off from the rest of the Austrian forces. But this was all according
to the plans of General Putnik. Being much outnumbered he could not
spare the forces necessary to rout the enemy's strong northern force.
Having broken the center of Potiorek's front, the Serbian commander gave
his chief attention to capturing the Austrian southern wing, operating
in the Western Morava Valley.

On December 8 and 9, 1914, the Serbian right wing had been hard pressed
along the line from Kosmai to Varoonitza, but the completeness of the
Austrian defeat in the other theatres enabled General Putnik to
rearrange his troops. He therefore dispatched the left wing of the Third
Army against Obrenovatz, attached the rest of the Third Army and the
cavalry division to the Second Army and placed this new combination of
forces, together with the garrison of Belgrade, under the command of
Voivode Stepanovitch, he who had made so brilliant a record at the first
battle on the Tzer ridges.

CHAPTER LVIII

ATTEMPTS TO RETAKE BELGRADE

On December 10, 1914, General Stepanovitch immediately began a movement
against Belgrade which had now been in the hands of the Austrians since
the first of the month. At this time the Third Army was pressing on
toward Obrenovatz, the cavalry division held the left bank of the
Beljanitza River, the Second Army was holding a line from Volujak to
Neminikuchir, the Belgrade detachment still maintained the ridges along
Kosmai and Varoonitza and a detachment, which had come up from
Semendria, occupied Pudarchi. The troops thus formed a crescent, with
one horn touching the Save and the other the Danube, Belgrade being the
star in the middle.

The Austrian main positions stretched from Obrenovatz up the right bank
of the Kolubara to Konatitche and then across to Grooka through Boran,
Vlashko and Krajkova Bara.

There now followed what was probably the most stubborn fighting of the
third invasion: either the Austrian soldiers composing this northern
army were better material, or the Austrian commanders were especially
animated with the necessity of holding Belgrade.

On the morning of December 11, 1914, the Serbian advance began. As
possession of the railroad was of first importance, the center pushed
rapidly ahead until it reached Vlashko heights. Again and again the
Serbians charged up the slopes of this eminence, only to be beaten back.
But finally, toward evening, the Austrians fell back and the summit was
taken