Page 298 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

298 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

Bulgarian Artillery in Support of Infantry during WWI

Dimitar MInCHEV

t the beginning of WWI in 1914 the Bulgarian Government contemplated Bulgar-
A ian intervention in order to continue what it saw as its liberation mission in Mac-
edonia. However, the country was still exhausted by the Balkan Wars, so neutrality was
the most acceptable idea. The next year, on October 1, 1915, Bulgaria entered in the war
1
on the side of the Central Powers. The Bulgarians would fight three main campaigns:
= attacking into Serbia in 1915, = attacking into Romania in 1916, = and holding a line
against Entente forces based at Salonika, Greece, from 1915 through 1918. At the time
st
of the mobilization in 1915 three field armies were formed, concentrated as follows: 1
Army at the Northwest Bulgarian border for offense against the Serbian army in the Nish
nd
region; 2 Army at the Southwest border to advance against the Serbian army in Mac-
rd
edonia; 3 Army at the Dobrudzjan border, to deter and observe the Romanian army.
nd
th
th
th
The strategic reserve consisted of four divisions – 2 , 10 , 11 , and 12 .
The Campaign Against Serbia
Serbian army deployed defensively while expecting support from the Allies, who had
landed troops at Salonika. It concentrated 150 battalions, 25 squadrons, and 316 guns
against the Bulgarians. The opposing forces were at parity in infantry, but the Bulgarian
artillery had a 2:1 superiority over the Serbs, even more so at the front of 2 Bulgarian
nd
Army.
October 1, 1915, 1 Army advanced after a mighty artillery assault. It destroyed the
st
opposing Serbian troops, and forced the Serbian army to retreat. The divisional artil-
lery prepared the offense and supported the infantry advance, meanwhile engaging in
counterbattery fire. On the far right flank the artillery supported the forcing of the Timok
River. Infantry-artillery cooperation was satisfactory. In the course of the fighting, the
artillery supported the infantry attack deep in the enemy’s defense zone. In a number of
cases the artillery regimental commanders organized unified command of the artillery
with the divisions. The artillery assault was planned in detail. The artillery personnel
showed high morale and great stamina during the bad weather of the Balkan winter in
Macedonia’s rugged terrain. The main obstacles for the artillery were the bad weather
and the muddy roads. The lessons learnt showed that, from the very beginning of the
operation, during the planning period the artillery should be carefully allotted among
the different axes of operations, in order to prevent wasting time transferring guns from
one area to another.
2 Army advanced in Macedonia, inflicting blows in the direction of Bosilegrad-
nd
1 The only book in English that deals specifically with this campaign is C.E.J. Fryer, The Destruction of Serbia
in 1915 (New York, 1997).