The Turkish force opposing each of these amounted to about 2 divisions. So small an allotment on the Thessaly front can only be explained on the assumption that the Turks supposed the Greeks to be at the same level of efficiency as in 1897. If so, they were deceived. From Trikkala the Greek 5th Div. moved on Diskata and the upper valley of the Vistritsa. Two divisions (2nd and 3rd) advanced into the salient W. of Tyrnavos and occupied Damasuli, and moved N. to clear the way for the 1st and 4th Divs., which from Tyrnavos moved directly on Elassona by the Meluna Pass. The 6th and 7th Divs., still imperfectly organized, followed on in second line.
On the igth Elassona was captured with little difficulty, the main Turkish position lying farther N. in the defile of Sarandoporon which traverses the mountains lying between the Xeria and the Vistritsa basins. On the 2Oth and 2ist, the Greek divisions, which had con- verged on Elassona for the battle that had been expected there, were redeployed, and on the 23rd the attack was delivered by all five. The 5th from Diskata and the 4th from the Xeria, uniting in the Vistritsa valley, marched on Serfije, throwing out a flank guard to Grevena, while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divs. attacked the defile fron tally and threatened its rear by way of Vlaholivadia. The much smaller Turkish force was routed with a loss of 20 guns and many prisoners, and (what was more important) the Greek army gained self-confidence as well as local victory, at a cost of some 1 ,300 casual- ties. Part of the beaten force retreated from Kozianj on Monastic, the remainder on Verria, and the Crown Prince occupied Koziani on
In view of the urgency of occupying Salonika before the Bul- garians arrived, the Crown Prince decided to leave only flank guards (5th Div. N. of Koziani and light troops N. of Grevena) facing the Monastir direction, while the remainder, reenforced by the 6th Div., pushed on to Verria, and the 7th Div. worked along the coast towards Katerini. These moves were successfully carried out; the 7th Div. gaining touch with the fleet on the 28th, occupied Eleutherochori and there created a new base, while from Verria the main army turned sharp N. and seized Vodena, the 5th Div. at the same time advancing to Banitsa by Khailar. This ingenious manoeuvre placed the five divisions of the main body on interior lines with a base on the sea and a strategic flank guard on either hand (Nov. i). But the situation was nevertheless critical for the Greeks, for Hasan Tahsin had drawn in forces from the Struma valley and was in position facing W. at Yenije Vardar, while Djavid Pasha at Monastir had assembled an effective force from troops that had come in both from the Kumanovo and the Sarandoporon battlefields, and was moving out to attack the 5th Division. The Serbian cavalry descending the Vardar had not yet passed the defile of Demir Kapu, the Serbian armies were being rearranged for the new movements above detailed, and even the I. Army was scarcely beginning its movements against the Babuna Pass. As to the Bulgarian 7th Div., the last thing desired by the Greek headquarters was an energetic advance of this force to fore- stall them at Salonika.
On Nov. 2 and 3, while Constantino attacked the Yenije Vardar position without success, Djavid fell upon the 5th Div. and drove it with heavy losses to Khailar. Simultaneously, the Greeks from Grevena, who had reached Kastoria, were forced back. But on the 4th, before these flank guards had been sufficiently beaten, the 7th Div. from Eleutherochori had forced the passage of the Kara Azmak and were threatening to interpose between Hasan Tahsin and Salonika. A renewed frontal attack at the opportune moment broke into his position at Yenije Vardar, and, threatened on all sides, the Turks withdrew into Salonika, where their commander and 29,000 men surrendered to Constantine on the gth.
Next day the 7th Bulgarian Div. 1 arrived and claimed the city for Bulgaria. An open rupture between the allies was only avoided by the establishment of a condominium.
The Greek army was then regrouped. The 1st, 2nd and 7th Divs. remaining for political reasons E. of the Vardar, the 3rd, 4th and 6th Divs. were concentrated at Vodena, with the 5th at Khailar and the Grevena force on the Kastoria road, in readiness for an advance on Monastir in concert with the Serbian I. Army.
This army had begun its advance on the mountains surrounding the basin of Monastir on Nov. I, Morava I. and Drina I. moving directly from Veles, and Danube I. from Shtip by Krivolak 2 on Prilep, while Morava II. from Tetovo marched S. on Gostivar. On the Prilep and Kichevo routes respectively, the Turkish V. and VII. Corps were rallied to dispute the passes while the VI. Corps assembled at Monastir. 3
The forcing of the Babuna Pass above Prilep was a long and difficult business, which fell on the central column alone, as Danube I. and Timok II. had to await bridging equipment before they could cross the Vardar. It was not until Nov. 5 that Prilep was reached,
1 This, as has been mentioned already, moved down the Struma valley, with a detachment on that of the Bregalnitsa. The latter rejoined by way of Strumitsa, in the last days of October. Another detachment by the Mesta valley, marched on Drama. These col- umns met with no serious resistance.
- Whence the cavalry with infantry support was sent to seize Demir
Kapu.
8 Part of this force took a share in the attack on the 5th Greek Div. at Banitsa.
and then a further pause was thought necessary to reassemble the units, scattered by mountain fighting, as well as to allow the two flank columns to come up. On the same day, however, hearing of the crisis on the Greek front, and arguing that it was both necessary to relieve pressure on the 5th Greek Div. and also possible to advance without undue risk against the Turks remaining in front of Monastir, the Serbian G.H.Q. ordered a tentative offensive towards Alince. This, carried out on the 6th by a part of Drina I., soon developed into an unintended battle, in which Morava Land the cavalry division 4 were called on to join. But the result of a day's fighting, which was marked by initiative and combination of effort in the subordinate commanders, was to hustle the Turkish V. Corps back to the environs of Monastir. A rash advance of the two divisions into the midst of the enemy was only prevented by stringent orders from G.H.Q. to halt and await the coming of the two flank columns. Of these, Morava II. had successfully driven back the Turks from Kichevo on Nov. 5, but was obliged to halt in order to organize its line of supply Gostivar-Tetovo-Uskub, and the left column was only just begin- ning the passage of the Vardar at Krivolak. Still doubtful of the real situation on the Greek front, Prince Alexander, in agreement with Putnik, was determined not to fight the battle of Monastir till he should have all his forces in hand.
The assembly of the forces for battle on the line Mramoritsan- Podine Dobrusovo was to be completed for Nov. 14.
The Turks also prepared for battle. Leaving only a few troops in front of Verria and of the Greek 5th Div. and Grevena force, Djavid Pasha brought back the rest of the VI. Corps to join 'Ali Riza at Monastir, where what remained of the V. and VII. were concen- trated. The total combatant strength was about 40,000. The position taken up lay S. of the line of the Semnitsa and thence along the marshy bank of the Cerna, its eastern half lying on the plain and its western half on the heights. The V. Corps occupied the plain from opposite Novak to Kikuricani, with its centre of gravity on the Prilep road. The VII. Corps occupied the mountain sector; and the V. Corps was in reserve at Monastir.
The Serbian plan was to attack the Kikuricani front and the heights abutting on the plain with Morava I. on the right and Drina I. on the left, to attack and outflank the Turkish left wing on the mountains by means of Morava II. which was coming down from Kichevo, and to do the same on the right of the defence with Danube I. and the cavalry division operating at and S. of Novak. Timok II. was to be in reserve behind the centre. The necessity of maintaining at all costs the single supply route of the army that through Prilep topointson the Uskub-Salonika railway no doubt imposed a plan of
Serbian movements
Turkish walla
Turkish Corps V.VI.VDI.
Corps counUr attacks = {VI J
battle that was to all intents and purposes frontal, for the projected
movements of cavalry on Resna and over the Cerna could hardly be
regarded as serious attempt at envelopment.
The battle, projected for Nov. 14, was ordered to be postponed till the I7th. But on the 1 5th, as the divisions were getting into position, part of Morava II., carried away by its own ardour, launched a night attack on height 1, 150 S. of the Semnitsa. The enemy was well pre- pared, position after position had to be stormed and it was not till the afternoon of the i6th that the detachment secured the height, at the cost of heavy losses. Meantime the rest of the army, according to orders, was merely making its final reconnaissances. On the I7th, the four battalions of Morava II. had to resist, still without help from the rest of the army, a series of heavy counter-attacks delivered by the VI. Turkish Corps under the energetic Djavid. 6
The battle of Monastir, which was finally launched on the whole front on the 1 8th, will long be studied for its tactical incidents, but as an ensemble it is sufficiently described by saying that the resist- ance of the half division of Morava II. absorbed so much of the
4 Which had been relieved on the Vardar by Timok II. 6 Morava I., however, sent some reinforcements on the afternoon of this day.
