With Skopje occupied by the coalition forces, it was the turn of the Ottoman domestic army led by Hamed Riza, who was fighting fiercely against the Bulgarians.
News of the destruction of the Macedonian Army soon spread. Although the coalition tried to temporarily block the news, on the third day, the Al-Shabaab leader who served as Minister of War in Adrianople still received the news.
Faced with the destruction of the Macedonian Army Group he was trying to rescue, Riza, as Minister of War, was mentally prepared, but when the news came, he still found it difficult to accept.
"What is Yilmaz doing? He didn't even last a month."
Within his headquarters in Adrianople, Riza showed unusual dissatisfaction. Although he had thought that the Macedonian Army would be annihilated by the enemy, he did not expect it to be so quick.
Ahmed Riza, who was on the sidelines, looked at the annoyed Riza and couldn't help but said, "Do we need to give up the attack and prepare for the next battle?"
Facing Lissa's words, Riza knew what he meant. The Bulgarians could not attack for a long time. When the Italian army arrived to solve the Macedonian Army, it would be even more difficult for them to fight.
Not to mention that in Asia Minor, there were landing Italian troops trying to contain their reinforcements.
Lieutenant General Grovey led the Guards, the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Division of the 2nd Marine Division. After nearly 30,000 people landed in Izmir, they continued to advance inland. Although the Ottomans still had many troops in the Asia Minor Peninsula,
However, the combat effectiveness of these second-line troops left behind was worrisome, and they were beaten back steadily. They retreated to Akhisar before they could withstand the offensive.
However, although it blocked the Italians, Ottoman mobilized nearly 100,000 people to stop the Italians. Although there were many people in public, the two were not the same in terms of combat effectiveness. One side was basically new soldiers, and the other side was a veteran of many battles.
Can it be the same?
Of course, due to the number of people, Lieutenant General Grovey's diversionary force did not dare to go too deep. After reaching the point of containing part of the Ottoman forces, it ceased. However, this also resulted in Adrianople having basically no reinforcements in the past ten days, which can be regarded as
Helped the Bulgarians contain the enemy.
Therefore, what Lissa said basically represents the current mainstream thinking in the Ottoman army. If you cannot attack the enemy for a long time, you need to prepare for the worst.
Riza was very clear about what Lissa said. However, he was unwilling to give up like this. More importantly, if he gave up like this, his Shabab would lose the opportunity to dominate the Ottomans. Moreover, if they gave up the attack like this, they would really be able to retreat.
Going back?
"Lisa, do you think we can stop the Italian and Bulgarian coalition?"
Faced with Riza's question, Riza thought for a while and replied. "Fighting in the wild is definitely not possible. If we rely on the terrain advantage, then we still have a chance."
Li Sa said it very tactfully. Although he didn't want to admit it, if he relied on Adrianople, he could still withstand the enemy's offensive.
Riza was very dissatisfied with his answer. "What is the terrain advantage you are talking about and what is it based on?"
In response to Riza's careful inquiry, Riza told the truth. "If we stick to Adrianople or Istanbul, relying on its fortifications and blocking the personnel supply channels, we have a 80% chance of blocking the enemy."
Hearing what Riza said, Riza felt the same as if he hadn't said it. Using the capital Istanbul as a fortress, they would be abandoned by the people even if they won. Because that is the most elite area of the Ottomans, and the foundations of the Ottoman Empire will be built under the flames of war for hundreds of years.
Destroyed once.
As for Adrianople, Riza would not consider it. If there were only Bulgarians, then he would consider defending this last fortress city before facing the capital. But now the enemy has a huge maritime advantage, so the role of Adrianople
, will be greatly reduced.
Moreover, Adrianople also has a shortcoming, that is, after being blocked on all sides, the enemy may bypass the city and continue to attack Istanbul.
If the troops in his hands were elite Ottomans, the enemy would not dare to do so. However, the troops in his hands are mixed, and they are mainly new recruits. They can perform well in a defensive battle, but attacking will be a bit difficult. Otherwise, how can he occupy the troops and firepower?
With the advantage, it has been impossible to break through the enemy.
Thinking of this, an idea came to Riza's mind.
He turned to Li Sa, who was waiting behind him, and said, "We still have some time now. Next, let the troops launch a strong attack. We will press the entire army. If there is progress within two days, then prepare for a defensive battle."
Riza's words made Lissa feel incredible, but after thinking about it carefully, he agreed with the decision. This meant giving it a try. If they could defeat and severely damage the Bulgarians, then they would only have to face the Italians, and the battle situation would be better.
Much better.
If he couldn't do that, at least hurting the Bulgarians would also reduce the pressure on them. As for the worst-case scenario, Lissa didn't dare to think about it.
But no matter what, we need to play a game first before talking about it.
War Minister Riza's order quickly spread to all ministries, and in order to prepare for this most powerful offensive, he completely liberalized the supply of ammunition.
So in the afternoon, the originally declining offensive suddenly increased several times. The Ottomans bombarded the defending Bulgarian positions like artillery shells for free.
The Ottoman officers and soldiers waiting for the attack were ordered by the commander to attack the enemy's position before the shelling stopped, completely ignoring the possible accidental injuries.
The Bulgarians guarding the position immediately felt that the enemy was different. They were risking their lives. Naturally, the Bulgarians were not afraid of risking their lives. The Bulgarian mountain people have been an excellent source of troops since ancient times, and this time for their motherland, they even more
There was no reason for the Ottomans to compete. So a bloody battle far beyond the previous ones began.
Major General Gudshev, who was far behind the position, got the news immediately. Of course he knew what it was. Facing the fierce Ottoman offensive, he was not afraid at all, because their performance on the battlefield,
This is related to the division of interests after the war, and he has a back-up plan. As long as he can hold off the enemy for three days, he will make a great contribution.
So an order was issued from his headquarters that every Bulgarian officer and soldier must defend to the letter. Anyone who crosses his headquarters will be punished as a deserter by the military police. The consequences of desertion on the battlefield are very clear to everyone.
So the soldiers from both sides fought together again in an extremely bloody scene.
