801 MT COY ASC
Balkans 1917
In the Spring of 1917 General Sarrail launches another offensive to the west of the River Vardar in the Moglena mountains but the combined efforts of the French, Serbs, Italians and Russians are largely a failure. The British role in the offensive was a full scale assault on the enemy positions west of Lake Doiran and a series of actions in the Struma valley. The first battle of Doiran fails to break through the Bulgarian lines but the objective of stopping units being moved west is achieved. The only successes in the spring of 1917 are the actions in Struma valley where the Bulgarians are pushed back to the eastern edge of the valley.
Image – a view of Pip Ridge and Grande Couronne from Petit Couronne shows the difficult terrain over which XII Corps attacked at the first battle of Doiran April 1917.
Problems with Greek neutrality are finally resolved when the Pro German Greek King abdicates and the Greeks enter the war on the allies side. Problems with diseases such as Malaria and Dysentery cause serious man power shortages throughout the campaign, the extreme winters and hot summers limit the opportunities for military action. In August 1917 a devastating fire sweeps through the city of Salonika destroying much of the old quarter.
In September 1917 the French take Pogradec in Eastern Albania, but this is the only successful operation that autumn in the Balkans, there is increasing dissatisfaction with Sarrail’s command, the Italians, Serbs, Brits, Russians and Greeks all want Sarrail removing. As a result of the offensive failures and discontent among the allied forces French President Georges Clemenceau orders return of Sarrail in December 1917. Clemenceau offered the Salonika command to Franchet D’Esperey but he turned it down and General Marie Louis Adolphe Guillaumat was appointed C in C Salonika.