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WorldWar2.ro Forum > Romanian Royal Navy > Bulgarian Air Bombardment of Constanta, 1916

Posted by: Dénes October 05, 2005 04:06 pm

Here is a Bulgarian-issued postcard of the air bombardment of Constanta harbour in 1916, currently selling on eBay. Any details of this event? Gen. Dénes

Posted by: dragos October 05, 2005 07:07 pm

Here are also a couple of pictures from Constanta after the bombardments of 1916 Source: http://www.westfront.de/englisch/romania.htm

Posted by: Carol I October 15, 2005 08:43 pm

One more photo (from eBay): I remember reading somewhere that the harbour installations (including the oil tanks) were deliberately set on fire by the retreating Romanian troops to prevent them falling into the hands of the enemy. Can anyone confirm this?

Posted by: Dénes October 15, 2005 09:26 pm

It's one thing to set the oil tanks on fire by own troops while retreating, and another one to set them ablaze during an aerial bombing attack. That's what I am actually interested in, namely if the Bulgarians could perform such a large-scale precision bombing raid in 1916. Gen. Dénes

Posted by: Carol I October 15, 2005 09:40 pm

If I remember right, most of the efforts then were to capture the resources of the enemy, not to destroy them. Thus it appears unlikely that the Bulgarians have targeted the oil depots in Constanţa. Could it be that the postcard you posted presents an artist's view of the event?

Posted by: dragos03 October 15, 2005 10:59 pm

The Russian fleet also bombarded Constanta two times after it was captured by the Central Powers, destroying the oil tanks. Maybe the photos show the aftermath of that bombardments. As a sidenote, these succesfull attacks inspired the Soviet Black Sea Fleet to try a similar one in 1941, the attack when Moskwa was sunk.

Posted by: Dénes October 16, 2005 12:00 am

QUOTE (Carol I @ Oct 16 2005, 03:40 AM) Could it be that the postcard you posted presents an artist's view of the event? Yes, it could very well be. That's why I was looking from more info on any such aerial bombardment. I know a Bulgarian aviation web site, where I will post the same question. Gen. Dénes

Posted by: Kepi October 17, 2005 07:24 am

The recent history of Bulgarian Air Forces: “Dimitar Nedialkov, Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Part.II, FARK ODD, Sofia 2001” said nothing about a Bulgarian air attack over Constanta in 1916. The only aerial activities on Romanian (Dobrudgea) Front in 1916 were the 1st and 2nd Balloon Otdelenies (Detachments) to observe Bulgarian attacks on Tutrakan (Turtucaia), Dobrici. and Cobadin in September 1916. I think Bulgarian Air Forces had no offensive capabilities during that period. C. Kiritescu in his famous history of WW1, said about air attacks over Constanta but those might be German, not Bulgarian.

Posted by: Carol I October 17, 2005 07:16 pm

Here is a quote from The Times History of the War about the fall of Constanţa in October 1916: QUOTE On the same day (October 21) the enemy reached the trans-Dobrudja railway at a point east of Murfatlar, about 20 miles west of the coast. The connexion between Cernavoda and Constanza was cut, and the latter, Rumania's largest port, had to be abandoned. From October 21 the town was under gunfire, and on October 22 the last refugees left Constanza. But the authorities gallantly stuck to the work of getting stores away by railway, road, and sea. The grain elevators and the stores of cereals, flour, naphtha, kerosene, and benzine, which there was no time to remove, were burnt. Finally, on October 23, the troops began to retire, fighting rearguard actions against an enemy of superior force. They were well supported by the Russian flotilla, which did not leave the bay until the harbour, with everything useful to the enemy, was in flames. On Sunday night (October 23) Bulgarian cavalry and infantry, supported by German troops, entered Constanza, but in the seaport, with docks covering an area of 150 acres and with a trade amounting 1,250,000 tons a year, all the booty they could boast of was 500 (presumably empty) railway trucks and several locomotives. Given the novelty and the rare occurrence of aerial attacks at that time, I guess they would have mentioned an aerial bombardment of Constanţa. Instead they only mention gunfire.

Posted by: sid guttridge October 19, 2005 11:34 am

Hi Guys, Has anyone checked if the operations of the German Zeppelins that raided Bucharest in 1916 were also extended to Constanta? Cheers, Sid.

Posted by: Carol I October 19, 2005 06:47 pm

QUOTE (sid guttridge @ Oct 19 2005, 12:34 PM) Has anyone checked if the operations of the German Zeppelins that raided Bucharest in 1916 were also extended to Constanta? Regarding the raids on Bucharest in 1916, I have read that the Zeppelins were bombing it only during the night, while during the daytime bombing missions were performed by planes.

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