1 Balloon Otdelenie
Role: Observation

1 Balloon Otdelenie was officially formed as the Aeronautical Otdelenie (platoon) on 20 April 1906, with one old spherical balloon. For a brief period in August 1912, the Aeronautical Otdelenie operated both balloons and aircraft, before the unit was divided into the Aeroplane Otdelenie and the Balloon Otdelenie. During the first part of the First Balkan War the Balloon Otdelenie reported enemy troop movements during the siege of Turkish-held Adrianople, flying it's first combat reconnaissance mission on 15 October 1912. When hostilities resumed on 21 January 1913, part of the unit had been split-off to create a second balloon unit: 2 Balloon Otdelenie, leaving the original unit as 1 Balloon Otdelenie. Both units came under First Army command. On 13 March 1913 the Adrianople fortress capitulated.

After the end of the First Balkan War, the unit moved some 500 km to the west by rail to a base near Slivnica to support the Third Army near the Serbian border. Unfortunately, the Sofia-1 balloon was damaged by strong wind on 26 June 1913 and saw no further use. Following the Second Balkan War, the unit was amalgamated into a single Aeroplane and Balloon Otdelenie.

The Commanding officers were Captain Vasil Zlatarov (1906-September 1912+) and Captain Yurdan Kazandjiev (by 16 October 1912-January 1913+).

Air Bases:

Base	Duration
'His Majesty's Military School' (Sofia?)	1906 - October 1912
Mustafapasa (Svilengrad)	10 October 1912 - 15 October 1912
Adrianople (Edirne)	15 October 1912 - March 1913
Slivnica	June - July 1913

Aircraft Used:

Type	Qty	Service	Badge	Example Serials
360 m3 spherical balloon	1	1906 - 1911?
Godard 640 m3 spherical balloon	1	1911 - late 1912?
'Sofia-1' spherical balloon	1	early 1912 - June 1913+
Bleriot XXI	1	12 August 1912 - ? September 1912

Unit Insignia:

Figure 1

References:

• Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Part I