AviaB534_IV_Bulgaria_Winter01_RJaeger, 23 July 2011.

A squad of three Dogans (Hunting Falcons), Avia B-534 Type IV, serving with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, of the Bulgarian Air Force, circa winter 1943; individually camouflaged, serialed, and weathered. Includes one additional unmarked generic.

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INSTALLATION: 

Place bmp files into: IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 (main folder)/Paint Schemes/Skins/AviaB534 

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Origins of the Bulgarian Air Force, WWII:

When the Third Reich occupied Czechoslovakia, absorbing her Czech Lands as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, her air force ceased to exist. Bulgaria used the opportunity to acquire large numbers of relatively modern aircraft at a symbolic price. 78 Avia B.534 biplane fighters, 32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license version of the Soviet SB light bomber) and 60 Letov .328 recon were part of the reinforcements. In less than 3 years the Air Force inventory had grown up to 478 pieces, of which 135 were of Bulgarian construction.

At the beginning of World War II, the combat air fleet comprised 374 machines in various roles. In addition, orders were placed for 10 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 fighters, 11 Dornier Do 17M/P bombers, 6 Messerschmitt Bf 108 light liaison and utility aircraft, 24 Arado Ar 96B-2, and 14 Bcker-Bestmann B 131 trainers.

The Air Force order of battle comprised the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army Aviation Orlyaks (Army Air Groups or air regiments), each attached to the correspondingly-numbered field army. Each orlyak had a fighter, a line bomber and two reconnaissance yatos (Squadrons). There was also an Independent Aviation corps, which combined the 5th Bomber and 6th Fighter Regiments. The training units consisted of the "Junker" School Orlyak at Vrazhdebna airfield, the 2nd Training Orlyak at Telish airfield (called the Blind Flying Training School) and the 3rd Training Orlyak at Stara Zagora airfield. In 1940, the Bulgarian aviation industry provided the HMAT with 42 DAR-9, 45 KB-5 aircraft, and the serial production of the KB-6, Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft, was scheduled to commence. At year's end the Air Force had 595 aircraft (258 combat) and 10,287 personnel.

The Kingdom of Bulgaria entered World War II on the 1 March 1941 as a German ally. Under a signed treaty, Bulgaria allowed the use of its territory as a staging point for the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece, and some minor logistical support.

Despite the impressive inventory, Bulgaria's fighter force at the time consisted of 91 machines, with just 10 of them being of the modern Bf 109E-4 type. Further 11 were of the outdated PZL.24B; the remaining numbers were of the Avia B.534 biplane types. The ground-based air defenses were made up of only 8x 88 mm (3.5 in) and 6x 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns. To help it's new ally, the 12th Army of the Wehrmacht offered support with its air and air defense assets and 8 Freya-type radars dispersed throughout the country. A dispersed observation and reporting system was gradually developed.

The first air strike against Bulgarian targets was carried out by 4 Yugoslav Dornier Do.17Kb-1 on the 6th of April 1941 on the city of Kyustendil and its railway station, killing 47 and injuring 95, mostly civilians. The air strikes intensified in the following days; British Royal Air Force units based in Greece participated in the attacks as well. By the end of April 5th, Bulgarian armies occupied Greek and Yugoslav territories according to an agreement with the Third Reich. As a part of the joint armed forces' effort on June 26, 1941, 6 Avia B.71 and 9 Dornier Do17M bombers were transferred to the Badem Chiflik airfield near Kavala (in modern Greece). They were tasked with ASW patrols and air support for Italian shipping over the adjacent area of the Aegean Sea. In addition, 9 Letov .328s based in Badem Chiflik provided the ground troops with air reconnaissance. At the Black Sea shores, the "Galata" Fighter Orlyak was established at NAS Chaika, Varna, with 10 Bf 109E-4s and 6 Avia B.534s. The S.328s were also used for ASW patrols over the Black Sea, flying out of the Sarafovo and Balchik airfields. At the end of 1941 the inventory of His Majesty's Air Troops consisted of 609 aircraft of 40 different types.

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