Only an ineffectual artillery fire was maintained
by the enemy. Meanwhile came the good news of the success of the
Serbians along the Tzer ridges, so preparations were made for another
advance on the following day, August 18, 1914.
As has already been stated, the extreme south wing of the Serbian
front, the Third Army, had retreated the day before so that it
could present a solid front against not only the forces opposing
it, but also another column coming up from the south, whose advance
had been inadequately covered by third reserve men. Here the Austrians
attempted to pierce the Serbian line in the extreme south and come
out at Oseshina. But though vastly outnumbered, the Serbians held
their ground stoutly until late afternoon, when, as already shown,
they were compelled to ask the division operating along Iverak for
assistance. When this help came they were able to resume their
defense.
Thus ended the second day of the general battle. On the whole the
Austrians had suffered most, but the general situation was still
somewhat in their favor. The Austrian center, along the Tzer ridges,
had been pushed back. To retrieve this setback the logical course
for the Austrian commander in chief was to curl his wings in around
the Serbian flanks. That he appreciated this necessity was obvious,
to judge from the furious onslaughts against the Serbian Third Army
in the extreme south.
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