Battle of Pirot

Battle of Pirot
Part of the Serbo-Bulgarian War
The Bulgarian army enters Pirot.
Date 14 November 1885 – 15 November 1885[a] Location Pirot, Serbia Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Principality of Bulgaria	Kingdom of Serbia
Commanders and leaders
Lt.Col. Danail Nikolaev	Milan I
Strength
42,000 80 guns	65,000 84 guns
Casualties and losses
1,050 killed and wounded	700 killed 560 wounded

The Battle of Pirot (Bulgarian: Битка при Пирот or Пиротско сражение) was a battle between the Bulgarian Western Corps and the Serbian Nišava Army during the Serbo-Bulgarian War. The battle was fought between the 14th and the 15th of November, 1885^[a] and ended with a Bulgarian victory.

Prelude

After the Bulgarian victory at the Battle of Slivnitsa, fought from 5-7 November 1885, the Bulgarian army counter-attacked. The Bulgarian troops defeated the Serbs at Gurgulyat (7 November) and Dragoman (10 November) and subsequently reached the city of Pirot^[1] where the Serbian Nišava army had occupied defensive positions in the hills to the east of the town.

The battle

On the 14th of November, the Bulgarians defeated the Serbian cover forces along the border and moved on to Pirot. At around 15:00 on the same day, the Bulgarian advanced guard engaged the enemy. The Bulgarians first achieved success on the left flank of the front after the detachment of Captain Popov had seized the heights of Divan and Cherni Vrah. On the right flank, the 10th Regiment of the Serbian Šumadija Division was crushed and retreated followed by the two battalions sent to defend Pirot. During the skirmishes on the left flank, the Bulgarians had suffered 48 killed, 136 wounded and 27 missing while the Serbians lost 67 soldiers, had 134 wounded and 85 captured.

During the night of the 15th of November, the Serbs regrouped. In the morning, the Bulgarians continued their advance. The column of Major Gudzhev attacked the Šumadija Division and despite being outnumbered 2 to 1, the Bulgarians managed to push the Serbs to the river Temska. The retreat of the Šumadija Division forced the Drina Division to pull back as well and the Bulgarians started to chase them. On the left flank, the Bulgarians were also successful and the Serbs were defeated.

Aftermath

A day after the victory, the Bulgarian army prepared to attack the historic Serbian city of Niš, but the Austro-Hungarian delegation in the Bulgarian capital made it clear that if the Bulgarian advance continued, Austria-Hungary would have intervened in the war on the side of Serbia. On November 16th, Bulgaria and Serbia agreed to sign a cease-fire.

Notes

• a. ^[a] The battle took place 14 and 15 November according to the Old Style (OS) which is 26 and 27 NS. For more information see Old Style and New Style dates

Footnotes

Sources

• Пейчев, А. и др. 1300 години на стража, София, 1984, Военно издателство
• Атанасов, Щ. и др. Българското военно изкуство през капитализма, София, 1959, Държавно военно издателство при МНО
• Димитров, И., Съединението 1885 - енциклопедичен справочник, София, 1985, Държавно издателство „д-р Петър Берон“
• Недевска, Е., Шанов, С. Сръбско-българската война 1885. Сборник спомени, София, 1985, Военно издателство
• Венедиков, Й., История на доброволците от Сръбско-българската война 1885 година, София, 1985, Издателство на отечествения фронт, стр. 181-190
• Христов, Х. и др. Сръбско-българската война 1885. Сборник документи, София, 1985, Военно издателство