Ovče Pole Offensive


The Ovche Pole Offensive Operation was an operation of the Bulgarian Army that occurred between 14 October 1915 and 15 November 1915 as part of the Serbian Campaign in World War I. Its aim was to seize the Vardar river valley, and to cut the vital railway linking Skopje with Thessaloniki to prevent the Serbian Army from being resupplied and reinforced by the Franco-British Allied forces. The Bulgarian forces consisted of the Second Army under the command of Lieutenant General Georgi Todorov.
The main blow was at Kumanovo where the Bulgarian 3rd and 7th divisions easily defeated the outnumbered Serbian army. On the third day the Bulgarian Cavalry Division also advanced, defeating the Serbian counter-attack and reaching Veles and the Vardar. With this success the aim was achieved. While fighting against the Serbs, the Bulgarians defeated two French divisions in the Battle of Krivolak and conclusively cut the way between the Serbs and the Allies, resulting in the fall of Serbia after the Kosovo Offensive Operation in 1915.