Battle of Bulair

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Battle of Bulair
Part of First Balkan War
Date 26 January 1913 Location Bulair, Turkey Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Bulgaria	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
General Georgi Todorov	Major Fethi bey
Strength
37,355	Unknown
Casualties and losses
114 killed, 416 wounded[1]	More than 6,000 killed 10,000 wounded[1]

v • d • e First Balkan War Sarantaporo - Giannitsa - Kumanovo - Kirk Kilisse - Pente Pigadia - Prilep - Lule-Burgas - Chataldja - Sorovich - Bitola - Kaliakra - Elli - Bulair - Şarköy - Adrianople - Lemnos - Bizani - Shkoder

The battle of Bulair (Bulgarian: Битка при Булаир) took place on 26 January 1913 between the Bulgarian Seventh Rila Infantry Division under General Georgi Todorov and the Ottoman 27th Infantry Division. The result was a Bulgarian victory.

Contents 1 Origins 2 The battle 3 References 4 Footnotes

[edit] Origins

The strong Turkish fortress Odrin 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 Odrin to break through the blockade.

[edit] 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 Turkish 27th Infantry Division which concentrated on the shore-line of the Sea of Marmara. Due to their superiority the Turks 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 Turks 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 Turks and after a short but fierce fight the enemy began to retreated. Many of the fleeing Turkish 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 Turks renewed the attacked and headed towards the Bulgarian center but are repulsed and suffered heavy casualties.

The position is being cleared from the Turkish forces and the defense line is reorganized. In the battle Bulair the Turks loose almost half of their manpower and leave all their equipment on the battlefield.

[edit] References

• Пейчев, А. и др. 1300 години на стража, София, 1984, Военно издателство
• Марков, Г. България в Балканския съюз срещу Османската империя, 1912–1913 г., София, 1989, Издателство “Наука и изкуство”

[edit] Footnotes