Battle of Bulair

The Battle of Bulair (Bulgarian: Битка при Булаир, Turkish: Bolayır Muharebesi) took place on 8 February 1913 (O.S. 26 January 1913) between the Bulgarian Seventh Rila Infantry Division under General Georgi Todorov and the Ottoman 27th Infantry Division. The result was a Bulgarian victory. Lack of communication between the Ottoman Vanguard and their landing force and stubbornness of Enver Pasha against the combined criticism from officers Ali Fethi and Mustafa Kemal against his plans costed the Ottoman 27th Brigade their full offensive capabilities. As a result, Ottoman Army could not conduct any further large-scale offensives to relieve the Siege of Edirne.

Battle of Bulair
Part of First Balkan War
Date 8 February 1913 Location Bulair, Gelibolu District, Adrianople Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, (Bolayır, Turkey) 40.5263°N 26.7948°E / 40.5263; 26.7948 Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Bulgaria	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Georgi Todorov	Enver Pasha[1] Mustafa Kemal Pasha[1] Ali Fethi Pasha[1]
Strength
approximately. 10,000 men 13 companies 3 squadrons 24 machine guns 36 guns	37,355 people 21 camps 1 squadron 12 warships 78 guns
Casualties and losses
114 killed 416 wounded[2]	6,000 killed 10,000 wounded

Prelude

City of Edirne came under joint siege between Bulgarians and Serbians from the beginning of the war in 1912. Enver Pasha wanted to relieve the city by making an offensive to hit the besieging forces from the back.

Enver's plan consisted of combined naval and land assault towards the 7th Rila Regiment which occupied northern parts of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Elements of the 27th would engage the Bulgarian lines around Bulair while more units would land around Saor Bay and flank the 7th, effectively forming an encirclement.

Plan was revealed to the general staff of 27th aboard one of the ships and immediately came under heavy criticism by Mustafa Kemal, who believed the delay in offence to be a strategical mistake as the landings would take a few days to prepare and initiate. Kemal offered to attack the unorganised Bulgarians in a night raid while they lacked any defensive cohesion. Despite this, Enver ordered the plan to be set in motion. Landing operations took 2 days to prepare, which gave Bulgarians valuable time to prepare defensive positions and to also bring in the 13th Regiment alongside their auxiliary artillery.

The Battle

The advance began in the morning of 8 February (O.S. 26 January) when the Ottoman Auxiliary Platoons made up of Irregular Reservists of the 27th Division headed from Saor Bay towards the road to Bulair. At 7 a.m. Bulgarian 13th Regiment uncovered the Ottoman attack and fired accurate volleys in addition to artillery fire. The Ottoman artillery simultaneously opened fire as well with little effectiveness due to the thick fog that formed. Some elements of Bulgarian Artillery repositioned on the hills overlooking Saor Bay from where they later fired shots on Doganarslan Chiflik.

Ottomans captured the position at the Doganarslan Chiflik after routing the outnumbered Bulgarians there and began to surround the left wing of the 22nd Infantry Regiment. Bulgarians made a counter-attack from the flank, which forced the Irregulars to pull back in a full rout.

The Bulgarian artillery now concentrated it's fire on Doganarslan Chiflik. Around 3 p.m. 22nd Regiment counter-attacked the right wing of the Ottoman Forces and after a short but fierce fight the Ottoman troops began to retreat disorderly. Bulgarian center briefly regrouped and then striked Ottoman left wing which broke without much resistance.

Around 5 p.m. regulars Ottoman units regrouped and attacked the Bulgarian center but were repulsed before reaching the lines.

Mustafa Kemal Pasha re-organised the forces and maintained an orderly retreat to establish defensive positions half a kilometre south. Bulgarians established a defensive line of their own around Tzympe Castle. No further attacks would follow.

References

• Пейчев, А. и др. 1300 години на стража, София, 1984, Военно издателство
• Марков, Г. България в Балканския съюз срещу Османската империя, 1912–1913 г., София, 1989, Издателство “Наука и изкуство”
• Колектив, История на Българите: Военна история, София, 2007, Труд, ISBN 954-528-752-7
• Косев, К., Подвигът, София, 1983, Военно издателство

Footnotes

1. "Balkan Savaşı'nda Atatürk" (Atatürk Ansiklopedisi)
2. Колектив, История на Българите: Военна история, София, 2007, Труд, ISBN 954-528-752-7, с. 434, 435