On May 17, 1940, after the outbreak of World War II (1941-1945), the Fifth Covering Army was formed.

Its task was to replace German troops as occupation force in Southern Yugoslavia, with its headquarters in Skopje.

At the beginning of September 1944, the Fifth Army (14th, 15th, 17th and 29th Infantry Divisions and the 1st Cavalry Brigade in Macedonia and Southern Serbia) began withdrawing to the old borders of Bulgaria.

The withdrawal itself did not take place in an organized manner, and on September 6, the 14th and 29th Infantry Divisions were disarmed by the Germans and ceased to exist as combat-ready units.

The 15th Division was the only one to resist and fight the Germans near Bitola and Prilep with the support of the Bulgarian aviation, after which it withdrew in small groups to Bulgaria.