The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 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 to serve : The Forces
Are Armed with Rifles and Field
Guns OF Modern Make.
The Bulgarian army may be regard
ed as one Of the best organized and /
most efieient among those Of the sec
ond rate powers, and its rank and |
file, at least, Is considered by experts |
to be superior to that Of any other |
Balkan state, says the Chicago Irib-
une. The Bulgarian army Isl however,
OF comparatively recent origin, in that
/ II sprang from the battalions Of Bul-
garian volunteers which were organ
lied in 1877 by the Russian staff and
eo-operated with the Russian army dur
| ing the campaign Of 1s7T-7s. Military
service Is obligatory La Bulgaria ana
even extends to all foreigners who
have been resident In the country for
a period Of three years
The Bulgarian forces consist Of 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 a permanent footing, and the re-
serve army has permanent cadres
while the two bans Of the militia have
neither a permanent footing nor ca
dres. 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 to strengthen the field and re-
serve armies, but the second ban can
only be employed for home defense.
2 The composition Of the field army y
e as follows: The infantry, 'pekhota,p
$ number twenty four regiments, each Of
e which has a peace establishment OIL
e two battallons and small transport
$ SQUAD aud war establishment Of four
+ battalions and one transport company.
e Each battalion consists Of four COM
It panies. whose war strength IS three Of
II feers and 265 noncommissioned officers
i and men. They are armed with the
/ .315 inch Mannlicher magazine rifle
b and short bayonet Of the 1898 pat
tern. This rife gives an initial yelocl,
e ty Of 2,043 feet seconds and is sighted
n up to 2,133 yards, while the magazine
r. holds I'VE cartridges, which are charged
e by means Of a clip.
4 The cavalry, which was reorganizes
q ID 1901, now comprises the prince
bodyguard OF one squadron; four regi
d ments. each Of four squadrons, and 81
regiments, each Of two squadrons, Ih
le life guard squadron is always kept q
Re war strength, even with regard I
le horses. and numbers fourteen officer
N and 800 noncommissioned officers an
ID men. The peace footing Of the remain
Il ms. eauadrons consists of five Officers
i 187 noncommissioned officers and me
II and 100 horses. which In time Of wa
d IS increased to 163 noncommissione
officers and men and 164 horses, I'D
i. cavalry fl armed with Mannlicher cai
= bines of the 1895 pattern and sword
II The artillery consists of six reg
~ ments Of nine batteries each, giving
Is total of 3o4 field guns, nine six gu
. mountain batteries, three battalions 2
81 garrison artillery Of i've eompanie
In each and i've howitzer batteries. I'D
81 war strength Of a field battery Is ely
l7 en dis five officers, 1872 recommendations
i, officers and men and 100 horses, bu
{, details are lacking with regard TO III
4. war strength Of the mountain and how
- itzer batteries and garrison artiiier
81 companies.
II The field gun Is a fifteen pounde
e ~ breech loading Krupp gun Of 3.42 inc
81 caliber, dating from 1915, with 2 mui
= lie velocity OF 1,562 feet seconds an
maximum range of 1900 yards. Witt
in the last two years, however, the goN
T. eminent has placed orders abroad e
i, IN up to date equipment, its intention y
~ ing to rearm the field and mountai
=. batteries with 2.95 quick firing Creuso
y. Canet guns, throwing respectively
m fourteen and seven pound projectil
~ and to give the new howltzer batteri'
NJ AZ inch breech loading Krupn ordnan'
~ of the 1894 pattern AT present q
~ mountain batteries have d seven poun
III II, or breech loading Krupp gun. The
= cent orders also include twenty-fol
al inch quick firing Canet guns, noun
!. ed on mobile travelling carriages, al
!, twenty -four so inch Ganet field me
~ tars. It Is understood thar several bi
y, teries Of the new quick firing field a.
Nh Nh mountain equipment have already be-
II delivered.
~ The reserve army comprises twel
II reserve regiments Of infantry Of Il
companies each, the fifth company
~ ing for frontier duty, and four conn
Hi MES which are mere cadres and six
IL serve divisions Of field artillery, PROV
III ing eighteen batteries In time
~ peace the caares for the reserve arr
M M muster only 5000 men, who are ofic
M ed mainly by x-noncommissioned
AK ficers of the field army. The mill
~ bans which have no cadres IN pes
,s,a1 time, mobilize only In infantry b
,rrs talions
.. on mobilization the field army y
III consist Of six infantry and one caya
q. divisions Each infantry division y