The Campaign in Thrace - Paperback

by P. Howell (Author)

Following the quick Bulgarian victory on the Petra - Seliolu - Geckenli line and the capture of Kirk Kilisse, the Ottoman forces retreated in disorder to the east and south. The Bulgarian Second Army under the command of gen. Nikola Ivanov besieged Adrianople but the First and Third armies failed to chase the retreating Ottoman forces. Thus the Ottomans were allowed to regroup and took new defensive positions along the Lule Burgas - Bunar Hisar line. The Bulgarian Third Army under gen. Radko Dimitriev reached the Ottoman lines on 28 October. The attack began the same day by the army's three divisions - 5th Danubian Infantry Division on the left flank, 4th Preslav Infantry Division in the centre and 6th Bdin Infantry Division on the right flank. By the end of the day 6th Division captured the town of Lule Burgas. With the arrival of First Army on the battlefield the following day, attacks continued along the entire front but were met with fierce resistance and even limited counterattacks by the Ottomans. Heavy and bloody battles occurred on the next two days and the casualties were high on both sides. At the cost of heavy losses, the Bulgarian Fourth and 5th Division managed to push the Ottomans back and gained 5km of land in their respective sectors of the front-line on 30 October. The Bulgarians continued to push the Ottomans on the entire front. The 6th division managed to breach the Ottoman lines on the right flank. After another two days of fierce combat, the Ottoman defence collapsed and on the night of 2 November the Ottoman forces began a full retreat along the entire front-line. The Bulgarians again didn't immediately follow the retreating Ottoman forces and lost contact with them, which allowed the Ottoman army to take up positions on the Catalca defence line just 30km west of Constantinople.