Battle of Cer (15 agos 1914 anni – 24 agos 1914 anni)

Descrizione:

The Battle of Cer was fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in August 1914. It took place around Cer Mountain and several surrounding villages, as well as the town of Šabac.

The battle began on the night of 15th August when elements of the Serbian 1st Combined Division encountered Austro-Hungarian outposts on the slopes of Cer Mountain. The clashes escalated into a battle for control over several towns and villages near the mountain, especially Šabac.

On 19th August, the morale of the Austro-Hungarians collapsed and thousands of soldiers retreated, many of them drowning in the Drina River as they fled in panic. On 24th August the Serbs re-entered Šabac, marking the end of the battle. Serbian casualties were 3,000–5,000 killed and 15,000 wounded. Those of the Austro-Hungarians were significantly higher, with 6,000–10,000 soldiers killed, 30,000 wounded and 4,500 taken as prisoners of war.

The Serb victory over the Austro-Hungarians marked the first Allied victory over the Central Powers in the First World War, and the first aerial dogfight of the war took place during the battle.