Battle of Doiran
Encyclopedia
The third Battle of Doiran was fought from 18 September to 19 September 1918, with the Greeks
and the British
assaulting the positions of the Bulgaria
n First Army near Dojran Lake
. The battle was part of World War I
and took place in the Balkan Theatre
. The battle ended with Bulgarians repulsing all attacks, but then retreating.
at the same time as the Serbs
and the French
. The Greeks and the British under George Milne set off the attack on the Bulgarian positions at Dojran while the Serbs and the French under the command of Franchet d'Esperey went to penetrate the Bulgarian defences in the Vardar
Valley. The Greeks and the British were aiming to capture the Bulgarian positions in the hills above Dojran Lake
.
This wasn't the first time the Allies had attacked Dojran - in 1916 an Anglo-French attempt was repulsed
by the Second Thracian Infantry Division; the British had twice failed to capture
it in 1917. The fortification
s were well built (by Bulgarian engineers), the Bulgarians having spent the first months of 1916 and early 1917 strengthening the positions. The terrain around the area was rough, the fortifications being surrounded with three miles of scrub and rocks. Part of the defences were the dangerous Pip Ridge and the Grand Couronné.
.
On September 18th, the British XII Corps attacked with the 66th and 67th Brigades of the 22nd Division and the Greek Seres Division. The Bulgarian first line of trenches was overrun, and the Seres Division penetrated to the second line. The Bulgarians responded with heavy artillery fire and counter-attacks that recaptured the ground lost. Meanwhile the British 66th Brigade's 7th South Wales Border battalion lost heavily and failed in its attacks. Attacks by its the 11th Welsh Regiment and 9th Border Regiment did not go well either. The British 67th Brigade's 12th Chesire Regiment followed by the 9th South Lancashire Regiment and 8th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) charged into withering Bulgarian artillery and machinegun fire. the 67th Brigade lost 65% of its soldiers. At the end of the day the XII Corps was back at its starting point. On September 19th, the XII Corps attacked again. Because the XVI Corps attacks north of the lake had failed, the XII Corps would attack alone. The Greek Seres Division repeated the previous day's performance, taking some Bulgarian trenches before being thrown back by heavy artillery, machine gun fire and counterattacks. The British attacked with the 77th Brigade, the weakened 65th Brigade, and later the 2nd French Zouaves. The 66th Brigades and 67th Brigades were fit only for defensive duties and did not participate. The 77th Brigade took some Bulgarian trenches, but it was in an exposed position, being hammered by artillery and eventually retreated before the Bulgarians counter-attacked. The brigade suffered about 50% casualties. The 65th Brigade's attack failed also, as did the French Zouvaves.
Meanwhile, also on September 18th, the British XVI Corps attacked with the Greek Cretan Division, and the British 84th Brigade in support. They faced the Bulgarian 1st Macedonian Brigade with 24 guns and 64 machine guns. The Greek division attacked with two of its regiments up front and a third in reserve, supported on its flank by the 84th. Firing in support were six batteries of British artillery. The British 85th Brigade in reserve. At 0500 the Greeks attacked, clearing out the Bulgarian outpost line. They then had to move across a long plain to attack the Bulgarian positions on a series of hills that overlooked the plain. The Greeks recklessly attacked across the plain, and penetrated the Bulgarian lines but were thrown back with heavy artillery, rifle, and machinegun fire. The British artillery deployed behind them to provide fire support. The Greeks rallied and made several more attacks on the Bulgarian lines with the same result as the first time. By the evening the Greeks withdrew followed a few hours later by the British artillery. The XVI Corps did not attack on the 19th of September due to casualties. The attack failed due to the lack of artillery support, problems with inter-unit communication and the reckless first attack by the Greeks.
valley and were advancing towards Doiran. This prompted the command of Army Group Scholtz to order the Bulgaria
n First Army to retreat so that it would not be cut off from the rear. The British were weary and pursued slowly, and Bulgarian rear guards fought well enough to allow the rest of their troops to get away. The British Royal Air Force did attack the retreating Bulgarian columns inflicting some casualties.
. On September 30, the Bulgarians surrendered to the allies in Thessaloniki
in order to avoid occupation.
when he arrived in Victoria Station in London
, by lowering the flags of all their regiments who participated in the battle. The chairman of the British legion Major Goldy said in his speech: “He is one of the few foreign officers whose name features in our history”.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
assaulting the positions of the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n First Army near Dojran Lake
Dojran Lake
Dojran Lake is a lake with an area of 43.1 km² shared between the Republic of Macedonia and West Macedonia within Greek Macedonia, Greece . To the west is the city of Nov Dojran , to the east the village of Mouries, to the north the mountain Belasica/Beles and to the south the Greek town of...
. The battle was part of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and took place in the Balkan Theatre
Balkans Campaign (World War I)
The Balkans Campaign of World War I was fought between Central Powers Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Germany on one side and the Allies Serbia, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Montenegro on the other side.-Overview:The prime cause of World War I being the hostility between Serbia and...
. The battle ended with Bulgarians repulsing all attacks, but then retreating.
Prelude
The Greeks and the British set off from their base at ThessalonikiThessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
at the same time as the Serbs
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The Greeks and the British under George Milne set off the attack on the Bulgarian positions at Dojran while the Serbs and the French under the command of Franchet d'Esperey went to penetrate the Bulgarian defences in the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
Valley. The Greeks and the British were aiming to capture the Bulgarian positions in the hills above Dojran Lake
Dojran Lake
Dojran Lake is a lake with an area of 43.1 km² shared between the Republic of Macedonia and West Macedonia within Greek Macedonia, Greece . To the west is the city of Nov Dojran , to the east the village of Mouries, to the north the mountain Belasica/Beles and to the south the Greek town of...
.
This wasn't the first time the Allies had attacked Dojran - in 1916 an Anglo-French attempt was repulsed
Battle of Doiran (1916)
In the beginning of August 1916 three French and one British divisions with 45,000 men and 400 guns launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran, defended by the Second Thracian Infantry Division. The attack began on 9 August with heavy artillery fire on the positions of the...
by the Second Thracian Infantry Division; the British had twice failed to capture
Battle of Doiran (1917)
During the Second conference of the Military Counsel of the Entente in Chanties, it was decided to continue with the attempts at a breakthrough. The task for the Entente forces on the Macedonian Front was to inflict major defeats on the Bulgarian army and effect a wide breakthrough in the Balkans...
it in 1917. The fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s were well built (by Bulgarian engineers), the Bulgarians having spent the first months of 1916 and early 1917 strengthening the positions. The terrain around the area was rough, the fortifications being surrounded with three miles of scrub and rocks. Part of the defences were the dangerous Pip Ridge and the Grand Couronné.
The battle
On the left, the British XII Corps made up of the 22nd and 26th Divisions, reinforced by the Greek Seres division was to attack the difficult Pip Ridge. The British concentrated 231 pieces of artillery to include heavy 8 inch howitzers. The bombardment took place over two days, included gas shells and concluded with a rolling barrage behind which the infantry was to advance. The British spent the time before the battle practicing and preparing for the assault. Facing them was the Bulgarian 9th Pleven Division with 122 guns, in very well prepared defenses, commanded by General Vladimir VazovVladimir Vazov
Vladimir Minchev Vazov was a Bulgarian officer. He led the Bulgarian forces during the successful defensive operation at Dojran during the First World War.-Biography:...
.
On September 18th, the British XII Corps attacked with the 66th and 67th Brigades of the 22nd Division and the Greek Seres Division. The Bulgarian first line of trenches was overrun, and the Seres Division penetrated to the second line. The Bulgarians responded with heavy artillery fire and counter-attacks that recaptured the ground lost. Meanwhile the British 66th Brigade's 7th South Wales Border battalion lost heavily and failed in its attacks. Attacks by its the 11th Welsh Regiment and 9th Border Regiment did not go well either. The British 67th Brigade's 12th Chesire Regiment followed by the 9th South Lancashire Regiment and 8th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) charged into withering Bulgarian artillery and machinegun fire. the 67th Brigade lost 65% of its soldiers. At the end of the day the XII Corps was back at its starting point. On September 19th, the XII Corps attacked again. Because the XVI Corps attacks north of the lake had failed, the XII Corps would attack alone. The Greek Seres Division repeated the previous day's performance, taking some Bulgarian trenches before being thrown back by heavy artillery, machine gun fire and counterattacks. The British attacked with the 77th Brigade, the weakened 65th Brigade, and later the 2nd French Zouaves. The 66th Brigades and 67th Brigades were fit only for defensive duties and did not participate. The 77th Brigade took some Bulgarian trenches, but it was in an exposed position, being hammered by artillery and eventually retreated before the Bulgarians counter-attacked. The brigade suffered about 50% casualties. The 65th Brigade's attack failed also, as did the French Zouvaves.
Meanwhile, also on September 18th, the British XVI Corps attacked with the Greek Cretan Division, and the British 84th Brigade in support. They faced the Bulgarian 1st Macedonian Brigade with 24 guns and 64 machine guns. The Greek division attacked with two of its regiments up front and a third in reserve, supported on its flank by the 84th. Firing in support were six batteries of British artillery. The British 85th Brigade in reserve. At 0500 the Greeks attacked, clearing out the Bulgarian outpost line. They then had to move across a long plain to attack the Bulgarian positions on a series of hills that overlooked the plain. The Greeks recklessly attacked across the plain, and penetrated the Bulgarian lines but were thrown back with heavy artillery, rifle, and machinegun fire. The British artillery deployed behind them to provide fire support. The Greeks rallied and made several more attacks on the Bulgarian lines with the same result as the first time. By the evening the Greeks withdrew followed a few hours later by the British artillery. The XVI Corps did not attack on the 19th of September due to casualties. The attack failed due to the lack of artillery support, problems with inter-unit communication and the reckless first attack by the Greeks.
Casualties
The Allies' losses totalled 7,103 British and Greek soldiers, against 2,726 for the Bulgarians. Most of the British and Greek loses were to the XII Corps and Seres Division, with less than 1,000 coming from the XVI Corps and Cretan Division.| Bulgarian casualties and expended material. | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Men | Expended Material | Trophies | ||||||||||||||
| Killed | Wounded | Missing | Total | Rifle Rounds | MG Rounds | Hand Grenades | Flare Rockets | Mines | Artillery Shells | Damaged Guns | Prisoners | MGs | Automatic Rifles | ||||
| 57th Regiment | 8 | 30 | 6 | 44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 | 2 | 5 | |||
| 33rd Regiment | 140 | 263 | 17 | 420 | 509,000 | 441,000 | 13,200 | 3,800 | 2,157 | - | - | 198 | 23 | 48 | |||
| 17th Regiment | 214 | 439 | 432 | 1085 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 227 | 27 | 52 | |||
| 58th Regiment | 57 | 84 | 711 | 852 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 60 | 12 | 26 | |||
| 34th Regiment | 45 | 85 | 1 | 131 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 4th Regiment | 5 | 20 | 0 | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 33 | 3 | 14 | |||
| Artillery | 23 | 28 | 13 | 64 | - | - | - | - | - | 64,752 | 18 | - | - | - | |||
| Pioneers | 16 | 21 | 37 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Flame/Mine Throwers | 10 | 28 | 30 | 68 | - | - | - | - | - | 64,752 | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total | 518 | 998 | 1,210 | 2,726 | 1,500,000 | 2,000,000 | 40,000 | 10,000 | 6,000 | 64,752 | 18 | 542 | 67 | 145 | |||
Retreat
Several days after the battle, the British realized the Bulgarian fortifications were quiet. The Greek and British armies advanced only to find the Bulgarian positions abandoned. The Serbs and French armies had defeated part of the Bulgarian army in the VardarVardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
valley and were advancing towards Doiran. This prompted the command of Army Group Scholtz to order the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n First Army to retreat so that it would not be cut off from the rear. The British were weary and pursued slowly, and Bulgarian rear guards fought well enough to allow the rest of their troops to get away. The British Royal Air Force did attack the retreating Bulgarian columns inflicting some casualties.
Aftermath
The Allies continued to advance into Bulgarian-held territory and some said the Bulgarian army had mutinied and were threatening SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. On September 30, the Bulgarians surrendered to the allies in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in order to avoid occupation.
Trivia
The British paid great honor to General Vladimir VazovVladimir Vazov
Vladimir Minchev Vazov was a Bulgarian officer. He led the Bulgarian forces during the successful defensive operation at Dojran during the First World War.-Biography:...
when he arrived in Victoria Station in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, by lowering the flags of all their regiments who participated in the battle. The chairman of the British legion Major Goldy said in his speech: “He is one of the few foreign officers whose name features in our history”.