▁und et ected ▁where ▁they ▁placed ▁in ▁position ▁several ▁machine ▁guns . ▁The ▁reason ▁for ▁this ▁was ▁that ▁nearby ▁Bulgar ian ▁inf antry ▁was ▁still ▁mostly ▁in ▁its ▁sh el ters . ▁A ▁general ▁alert ▁was ▁sound ed ▁when ▁an ▁observer ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁Bulgar ian ▁company ▁sp otted ▁the ▁French . ▁The ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁batt alion , ▁that ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁hill , ▁immediately ▁came ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁sh el ters ▁and ▁counter - att ack ed ▁under ▁a ▁ha il ▁of ▁rif le ▁and ▁machine ▁gun ▁bul lets . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁some ▁Bulgar ian ▁mach in ▁guns ▁who ▁were ▁firing ▁at ▁the ▁exposed ▁French ▁fl ank ▁the ▁Bulg ari ans ▁managed ▁to ▁reach ▁and ▁enter ▁the ▁tren ches ▁where ▁a ▁difficult ▁hand - to - hand ▁combat ▁en su ed . ▁Many ▁Bulgar ian ▁officers ▁were ▁killed , ▁including ▁the ▁batt alion ▁commander ▁captain ▁V ask ov . ▁The ▁counter - att ack ▁also ▁began ▁drawing ▁in ▁the ▁batt al ions ▁res erves , ▁position ed ▁some ▁ 6 0 0 ▁meters ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁that ▁attempted ▁to ▁advance ▁against ▁the ▁French ▁fl anks . ▁On ▁the ▁left ▁the ▁Bulg ari ans ▁managed ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁tren ches ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁neutral ize ▁or ▁capture ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁machine ▁guns . ▁As ▁more ▁Bulgar ian ▁inf antry ▁and ▁German ▁machine ▁guns ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁counter - att ack ▁the ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 7 th ▁Col onial