day or two before a Turkish and a
Bulgarian division had been severely repulsed near Toprosari, south of
Tuzla. Immediately there succeeded a general assault along the entire
line to which Mackensen had retreated on the 20th, but though thirteen
guns were captured, he did not again give ground.

Suddenly, on the morning of October 2, 1916, the Rumanians threw a
pontoon bridge across the Danube at Rahova, about halfway between
Rustchuk and Tutrakan, and well in the rear of Mackensen's line.
Before the small Bulgarian forces stationed at this point were aware
of what had happened they were completely overwhelmed by the
Rumanians, who were streaming across the bridge. All the villages in
the neighborhood were seized and for twenty-four hours it was expected
that Mackensen was about to suffer a sensational repulse. But
apparently the Rumanians lacked the forces necessary for the
successful carrying out of what would have been a brilliant stroke, or
possibly the Bulgarian forces which appeared here against them were
larger than had been expected, for the next day they announced that
the force which had been thrown across the river had again retired,
unharmed, the object of its demonstration having been accomplished.
According to the Bulgarian accounts their retreat was forced because
of the appearance of an Austrian monitor, which began shelling and
destroying the pontoon bridge, and that before the retreat had been
completed the bridge had been destroyed and a large remnant of the
Rumanian force had been captured or killed. In general, however, the
fighting during these first few days of the month gave neither side
any advantage, and again the situation calmed down to comparative
inactivity.

That the retirement of the Rumanians was well ordered is shown by the
fact that even the Berlin dispatches claimed very few prisoners, in
addition to a thousand taken at Brasso, while the Austro-Germans had
lost considerably over a thousand. On the 6th Fogaras had been
relinquished. North and east of Brasso the Rumanians had also
retreated. On the 8th Berlin announced that "the entire eastern front
of the enemy was in retreat." This was, in general, quite true, except
that for a few days longer they still held their positions in the
valley of the Maros.

Aside from the advantage in his superiority of numbers, Falkenhayn
also had at his disposal the better railroad accommodations. A line
running parallel with almost the entire front