Battle of Drina

Cer - Drina - Kolubara

The Battle of the Drina took place between the Austria -Hungarian and the Serbian army from 6 September to October 4, 1914 in the Bosnian Serb border area on the Drina. The Austro-Hungarian 5th and 6th Army of Bosnia began a renewed offensive to Serbia and forced the Serbs to terminate their invasion of Syrmia. The heavy losses for both sides fighting ended with the temporary transition to the trench warfare that lasted until the Battle of Kolubara.

Prehistory

After the failure of Austria's top offensive against Serbia in the Battle of Cer in August 1914, the participating imperial armies marched back across the Drina back to Bosnia. Since at the same time laying the second previously used on the Sava and Danube as well as against Belgrade army had begun to the Eastern Front, where the beginning of larger combat operations against the Russian army in Galicia was imminent, the opportunity arose to a Serb counter-attack. Also, at the urging of allies, especially Russia, the Serbian 1st Army began under Petar Bojović on September 6, a limited counter-offensive across the Sava after Syrmia.

Course

The commander of the Austrian Balkan forces Oskar Potiorek decided to turn to a renewed offensive on the Drina against the Serbian 2nd Army under Stepa Stepanović and 3rd Army under Pavle Jurišić Šturm respond. This began on 7 September and resulted in the out of Potiorek 6th Army for the construction of secure bridgeheads over the Drina and the withdrawal of the Serbs in the area of ​​Jagodnja Mountains. The guided by Liborius Knight Frank 5th Army had to first fight back a Serbian attack in starch division at Mitrovica, and then also go on to attack in the safe- Drina triangle. Faced with the new situation, ordered the Serbian commander in chief Radomir Putnik the withdrawal of the 1st Army from Syrmia and the passing of several divisions in forced marches to the vulnerable southern flank. After their arrival, he began on 17 September at the mountain Mačkov came a counterattack against the 6th Army, but failed after several days of bloody fighting. At about the same time was a Serbian- Montenegrin advance be stopped in the back of the 6th Army of Austrian mountain troops in the territory of Romanija planina until early October, the troops were again expelled from Bosnia. Both sides now prepared themselves for the war of position and waited for reinforcements and supplies. Potiorek should begin in November its third offensive against Serbia, which ended in the battle of Kolubara.