Brutal fighting

Major General Zamfiel, the chief of staff, was growing impatient. "The Cavalry Division and the Third Division have already crossed the river, and the Second Division is also in the process of crossing. We need the 12th Division to speed up," he urged.

Lieutenant General Preshan, the Chief of the General Staff, responded with a measured tone, understanding the urgency but also the logistics involved. "Chief of Staff, your impatience is understandable, but we must remember that the 12th Division is stationed in Slobozia, the farthest from all our current positions. They are moving as quickly as they can, and considering that Bulgaria's defenses are not prepared for our strategy, there is no need for them to rush. They should arrive according to the schedule we have set."

Preshan knew his chief of staff was right; he was perhaps being overly anxious. He had painstakingly planned the entire operation and felt the weight of its success heavily upon his shoulders, making him push his subordinates harder than usual.

Major General Zamfiel continued, "Moreover, moving too swiftly might cause our First Army to appear overly aggressive, potentially giving the Bulgarian forces an opportunity to counteract."

Preshan nodded, already considering this. "I've planned for such contingencies. The Second Army will hold off any Bulgarian reinforcements at Suman and Varna while we proceed. I believe our well-fortified and equipped Second Army will hold strong against the Bulgarian forces, which number around 120,000."

Zamfiel knew that Preshan had thought through the scenarios thoroughly. The Second Army's defenses were robust, capable of withstanding even larger forces if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Romanian Second Army, which had been a topic of discussion between the two officers, continued its advance towards Biala after a brief skirmish in Ruse. Biala, a small city strategically located between Ruse and Polski and on the route to Pleven, was crucial. However, it was lightly defended, primarily by local militiamen, as the main forces were still en route.

"Faster!" Captain, a company commander, urged his men forward under the scorching sun. The soldiers, drenched in sweat, looked as if they had been pulled out of water, their uniforms sticking to their exhausted bodies.

Division Commander Admia, observing his troops, decided to allow them a brief respite. "Let the soldiers rest for half an hour," he ordered, wiping sweat from his brow and cursing the relentless heat.

Chief of Staff Wedelf, noticing Admia's frustration with the weather, attempted to ease his concerns. "Master, we should conserve our energy. It's unlikely we'll reach Biala today with this weather."

Admia glanced at the sky, still harsh and unforgiving, and conceded, "It seems we shall arrive only by tomorrow."

Upon receiving the command for a break, the soldiers of the Second Division of the Guards gratefully collapsed under the nearest trees, seeking shade and solace from the heat. They sipped water sparingly and tried to recover their strength for the march ahead.

Admia, concerned for his men, inquired about their condition. "Have any of our soldiers suffered from heatstroke?"

"About ten," replied the chief of staff, "I've had the medics attend to them. We're moving slower today to prevent more cases."

Considering the situation, Admia made a decision. "We must maintain our pace to reach Biala by tomorrow morning, even if it risks more heatstroke cases."

The chief of staff was worried but understood the necessity. "Understood, sir."

After resting, the division resumed its march and reached Biala the next morning, where a Bulgarian regiment awaited, hastily fortifying their position with trenches and sandbags. The defenders were mostly older men and young boys, barely trained for combat.

Admia, assessing the situation with his chief of staff, decided on a swift offensive. "Let the artillery begin. Have the second regiment prepare to attack. We'll have lunch in the town," he commanded confidently.

The chief of staff relayed the orders, and soon, the sound of artillery filled the air. The Bulgarian militia, inexperienced and poorly trained, showed signs of faltering under the bombardment.

As the second regiment advanced, the defenders' return fire was sporadic and ineffective. Admia, observing through binoculars, was pleased; the enemy's lack of training was evident.

The Romanian soldiers, better trained and equipped, closed in. As they neared, the artillery ceased to avoid friendly fire, and the intensity of the battle increased. Despite some casualties, the Second Regiment's morale remained high.

The Bulgarians, overwhelmed, began to retreat. The Second Regiment, seizing the moment, stormed the trenches, capturing or driving off most of the defenders.

"Chase them down," commanded the regiment's leader, as the soldiers pursued the fleeing Bulgarians through the town.

After securing the area, the Second Regiment took control, rounding up prisoners and clearing the town of any remaining resistance. Admia, satisfied with the swift victory, joined his men in the town, ready to consolidate their position and prepare for the next phase of their operations.

The strategic situation between the Balkan nations was tense, and the Serbs and Greeks had no intention of letting Bulgaria transfer its troops smoothly. According to their agreement, both Serbia and Greece would engage the Bulgarian army to create an opportunity for Romania to launch an attack on Sofia. The Serbian forces, under the command of Marshal Putnik, initiated a fierce two-hour offensive against the Bulgarians, which resulted in a costly toll of 800 casualties before they ceased their attack. The Greeks, led by King Constantine I, demonstrated even greater audacity. They launched an assault on the Second Bulgarian Army and, after enduring 200 casualties, were forced to retreat.

Romania, fulfilling its obligations within the alliance, capitalized on the situation. The relentless pressure from the Serbian and Greek forces compelled Bulgaria to increase its troop numbers on those fronts from 150,000 to 180,000. This reinforcement included 90,000 newly recruited soldiers, along with 20,000 redirected from the Ottoman border and an additional 60,000 mobilized in response to the Romanian advance, bringing the total to 260,000 troops poised to counter the Romanian offensive.

However, assembling such a vast number of troops took time—a luxury Bulgaria did not have as the Romanian army was already nearing its initial targets, the cities of Shumen and Varna. The Romanian Third Army was particularly focused on capturing Varna, Bulgaria's largest port city. Established in the 6th century BC by the Greeks and originally named Odessos, the city was later renamed Varna by the Slavs in the late 6th century. After the Tenth Russo-Turkish War in 1878, the city was ceded to the newly formed Bulgarian state by the liberating Russian forces and had since become Bulgaria's principal trading port.

In the command center of the Romanian Third Army, Lieutenant General Salamik was briefing Major General Draguta and Major General Gelasim, commanders of the 1st and 8th Divisions respectively, on the attack strategies. "You will initiate the offensive from the west and the north," he instructed, "and the second heavy artillery regiment will support you. Our navy can't assist directly due to the coastal defense turrets at Cape Vinoff, so your objective is to capture these turrets to enable naval support."

Given Varna's geographical constraints, with the sea to the east and a narrow bay to the south, the Romanian forces could only feasibly attack from the north and west. Despite the larger number of troops Bulgaria had eventually stationed in Varna (initially 8,000, later increased to 22,000), their combat effectiveness was questionable due to inadequate training. Thus, the Third Army was optimistic about concluding the battle within three days.

Lieutenant General Salamik specifically addressed Major General Gelasim, "Your 8th Division will need to launch a northern offensive and send a regiment to take Cape Vinov along with the coastal defense fort. Intelligence reports suggest there are about 2,000 defenders there."

Major General Gelasim confidently responded, "Rest assured, Commander, the Eighth Division will handle it."

With both generals appearing confident, Lieutenant General Salamik concluded, "Prepare your men; we attack at ten o'clock."

After the meeting, the generals returned to their divisions to ready their troops for the impending assault. In the artillery regiment, 150 cannons had been deployed, including howitzers with a range of 9.5 kilometers and cannons capable of reaching 12 kilometers, effectively outmatching the Bulgarian artillery. The Romanian artillery positions were fortified with circular bunkers, a 1.5-meter-high parapet, and connected by trenches to supply depots.

At ten o'clock, the Romanian artillery barrage began. The 54 cannons of the Second Artillery Regiment unleashed a devastating bombardment on Varna, a city ill-prepared for such a heavy assault. Guided by observation balloons, the Romanian artillery turned Bulgarian fortifications into rubble, and many defenders were killed instantly.

As the bombardment wreaked havoc, a Bulgarian officer, seeking shelter behind a two-story house, yelled to several disoriented recruits, "Quickly, find cover!" But before they could react, a shell struck the house, demolishing it and sending debris flying. The recruits scattered in terror, emblematic of the chaos unfolding across Varna.

Major General Shaknosv, recently promoted and now commanding the defense of Varna, was in a dire situation. Just two days prior, he had been the commander of the 2nd Independent Brigade. With the sudden declaration of war by Romania, he had scrambled to bolster the city's defenses, recruiting 14,000 locals and an additional 8,000 from surrounding areas. However, Varna lacked sufficient arms; after scouring the city, Shaknosv managed to gather only 9,000 rifles for his hastily assembled force. He formed nine supplementary regiments, distributing rifles and instructing unarmed soldiers to retrieve weapons from fallen comrades.

The Romanian artillery continued pounding Varna for an hour, destroying numerous buildings constructed primarily of brick and wood due to economic constraints—unlike the reinforced concrete structures more common in wealthier nations. After the heavy artillery softened the outer defenses, the 1st and 8th Divisions commenced their ground assault with lighter 75mm guns and an initial probing attack.

"Get ready, the Romanians are coming!" shouted a Bulgarian officer from the trenches, kicking a hesitant soldier into action. Bulgarian officers worked to maintain morale, moving along the line to rally their troops. As the Romanian forces approached, an order was given: "Hold fire until they're within 300 meters... Fire!"

The battle intensified, with both sides exchanging heavy gunfire. The Romanian soldiers, supported by superior marksmanship and tactics, began to gain the upper hand. "Follow me!" yelled a Romanian commander, leading a charge against the Bulgarian positions. His troops surged forward, engaging in fierce close-quarters combat.

After two hours of intense fighting, the Romanian troops managed to break through the Bulgarian defenses outside the city. The defeated Bulgarian soldiers retreated into Varna, using the network of traffic trenches. Back at the command center, Lieutenant General Salamik and his staff braced for a challenging urban battle. "It seems the city's commander is quite cunning, aiming to delay us to buy time for the main Bulgarian forces," noted the Chief of Staff.

Lieutenant General Salamik, undeterred by the prospect of street fighting, issued new orders: "Focus the second heavy artillery on Bulgarian fortifications. Inform the first and eighth divisions to proceed with clearing the city sector by sector. I want to see how he plans to defend with what he has left."

As the orders were relayed, the battle for Varna escalated, with Romanian and Bulgarian forces engaged in a brutal struggle for control of the city.