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

THE OVERRUNNING OF SERBIA. 143

west from Vrania and Uskub, might cut at the roots of the salient. Moreover, the army of Stepanovitch, on the Upper Timok, was in an ugly salient of its own.

On Tuesday, the 26th, the Austrians from Orsova and the Bulgarians from Prahovo joined hands, and the whole north-east corner of 6 Serbia was in the enemy’s possession. ot. (2h.

ys D

Next day Zaichar and Kniashevatz fell at last after a heroic defence, and the line of the Timok was gone. The main Serbian position now lay roughly through Kragujevatz, the arsenal, and Parachin, on the railway, and encircled Nish, with its right at Leskovatz. On the 28th Pirot fell, and von Gallwitz, advancing up the Morava valley, made , ,g many prisoners. The Austro-Germans Cr Bs in their progress distinguished themselves by their brutality to the civilian population—brutality which had a direct military object. If they could produce a panic among the inhabitants, and cause a wholesale flight, the few roads would be encumbered with fleeing households, and the retreat of the Serbian army and guns would be hopelessly impeded.

On Saturday, the 30th, Kragujevatz was taken. There was little left in it for the victors, only half a dozen old field guns and some thousands of damaged rifles. We may now regard the Serbians as forming two forces. One, the remnant of the Armies of the North, lay from south of Kragujevatz to the north and east of Nish. The second and lesser was in the hills north of Monastir. The two were hopelessly isolated by the Bulgarian advance from Uskub towards Prishtina. The retirement of the first was by the hill roads and the Ibar

Oct. 30.