On October 8, 1944, the Bulgarian army launched a strategic offensive against German troops in the Balkans. The First, Second and Fourth Armies operated in Southern Serbia and Vardar Macedonia against the German Army Group “E“ retreating from Greece and the Aegean Islands.
The goal was to cut off the main lines of retreat of German units and to secure the left flank of the Soviet troops advancing towards Belgrade. The Bulgarian armies operated in conjunction with Soviet aviation and Yugoslav partisan formations. The National Museum of Military History defines the offensive as the beginning of Bulgaria's strategic offensive in the Balkans.
The Niš operation cuts off the Morava road
The Second Army, commanded by Major General Kiril Stanchev, begins the offensive in the Pirot-Niš direction. The Niš operation lasts from October 8 to 14, 1944. The task is to defeat the German group in the area of the city and to cut off the retreat of German troops from Greece to the north along the Morava River valley.
On October 10, Bulgarian units break through the German defenses, and on October 14 they capture Niš. In the fighting, the Second Army operates with the support of Yugoslav units and Soviet aviation. According to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, the losses of the Bulgarian army in the operation were 1,665 killed and wounded.
First Army takes to Strazhin, Strazin and Skopje
On the same day, the Strazhin-Kumanovo offensive operation of the First Army began under the command of Lieutenant General Vladimir Stoychev. The offensive was aimed at the approaches to the Vardar River and continued until November 14.
One of the most difficult episodes was the battle for the Strazhin height. On October 18, the Bulgarian Parachute Battalion captured the fortified area, and on October 25, Strazin was captured. On November 11, the troops entered Kumanovo, and on November 14 - Skopje. The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency reports 2,863 killed, 577 missing and 541 wounded Bulgarian soldiers for this operation.
Fourth Army advances in Vardar Macedonia
The Fourth Army develops its actions in the Bregalnica and Strumica directions. Its Bregalnica-Strumica operation begins on October 15 and is part of the general Bulgarian offensive that began a week earlier. As a result of the fighting, German units are pushed out of a number of settlements in Vardar Macedonia, including Strumica, Kocani, Shtip and Veles.
The participation of Bulgarian troops in Yugoslav territory was agreed on October 5, 1944 in Craiova between a Bulgarian government delegation and Josip Broz Tito. A few weeks later, in the text of the Moscow Armistice of October 28, Bulgaria committed itself to “provide such land, sea and air forces“ as the Allied command determined for service.
Thus, October 8 marked the beginning of the first major period of Bulgarian participation in the war against Germany. After the Niš and Stratin-Kumanovo operations, the Kosovo operation and the fighting in Vardar Macedonia followed. The first phase ended at the end of November 1944, after the Bulgarian units reached areas in southern Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia and hindered the withdrawal of the German Army Group “E“.
Sources: bta.bg, archives.bnr.bg, old-news.bnr.bg