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Second Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.
After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates, each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three independent field armies. The Second Army Inspectorate, which had its seat in Plovdiv, formed the headquarters of the Second Army.
On 17 September Bulgaria declared the mobilization of its armed forces and the three field armies were activated. Lieutenant General Nikola Ivanov took command of the Second Army and colonel Nikola Zhekov was made chief of staff.
The Second Army was tasked with covering the concentration of the remaining forces. Its own mobilization and deployment were carried out according to schedule and on 30 September almost all units had reached their designated areas along the Ottoman border. The Army established its headquarters at Simeonovgrad. Then on 5 October 1912 O.S. Bulgaria declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The Second Army had the following order of battle:
The task of the army was to neutralize the strong garrison of the Adrianople fortress while the First and Third armies engaged the main forces of the Ottoman Eastern Army. After the advance had begun, in order to achieve its objective, the Second Army was temporarily reinforced with the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Balkan Infantry Division (9236 men, c.8,300 rifles and 8 machine guns), which was attached to the 9th Division.
Initially, the army met little resistance and its main forces (8th and 9th divisions) headed towards Adrianople. The Haskovo Detachment engaged the Ottoman forces of Yaver Pasha around Kurdzhali and after a decisive battle took the town on 8 October. This secured the right flank of the army and made any Ottoman attacks on its rear lines of communication impossible.
On 9 October, the Ottoman Army in Eastern Thrace commenced an offensive against the Bulgarian forces. The fortress garrison left the town and attacked to the west and the east against the Bulgarian Second and First armies. The Bulgarians were not surprised and managed to hold the attacks, forcing the Ottomans to return to the fortress. On 10 October, with the end of the attempted breakthrough the Bulgarian High Command ordered the 1/3 Brigade to be returned to the 3rd Balkan Infantry Division. The Haskovo Detachment was ordered to leave two battalions in Kardzhali and approach Adrianople from the west.
After the victory at the Battle of Kirk Kilisse the Bulgarian First and Third armies advanced to the south in pursuit of the Ottoman Eastern Army and cut the line of communication between Adrianople and Constantinople. The 3rd Balkan Division was ordered by the commander of the First Army to remain around Adrianople, to protect the army's rear and cooperate with the Second Army. With the fortress now almost completely isolated, its commander Shukru Pasha ordered a new attack on 16 October with 18 infantry battalions against the Bulgarian 3/8, 1/9 and 2/9 infantry brigades but it soon failed and the Turkish troops retired to their main defensive line. On the same day with their main forces engaged at the Lule Burgas the Bulgarians decided to complete the encirclement of the fortress. Two brigades of the 9th Division were sent to assist the Third Army while their place was taken by the newly formed 11th Mixed Infantry Division. By 26 October the fortress was completely cut off but the Bulgarian lines were overstretched and in held by very few troops on many places. The Bulgarian High Command used a previously reached agreement with Serbia, that allowed the deployment of Serbian forces in Eastern Thrace, to reinforce the Bulgarians with two divisions of the Serbian Second Army. By early November the last of the Serbian forces had arrived. With the attention of the Bulgarians focused on the Çatalca line a new attempt by the Ottomans to break the siege was repulsed on 29 and 30 October. Until the first armistice was concluded the Second Army limited its operations to tightening the encirclement and shelling the fortress in order to reduce the morale of its defenders.
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Second Army (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.
After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates, each one comprising three divisional district. During war they formed three independent field armies. The Second Army Inspectorate, which had its seat in Plovdiv, formed the headquarters of the Second Army.
On 17 September Bulgaria declared the mobilization of its armed forces and the three field armies were activated. Lieutenant General Nikola Ivanov took command of the Second Army and colonel Nikola Zhekov was made chief of staff.
The Second Army was tasked with covering the concentration of the remaining forces. Its own mobilization and deployment were carried out according to schedule and on 30 September almost all units had reached their designated areas along the Ottoman border. The Army established its headquarters at Simeonovgrad. Then on 5 October 1912 O.S. Bulgaria declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The Second Army had the following order of battle:
The task of the army was to neutralize the strong garrison of the Adrianople fortress while the First and Third armies engaged the main forces of the Ottoman Eastern Army. After the advance had begun, in order to achieve its objective, the Second Army was temporarily reinforced with the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Balkan Infantry Division (9236 men, c.8,300 rifles and 8 machine guns), which was attached to the 9th Division.
Initially, the army met little resistance and its main forces (8th and 9th divisions) headed towards Adrianople. The Haskovo Detachment engaged the Ottoman forces of Yaver Pasha around Kurdzhali and after a decisive battle took the town on 8 October. This secured the right flank of the army and made any Ottoman attacks on its rear lines of communication impossible.
On 9 October, the Ottoman Army in Eastern Thrace commenced an offensive against the Bulgarian forces. The fortress garrison left the town and attacked to the west and the east against the Bulgarian Second and First armies. The Bulgarians were not surprised and managed to hold the attacks, forcing the Ottomans to return to the fortress. On 10 October, with the end of the attempted breakthrough the Bulgarian High Command ordered the 1/3 Brigade to be returned to the 3rd Balkan Infantry Division. The Haskovo Detachment was ordered to leave two battalions in Kardzhali and approach Adrianople from the west.
After the victory at the Battle of Kirk Kilisse the Bulgarian First and Third armies advanced to the south in pursuit of the Ottoman Eastern Army and cut the line of communication between Adrianople and Constantinople. The 3rd Balkan Division was ordered by the commander of the First Army to remain around Adrianople, to protect the army's rear and cooperate with the Second Army. With the fortress now almost completely isolated, its commander Shukru Pasha ordered a new attack on 16 October with 18 infantry battalions against the Bulgarian 3/8, 1/9 and 2/9 infantry brigades but it soon failed and the Turkish troops retired to their main defensive line. On the same day with their main forces engaged at the Lule Burgas the Bulgarians decided to complete the encirclement of the fortress. Two brigades of the 9th Division were sent to assist the Third Army while their place was taken by the newly formed 11th Mixed Infantry Division. By 26 October the fortress was completely cut off but the Bulgarian lines were overstretched and in held by very few troops on many places. The Bulgarian High Command used a previously reached agreement with Serbia, that allowed the deployment of Serbian forces in Eastern Thrace, to reinforce the Bulgarians with two divisions of the Serbian Second Army. By early November the last of the Serbian forces had arrived. With the attention of the Bulgarians focused on the Çatalca line a new attempt by the Ottomans to break the siege was repulsed on 29 and 30 October. Until the first armistice was concluded the Second Army limited its operations to tightening the encirclement and shelling the fortress in order to reduce the morale of its defenders.