An -maybe- intersting picture

[Theodor]

Well, this might be interesting for you, so decided to show a scan. May be interesting, may be not, anyway, here it is.
Just an ordinary young Bulgarian sailor from WWI. Very very ordinary picture. But what makes it interesting - the word on his cap. It says "Podvodnik" - submariner! The Bulgarian submariners in WWI were less than few!

[Theodor]

...and the submarine itself. Imported from Germany. Unfortunately not an original picture.

[David S]

Small submarine, small submarine force

Just how big (or small) was the Bulgarian Submarine Force?

[Theodor]

Oh, it was a huge force!!! As far as I have heard, the submarine was one and only The one on the picture...
The end of WWI reached the submarine in the waters of Turkey /our ally in WWI/. The submarine was left there, postwar Bulgaria had no right to posses such weapons. The Turks did not have what to do with the submarine, so simply cut it for scrap metal.
And here comes the interesting part. The middle section, together with the tower, were claimed to have been discovered in a Bulgarian village high in a Bulgarian mountain last year! According to the story, the submarine was in Turkey cut to pieces, these waiting to be scrapped. But a Bulgarian purchased that part as scrap metal and transported it to his village. It was shown on the TV, but I must confess I still do not know what they showed - it was very much covered with bushes and some things, but still what was seen indeed looked like it is the real thing! Lets hope it will be recovered and sent to the museum,, where it belongs...

[Theodor]

Well, I even managed to find the article in the arcives of the tv channel.
So, according to the article, the submarine was U B 18, produced in 1915, in Bulgaria from 1916. 28 m long, 17 men crew, 2 x 45 mm torpedo tubes, one 37 mm cannon.
And here is quite a good picture. It does not look to me very much like the tower on the old picture, but after all probably at least several parts were removed. On the tv footage they showed from close those round holes, these looked like typical ship windows, with well sealed very thick glasses.

[Rick Research]

Maybe that was Noah's, and everyone got Mount Ararat wrong?

Keep us posted on the "high alpine submarine." I'll put this in International too, as well as Imperial.

[Theodor]

Indeed a funny story Lets hope it's the real thing!! /I mean a Bulgarian sub, not Noah's /. I'll update immidiately ifmore info appear!