100 Years ago this week in the Balkans

[Gardenerbill]

I cannot find anything for this week in any of my books. I suspect the patrolling, trench digging, training and road repairs continued to occupy the BSF. If anyone else has anything feel free to post it.

[Gardenerbill]

After a quiet week more men and equipment arrived; the 73rd and 74th Anti Aircraft sections, 2 batteries of the West Highland Mountain Brigade arrived from Egypt, an Italian division, a brigade of Russians and 800 Albanian Partisans arrive.

The British 22nd and 26th Divisions took over the line from Lake Doiran to the river Vardar, releasing French units to move west. On the 9th Aug British and French artillery bombard Bulgarian positions.

To improve co-ordination between divisions and corps, Major General F.W.B. Koe was appointed Inspector General of communications.

[Gardenerbill]

17^th August 1916 the 7^th Battalion Ox and Bucks Light Infantry assaulted Horseshoe Hill.

Events leading up to the assault on Horseshoe Hill:

French planned to attack line between Doljeli and Doiran with the 17^th Colonial Division in two phases; first Hill 227 and the village of Vladaya, then Petite Couronne and La Tortue. 10^th August, after heavy bombardment, Hill 227 and Vladaya found to have been evacuated and occupied by the 17^th Colonial Division. British 66^th Brigade occupied the vacated French positions on the Gola Kilindir ridge. General Gerome (17^th Col Div) requests General Wilson (XII Corps co) to attack La Tortue but the request is refused. 15^th Aug the French take La Tortue but were driven off. 16^th Aug after heavy bombardment including British artillery, French take La Tortue and Doljeli. French were driven out of Doljeli after repeated attempts to occupy it by enemy fire from Horseshoe Hill. General Duncan (78^th Bde co) had a plan in place to attack Horseshoe Hill, the plan was sanctioned by General Milne and General Wilson ordered the attack to take place on the 17^th. The attack on Horseshoe Hill was a success and the 7^th Ox and Bucks were relieved on the 19^th August.

[Gardenerbill]

While the 7^th Ox and Bucks were taking Horseshoe Hill, the Bulgarians attacked both flanks of the allied army. The Bulgarian First Army advanced down the Monastir Salonika railway on the left and the Bulgarian Second Army advanced on the right down the Constantinople railway from the Rupel pass and occupied the east bank of the river Struma.

[Gardenerbill]

The Bulgarian 1^st Army offensive is finally halted in the Vardar sector.

17^th Field Coy R.E. supported by the Surrey Yeomanry, the 27^th Div Cyclist Coy and the 3^rd K.R.R.C. destroy bridges on the Constantinople railway and on the river Angista in the Struma sector.

The Bulgarian second army continue to move towards the coast in eastern Macedonia occupying Provishta, Semaltos and reaching as far as Kavalla where the Greeks withdraw.

The 10^th Irish Division move up to Lahana from reserve; 29^th and 30^th Bde (10^th Div) relieve French (Zouaves) in the line between Gudeli Bridge and Sakovcha

The 35^th Italian Division relieve the French 57^th Division in the Belasica Mountain Sector  Div on the E side of the Vardar, allowing the French divisions to move west of the Vardar in support of Serbs^nd Div) relieve French 122^nd Bde (22^th, 67

Rumania declares war on Austria Hungary

[Gardenerbill]

28^th August 1916 Germany declares war on Italy and Rumania, then on the 30^th Turkey declares war on Rumania.

Newly arrived heavy artillery reinforcements are distributed among the divisions.

General Milne orders XII Corps to extend its line to the east and XVI Corps to organise demonstrations in the Struma valley in support of General Sarrail’s offensive plans which will be carried out by the French, Serbians and Russians in the western sector of the line.

Edited 28 August , 2016 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

5^th September heavy artillery reinforcements were distributed among the two Corps.

10^th September demonstrations began in the Struma valley; on the 27^th Division sector, 80^th Brigade pushed out 2 battalions from Neohori, the enemy retreated and there was no contact, 82^nd Brigade patrols crossed the ford at Bairakli, the French colonials crossed at Fitoki, the 7^th mounted brigade crossed the Struma in boats and 31^st Brigade (10th Irish Division) crossed the Struma by footbridge, ferry and ford.

The first operation against Bairakli Jum’a and Bairakli Zir was held up by heavy enemy fire, but the 84^th Brigade operation against Nevolyen takes the village and 30 prisoners, a Bulgarian counter attack forced the Brigade to withdraw.

[KGB]

Link kaput!

[Gardenerbill]

2 hours ago, KGB said:

Link kaput!

 

Not sure what you mean KGB?

[KGB]

On 9/5/2016 at 13:12, Gardenerbill said:

 

Not sure what you mean KGB?

 

On 9/5/2016 at 13:12, Gardenerbill said:

 

Not sure what you mean KGB?

 

On 9/5/2016 at 13:12, Gardenerbill said:

 

Not sure what you mean KGB?

There was a link to an article in Macedonia 1915 magazine (?) It did not work. 

[Gardenerbill]

38 minutes ago, KGB said:

There was a link to an article in Macedonia 1915 magazine (?) It did not work. 

 

Can you tell me the post ID number where the link was.

[Gardenerbill]

The autumn offensive began 12^th September, French and Serbian artillery opened fire, the Serbian objective was to take Kajmakcalan a 7,700ft ridge overlooking the route to Monastir. British artillery  bombarded positions in the Dorain sector of the line.

The main event for the British Salonika Army was the action at Machukovo, here the 12^th Lancashire Fusiliers and the 14^th Kings, with flank support from the 11th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the 9^th East Lancs, attempted to take Piton Mitrailleuse (Machine gun hill) and the Dorsale above the abandoned village of Machukovo. The action was a partial success with all objectives taken but severe enfilade fire, heavy losses and counter attacks forced withdrawal.

XVI Corps demonstrations began in the Struma valley including; advance on Kara Orman and Yeni Mahale, 7^th Mounted Brigade reach Ano and Kato Gudeli, and companies of the 29^th Brigade cross the Struma at Chasseur Island and carry the village of Jani Mahale and capture Komoryan.

 

[Gardenerbill]

While 65th Brigade were attacking the positions above Machukove, the French took the village of Radnik and advanced on FLorina and the Serbians cpatured Gornichevo.

[Gardenerbill]

After the French successfully captured Florina the Autumn offensive halted briefly while the Serbians readied themselves for another assault on Kajmakcalan and the French were held up near Monastir.

A Greek Battalion formed in Salonika from Venizelos supporters moved into the line in the Struma valley.

The British Salonika Force ceases to be administered from Egypt.

[Gardenerbill]

Bulgarian troops had started to withdraw from British sector to reinforce line in the west, increasing the urgency for British action.

On the 29^th September the 29^th and 81^st Brigades crossed the Struma to take up start positions ready for the assault on the Karajakois villages.

On the 30^th September  the Serbs took Kajmakcalan ridge at the second attempt and on the same day Bombardment began on the Karajakois villages in the Struma valley. Later that day, the 81^st Brigade (27th Division) took Karajakoi Bala followed by Karajakoi Zir where 250 prisoners were captured.

The next day, strong Bulgarian counter attacks on both Karajakoi Bala and Karajakoi Zir were repulsed.

 

September 1916 the 17th Kite balloon section and the 47th RFC Squadron arrived and set up an aerodrome at Yanesh.

Edited 10 June , 2017 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

In the Struma valley a second counter attack Karajakoi Zir by the Bulgarians was repulsed with 50 more prisoners taken. On the 3^rd October, 30^th Brigade attacked Yenikoi, easily taking the village with little resistance encountered. Part of Yeniko ihad to be evacuated during a determined counter attack by the Bulgarians but the whole village was eventually reoccupied. 5^th October the 84^th Brigade occupied the village of Nevolyen North West of Yenikoi unopposed, reconnaissance confirms the Bulgarians have withdrawn as far as the Salonika Constantinople railway at the eastern edge of the Struma valley.

To the west of the river Vardar the Monastery of St Marco near FLorina was captured and the French and Russians began preparation to attack Monastir. French General Cardonnier made a reconnaissance flight in an aeroplane, possibly the first time this was done. The first attack on the Bulgarian and German line on the plain at Monastir failed. Meanwhile the Serbs were having more success forcing the Bulgarians to fall back to a bend in the Crna river, the Serbs crossed the Crna between Brod and Skocevir.

[AndyR]

Hi

There are IWM photographs of the Bulgarian prisoners in Q32422-Q32430 and presumably all of Q32420-Q32438 are related.

E.g. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205297972

Andy

 

[Gardenerbill]

In that photograph you can see the scruffy appearance of the Bulgarians as descridbed in the book 'A Subaltern in Serbia'. It looks like the Seres road to the south of Orljak and that could be Coles Cop in the background.

[Gardenerbill]

Venizelos arrives in Salonika begins to raise Greek National Army

Second attack on Monastir also fails, Sarrail demands the recall of General Cardonnier. Cardonnier is replaced by General LeBlois.

Meanwhile XII Corps put the pressure on with a series of raids, starting with the 12^th Hampshire attack on Goldies Hill, then the 11^th Worcesters raid on Mamelon.

[Gardenerbill]

The pressure from the XII Corps continued with raids on the vineyards between the Vardar and Machukovo by the 7^th South Wales Borderers and a raid on the Nose by the 9^th South Lancs. Then on the 22^nd October there was a trench raid on the Dorsale by 11^th Welsh, during this action Private Hubert William Lewis won the first VC of the Salonika campaign.

On the 23^rd General Milne ordered XII Corps to relieve the French 34^th Colonial Brigade in the line between Lake Doiran and Doljeli to allow the French unit to move west. The French Struma detachment was now the only one East of the Vardar river.

Edited 16 October , 2016 by Gardenerbill

[Gardenerbill]

The Villages of Elshan, Ormanli and Haznadar to the north of the Karajakois salient in the Struma valley were occupied by 83rd Brigade without opposition, the villages of Nevolyen and Cuculuk had already been occupied, this extended the bridgehead on the east bank of the Struma considerably.

On the 29th October, the 84^th Brigade relieved the 83^rd Brigade in the Karajakois Salient.

[Gardenerbill]

In the Struma valley, the 83rd Brigade were given the job of taking the village of Bairakli Jum’a, the 1st Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry took the village with only slight opposition and light casualties. The 1ST York and Lancs took an objective known as the Gypsy camp on the southern edge of the village.

The 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers (84th Brigade) attacked the Dolap farm stronghold and took the Bulgars completely by surprise, over 400 men surrendered.

The 5th and 6th Irish Fusiliers drove the enemy out of Prosenik a village to the south east of Bairakli and on the eastern side of the Salonika Constantinople Railway; the village was held  until nightfall when they withdrew.

Bad weather in the western sector of the front halted the main offensive.

[Gardenerbill]

After early successes occupying Transylvania in August, the Rumanians had been pushed back by German and Austrian counter offensives at the end of September and into October. Then on the 10th November General Falkenhayn, who had been moved from the western front, won a decisive victory at the 2nd Battle of Targu Jui, this would prove to be a turning point in the Rumanian campaign.

 

In early November the weather improved enough for the offensive around Monastir and the Crna valley to resume. Serbian successes continued between POLOG and the north course of the Crna and at Veljeselo. The last French detachment was withdrawn from the Struma valley and moved west of the Vardar.

[Gardenerbill]

16th November 6th and 7th Dublin Fusiliers (30th Bde, 10th Div) surrounded and took the village of Prosenik, 27 prisoners and a machine gun were captured. 17th November 82nd Brigade (27th Div) was given the task of capturing Tumbitza and Virhanli farms in the Struma valley. The attack stalled when the 2nd Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and the 10th Cameron Highlanders failed to cross the Virhanli stream.

 

In the Crna loop the Serbs took Hill 1378 forcing the German and Bulgarian line back to Ribarci, Jarasok and Hill 1212. On the Monastir plain the French launched an attack on the Kenali defences and the Italians attacked at Baba Planina. Then on the 18th November continuous pressure forced the enemy to abandoned Monastir; the next day French and Russian troops entered the town of Monastir.

 

Also this week the Venizelos provisional government in Salonika was recognised.

[Gardenerbill]

In the Struma valley 10th Division and 28th Division withdraw from the village of Prosenik, Kumli and Bairakli.

 

In the XII Corps area the 8th Shropshire Light infantry carried out a trench raid on the Nose and the 65th Brigade (22nd Division) began to move to the Butkovo valley.

 

The Italian Brigade west of the Varder make good progress at Bratindol.

 

The 8th Mounted Brigade arrived in Salonika.

 

On a personal note, my Grandfather arrived in Salonika this week with a draft of re-enforcements for the 9th East Lancs.