At 10:30 a.m. on October 23, 1915, the first Bulgarian units entered Niš. The event took place during the Moravian Offensive Operation, also known as the Niš Operation, with which the First Army of Lieutenant General Kliment Boyadzhiev fulfilled its main task on the Serbian front.
The date is in the old style used in Bulgaria at that time. According to today's calendar, it corresponds to November 5, 1915.
The breakthrough to the Serbian city
The First Army advanced with the 1st, 6th, 8th and 9th infantry divisions, a cavalry brigade and the 46th Pernik infantry regiment. The plan envisaged the defeat of the Serbian forces and the exit to the Morava River at Aleksinac and Niš.
After the battles for Knjaževac on October 13 and the breakthrough of the Pirot fortified post on October 14, the Bulgarian troops began a pursuit towards Niš. On October 15, the First Army began decisive action against the retreating Serbian units.
On October 23, the Niš fortified area was stormed and breached. The National Museum of Military History describes the event as follows:
„After considerable preparation, on October 23, the Bulgarian troops stormed and broke through the Niš fortified area.“
According to the same source, the 10th Rhodope Infantry Regiment of the 8th Tundja Infantry Division was the first to enter the city. The 9th Pleven Infantry Division also played an important role in the attack. Historical reference materials indicate that its 4th Pleven Infantry Regiment broke through the defensive line of the Niš fortress with a frontal attack.
The cost of the offensive
The fall of Niš interrupted the organized defense of the Serbian eastern group and opened the way for the continuation of the offensive towards Kosovo Polje. Serbian losses were 630 killed and over 13,000 captured. Bulgarian troops captured 206 guns and a large amount of military material.
The victory was achieved with heavy losses. In the battles on the Timok and Morava directions, 2,200 Bulgarian officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers died or went missing, and 6,980 were wounded.
The capture of Niš was one of the key victories of Bulgaria during the 1915 campaign. It fulfilled the main objective of the Moravian operation, but did not end the fighting in the Balkans. After the capture of the city, the First Army continued the pursuit of the retreating Serbian forces towards Kosovo Polje.
Sources: plovdivnow.bg, petel.bg