Battle of the Crna Bend
Part of theBalkans Theatre (World War I)
Entrance of French troops inBitola on 19 November 1916
Date 14 October – 19 November 1916 Location River Crna,Macedonia Result Entente victory[1][2]
Belligerents
France  Serbia Russian Empire	Bulgaria German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Victor Cordonnier[3] Živojin Mišić[citation needed]	Todor Mitov Georgi Bolyshakov[citation needed] Arnold von Winckler
Units involved
Unknown	8th Tundzha Infantry Division
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy

TheBattle of the Cherna bend^[a] was a two-month-long battle between theBulgarian and theEntente armies. The battle took place on theMacedonian front during theFirst World War AlliedMonastir Offensive in October and November 1916. After extremely heavy fighting and severe casualties on both sides, the Bulgarians retreated fromBitola on 19 November, taking positions 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north by defeating all the later attacks from there. However, the Entente entry in Bitola had no strategic value.^[4]

In August 1916, the Bulgarians launched theLerin operation. TheEntente troops started a counterattack and, on 30 September, tookKajmakčalan with heavy casualties and continued toBitola. In the area of theRiver Crna (Macedonian andSerbian:Црна/Crna,Bulgarian:Черна Река/Cherna Reka), the Bulgarian8th Tundzha Infantry Division had taken hastily defensive positions in September 1916. That division took the main enemy blow. On 5 October, the Serbian troops attempted to cross the river. Some reached the right bank but were counterattacked and defeated by the Bulgarians and had to retreat.

On 6 October, the Serbs attacked again near the villages ofDobroveni and Skochivir but were again counterattacked and pushed back. The Bulgarians took the village of Brod. The Serbs, who had great superiority in artillery, attacked constantly.

On 14 and 15 October 1916, fighting continued without interruption. The Serbian pressure was immense, and the Bulgarians continued to hold their positions. The night of 15 October was one of the high points of the fighting when the Serbs launched eight consecutive attacks, all of which were repulsed. The Serbs then recovered for three days, and on 18 October, they crossed the left bank of the River Crna at Brod and fortified it. The Bulgarian army counterattacked but was repulsed.

On 23 October, the artillery fire of the Entente grew even more. The French were fighting nearKremenica. During the week, the Bulgarians tried to push them back without success, and all Serbian attacks were also unsuccessful, leading to massive casualties for both sides. Due to a lack of munitions, the Bulgarian artillery had to save shells which harmed the soldiers' morale. On 7 November, the enemy artillery started intense fire at the 3/8 Brigade, which occupied positions between Krape andPolog. After three days, the brigade's losses became so immense that on 10 November, it abandoned its positions, which the Serbs took. On 19 November, the Bulgarians also had to retreat from Bitola and took positions 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the town. The front stabilized on the linePelister - Hill 1248 - Hill 1050 - Dabica -Gradešnica.

The Entente continued with its attempts for a breakthrough against the Bulgarians in the area of the River Crna the following year, again without any success. Theallied offensive in spring 1917 was a failure. The Bulgarian-German army continued to hold theMacedonian Front against French, British, Serbian and Greek troops until the Franco-Serbian breakthrough atDobro Pole on 15 September 1918.

• Недев, Н.,България в световната война (1915-1918), София, 2001, Издателство „Анико“,ISBN 954-90700-3-4
• Атанасов, Щ. и др.Българското военно изкуство през капитализма, София, 1959, Държавно военно издателство при МНО

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