Battle of Monastir (1917) - Initial Battles

Initial Battles

On 12 March hundreds of guns began to fire at the Bulgarian positions at the Red Wall and Height 1248. It continued for 24 hours and more than 200,000 shells were fired, destroying the fortifications. However, warned by their intelligence, the Bulgarians hid in the concrete bunkers on the opposite sides of the peaks and did not suffer any casualties.

On 14 March, five French divisions attacked the Red Wall, Height 1248 and the western slopes of the mountain defended by the Sixth Division. After six-days of fighting, the assault on height 1248 was repulsed with heavy casualties by the French. However, the main French blow was pointed against the Red Wall which was attacked by three divisions. The fortifications on the peak changed hands several times, attacks on bayonette alternated with heavy artillery fire. On 18 March the peak was called the "Macedonian Shipka" (referring to the famous battle of Shipka Pass) and like the defense of Shipka, when the Bulgarians ran out of munitions they began to throw rocks and tree trunks at the French troops. In the end, in the beginning of May the Red Wall fell and the Bulgarians retreated to the neighbouring peak.:)