BALKAN WAR 33 



with the Greeks. The Morava Division captured Resna on November 2ist, and a force 

 was then despatched via Elbassan (Dec. ist) to Tirana, where touch was gained with 

 the Servian troops at Durazzo. Dibra surrendered on November 2Qth. On the same 

 day, at Valona, Ismail Kemal Bey proclaimed the Independence of Albania. 



Operations of the Montenegrin Armies. Montenegro had started the war, and on 

 October gth all three Montenegrin armies were set in motion. The Northern Army (Vu- 

 kovich) occupied Bjelopolje on the i3th, and then turned off towards Berane, where the 

 Turks (5 battalions, and 3,000 Arnauts) were defeated on the i5th with the loss of 700 

 prisoners and 12 guns. Berane was occupied on the i6th. Vukovich next occupied 

 Plava (Oct. igth), and Ipek, after an obstinate defence, on October 3ist. Meanwhile, 

 a portion of his army had advanced to Sjenica, where it got touch with the Servians on 

 October 24th. Farther north an irregular brigade crossed the Tara and attacked 

 Plevlje on October 28th in conjunction with the Servians. 



The Central Army fired the first shot in the war on October yth. On the xoth. it 

 stormed the fortifications of Dechich; on the i4th it obtained the surrender of Tuzi with 

 six Nizam battalions and three guns. Meanwhile General Martinovich's army was 

 advancing south of Lake Scutari; a right wing detachment of this army was thrown 

 across the Boyana River. Both armies were, however, brought to a standstill in the 

 second week of October, before the defences of Scutari and Mt. Tarabosh; siege opera- 

 tions were then commenced and were carried on chiefly by artillery fire, but the fortifica- 

 tions proved too strong for the Montenegrin guns; the defence was active, and repeated 

 sorties were made against the investing troops. 



In November one brigade of Martinovich's army was detached southwards along 

 the Adriatic coast and occupied San Giovanni de Medua on the i6th, afterwards assist- 

 ing the Servians to capture Alessio on the lyth/iSth. On November 23rd this brigade 

 was recalled to the siege of Scutari, where the situation had became critical owing to the 

 attitude of the Mirdites. On the 28th all the Montenegrin forces except some detach- 

 ments in the Sanjak of Novi Bazar were ordered to concentrate round Scutari; the 

 King then took over the supreme command, with General Vukovich as Chief of the 

 Staff. Operations round Scutari were continued during the peace conference, as the 

 armistice was not recognised by the Turkish commander. 



Operations of the Greek Armies. On October i8th the Greek Main Army crossed the 

 frontier at the Meluna Pass; on the igth the Turkish advanced troops were driven from 

 Elassona; a Greek detachment was sent from the latter place to Caterina (on the coast) 

 which was occupied on the 28th. Meanwhile the Main Army advanced northwards 

 and completely defeated the Turkish Southern Army at the Sarantoporos Defile, cap- 

 turing 22 guns. The Greeks pursued through Serfije (Oct. 23rd) to Kozhani, whence 

 the 5th Division was detached as. a left flank guard, towards Banitza. The rest of the 

 Greek Army advanced to Verria, which was reached, after some fighting at the Tripota- 

 mos defile, on October 2gth. The Turkish Struma Army made a final attempt to save 

 Salonica by taking up a position with its main body (25,000 men) at Yenidje Vardar on 

 the left flank of the Crown Prince's line of advance, while a detachment at Plati Bridge 

 barred the direct route to Salonica. The Greek Army defeated both these forces on 

 November 2nd, capturing 14 guns, and, after a difficult march across the swampy Kam- 

 pania plain, received the surrender of Hassan Tahsin Pasha and 29,000 Turkish troops 

 at Salonica on November 8th. An attempt by part of the garrison to break out towards 

 the east was frustrated by Tocloroff's Bulgarian force on the gth. 



The 5th Greek Division, 4,500 strong, which had diverged to the north-west from 

 Kozhani, engaged a Turkish rearguard at Nalbandkeui on October 2gth; on November 

 2nd it was attacked near Banitza by 15,000 Turks and fell back on Sorovech; here it 

 suffered a further reverse on November 5th and retreated towards Kozani, losing it is 

 said 12 guns, which were retaken by the Servians at Monastir. 



On November 1 5th 5 divisions of the Greek Main Army left Salonica, to co-operate 

 with the Servian ist Army, marching in two columns, one via Kailar, which picked Tip 

 the 5th Division on its way, and one by the direct Salonica- Vodena road, on Monastir. 



