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SHIPKA PASS
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SHIPKA PASS , in See also:Bulgaria, a pass in the Balkans, celebrated as the See also:scene of fierce fighting in the Russo-See also:Turkish See also:War of 1877-78. The See also:main road from See also:Rumelia to Bulgaria, leading from See also:Sistova by Tirnova and Eski Zagra to See also:Adrianople, crosses the Balkans near the See also:village of Shipka, and this passage was of See also:necessity an important point in the See also:Russian See also:plan of operations. The road does not pass between high peaks, but crosses the main See also:ridge at the highest point; it is therefore not a pass in the See also:ordinary sense of the word. Near the See also:summit, See also:running parallel, and See also:close to the road is a See also:series of three ridges, some zoo ft. high, and about 2 M. from See also:north to See also:south, which formed the position for a force holding the pass. It was originally held by a Turkish force of about 4000 men with 12 guns, prepared to resist the Russian advance. On the 17th of See also:July they repelled a feeble attack from the north, and the following See also:day faced See also:round and drove back an attack by Gurko from the south. These attacks were to have been simultaneous, but Gurko, having met with unexpected resistance, was a day See also:late. Though so far successful, the See also:Turks evacuated their strong position, and it was occupied by the Russians on the loth of July. They were first attacked by See also:Suleiman See also:Pasha towards the end of See also:August. Having concentrated with Reouf Pasha and driven Gurko across the Balkans at the end of July, he moved to the Shipka on the See also:morning of the 21st of August, and attacked. The Russian force there, including five battalions of Bulgarians, then numbered 5000, but that day a See also:regiment from Selvi brought their See also:numbers to 7500, and this force held the position against 30,000 Turks for three days, when heavy reinforcements arrived. The fighting continued till the morning of the 26th, when Suleiman, his troops being exhausted, and having lost zo,000 men, entrenched him-self in the position he then occupied in a semi-circle round the See also:southern end of the Russian position. Having called up more battalions from Yeni Zagra, after a four days' See also:artillery See also:bombardment, he attacked on the 17th of See also:September, and was repelled with a loss of 3000 men. There was no more fighting on the Shipka till the See also:general advance of the Russians after the fall of See also:Plevna. See also:Radetzky's command of about 6o,000 men advanced from Gabrova on the 5th of See also:January, in three columns. Radetzky, with the central See also:column, moved by the main road and attacked the Turks, who still faced the position on the summit, while Skobelev and Mirski, See also:crossing by trails some 3 m. to the See also:west and See also:east of the Turkish position, attacked their reserves on the far See also:side, about Shipka and Shenova, where Vessil Pasha (who had succeeded Suleiman in command) had formed an entrenched See also:camp. These flank columns made their way over the mountains, deep in See also:snow. Mirski attacked alone on the 8th of January, as Skobelev's advance had been delayed, but the following day both columns attacked, and after fierce fighting the Turks surrendered. The force on the summit had that day repulsed, with heavy loss, a frontal attack by Radetzky, but they were included in the surrender. Their numbers were 36,000, including 6000 sick and wounded, and 93 guns. The Russian losses were 5500. Not only were the Turkish attacks on the Shipka unsuccessful, but they were made without See also:object. At the end of July, when Suleiman forced Gurko back over the Balkao.s, the moral See also:equilibrium and the plan of operations of the Russians had been upset by the second See also:battle of Plevna, and the Shipka ceased to have any strategical importance for the See also:time being. Had Suleiman at that time followed up Gurko and joined Mehemet See also:Ali, or moving round acted with See also:Osman against the Russian flank, the evacuation of the Shipka would have been compulsory. Suleiman, knowing nothing of See also:strategy, preferred to See also:act independently, and his See also:action was supported by the still more ignorant ministers at See also:Constantinople. The Shipka was merely a See also:geographical point until the Russians were prepared to advance, but, fortunately for them, the Turks See also:chose to See also:waste an See also:army in fighting for it throughout the See also:critical See also:period of the operations. As with Osman at Plevna, it was Constantinople that forbade Vessil Mw sm.Mq a.x See also:ELEVATION Fin. 125.-See also:Screw Steering See also:Gear. Pasha to withdraw his forces at the beginning of January, compelling him to wait to be swallowed up. The Turkish See also:tactics were equally unsound. Suleiman divided his forces and used up his troops in costly frontal attacks on Mt. St See also:Nicholas, the southern and strongest point of the position, whereas a well-supported flank attack would probably have met with success. The manner in which he sacrificed his men earned for him the name of the " Shipka See also:butcher." (J. H. V. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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