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The Bulgarian Armed Forces 1940 Reforms
Due to the political triumph of entering the Warsaw Pact, and the slow draw-down of the Yugoslavian Army, Bulgarian political leaders felt confident enough to move ahead with plans to re-organize the Bulgarian Army along the Swiss model. This had been discussed at the highest levels of the Bulgarian government since the 1920s, and Bulgarian interest in the Swiss Army model was cause for much of the Bulgarian Army's acquisition of Swiss equipment in most of tthe post 1935 budgets, a practice that would continue for years. The Bulgarian Army had universal conscription in place since the early 1900s, but unlike the Swiss preferred to maintain a modest "standing force" to serve as a potential expeditionary unit for purposes of rapid employment. This was usually the elite 5th Guards Rifle Division. This unit was deployed outside Bulgaria during the League of Nations operations versus Wilno. Additionally, the Life Guards (a horsed cavalry regiment) were maintained as the mounted bodyguard of the Tsar and the ceremonial guards of the Sabranie and Royal Palace.

The 1940 reorganization codified many of the changes taking place on a more informal level since 1935. All Army troops are formed into four army corps (divided into sixteen divisions - four artillery and twelve infantry). These sixteen divisions are composed of men between the ages of 20 and 32. Subsidiary units, up to brigade size, are attached to the army corps and drawn from the Narodno Opalchenie, which is composed of men between the ages of 33 and 42 years of age. Third-line units are drawn from the Grazhdanska Otbrana Sili (Civil Defense Forces), composed of men between the ages of 43 to 50.

All of the changes identified in the 1940 reorganization dealt with the design of the divisions deployed in the four army corps. The 1940 corps pattern called for one mounted (or mechanized) rifle division of 17,725 men, two regular rifle or alpine divisions of 12,839 men, one artillery division of the ARGK of 7,106 men, and two border defense rifle brigades of the Narodno Opalchenie with 4,899 men. This brought the total manpower of each of the four army corps to no fewer than 60,000 men, with the Bulgarian Army able to mobilize a total of 241,228 men with seventy-two hours warning. In peacetime, fewer than thirty thousand men are in army uniform at any particular time, usually in the headquarters units and training cadres.

In 1940, the Bulgarian Army did not have enough tanks and other armoured vehicles to equip four mounted rifle divisions - the Army only had enough tanks to equip one, in fact. The Bulgarian Army preferred not to purchase inexpensive AFVs merely to boost numbers, instead vaccilating between well-armoured cruiser tanks and faster infantry tanks.

The Grazhdanska Otbrana Sili (Civil Defense Forces) are usually tasked with logistics and administrative duties, but additionally may guard prisoners and strategic installations.

[SIZE=3]1940 Order of Battle[/SIZE]

I CORPS
- 10th Mechanized Rifle Division [1]
- 3rd Rifle Division
- 12th Rifle Division
- 1st Artillery Division
- 3rd Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)
- 4th Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)

II CORPS
- 13th Mounted Rifle Division [2]
- 1st Alpine Rifle Division
- 2nd Alpine Rifle Division
- 2nd Artillery Division
- 1st Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)
- 7th Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)

III CORPS
- 6th Mounted Rifle Division [3]
- 4th Rifle Division
- 8th Rifle Division
- 3rd Artillery Division
- 5th Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)
- 6th Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)

IV CORPS
- 5th Guards Rifle Division [3]
- 9th Rifle Division
- 7th Rifle Division
- 4th Artillery Division
- 2nd Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)
- 8th Border Defense Rifle Brigade (Narodno Opalchenie)

[1] The 10th Mechanized Rifle Division was already equipped with sufficient trucks, halftracks, and AFVs in 1940 to meet the requirements of the 1940 reorganization.
[2] The 13th Mounted Rifle Division was equipped with sufficient trucks in 1940 to meet requirements, but lacked any AFVs.
[3] Nominally intended as Mounted Rifle divisions, the 6th and 5th Divisions were not initially equipped with AFVs and sufficient trucks.

Mechanized/Mounted Rifle Company:
- 1 company headquarters: 8 men, 2 halftracks
- 1 assault gun platoon: 12 men, 3 assault guns
- 1 mortar section: 2 60mm mortars, 10 men, 2 halftrack mortar-carriers
- 1 medical team: 1 senior corpsman, 1 junior corpsman, 1 driver, 1 halftrack ambulance
- 1 sniper team: 3 men
- 1 fire support team: 1 fire support officer, 1 fire support NCO, 1 fire support specialist, 1 scout car
- 3 mechanized/mounted rifle platoons: 46 men, 4 halftracks
- Total: 177 men, 14 halftracks, 3 assault guns, 2 halftrack mortar-carriers, 1 halftrack ambulance, 1 scout car

Mechanized/Mounted Rifle Battalion:
- 3 mechanized/mounted rifle companies: 177 men, 14 halftrack infantry carriers, 3 assault guns, 2 halftrack mortar-carriers, 1 halftrack ambulance, 1 scout car
- 1 battalion command section: 8 men, 1 command vehicle, 3 all-terrain cars
- 1 battalion staff: 54 men, 2 light trucks, 3 trucks, 10 cars, 2 infantry carriers, 1 armoured command vehicle
- Total: 593 men, 44 infantry carriers, 9 assault guns, 6 halftrack mortar carriers, 3 halftrack ambulances, 3 scout cars, 13 all-terrain cars, 1 armoured command vehicle, 2 light trucks, 3 medium trucks

Mechanized/Mounted Rifle Regiment:
- 3 mechanized/mounted rifle Battalions: 593 men, 44 infantry carriers, 9 assault guns, 6 halftrack mortar carriers, 3 halftrack ambulances, 3 scout cars, 13 all-terrain cars, 1 armoured command vehicle, 2 light trucks, 3 medium trucks
- 1 cavalry reconnaissance squadron: 396 men, 9 tanks, 6 armoured cars, 20 scout cars, 10 infantry carriers, 2 armoured command vehicle
- 1 regimental headquarters and headquarters company: 105 men
- 1 antitank company: 177 men
- 1 artillery battalion: 490 men, 24 guns, 3 planes
- 1 medium engineer company: 145 men
- 1 military intelligence company: 58 men
- 1 signals company: 58 men
- 1 regimental support battalion: 615 men
- Total: 3,823 men, 142 infantry carriers, 9 tanks, 27 assault guns, 6 armoured cars, etc

Armoured Cavalry Brigade:
- 1 armoured battalion: 403 men, 60 tanks (3 command tanks), 32 motorcycles, 30 trucks, 1 command car, 5 AT guns, 5 AT rifles, 6 scout cars, 1 halftrack
- 2 mechanized cavalry battalions: 396 men, 9 tanks, 6 armoured cars, 20 scout cars, 10 infantry carriers, 2 armoured command vehicle
- 1 motorcycle battalion: 460 men, 128 motorcycles, 27 armoured cars, 8 scout cars, 2 infantry carriers, 2 armoured command vehicles, 13 all-terrain cars
- 1 regimental headquarters and headquarters company: 105 men
- 1 tank destroyer battalion: 340 men, 54 tank destroyers, 6 tanks (3 command tanks), 30 motorcycles, 30 trucks, 1 command car, 1 halftrack
- 1 medium engineer company: 145 men
- 1 military intelligence company: 58 men
- 1 signals company: 58 men
- 1 regimental support battalion: 615 men
- Total: 2,976 men, 84 tanks (6 command tanks), 39 armoured cars, 54 tank destroyers, 160 motorcycles

Mechanized/Mounted Rifle Division:
- 3 mechanized/mounted rifle regiments: 3,823 men, 142 infantry carriers, 9 tanks, 27 assault guns, 6 armoured cars, etc
- 1 armoured battalion (1 squadron attached per regiment): 403 men, 60 tanks (3 command tanks), 32 motorcycles, 30 trucks, 1 command car, 5 AT guns, 5 AT rifles, 6 scout cars, 1 halftrack
- 1 armoured cavalry brigade: 2,976 men, 84 tanks (6 command tanks), 39 armoured cars, 54 tank destroyers, 160 motorcycles
- 1 artillery regiment: 2,068 men, 72 howitzers, 24 field guns, 15 planes
- 1 Division HQ: 142 men
- 1 AA Battery: 113 men, 8x3.7" AA guns
- 1 Supplies Company: 126 men
- 1 AAMG Platoon: 70 men, 12 AAMGs
- 1 Signal Company: 58 men
- 1 Division Field Hospital: 300 men
- Total: 17,725 men, 171 tanks, 57 armoured cars, 54 tank destroyers, 428 infantry carriers, 81 assault guns

Rifle Company:
- 1 company headquarters: 8 men
- 1 mortar section: 2 60mm mortars, 14 men
- 1 medical team: 1 senior corpsman, 1 junior corpsman, 1 driver, 1 halftrack ambulance
- 1 sniper team: 3 men
- 1 fire support team: 1 fire support officer, 1 fire support NCO, 1 fire support specialist
- 3 rifle platoons: 38 men
- Total: 145 men, 2 mortars

Rifle Battalion:
- 3 rifle companies: 145 men, 2 mortars
- 1 battalion command section: 8 men
- 1 battalion staff: 54 men
- 1 battalion mortar platoon: 56 men, 6 81mm LR gun-mortars
- Total: 553 men

Rifle Regiment:
- 3 rifle battalions: 553 men
- 1 regimental headquarters and headquarters company: 105 men
- 1 antitank platoon: 36 men, 5x47mm AT guns, 5x20mm AT rifles
- 1 mountain artillery battalion: 490 men, 24 guns, 3 planes
- 1 medium engineer company: 145 men
- 1 military intelligence company: 58 men
- 1 signals company: 58 men
- 1 regimental support battalion: 615 men
- Total: 3,166 men

Rifle Division:
- 3 rifle regiments: 3,166 men
- 1 stormtroops battalion: 464 men
- 1 artillery regiment: 2,068 men, 72 howitzers, 24 field guns, 15 planes
- 1 Division HQ: 142 men
- 1 AA Battery: 113 men, 8x3.7" AA guns
- 1 Supplies Company: 126 men
- 1 AAMG Platoon: 70 men, 12 AAMGs
- 1 Signal Company: 58 men
- 1 Division Field Hospital: 300 men
- Total: 12,839 men

Narodno Opalchenie Brigade:
- 4 rifle battalions: 553 men
- 1 railway defense battalion: 553 men
- 1 air-defense battalion: 627 men, 16x3.7" AA guns, 28 AAMGs, 6 searchlights, 32 artillery tractors, 18 trucks
- 1 regimental headquarters and headquarters company: 105 men
- 1 antitank platoon: 36 men, 5x47mm AT guns, 5x20mm AT rifles
- 1 mountain artillery battalion: 490 men, 24 guns, 3 planes
- 1 medium engineer company: 145 men
- 1 military intelligence company: 58 men
- 1 signals company: 58 men
- 1 regimental support battalion: 615 men
- Total: 4,899 men

AFV Quantities in 1940:
- 60 AT-36 tanks armed with 76.2mm gun (1st Armoured Battalion, the Armoured Regiment)
- 60 AT-33 tanks armed with 57mm gun (2nd Armoured Battalion, the Armoured Regiment)
- 60 AT-34 tanks armed with 25mm gun (3rd Armoured Battalion, the Armoured Regiment)
- 20 AT-37 tanks armed with 76.2mm gun (13th Independent Armoured Company)
- 95 AT-17 tanks armed with 37mm gun or 76.2mm howitzer (11th and 12th Armoured Companies (Training) - The Tank School)

Since 1935, the Bulgarian Army budgeted the money to equip one armoured battalion per year, starting with two battalions (1st and 2nd) equipped by 1936, and equipment for the 3rd battalion purchased late in 1937. No tanks were purchased in 1938 or 1939 although deliveries were made; the money for purchases was instead retained and held.

Are you really going to have assault guns at Company level with only 12 men to maintain and operate them? At what level are more serious maintainance and repairs carried out?

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
Are you really going to have assault guns at Company level with only 12 men to maintain and operate them? At what level are more serious maintainance and repairs carried out?

Heh, I wondered if that would draw comment. The Mounted Infantry's order of battle - up to the battalion level - is the same as an actual US Army unit. I might decide to replace the assault guns with halftrack-mounted guns instead.

Come to think of it, that's probably a better idea...

From long ago when I was a grunt (early 80's) in the only Motorised Division in the history of the United States the reason was that soldiers and drivers were expected to perform basic maintenance in vehicles, with mechanics attached to company doing more difficult tasks and finally major repairs been performed by rear detachment large motor pools.

Have a look at the 75mm-armed halftrack in this post - I think this is really more what I'm wanting than a full-fledged assault gun, though I want assault guns, too.

Halftracks are probably a better idea at Coy level and move the StuGs up a bit in the organization and perhaps add workshops at regiement (?) level