourgas is happiest moment since I opened first Sofia restaurant three years ago."

May 1
The Sulzer Bulgaria plant in Plovdiv rolled out the first diesel-electric locomotive built in Bulgaria today. The locomotive, a 1,300hp shunter type, will be demonstrated to the Bulgarian State Railways.

May 6
The Bulgarian armed forces held their annual military parade in Sofia for the celebration of St. George's Day (the Day of the Bulgarian Army). This year's parade was smaller than previous years, with roughly three thousand men, both active serving soldiers and retired veterans, participating in the march. The Bulgarian Air Force conducted a flyover of the parade with fifty Spitfires and twenty other aircraft.

May 12
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines formed today, on the long-inactive base of the defunct Bunavad. Four secondhand Wibault 280s have been leased to provide service until further aircraft can be acquired.

May 22
Bulgaria celebrates Saints Cyril and Methodius Day.

June 2
Obshtestvo Biro announced today that they have completed manufacturing and licensing agreements with both Germany's Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft and the French-based Société Bic to manufacture patented "Biro Spill-Proof Pens" for sale in Western Europe and beyond. Under the terms of the agreement, Bic and Faber-Castell will not compete with Obshtestvo Biro in the Balkans region until 1950, while Biro will not sell further production licenses for the pens until 1946.

June 10
The chiefs of the Bulgarian Navy met today with the Sobranje's defense committee to discuss further programs to build the Navy. With the acquisition of the British battleship Royal Oak, soon to be formally transferred to Bulgarian service as the BVK Sofia, the battleship Varna will be retired from the Navy to serve as a museum ship. The acquisition of the Sofia is still a heated issue in the country, due in part to the battleship's price tag, which has taken a sizable chunk of the Navy's budget since 1938. Some officers in the Navy and many members of the Sobranje have gone as far as suggesting that the Sofia be sold. However, with the end of payments next month, the Navy received permission from the Sobranje to begin construction on the fourth Kyustendil class destroyer, to be named BVK Veliko Tarnovo. Funds were also given to rebuild Bulgaria's eighteen Atlantean-built 35-tonner MTBs with Daimler-Benz diesel engines.

June 16
A Bourgas man, Boris Boyadzhiev, the so-called Blind Bard of Bulgaria, brought out his book of blank-verse ballads. The book, The Black Balalaika, was billed by British BBC broadcasters as "Bloody brilliant!"

June 19
A self-proclaimed psychic and prophet, Miss Anna-Maria Tosheva of Kazanlak, was killed today while attempting to demonstrate her supposed ability to levitate. The 64-year old Tosheva and approximately thirty of her followers hiked into Tran Gorge to find a "mystic ley-line and meditation circle". During the hike, Tosheva announced that she would levitate herself across the gorge, and walked off a cliff, whereupon she fell approximately fifteen meters. According to police, Tosheva broke her neck on impact and died within minutes. One of her followers allegedly attempted to levitate himself down to rescue her, but broke both legs and both arms in the fall. Tosheva's former husband, Milev Toshev, paid tribute to his wife with the statement "She was one-tenth deluded and nine-tenths insane."

A Bulgarian police spokesman, speaking on the incident, said "We highly advise people not to challenge the laws of gravity to a duel."

June 28
The German-Bulgarian Institute for Agricultural Science was established today in Sofia. The Institute, affiliated with the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft of Germany, will conduct research into plant breeding in order to improve agricultural output in the country's crops, contributing to the work of other scientists around the world.

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
A Bulgarian police spokesman, speaking on the incident, said "We highly advise people not to challenge the laws of gravity to a duel."

That is quite an understatement.

I'm gonna have to agree with Bruce on that one.

July 11
A representative of the Bulgarian Air Force observed flight trials of the Yugoslavian Soko "Orao" radial-engined fighter. "It appears to be a very potent and powerful craft," he reported.

July 14
Construction crews broke ground today on a large new beach-front hotel in the region of Varna, beginning the "Black Sea Golden Sands Resort" project. Tourism in Bulgaria has risen substantially over the last four years, but has not yet been matched by a rise in investment.

July 23
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines acknowledged that it had placed an order for two Breguet Br.810 Bretagne medium airliners, and was investigating the possibility of purchasing four Blohm-und-Voss Bv144 regional airliners, in order to replace the four leased Wibault 280s currently in service.