Yet before
dawn on the morning of August 16,1914, it was ready to continue
its march to Poporparlok. But then came the news that the Austrians
had driven back the left wing of the Third Army from that position
and had occupied it.
The situation in which this division found itself was by no means
clear. Nothing had been heard from Shabatz. The division operating
along the Tzer ridges had been badly hammered. The Third Army had
lost Poporparlok. The commander decided to stay where he was and
simply hold the ground against any advance of the enemy from Iverak.
This division was, therefore, intrenched along a line from Begluk
to Kik, and a strong advance was thrown out toward Kugovitchi.
During the morning this advance guard made a strong attack against
Kugovitchi, drove the Austrians out, and established themselves
there.
At dawn, August 16, 1914, the left flank of this division, at Begluk,
was shelled by the Austrian artillery, which was followed by infantry
attacks. These were easily repulsed during the day. But then the
enemy was reenforced, and late that night they came on again in great
masses. The Serbians allowed them to almost reach their trenches:
then, emptying the magazines of their rifles at them, they piled
themselves over their breastworks and into them with bayonets and
hand bombs. This was too much for the Austrians; they fled in wild
disorder.
Least encouraging was the experience of the Serbian Third Army,
which was defending the territory south of the Iverak Mountains.
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