Battle of Kajmakchalan

Battle of Kajmakcalan
Part of the Macedonian Front of the Balkans Theatre (World War I)
A commemoration Serbian chapel at Kajmakčalan
Date September 12 to September 30, 1916 Location Kajmakcalan Result Tactical Serbian victory
Belligerents
Serbia	Bulgaria
Commanders and leaders
Zivojin Misic	Kliment Boyadzhiev
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
10,000+	Unknown

The Battle of Kajmakchalan was a battle of the Macedonian Front in World War I. The battle was part of the greater military World War I campaign between the Kingdom of Serbia, on the Allied Side, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria, on the Central Powers. The battle remains known in history for the great number of casualties that the Serbian army suffered and for the extraordinary force that both sides showed.

The battle was fought between September 12 and September 30, 1916, when the Serbian army after suffering huge casualties managed to capture the peak of prophet Ilia on the height of 2.524 meters, while pushing the Bulgarians toward Mariovo, where the latter formed new defensive lines. Between September 26 and September 30, the peak changed hands several times till it was captured by the Serbian army on September 30.

The battle proved very costly for both sides. Serbian loses had reached around 10,000 killed or wounded by 23 of September, several days before the battle ended. The Bulgarian companies had been reduced to 90 men each and one regiment had 73 officers and 3,000 men hors de combat.

By strategic aspect the battle was not a huge success for the Allies due to the upcoming winter that made almost impossible further military engagements.

Today there is a small church on the peak of Prophet Ilia where the skulls of dead Serbian soldiers are stored, and it is regarded as a cultural site and a tourist attraction.

References

• Alan Palmer "The Gardeners of Salonika"
• Gordon-Smith, Gordon (1920). "From Serbia to Jugoslavia; Serbia’s victories, reverses and final triumph, 1914-1918,". G.P. Putnam’s Sons – New York. http://www.archive.org/details/fromserbiatojugo00gordrich. 

External links

• [1], The battle of Kajmakchalan, Η μάχη του Καϊμακτσαλάν