Up in Shabatz, Austrian troops were pouring across the pontoon
bridges. A flanking column, coming from the Drina, had arrived
at Slepehevitch. Another force was stationed with its left and
center on Krupani, its right spread out into the mountains north
of Liubovia.
On the Serbian side the right wing of the Second Army, screened
by the cavalry division, were preparing to cut off the Austrian
forces in the north from their juncture with those advancing along
the Tzer ridges; the center and left was marching on the enemy on
the Iverak ridges, in conjunction with the right of the Third Army,
then north of Jarebitze. The center of the Third held the positions
south of Jarebitze, while its left, split into small detachments,
had been directed to oppose the invasion toward Krupanie and the
advance from Liubovia.
Such were the positions of the various forces as dawn broke brightly
on the morning of August 16, 1914. As the growing light made objects
visible, the extreme right division of the Serbian front, which
was creeping northward to cut off Shabatz, discovered a strong
Austrian column moving along the lower spurs of the Tzer Mountains.
Obviously this body was clearing the ground for a general descent of
the forces up along the ridges; a whole army corps. This movement
threatened to become a serious obstacle to the Serbian plan of
separating the Austrians in Shabatz from those farther south.
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