The Allies Gained So Much Ground the Artillery Couldn’t Keep Up
One of the most amazing things about the Battle of Dobrao Polje was that some Allied generals feared that an attack at Dobro Polje would be suicide. It was a large open area that left the troops as sitting ducks for the Bulgarian forces. While this was true, it was also the best location that was available to break through the front and once the Allied forces broke through the front lines at Dobro Polje, not even a loss at the Battle of Doiran could keep them from retaking Serbia.
On the morning of September 14, 1918, the artillery began hammering the trenches and defenses with shells. By that night significant damage was reported to the barbed wire which led the Allies to decide to move in earlier with the infantry. On the morning of September 15, 1918, the infantry moved on the mountain.
By the end of the night the Serbians broke through the lines. In the two days of fighting, the Bulgarians lost 50% of the troops that had been engaged in the battle either due to desertion, capture, or as casualties. There was no way for them to keep the Allies back, so they continued to be pushed by the Serbians and other Allied forces.
By September 29, the Allies had pushed the Bulgarians all the way back over their own border. They were able to capture ground to liberate Serbia, Albania, and Montenegro. In two weeks, they had retaken land that had been held by the Central powers for years and were now knocking on the door of Bulgaria. Since the terrain was so rough and mountainous and the Bulgarians were on the run, the troops were able to move much faster than their artillery or their vehicles. Few offenses in history have been as successful as to take so much ground in so little time.