Battle of Merhamli
| Battle of Merhamli | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 40°57′N 26°16′E / 40.95°N 26.27°E | |
| Result | Bulgarian victory |
Bulgaria
Ottoman Empire Nikola Genev Aleksandar Tanev Mehmed Yaver Pasha (POW)The Battle of Merhamli was part of the
Development of the war until November
In the beginning of 1912 when the Ottoman-Montenegrin conflict from the previous month grew into Balkan-wide war the main forces of the adversaries were concentrated in
The actions in the
The main task of the Ottoman Kardzhali corps which was stationed in the Eastern Rhodopes was to prevent the Bulgarians from cutting the land communications between the Ottoman armies in Thrace and Macedonia. However, after the successes of the
Chase of Mehmed Yaver Pasha
Actions of the Rodopi Detachment
After the fall of Salonica to the Balkan allies the Rodopi Detachment changed the direction of its advance. From
Actions of the Kardzhali Detachment
In the battle of Balkan Toresi on 20 November the Kardzhali Detachment (3rd Brigade of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps, two mixed regiment and other squads) defeated the Ottoman rearguard and entered Gyumyurdzhina in the next day. After several day march through the Eastern Rhodopes General Genev gave his troops a rest. On 25 November the detachment continued eastwards and after two days captured Feres in close proximity to the camp of Mehmed Yaver Pasha on the right banks of the Maritsa.[6]
Actions of the Mixed Cavalry Brigade
On 15 November the Mixed Cavalry Brigade of Colonel Tanev captured Soflu. Reinforced with the 2nd Brigade of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps he marched south along the Maritsa and on 18 November took Feres and on 19 November captured Dedeagach. However, concerned about the news for advancing Ottoman reinforcement, Tanev retreated back to Soflu leaving 150 volunteers in Dedeagach.[6]
On 26 November the corps of Mehmed Yaver Pasha reached Merhamli and began to cross the Maritsa but due to the torrential rains only 1,500-2,000 men with two guns managed to reach the left bank until noon in the next day. In the meantime the troops of Tanev attacked the Ottoman forces from the north and the detachment of Genev was closing in from the west. In the evening of 27 November Tanev forced the Ottoman commander to sign a document for capitulation.[7] The Ottomans surrendered in the next day after the Kardzhali Detachment arrived at Merhamli. Around 9,600 Ottoman soldiers and officers were captured along with 8 artillery guns.[8]
The survived Ottoman forces which managed to cross the Maritsa joined the Ottoman defenders in Galipoli.[4]
Aftermath
With the capitulation at Merhamli the Ottoman Empire lost
References
Sources
- Балканската война 1912-1913, Държавно военно издателство, София 1961 (БВ)
- Марков, Г. България в Балканския съюз срещу Османската империя 1912-1913 г., "Наука и изкуство", София 1989 (електронно издание „Книги за Македония“, 19.08.2009)
- Erickson, E. Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912-1913, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003, ISBN 0-275-97888-5