Battle of Turtucaia

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Battle of Turtucaia
Part of Romanian Campaign (World War I)
Date September 2, 1916 - September 6, 1916
Location Turtucaia, Romania (now Tutrakan, Bulgaria)
Result Bulgarian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Bulgaria Kingdom of Bulgaria Flag of Romania Kingdom of Romania
Commanders
Gen. Panteley Kiselov Gen. Constantin Teodorescu
Strength
28 battalions:
55,000		 19 battalions (initially):
39,000
31 battalions (end phase)
Casualties and losses
Dead or wounded:
7,350[1]
8,000[2]		 Dead or wounded:
6,160
7,500[3]
16,000[2] ;
Taken POW:
480 officers and
22,000[4]
25,000 soldiers[5]
28,000 soldiers[6]

The Battle of Turtucaia or Battle of Tutrakan (Bulgarian: Битка при Тутракан), also referred to as the Tutrakan Epopee (Bulgarian: Тутраканска епопея) in Bulgaria, was a battle during which an outnumbered Bulgarian Central Powers force captured the fortress of Tutrakan (Turtucaia in Romanian) from its Romanian defenders.

The Romanian fortress of Tutrakan was built with the aid of French military engineers after 1913, when the town and the whole of Southern Dobruja was annexed by Romania. It featured 151 cannons and 15 strong points and was commanded by General Constantin Teodorescu. The fortification was regarded as "the second Verdun" because of its alleged impregnability. However, the Romanian troops defending the fortress were almost untrained second-rate conscripts and only 3 battalions were part of the active army. They used obsolete weapons and their artillery was compared to a "museum" by witnesses.

The Bulgarian forces (4-th and a brigade from 1-st division) under General Panteley Kiselov, aided by a column of German troops led by Major Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord (whose role was limited to capturing the strong point 2), stormed the fortress in the morning of 5 September, with the Bulgarian artillery opening fire (using 105 mm leichte Feldhaubitze 16, Howitzer) at 6:30 AM and the troops attacking at 8:20 AM. Five strong points were gradually taken during the day, while the Romanians were reinforced by 15 infantry battalions and three batteries from Bucharest.

The attack was renewed on 6 September and the Bulgarian forces entered Tutrakan at around 4:00 PM, completely seizing the town a half an hour later and capturing two flags, 450 officers, more than 22,000 soldiers, 151 cannons and all of the infantry's weapons. However, during the offensive the Bulgarians lost several thousands of soldiers, including many officers, due to General Kiselov's decision to put the commanding officers in front of the subordinate soldiers.

The monument of Tutrakan Battle by Hristo Mitev
The monument of Tutrakan Battle by Hristo Mitev

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Ген. Никола Недев, България в Световната война 1915-1918, София 2001, с. 80
  2. ^ a b According to Zagoritz Тутраканска епопея
  3. ^ According to Romanian sources Тутраканска епопея
  4. ^ Dragoş Băldescu, "Bătălia de la Turtucaia (1916)", Colecţionarul Român, 24.12.2006
  5. ^ Glenn E. Torrey, "The Battle of Turtucaia (Tutrakan) (2-6 September 1916): Romania's Grief, Bulgaria's Glory"
  6. ^ Constantin Kiriţescu, "Istoria războiului pentru întregirea României: 1916-1919", vol. I, pag. 398

[edit] References

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