Kosovo offensive (1915)

Kosovo Offensive Operation
	Part of Serbian Campaign (World War I)
Date	10 November 1915 - 4 December 1915
Location	Kosovo
Result	Decisive Bulgarian victory,; final defeat of Serbia
Belligerents
Bulgaria German Empire	Serbia
Strength
1st Army, Northern Operations Group of 2nd Army	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light	30,000 killed and wounded, 199 guns lost

For the other Battles of Kosovo, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation)

The Kosovo Offensive Operation Template:Lang-bg), the third major battle in history to have been fought there, occurred between 10 November 1915 and 4 December 1915.

The battle, Serbian defeat

The battle began with the forcing of the South Morava by the Bulgarian 1st Army and ended with the total defeat of the Serbian army. The main blow was made by the 1st Army at the direction Niš-Pristina. For 2 days, the Serbian army seized Prokuplje, where they mounted a short-lived resistance.

The Serbian army retreated, then made a futile stand near the city of Gnjilane. The Serbs then tried a desperate counter-attack towards Vranje and Kumanovo to join the Anglo-French troops but were again defeated. The 6th and 9th Infantry Divisions of 1st Army easily took Priština on 24 November. Then the whole of the Bulgarian army advanced, supported from the north by parts of 11th German Army. The battle ended on 4 December when Debar was captured. The Serbs lost 30,000 soldiers, 199 guns, 150 cars and vast quantity of other military equipment. The Serbian army subsequently retreated into Albania, eventually being transported to the Greek island of Corfu.

Sources

Атанас Пейчев и колектив, 1300 години на стража, Военно издателство, София 1984.