Battle of Kresna Gorge - Conflict - Breaking Through The Kresna Pass and Bulgarian Counterattack

Breaking Through The Kresna Pass and Bulgarian Counterattack

The Greek army was stopped in front of Gorna Dzhumaya by significant Bulgarian resistance. In July 28, the Greek forces resumed the attack and captured a line stretching from Cherovo to Hill 1378, southeast of Gorna Dzhumaya.

However, in the evening of July 28, under heavy pressure, the Bulgarian army was forced to abandon the town, while it set fire to a quarter of it during the retreat. On the following day, the counterattacking Bulgarians attempted to encircle the outnumbered Greeks in a Cannae-type battle by applying pressure on their flanks. Nevertheless, the Greeks launched counter-attacks at Mehomia and to the west of Kresna and by July 30 the Bulgarian attacks had subsided somewhat. On the eastern flank, the Greek army launched an counterattack towards Mehomia through the Predela pass. The offensive was stopped by the Bulgarian army on the eastern side of the pass and fighting ground to a stalemate. On the western flank, an offensive was launched against Charevo Selo with the objection of reaching the Serbian lines. This failed and the Bulgarian army continued advancing, especially in the south, where by the 29th July the Bulgarian forces had cut the Greek line of retreat through Berovo and Strumitsa, leaving the Greek army with only one route of retreat. However, after a three days fighting at the sectors of Pehchevo and Mahomia, the Greek forces retained their positions. In July 30, the Greek headquarters planned to launch a new attack in order to advance towards the sector of Gorna Dzhumaya. On that day hostilities continued with the Bulgarian forces deployed on strategic positions north and northeast of the town.

Meanwhile, king Constantine, who had neglected the initial Bulgarian requests for truce, now informed Venizelos, that his army was "physically and morally exhausted" and urged him to seek cessation of hostilities through Romanian mediation. The resulted general armistice, signed on July, 31 1913 in Bucharest, ended one of the bloodiest battles of the Second Balkan War.