Third Army (Serbia)

*3rd Army*
3rd Army
Active	1912–1919
Country	Kingdom of Serbia
Type	Army
Engagements	First Balkan War First World War Serbian Campaign Salonika front
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Božidar Janković; Pavle Jurišić Šturm; Miloš Vasić

The Third Army (Serbian: Трећа армија/Treća armija) was a field army of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia that fought during the Balkan Wars and World War I.

History

Balkan wars

During the First Balkan War, the Third Army participated in the Battle of Kumanovo (23 - October 24, 1912) along with the Serbian First Army and the Serbian Second Army. It was composed of four infantry divisions and one infantry brigade (76,000 men), deployed in two groups, the first one at Toplica and the second one at Medveđa. It was assigned to the westernmost attack, with the task of taking Kosovo and then moving south to attack the left flank of the Ottoman Army.

World War I

At the start of World War I, the Third Army under the command of General Pavel Jurišić Šturm, took up positions on the northwestern border from the mouth of the Kolubara River to Ljubovia with the Drina Division of the first levy in the vicinity of Valjevo.^[1]

The Third Army fought in the successful Battles of Cer, Drina and Kolubra in 1914. But in Autumn 1915 they were defeated by German-Bulgarian forces during the Kosovo Offensive.
The Third Army was reestablished at the Macedonian front in 1916 and fought several battles against the Bulgarians, until it was disbanded on 28 March 1917.^[2]

Pavle Jurišić Šturm remained commander of the Third Army until August 1916, when he was replaced by Miloš Vasić.

Organization

First Balkan War

Divisions and brigades	Regiments and batteries
Gen. Božidar Janković^[3]
Šumadija Division I line: Col. Đorđe Mihailović	X infantry regiment (I line) XI infantry regiment (I line) XII infantry regiment (I line) - Lt. Col. Milivoje Stojanović XIX infantry regiment (I line) Šumadija field artillery regiment (9 batteries) Šumadija divisional cavalry division
Morava Division II line: Col. Milovan Nedić	I infantry regiment (II line) II infantry regiment (II line) - Lt. Col. Dušan Vasić III infantry regiment (II line) Morava field artillery division (3 batteries) Morava divisional cavalry division
Drina division II line: Col. Pavle Paunović	V infantry regiment (II line) VI infantry regiment (II line) Drina field artillery division (minus 3rd battery attached to Javor Brigade) Drina divisional cavalry division
Morava brigade I line: Lt. Col. Stevan Milovanović	I supernumerary infantry regiment (I line) - Lt. Col. Živojin Bacić II supernumerary infantry regiment (I line) 9th battery (detached from Morava field artillery regiment) cavalry division
Army cavalry:	two squadrons of cavalry
Army artillery:	2nd mountain artillery division 3rd mountain artillery division 3rd howitzer battery 4th howitzer battery 4th heavy battery 120 mm
Chetnik detachments Maj. Marjanović	Medveđa Kuršumlija Lukovo Kolašin

World War I : August 1914

Commander : Pavle Jurišić Šturm

Divisions and brigades	Regiments, battalions, detachments and batteries
I Drina Infantry Division	Valjevo (Staff)
II Drina Infantry Division	Ljubovija Krupanj Loznica (reserve)
Detachments guarding Drina river:	Obrenovac detachment 6 infantry battalions 1 cavalry troop 2 artillery batteries Šabac detachment 8 infantry battalions 1 cavalry troop 2 artillery batteries Loznica and Lesnica detachments 6 infantry battalions 1 cavalry troop 3 artillery batteries Ljubovija detachment 2 infantry battalions III 1 artillery battery Debelo Brdo detachment 1 infantry battalion III Jadar Chetnik detachment - 500 chetniks Rudnik Chetnik detachment - 500 chetniks

References and notes

^ "Српска војска на почетку Великог рата 1914. године – Отаџбина Памти". 24 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
^ Armies in the Balkans 1914-1918 pag. 13
^ "The Greatest Serbian Commanders". Serbian History 101. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

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[1] "Српска војска на почетку Великог рата 1914. године – Отаџбина Памти". 24 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2024.

[2] Armies in the Balkans 1914-1918 pag. 13

[cmdr-3] "The Greatest Serbian Commanders". Serbian History 101. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

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