Evening journal., 1903-09-16
THE BULGARIAN ARMY.
Entire Fighting Strength Is
Nearly 100000 Men.
MILITARY SERVICE OBLIGATORY.

Even Foreigners who Have Resided
In bulgaria For Three Years Arc
Compelled 10 serve The Forces
Are Armed with Rines and Field
Guns OF Modern Make.
The Bulgarian army may be regard
I'd as one Of tho best organized and
most efficient among those Of the sec
ond rate powers. and its rank and
file, at least. is considered by experts
10 be superior 10 that Of any other
Balkan state, says the Chicago Trib-
une. The Bulgarian army is. however,
of comparatively recent origin, ia that
it sprang from the battalions of Bull
garinn volunteers which were organ
lied IN 1877 by the Russian stan and
co-operated with the Russian army dur
ing the campaign OF 1S77-7S. Military
service Is obligatory in Bulgaria and
even extends TO all foreigners who
have been resident IN the country for
a period of three years.
The Bulgarian forces consist or the
active or field army, divided into the
active army and the active army re-
serve, the reserve army and the militia,
comprising two bans. In time OF peace
the active army, but not its reserve, Is
on permanent footing, and the re-
serve army has permanent cadres,
while the two bans OF the militia have
neither a permanent footing nor ca
drcs; for no actual service or training
of the men of the two bans takes place
except in time Of war. The first ban
OF the militia may be used exception
ally 70 strengthen the field and re-
serve armies, but the second ban can
only be employed for home defense.
The composition Of the field army Is
as follows: The infantry, 'pekhota," I"
number twenty-four regiments. each Of
which has peace establishment Of
two battalions and small transport
squad and a war establishment OF four
battalions and one transport company.
Each battalion consists of four COM
I panies, whose war strength Is three Of
/ ficers and 265 noncommissioned officers
and men. They are armed with the
\ .3i5 inch Mannlicher magazine rifle
and a short bayonet Of the 1890 pat
tern. This rifle gives an initial veloci-
ty of 2,O43 feet seconds and is sighted
up to 2,133 yards. while the magazine
holds five cartridges. which are charged
by means of clip.
The cavalry, which was reorganized
in 1901, now comprises the princes
bodyguard Of one squadron; four regi
ments, each OF four squadrons, and Sis
regiments. each of two sqpadrons. Th'
life guard squadron Is always kept a.
/ war strength. even with regard e
horses. and numbers fourteen officer
and 300 noncommissioned officers ans
men, The peace footing of the remain
ing squadrons consists of Eve officers
4 131 noncommissioned officers and me
and 100 horses. which I'm time OF wa
r. is increased TO 163 noncommissione
e officers and men and 164 horses. tn
e cavalry is armed with Mannlicher ca
bines OF the 1895 pattern and sword.
e The artillery consists OF six reg
ments Of nine batteries each. giving
total of 324 field guns, nine six gu
:. mountain batteries three battnlions {
= garrison artillery of five compnnie
each and five howitzer batteries. tn
war strength OF n field battery is giN
en- as five officers, 1S2 noncommissione
officers and men and 159 horses, bu
details are lacking with regard to th
war strength Of the mountain and how
= itzer batteries and garrison artiller,
companies.
The field gun Is a fifteen pounde
Z breech loading Krupp gun Of 3.42 incl
caliber, dating from 1870, with a muz
n zle velocity Of 1,5C2 feet seconds an'
!. a maximum range Of 1900 yards. With
Z in the last two years, however, the gov
ernment has placed orders abroad 70
b up TO date equipment its intention be
ing TO rearm the field and mountaii
, batteries with 2.95 quick firing Creusoi
= Canet guns, throwing respectively
fourteen and n seven pound projectilC
and to give the new howitzer batterie
AZ inch breech loading Krupp ordnanc
OF the 1894 pattern. At present tn
2 mountain batteries have a seven pound
q er breech loading Krupp gun. The rC
cent orders also include twenty-fou
n a. inch quick firing Canet guns. mount
a ed on mobile travelling carriages, an
twenty-four SO inch Canet aeld mol
= tars. It is understood that several bal
r. teries Of the new quick firing field an
mountain equipment have already bee
= delivered.
The reserve army comprises twelv
n reserve regiments OF infantry Of fiv
companies each, the ffth company bs
ing for frontier duty, and four compS
[ nies which are mere cadres and six II
| serve divisions of field artillery. provit
ing eighteen batteries. In time O
% peace the cadres for the reserve arm
muster only 6.00O men, who are Officer
ed mainly by ex-noncommissioned OF
- ficers of the Geld army. The miliu
T. bans, which have no cadres in peac
e time, mobilize only in infantry ba
T. talions.
On mobilization the field army wi
consist Of six infantry and one cavalr
= divisions. Each infantry division wi
, comprise two brigades. each Of twelv
n battalions-that is, eight OF the activ
" and four OF the reserve army. tn
e mobilization Of the first line will /
r. able to be completed I'm ten days an
will place 144 battalions, each 1,0C
strong, in the field.
Finally, should Bulgaria be threatel
cd with invasion, It is estimated th;
the mobilization OF the reserve arm
and the two militia bans would civ
n the principallty a grand armed strengi
~ OF 5,431 officers, 29O.6TT noncommi