Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

132 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

once a steady stream of barges had been started. As much stuff as could be handled would be deliv-

ered each day at the farther end. It was possible -

for barges to be loaded at the great munition factories of the Middle Rhine and pass through to the Lower Danube without breaking bulk. While von Mackensen was clearing the Serbian bank thousands of loaded freighters were accumulating between Semlin and Budapest, ready to go forward as soon as the river was open. There was the further gain in using the riverway that the convoys would not return empty, but would bring back to Austria and Germany supplies of Bulgarian and Rumanian meat and corn.

The second route to the Bosphorus would be slower to win. It involved the capture of Belgrade and the ridges to the south of it, and an advance to the south-east which would clear the Morava valley up to Nish and the tributary Nishava valley as far as the Bulgarian frontier. To secure both routes the German plan of campaign was one of converging attacks. On the south-west Albanian bands would threaten the Prishtina and Prisrend region on the Serbian left rear. On the west an Austrian force, operating from the Bosnian bases, would assault the line of the Drina. On the north were von Mackensen’s two armies. Von Gallwitz lay on the left from Orsova to a point opposite Semendria, and von Koevess on the right, facing Belgrade and the Lower Save. The eastern Serbian frontier was entrusted to the Bulgarians. Bojadiev’s army group covered the country from the mouth of the Timok to the Ottoman railway; Teodorov’s from that railway to the neighbourhood of Strum-

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