Battle of Doiran - The Battle

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 Vazov.

On September 18, 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 Cheshire 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 19, 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 18, 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 19 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.