Aerial view of Doiran Town.

[Sgt Stripes]

Come across this photograph dated RFC Doiran Town early 1916.  However all the buildings seem  Intacted. Anyone know when the town was bombarded and by which side 

[Gardenerbill]

There must have been some limited bombardment during the retreat in winter 1915. After that the allies wouldn't have carried out any shelling of the town before April 1916 and even then I think they were more likely to shell the Bulgarian lines outside the town. There may have been some shelling of the southern end of the town during the preliminary bombardment of the first battle of Doiran in April 1917.

Edited 10 October , 2022 by Gardenerbill

[AFO191519]

Hi, 

As far as I know, during the Serbian Expedition, the bulk of the Allied troops evacuated Doiran before the Bulgarians arrived. There was a brief firefight on 12 December 1915 in the streets of the town as the French 235th Infantry Regiment covered the retreat against the Bulgarian vanguard. On this occasion, several batteries of mountain artillery were in support of the French, but I have not found confirmation that they opened fire on this occasion. So it seems natural to me that Doiran was still intact in early 1916. 

The town suffered several bombardments throughout the summer of 1916. French sources mention fires started by allied artillery shells in June and September. Artillery fire was particularly heavy in August, as part of the offensive of the 17th French Colonial Infantry Division, supported by the 26th British Division, south of Doiran. On this occasion, the French and English batteries targeted the Bulgarian guns installed on the outskirts the town.