D.520 Royal Bulgarian Air Force - From September 1943, some 96 ex-French Air Force and newly built D.520 fighters were transferred to the Bulgarian Air Force in order to intercept Allied air attacks passing over Bulgaria to reach the Romanian oil fields.
However, when the tide had turned and Bulgaria was under imminent threat of invasion by the Soviet Army despite the fact that Bulgaria was not at war with the USSR, a coup d'etat took place on 9th September 1944; the new government decided to switch sides and declared war on Germany. The German-inspired "cross" markings disappeared in favour of this rather unusual roundel, and the yellow identification markings were painted out.
However, when the tide had turned and Bulgaria was under imminent threat of invasion by the Soviet Army despite the fact that Bulgaria was not at war with the USSR, a coup d'etat took place on 9th September 1944; the new government decided to switch sides and declared war on Germany. The German-inspired "cross" markings disappeared in favour of this rather unusual roundel, and the yellow identification markings were painted out.
