Battle of Bulair
Encyclopedia
The battle of Bulair took place on 26 January 1913 between the Bulgaria
n Seventh Rila Infantry Division under General Georgi Todorov
and the Ottoman
27th Infantry Division. The result was a Bulgarian victory.
was blocked by the Bulgarian army since the beginning of the war in 1912. From the middle of January 1913 the Ottoman high command prepared an attack towards Edirne to break through the blockade.
From 8 o'clock advanced the Ottoman 27th Infantry Division which concentrated on the shore-line of the Sea of Marmara
. Due to their superiority the Ottomans seized the position at the Doganarslan Chiflik and began to surround the left wing of the 22nd Infantry Regiment. The command of the Seventh Rila Infantry Division reacted immediately and ordered a counter-attack of the 13th Rila Infantry Regiment which forced the Myuretebi Division to pull back.
The Ottoman forces were surprised by the decisive actions of the Bulgarians and when they saw the advancing 22nd Thracian Infantry Regiment they panicked. The Bulgarian artillery now concentrated its fire on Doganarslan Chiflik. Around 15 o'clock 22nd Regiment counter-attacked the right wing of the Ottoman forces and after a short but fierce fight the enemy began to retreated. Many of the fleeing Ottoman troops were killed by the accurate fire of the Bulgarian artillery. After that the whole Bulgarian army attacked and defeated the Ottoman left wing.
Around 17 o'clock the Ottoman forces renewed the attacked and headed towards the Bulgarian center but are repulsed and suffered heavy casualties.
The position is being cleared from the Ottoman forces and the defense line is reorganized. In the battle Bulair the Ottoman forces loose almost half of their manpower and leave all their equipment on the battlefield.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Seventh Rila Infantry Division under General Georgi Todorov
Georgi Todorov (general)
Georgi Stoyanov Todorov was a Bulgarian General who fought in the Russo-Turkish War , Serbo-Bulgarian War , Balkan Wars and First World War .-Biography:At the age of 19 he volunteered in the Bulgarian Corps during the Russo-Turkish...
and the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
27th Infantry Division. The result was a Bulgarian victory.
Origins
The strong Ottoman fortress EdirneEdirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
was blocked by the Bulgarian army since the beginning of the war in 1912. From the middle of January 1913 the Ottoman high command prepared an attack towards Edirne to break through the blockade.
The battle
The advance began in the morning of 26 January when the Myuretebi Division headed under the cover of fog from the Saor Bay toward the road to Bulair. The attack was uncovered at only 100 steps from the Bulgarian positions. In 7 o'clock the Ottoman artillery opened fire. The Bulgarian auxiliary artillery also opened fire as did the soldiers of the 13th Infantry Regiment and the enemy advance was slowed.From 8 o'clock advanced the Ottoman 27th Infantry Division which concentrated on the shore-line of the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
. Due to their superiority the Ottomans seized the position at the Doganarslan Chiflik and began to surround the left wing of the 22nd Infantry Regiment. The command of the Seventh Rila Infantry Division reacted immediately and ordered a counter-attack of the 13th Rila Infantry Regiment which forced the Myuretebi Division to pull back.
The Ottoman forces were surprised by the decisive actions of the Bulgarians and when they saw the advancing 22nd Thracian Infantry Regiment they panicked. The Bulgarian artillery now concentrated its fire on Doganarslan Chiflik. Around 15 o'clock 22nd Regiment counter-attacked the right wing of the Ottoman forces and after a short but fierce fight the enemy began to retreated. Many of the fleeing Ottoman troops were killed by the accurate fire of the Bulgarian artillery. After that the whole Bulgarian army attacked and defeated the Ottoman left wing.
Around 17 o'clock the Ottoman forces renewed the attacked and headed towards the Bulgarian center but are repulsed and suffered heavy casualties.
The position is being cleared from the Ottoman forces and the defense line is reorganized. In the battle Bulair the Ottoman forces loose almost half of their manpower and leave all their equipment on the battlefield.