32 



detachment, too late to follow this road, escaped westwards to Kalkandele. After a 

 vain attempt to reorganise the troops, Kuprulu was abandoned on November ist, and 

 the Turkish army continued its retreat in two portions, a detachment following the 

 Vafdar valley, while the main body retired through Perlepe towards Monastir. 



Meanwhile, the Servian 3rd Army had taken Mitrowitza and Prishtina (October 22nd) 

 the latter after severe fighting and was advancing by Ferisovich towards Prisrend. 

 In the Sanjak of Novi Bazar the 4th Army had captured Sjenica on October 24th, gain- 

 ing touch with the Montenegrins, and Novi Bazar after 3 days fighting on October 27th. 

 Plevlje was taken on the 28th, the Turkish garrison escaping over the Austrian frontier; 

 Nova Varosh surrendered on November 5th. By the middle of November the region 

 north of Kachanik Pass was practically in. the hands of the Allies. The main body of 

 the 4th Servian Army reinforced by two newly formed reserve divisions then moved to- 

 wards Ipek, and continued the pacification of the country. 



After the capture of Uskub the Servian armies were partly reconstituted. One 2nd 

 line division of the ist Army and the one division of the 2nd Army, under General Ste- 

 phanovitch, were dispatched by rail, via Sofia, to assist the Bulgarians in Thrace. A 

 portion of the ist Army, consisting chiefly of cavalry, pushed down the Vardar Valley, 

 defeated some Turkish detachments at Demir Kapu, and Doiran (Nov. 5th), and 

 eventually entered Salonica after its surrender to the Greeks on November 8th. 



The bulk of the ist Army (4 divisions) pursued the main body of Zekki Pasha's Army 

 along the Kuprulu-Monastir road. The Turkish rearguard was defeated in a two days 

 battle (Nov. 4th/5th), near Perlepe, which town was occupied on the 6th. Here the 

 advance of the Servians appears to have been suspended for a week, owing perhaps to 

 difficulties of supply and to a heavy snowfall which commenced on November 7th. 



The 3rd Servian Army moved from Ferisovich against the Turkish detachment which 

 had retired westwards from Uskub; this army occupied Kalkandele on October 3ist. 

 From this point the pursuit was continued by the Morava 2nd line division, which now 

 came under the orders of the ist Army, to Gostivar (Nov. 3rd), and thence to Kirchevo; 

 here the Turks were reinforced, but were again defeated after heavy fighting on Novem- 

 ber 6th. The Morava Division now suspended its pursuit and prepared to co-operate 

 with the ist Army's advance from Perlepe on Monastir. 



Though a decisive battle was still to be fought, political reasons induced the Servians 

 to send the remainder of Yankovich's army (2 divisions) on a difficult march across the 

 snow-covered mountains to the Adriatic coast. The route taken was by Prisrend, and 

 across the Mirdite country, where the troops were well received. The Servians captured 

 Alessio on November lyth/iSth after slight opposition, with the aid of 5 Montenegrin 

 battalions. After a short rest at Alessio a portion of the 3rd Army, accompanied by 

 several hundred Malissores, marched southwards along the Adriatic coast to Durazzo, 

 which they reached on November 28th. 



The main body of the ist Servian Army (4 divisions and i cavalry division) appears 

 to have resumed its advance about November i4th, by which time the Morava 2nd line 

 Division from Kirchevo had come up in line with it on the right. The Turkish Army, 

 consisting of the remains of the 5th, 6th and ?th Corps, occupied a front of 20 miles from 

 Novak to Gopes; 2 independent divisions were in reserve at Monastir. Their total 

 strength is variously put at 35,000 men with 50 guns and 90,000 men with 100 guns. 

 On the i ?th, without waiting for the arrival of the Greek Main Army from Salonica, 

 the Servian troops forced the passage of the swift running Cerna, wading breast deep 

 through the icy water. On the i8th and igth the Morava Division, on the right flank, 

 enveloped the Turkish left, while the approach of the Greek Army from Ostrovo threat- 

 ened their. line of retreat. After four days fighting, in which the Servian gunnery again 

 asserted 'its superiority, the Turks gave way (Nov. i9th/2oth). Some fragments 

 of their .army broke through towards Fiorina and Gonitza, and reached the Grammes 

 mountains; but the greater. part were dispersed or fell into the hands of the Greek 

 columns near Banitza. The Servians captured 5,000 prisoners and the greater part of 

 the Turkish artillery. Their cavalry pursued as far as Fiorina, where they joined hands 



