The Battle of Tabanovce (, sr-Cyrl, Борба на Табановцу) was fought between the

Serbian Chetnik Organization The Serbian Revolutionary Organization () or Serbian Chetnik Organization (Српска четничка организација / Srpska četnička organizacija) was a paramilitary revolutionary organization with the aim of liberation of Old Se ...

, a Serbian rebel faction, and an Ottoman garrison from

Kumanovo Kumanovo ( ; , sq-definite, Kumanova; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is the second-largest city in North Macedonia after the capital Skopje and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the List of municipalities in the Republic ...

. It took place on 27 March 1905.

Battle

The

Chetnik The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

band heading for

Poreče Poreče, Porečie or Porečje or Poreč (), is a region in North Macedonia which includes the Makedonski Brod Municipality, and the western part of the Prilep Municipality Prilep ( ) is a municipality in the south of North Macedonia. ''Prilep ...

, numbering 27 men, descended at dawn on 27 March (O.S. 14 March) into the village of Tabanovce. They carried a load of 101 rifles and 30,000 rounds of ammunition. It was commanded by sergeant Vladimir Kovačević, the nephew of the Herzegovinian revolutionary Stojan Kovačević. The band included, among others, sergeant Veselin Veselinović, lieutenant Dragomir Protić (Kovačević's deputy), sublieutenant Dragomir Vasiljević,

Stojan Koruba Stojan Simonović ( sr-cyr, Стојан Симоновић, 1872–1937), known by his ''nom de guerre'' Koruba (Коруба), was a Serbian Chetnik. Early life Simonović was born into a poor family in Šaprance, at the time part of the Ottom ...

, and Stojan Ristić-Giljanče. The unit's most experienced fighters were Veselin Veselinović, Stojan Koruba and Stojan Ristić-Giljanče. Immediately upon arriving, Kovačević divided the band, sending a group of six under Veselinović to a house at the opposite end of the village, while the others were placed in two neighboring houses. A Turkish informant saw Veselinović's group and informed the

garrison, who already in the early afternoon began searching the houses. Vasiljević was seriously wounded, while Vitko Vranjanac was shot dead; Stojan promptly reacted and ran through the yard, killing two soldiers, then took Vasiljević to safety. The ''

askeri Under the Ottoman Empire, an askeri (Ottoman Turkish: عسكري) was a member of a class of military administrators. This elite class consisted of three main groups: the military, the court officials, and clergy. Though the term ''askeri'' itse ...

'' surrounded Veselinović's house, and the

reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

Ottoman officer Turić informed the besieged that they had been abandoned by their comrades, who had fled before the army, and that he guaranteed them their lives if they surrendered; as resistance in these circumstances would be futile, so they surrendered. Around 15:00, Kovačević's groups and the

Ottoman army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

clashed. Protić and Vasiljević were killed right away when they attempted to break out. The battle lasted until late at night, with the Ottoman army eventually retreating as they typically avoided nightly engagements with the guerillas. The Ottomans had 60 dead and wounded, while the Chetniks had 11 dead ( Dragomir Protić, Dragomir Vasiljević, Veselin Veselinković, Sava Jovanović, Trajko Đorđević, Radoš Radulović, Sava Stevanović, David Bošnjanin, Trajče Kumanovac, Stojan Kumanovac and Nikola Jablaničanin) and two lightly wounded. Only one man managed to escape the encirclement --

Aftermath

After the fights in Tabanovce,

Savatije Milošević Savatije Milošević ( sr-cyr, Саватије Милошевић; 1876 – 1905), known as Vojvoda Savatije, was a Serbian hajduk and Chetnik commander. Life Early life Savatije Miličević Milošević (Саватије Миличевић Ми� ...

Lazar Kujundžić Lazar Kujundžić-Klempa ( sr-cyr, Лазар Кујунџић: 1880 – May 25, 1905) was a Serbian Chetnik Organization, Serbian Chetnik commander (vojvoda) who was active in Old Serbia and Macedonia. Biography He was born in Orahovac, Koso ...

and Aksentije Bacetović–Baceta left their offices as organizers of the action, wanting to feel the Chetnik lifestyle "from within" as voivodes. Baceta was to replace the then Chief of Upper Staff,

Ilija Jovanović Ilija may refer to: * Ilija, Iran, a village in Ardabil Province, Iran * Ilija, Slovakia, a village and municipality in the Banská Štiavnica District, in the Banská Bystrica Region * Ilija (given name), South Slavic given name People with the su ...

. Baceta and Savatije, by mid-April, had moved 107 freedom-fighters across the border. name=SCNPDV-7

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Tabanovce 1905 in Serbia 1905 in the Ottoman Empire Tabanovce Chetniks of the Macedonian Struggle Conflicts in 1905 March 1905 in Europe Military history of North Macedonia Events during the Macedonian Struggle Kumanovo Municipality