The Battle Hostile_encounter of Monastir took place Process_start near the town of Bitola , Macedonia ( then known as Monastir ) during the First Balkan War Military_operation , from the 16th to 19th November 1912 .

As an ongoing part of the Balkan Wars Hostile_encounter , the Ottoman Vardar Army retreated Escaping from the defeat at Kumanovo and regrouped Cause_to_amalgamate around Bitola .

The Serbian 1st Army , marching Motion_directional for Bitola , encountered Hostile_encounter heavy Ottoman artillery fire and had to wait Temporary_stay for its own artillery to arrive Arriving .

The Serbs then entered Arriving Bitola on the19th November .

With the conquest of Bitola the Serbs controlled Control southwestern Macedonia , including the symbolically important town of Ohrid .