Old German tanks in Bulgaria (And Emplaced Tanks/Turrets in general)

Edit by Owen D. Been asked to move this discussion on ex-German armour in Bulgaria to it's own thread.



On Bulgaria Dani, (and I can't see you have anything to apologise for,) did you know that there are still Sturmgeschutz assault guns emplaced as static fortifications around your borders? The Stugs, I believe known as SO-75 in Bulgarian terminology(?), are dug in, semi submerged and abandoned. Seen photos but still looking for information on locations.

 

Click here Bulgaria

The Ausf G was the last production series of the StuG. Comming off the assembly-line in December 1942. The Ausf G was produced until the end of the war with no major changes made to the design. The stug III was called SO-75 by the Bulgarians. The initials "SO" stood for Samochodno Oryzie. 25 units were obtained, though in the book "Equipment and armor in the Bulgarian Army-Armored Vehicles 1935-45" by Kaloyan Matev, he says the number was 55.

Dani,
You had them in WW2, as Adam says, they are still there. Abandoned.

Our letter is about the restoration for museum exhibition of a middle tank Panzer IV, an assault gun Sturmgeschutz III and if possible an assault gun Sturmgeschutz IV.

In the border areas of Bulgaria near to the Turkish border in the defense facilities built during the time of the Cold war are situated some of the mentioned weapons which are not longer needed

Decembre 44=


VAGABOND - the first and only monthly magazine in English

 

"The buried tanks... are treated as armament and equipment of the Bulgarian Army" and were "maintained by military experts," Plamen Kolev, head of the Administrative and Information Services Department of the Ministry of Defence, told us in a letter. There were "plans providing for their seasonal technical servicing," Mr Kolev said. The machines had to be "permanently in the open air," which explained why they were outside the tank hangars. The fact that they lacked permanent supervision posed no threat to the population whatsoever, because their special combat equipment was dismantled and kept under the "necessary conditions".
The tanks, we were told, had a "mobilization function in view of current defence objectives". In accordance with the Plan for Organisational Development and Modernisation of the Armed Forces until 2015, they will be decommissioned by 1 July 2013.


VAGABOND - the first and only monthly magazine in English


See another photo here
Page Title and here Page Title

 

Panzer III?

On the initial theme of the thread, What exactly did I do to offend you so Dani? Other than make an aside on a fascinating and little known ww2 survival in your country? One which I thought you might be interested in.

WW2 vehicles have been used as dug-in static defences across the world, many still are, a 75mm gun is a 75mm gun regardless of age and mentioning one doesn't imply the national slur you immediately assumed.
Drop the paranoia Dani, I'm often on your side.

Thought perhaps you could be in a position to get some more photos than the scant amount to be found on the web. And maybe have a rare clamber about inside them.
Cheers,
Adam.

 

They really sound like unique survivors, I don't think they're even mentioned in the recent 'Tank turret fortifications' book. I'll check.
As they're technically in service until 2015 they must rate as the longest serving example of German gear in the world?
The secretive power of the Soviets eh?

 

Checked the book and all Mr Short has is on t34's:
At its peak the Bulgarian army fielded nearly 600 of these tanks and as late as 1988 it still had 200 in service. Unconfirmed sources state that a number of the scrapped turrets were installed along the border with Turkey
Considering the book is 2006 and seems generally to be rather comprehensive then these stugs and Panzers appear to be real news.

 

Achtung Panzer! - Bulgarian Panthers!


Panthers were then burried along the Bulgarian-Turkish border as pillboxes, while their Maybach engines were removed

 

Pete, definately not a Pz IV D, for the simple reason it has a long 75, that is pointing away from the camera.

 

One thing it Isn't is a III, really must give up the glue-sniffing on Wednesdays... looked so stumpy but there's a whole lot of tank buried there. makes me realise just how small the upper box superstructure on 4's is..
(ausf. G fits and seems to be the only mark Bulgaria was officially supplied with)

Not seen a shot of a panther buried there yet, maybe they're still in service and an even better kept secret? Oooh I hope so... that'd get the collectors swarming.

 

Dani,
A mission for you one weekend, get a digital camera, get your car and go and find these tanks for us.
We'll send you some petrol money.

 

Some more over-grown photos from sofia here.
Achtung Panzer! - The "Skoda" tank in the Bulgarian Army

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Fantastic stuff Manta-Schuppen! (and welcome aboard)
Particularly what looks like a Pz.IV/70(V) (bottom left), can't be many survivors of that??
Haven't seen scrapyard-ish shots like that for years.
That's one museum I'm sure the Wheatcrofts of this world would love to rescue some stuff from.
Cheers (big style),
Adam.