801 MT COY ASC
Balkans 1918
In the early months of 1918 Guillaumat set about re-establishing relationships between the various national armies and drawing up plans for a new offensive. As a result of the political situation in Russia, the Russians were disarmed and interned but riots in the internment camp led to many being allowed to leave, however some remained and joined the labour force.
Image - General Guillaumat, G.O.C. Allied Armies with Admiral Merveillerex du Vignaux leaving St. Sophia, Salonika.
The re-equipping and re-organisation of the Greek Royalist army added an extra 22,000 men to the Greek army in the field, the ‘Corfu Pact’ brought in Croats and Slovenes from all over the world to join the Serbs and fight for ‘Yugoslavia’ and General Allenby’s success in Palestine freed up much needed guns for Salonika.
In May Guillaumat’s limited spring offensive began with the Italians attacking west of Lake Ochnid in Albania supported by the French. General Briggs XVI Corps mounted attacks in the Struma valley with the Greeks at Prosenik but these were not successful. To the west of the river Vardar the Greeks launched an attack at Skra Di Legen taking the Bulgarians completely by surprise and successful capturing this strategically important position.
On the western from the Germans had launched a major spring offensive and at the beginning of June were once again threatening Paris, as a result General Guillaumat was recalled to France and replaced in Salonika by General Franchet d’Esperey.
In the summer of 1918 the supreme war council met at Versaille, Guillaumat supported action in the Balkans, as ever the British were not keen but agreement was reached for offensive action to go ahead but not at the expense of the western front.
The Influenza outbreak of September 1918 caused man power shortages but Franchet d’Esperey was determined to put Guillaumat’s autumn offensive plans into action. The Serbian army supported by the French made significant gains in the west taking the Dobropolje pyramid.
Once again the British 22nd Division with the Greek Seres Division attacked the line west of Lake Doiran, this time they got as far as the slopes of the Grande Couronne but once again they were forced back.The XVI Corps attacked the Blaga Planina along with the Greeks; they had to cross four and a half miles of plain to reach Bulgarian lines so there was no element of surprise. The attack was a shambles due to poor communication between the British and the Greeks, particularly with regard to artillery support, the attack ultimately failed.
Meanwhile the Serbians pushed on to Kozyak where the Bulgarians struggled to hold them and retreated to their third line. The Serbs and French now occupied a salient 6 miles deep and 20 miles wide.
Fearing that the his army in the East might be cut off, General Todorov (Bulgarian CIC) meets General Steuben and General Von Reuter at Prilep and they agreed to pull back the Bulgarian 1st Army from East of the River Vardar. On the 20th September General Nerezov’s Bulgarian 1st Army began to withdraw back towards the Kosturino Pass.
R.A.F. reconnaissance planes reported signs of the Bulgarian retreat and British patrols at Doiran reported the enemy trenches were empty. The British and Greeks moved forward on Pip ridge and the Grande Couronne as the RAF begin bombing the retreating columns of Bulgarians.
Image - Equipment abandoned by the Bulgarians during their retreat September 1918
While Gen Milne prepares for full scale advance of XII and XVI corps in pursuit of the enemy, the French Colonial division marched into Prilep unopposed, the Bulgarians and Germans having fled. Gradsko the main centre for supply of the Bulgarian and German armies in Macedonia was taken and the French Colonials under General Juinot-Gambetta pushed on for Skopje.
On the 25th September the British 27th and 28th divisions and the Greeks had a hard time in the Belassica Planina mountains north east of Doiran, but the Derbyshire Yeomanry made rapid progress riding through the Kosturino pass followed by the 79th Brigade infantry pursuing the rapidly retreating Bulgarians in what was becoming a rout.
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Image – the Bulgarian town of Strumica the Derbyshire Yeomanry rode into Strumica unopposed 26th September 1918
In Bulgaria there was political unrest, King Ferdinand dismissed his pro German Government and left wing socialists formed Soviets. On the 26th September King Fredinand sent emissaries to sue for peace but the Bulgarian conditions were rejected by Franchet d’Esperay.
On the 28th September three Bulgarian staff cars were intercepted by the Derbyshire Yeomanry, one car with a British driver was allowed through, the delegation arrived in Salonika and Franchet d’Esperay presents his terms. After some prevarication the Franchet d’Esperey terms were accepted, and the armistice was signed, hostilities to cease at noon September 30th, 16 days after the guns of the spring offensive had opened up.