Battle of Doiran (1917)
The Battle of Doiran was a 1917 battle between the United Kingdom and Bulgaria during World War I. The battle ended in decisive Bulgarian victory, leading to 16 months of silence on the front before the Third Battle of Doiran.
Planning[edit]
During the Second Conference of the Military Counsel of the Entente in Chantilly, 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 breakthrough in the Balkans in a relatively short time. The Allied command, which expected reinforcements, planned a major assault in the direction of Vardar and Doiran. In 1917 the 2nd (Bulgarian) Thracian Infantry Division was replaced at Doiran by the 9th Pleven Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Vladimir Vazov.
Initial attacks[edit]
On 9 and 10 February, the Allies attacked the 33rd Svishtov and 34th Troyan Regiments but were repulsed by a decisive counterattack by the Troyan Regiment. The British advance on 21 February was repulsed by Bulgarian artillery after a two-day battle.[3]
The Allied command found that the Bulgarian positions were better fortified than the previous year, so it ordered a systematic artillery barrage on these defences. In the meantime, it continued the development of its forming-up ground, which was 800 – 1,500 m from the defensive lines of the Pleven Division. To make the breakthrough, the British concentrated three divisions (the 22nd, 26th, 60th), with its artillery – more than 43,000 men, 160 guns, 110 mortars and 440 machine-guns. The objective did not differ much from the battle in the previous year; the main blow was on a front of 5–6 km towards Kalatepe.[4]
The prognosis of the Bulgarian command for a significant Allied offensive was confirmed by intelligence. The 9th Pleven Division was reinforced, having 30,000 men, 147 guns, 35 mortars, and 130 machine guns.
According to the orders of the High Command, the front was divided into three zones with different widths: the right from the River Vardar to the Varovita heights with a width of 13 km was defended by 1st Brigade (6 battalions with 48 guns, 12 mortars and 56 machine guns); the central from the Varovita heights to the Karakondzho heights, 4 km wide, defended by the 57th Regiment (3 battalions) and the left from the Karakondzho heights to Lake Doiran, 9 km wide, defended by 2nd Brigade (6 battalions, 76 guns, 19 mortars and 52 machine-guns).[4]
Aftermath[edit]
Apart from local skirmishes, the front was quiet during the next 16 months. Both sides used that time to strengthen and consolidate their positions further. In 1918 a massive Anglo-Greek attack was repulsed by the Pleven Division in the Third Battle of Doiran.