BULGARIA ATTACKS
Up to this time the Rumanians had hoped, perhaps, even believed, that
Bulgaria would refrain from attacking in Dobrudja. Not a word had come
from Sofia indicating that Bulgaria intended to begin hostilities. But
on this day, September 2, 1916, a strong force composed of Bulgarians,
Turks, and Germans, which had been quietly mobilizing behind the
Bulgarian frontier, hurled itself over into Dobrudja and threw back
the weak Rumanian guards. The force with which this blow was delivered
was understood a few days later, when it was learned that Germany had
sent her best field commander, General Mackensen, to direct operations
in this zone.
This territory is of a nature entirely different from the scene of the
fighting along the eastern and northern borders of Rumania. Dobrudja
forms a square tract of level country, about a hundred miles long and
sixty broad, lying just south of the delta of the Danube and along the
Black Sea coast. The larger part of it is marshy or low, sandy plain.
Here the Danube splits into three branches, only one of which, the
Sulina, is navigable. Two railroads traverse this country; the one
running from Bucharest to Constanza, an important seaport; another
branching off from this line below Medgidia, running down to Dobric,
thence over the frontier into Bulgaria. The former was of special
importance to the Rumanians, as it was the only line of communication
between Rumania and any Rumanian force that might be operating in
Dobrudja. It crossed the Danube over a bridge and viaduct eleven miles
in length, forming the only permanent crossing over the river below
the bridge at Belgrade. This structure ranks as one of the big
engineering works in the world, its cost being close to $3,000,000. It
consists, first of a bridge of three spans, 500 yards in length, then
follows a viaduct eight miles in length, resting on piers built on
islands, and finally comes a bridge 850 yards in length, of five
spans, crossing the main channel of the river, which here is a hundred
feet deep in places. Such is the famous Cernavoda Bridge. Toward this
important point Mackensen's first move was obviously directed.
On September 3, 1916, a Rumanian dispatch announced that Mackensen was
attacking in full force along his front below Dobric and that he had
been repulsed. But as developed within twenty-four hours Mackensen was
not repulsed. On the contrary, he was advancing, as was shown the next
day when he had extended his lines to a point eight miles northwest of
Dobric, while the full length of the frontier was well within his
front. On the following day, the 4th, Dobric was attacked and easily
taken, and the combined forces of Bulgarians, Turks, and Germans
hurled themselves against the outer fortifications protecting the
south end of the bridge at Tutrakan. Fortunately for the Rumanians
they were now reenforced by a considerable body of Russians, and the
Bulgarians were temporarily checked, the heaviest fighting taking
place in the neighborhood of Dobric. But the Rumanians and the
Russians were plainly outnumbered, at Dobric they were gradually
pressed back, while at the bridgehead they were severely defeated. At
this latter point the enemy showed his vast superiority in artillery,
which he had concentrated here for the purpose of demolishing the
fortifications. After nearly a dozen assaults, each following a
furious artillery preparation, the Bulgarians finally, on September 6,
1916, drove the Rumanians back and took the fort. It was at this point
that the German and Bulgarian dispatches claimed that 20,000 Rumanians
were taken prisoner, but dispatches from Bucharest stoutly denied
this. However, as was admitted later, the total losses of the
Rumanians could not have been much less.
After the fall of Tutrakan the Russo-Rumanian forces, under the
command of General Aslan, retired northward, and a lull came in the
fighting on this front which lasted almost a week. On the 8th Silistra
too was evacuated by the Rumanians after a spirited defense by the
small garrison. When the news of these reverses became known to the
people of Bucharest little depression was shown, for the operations
against the Austro-Hungarians were continuing successfully for the
Rumanians.
In spite of the fact that the Austro-Hungarians had had two years'
experience of warfare, and that the Rumanians were new to actual
fighting, the former made very poor resistance. With comparative ease
the Rumanians advanced beyond Brasso and took Sepsiszentgyorgy and
forced the Austro-Hungarians to retreat west of Csikszereda. On the
8th the Rumanians announced themselves in possession of Toplicza, San
Milai, Delne, and Gyergyoszentmiklos, while in the sector between
Hatszeg and Petroseny they were pressing the enemy severely. Nowhere
did the Austrians make any serious resistance: they retreated, as
slowly as possible, under the protection of rear-guard actions,
yielding over 4,000 prisoners to the advancing Rumanians, as well as a
great deal of railroad rolling stock, cattle, and many convoys of
provisions. That they were expecting the assistance which was
presently to come to them from the Germans seems obvious from the
fact that they did not destroy the railroad or its tunnels or bridges
as they retired; they apparently felt certain of returning. The
peasantry, on the other hand, burned their houses and crops in those
sections where the population is Magyar, then fled toward Budapest,
which was beginning to fill with refugees. In those sections where the
Rumanians were numerous the people, according to the Rumanian
dispatches, welcomed the invaders with frantic enthusiasm.
The victorious Rumanians continued toward Hermannstadt, taking
Schellenberg on the way. Here a Hungarian army had been defeated in
1599 by Rumanians under Michael the Brave. Hermannstadt, however,
marked the high tide of Rumanian victory. At this point the resistance
of the enemy began suddenly to stiffen. And then came the report that
the Rumanians were observing German uniforms among the opposing
forces. Again Germany had come to the rescue. On September 13, 1916,
the first German troops to arrive on the scene came in contact with
the Rumanians southeast of Hatszeg near Hermannstadt. Within two days
the Rumanians were no longer able to gain ground, though for some time
longer they sorely pressed their enemies.
Meanwhile, Mackensen in Dobrudja was showing extreme activity. The
lull which followed the retirement of the Rumanians from Tutrakan was
suddenly terminated on the 12th, when the Bulgarians and their allies
attacked Lipnitza, fifteen miles east of Silistria. Here the Rumanians
resisted furiously, and after an all-night fight they severely
repulsed Mackensen's troops, taking eight German guns. However, this
was only a temporary advantage. Some days later the German kaiser, in
a telegram to his wife, announced that Mackensen had gained a decisive
victory in Dobrudja. While this phraseology is perhaps a little too
strong as a description of the situation at that date, the fact was
that the Rumanians and the Russians were again forced to retire
northward. According to the German reports the retreat was a
disorderly flight, but the absence of any reports indicating a large
capture of prisoners or material would indicate that the Germans
exaggerated their success. At this moment a new loan was being
launched in Germany, and it was natural that the military situation
should be somewhat warmly colored.
On September 17, 1916, the Rumanian dispatches indicated that the
Russo-Rumanian forces in Dobrudja had fallen back to a line reaching
from Rasova, south of Cernavoda some ten miles to Tuzla, twelve miles
south of Constanza. Thus the situation was quite grave enough.
Meanwhile, some days before, General Averescu, who seemed to have been
doing so well on the Hungarian front, was sent to Dobrudja, in the
hope apparently that his superior abilities would save the situation.
He arrived on the 16th, together with considerable reenforcements
which had been drawn from the northwest, where the Russians were
supporting the Rumanians. Further Russian contingents had also
arrived, and on the following day, the 17th, Averescu turned suddenly
on Mackensen and gave him determined battle. This was the heaviest
fighting which had so far taken place in this section. Again and again
Mackensen hurled his Bulgarians and Turks against the Russo-Rumanian
lines, first battering them with his huge cannon. At Rasova, on the
Danube, his attacks were especially heavy. Had he taken this point he
would have been able to flank the Rumanians at Cernavoda, capture the
bridgehead there and so cut all communication between the Rumanians in
Dobrudja with Rumania itself. The battle raged until the 19th all
along the line, with no definite advantage to either side. But on that
day reenforcements came to Averescu. That night he began to advance.
The mightiest efforts of Mackensen's forces were unable to check him.
At dawn the Bulgarians began to retreat, setting fire to the villages
through which they retired. In this battle the Rumanians were plainly
victorious. No doubt they were in superior numbers, for Sarrail's
offensive in Macedonia had grown extremely formidable and the
Bulgarians had been compelled to rush down reenforcements from the
Dobrudja front. At any rate, Mackensen was forced to retreat until he
established his re-formed lines from Oltina, on the Danube, to a
point southwest of Toprosari, thence to the Black Sea coast, south of
Tuzla. For the time being the Rumanians were much elated by their
success. But, as time was to show, it was merely temporary.