Initial attacks
On 9 and 10 February, the Allies attacked the 33rd Svishtov and 34th Troyan Regiments but were repulsed by a decisive counterattack by the Troyan Regiment. The British advance on 21 February was repulsed by Bulgarian artillery after a two-day battle. [3]
The Allied command found that the Bulgarian positions were better fortified than the previous year, so it ordered a systematic artillery barrage on these defences. In the meantime, it continued the development of its forming-up ground, which was 800 –1,500 m from the defensive lines of the Pleven Division. To make the breakthrough, the British concentrated three divisions (the 22nd, 26th, 60th), with its artillery – more than 43,000 men, 160 guns, 110 mortars and 440 machine-guns. The objective did not differ much from the battle in the previous year; the main blow was on a front of 5–6 km towards Kalatepe. [4]
The prognosis of the Bulgarian command for a significant Allied offensive was confirmed by intelligence. The 9th Pleven Division was reinforced, having 30,000 men, 147 guns, 35 mortars, and 130 machine guns.
According to the orders of the High Command, the front was divided into three zones with different widths: the right from the River Vardar to the Varovita heights with a width of 13 km was defended by 1st Brigade (6 battalions with 48 guns, 12 mortars and 56 machine guns); the central from the Varovita heights to the Karakondzho heights, 4 km wide, defended by the 57th Regiment (3 battalions) and the left from the Karakondzho heights to Lake Doiran, 9 km wide, defended by 2nd Brigade (6 battalions, 76 guns, 19 mortars and 52 machine-guns). [4]
The battle
The battle for a breakthrough in the Bulgarian positions began on 22 April and continued intermittently until 9 May 1917. The assault began with a bitter four-day artillery barrage in which the British fired about 100,000 shells. As a result, the earthworks and some wooden structures in the front positions were destroyed. The Bulgarians also opened fire from the batteries between Vardar and Doiran. Vladimir Vazov ordered fire day and night on the Allied positions. [5] The initial several-hour struggle between the British and Bulgarian batteries was followed by a one-hour Bulgarian counter-barrage in which 10,000 shells were fired.
The British infantry began its attack on the night of 24–25 April. Twelve companies attacked the Bulgarian 2nd Brigade and, after a bloody fight, managed to take the "Nerezov," "Knyaz Boris," and "Pazardzhik" positions. After a Bulgarian counterattack, the British were repulsed with heavy casualties and, by 8 pm, had retreated. [5] The British assaults on the right and central fronts were also repulsed with heavy casualties after help from the Bulgarian artillery.
The British attacks in the next two days were defeated by constant Bulgarian fire and counterattacks. Due to this fire, the British withdrew to their initial positions on 27 April. The Bulgarians immediately started to reconstruct the destroyed fortifications.
Due to criticism by their high command, the British made new attempts at a breakthrough. On 8 May, after a long artillery barrage, they began another attack. The main assault started at 9 pm with five waves of British troops attacking the Bulgarian positions. After four attacks during the night of 8–9 May, the British were defeated and suffered enormous casualties. [6] A Times correspondent wrote that the British soldiers called the "Boris" point "the valley of death." [7]
Though the artillery duel continued until 9 May, the British had to abandon all attacks due to heavy casualties. They lost 12,000 killed, wounded and captured, of which the Bulgarian defenders buried 2,250. The losses of the Ninth Pleven Infantry Division were 2,000, of whom 900 died from disease and wounds. [8]
Vladimir Vazov was promoted to Major-General.
Map of the Allied night attack of 24 April
Map of the Allied night attack of 8 May
Vladimir Vazov's successful defence of Doiran made him a hero to the Bulgarians
The Battle of Shipka Pass consisted of four battles that were fought between the Russian Empire, aided by Bulgarian volunteers known as opalchentsi, and the Ottoman Empire for control over the vital Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The final battle is known as the battle of Shipka-Sheynovo or simply the battle of Sheynovo.
The Bulgarian First Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I and World War II.
The Second Battle of Artois from 9 May to 18 June 1915, took place on the Western Front during the First World War. A German-held salient from Reims to Amiens had been formed in 1914 which menaced communications between Paris and the unoccupied parts of northern France. A reciprocal French advance eastwards in Artois could cut the rail lines supplying the German armies between Arras and Reims. French operations in Artois, Champagne and Alsace from November–December 1914, led General Joseph Joffre, Generalissimo and head of Grand Quartier Général (GQG), to continue the offensive in Champagne against the German southern rail supply route and to plan an offensive in Artois against the lines from Germany supplying the German armies in the north.
The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and five divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle took place along the Western Front on the outskirts of Lens in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France between 15 and 25 August 1917.
The Capture of Schwaben Redoubt was a tactical incident in the Battle of the Somme, 1916 during the First World War. The redoubt was a German strong point 500–600 yd (460–550 m) long and 200 yd (180 m) wide, built in stages since 1915, near the village of Thiepval and overlooking the River Ancre. It formed part of the German defensive system in the Somme sector of the Western Front during the First World War and consisting of a mass of machine-gun emplacements, trenches and dug-outs. The redoubt was defended by the 26th Reserve Division, from Swabia in south-west Germany, which had arrived in the area during the First Battle of Albert in 1914. Troops of the 36th (Ulster) Division captured the redoubt on 1 July 1916, until forced out by German artillery-fire and counter-attacks after dark.
The Third Battle of Doiran was fought from 18 to 19 September 1918, with the British and the Greeks assaulting the positions of the Bulgarian First Army near Dojran Lake. The battle was part of World War I and took place in the Balkan Theatre. The battle ended with the Bulgarians repulsing all attacks.
The Battle of Dobro Pole, also known as the Breakthrough at Dobro Pole, was a World War I battle fought between 15 and 18 September 1918. The battle was fought in the initial stage of the Vardar Offensive, in the Balkans Theatre. On 15 September, a combined force of Serbian, French and Greek troops attacked the Bulgarian-held trenches in Dobro Pole, at the time part of the Kingdom of Serbia. The offensive and the preceding artillery preparation had devastating effects on Bulgarian morale, eventually leading to mass desertions.
Vladimir Minchev Vazov was a Bulgarian officer. He led the Bulgarian forces during the successful defensive operation at Dojran during the First World War.
The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II.
The Monastir offensive was an Allied military operation against the forces of the Central Powers during World War I, intended to break the deadlock on the Macedonian front by forcing the capitulation of Bulgaria and relieving the pressure on Romania. The offensive took the shape of a large battle and lasted for three months and ended with the capture of the town of Monastir. On an average depth of 50km, the Bulgarian First Army gave battle on six occasions, being forced to retreat five times.
The Battle of Malka Nidzhe, also known as the Battle of Gornichevo was the opening battle of the Monastir Offensive. It lasted for three days and ended in victory for the Entente forces.
The Vardar offensive was a World War I military operation, fought between 15 and 29 September 1918. The operation took place during the final stage of the Balkans Campaign. On 15 September, a combined force of Serbian, French, and Greek troops attacked the Bulgarian-held trenches in Dobro Pole, at the time part of Serbia. The assault and the preceding artillery preparation had devastating effects on Bulgarian morale, eventually leading to mass desertions.
The Battle of the Crna Bend was a significant military engagement fought between the forces of the Central Powers and the Entente in May 1917. It was part of the Allied Spring Offensive of the same year that was designed to break the stalemate on the Macedonian Front. Despite the considerable numerical and material advantage of the attackers over the defenders, the Bulgarian and German defence of the positions in the loop of the river Crna remained a formidable obstacle, which the Allies were unable to defeat not only in 1917 but until the end of the war.
The 78th Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of 'Kitchener's Army' and was assigned to the 26th Division. It served on the Salonika Front, capturing Horseshoe Hill in 1916 and fighting in the disastrous Second Battle of Doiran in 1917. At the end of the war it spearheaded the pursuit of the defeated enemy and took part in the postwar occupation of Bulgaria before it was disbanded in 1919.
The Battle of Krivolak was a World War I battle, fought between 21 October and 22 November 1915. It was fought in the initial stage of the Macedonian campaign, in the Balkans Theatre. On 21 October, Bulgarian troops attacked the French-held positions near the Strumica rail station, at the time part of the Kingdom of Serbia, starting the battle. Fighting continued until 22 November, when two Serbian divisions failed to capture Skopje, thus rendering the continuation of Entente offensive operations dangerous and forcing the French to evacuate their forces from the region.
The Battle of Lerin or Battle of Florina or Chegan offensive was an offensive operation of the Bulgarian army fought between 17–28 August 1916, during the First World War, in which they conquered the city of Florina but failed to take Chegan.
The Battle of Kosturino was a World War I battle fought between 6 and 12 December 1915. It was fought in the initial stage of the Macedonian campaign, in the Balkans Theatre. On 6 December, Bulgarian troops attacked the French and British-held trenches in Kosturino, at the time part of the Kingdom of Serbia. Though the early offensive was held in check, on 8 December, Bulgaria managed to infiltrate the Memesli ravine. Bulgaria then seized Crete Simonet, thus threatening to outflank the Allies. The Entente defeat at Kosturino led to the complete withdrawal of Allied forces from Serbia, thus enabling the Central Powers to build the Berlin to Constantinople rail line. In the meantime, the Allies concentrated on solidifying their defenses in Greece.
The 302nd Division was an infantry division of the German Army. It was formed during World War I, as part of the 11th German-Bulgarian Army, combining members of both nationalities and saw service on the Macedonian front. During this time it fought major battles at Crna Bend and the Vardar Offensive. It was dissolved on 30 September 1918, in the aftermath of the capitulation of the 11th German-Bulgarian Army.
The Action on the Polderhoek Spur, was a local operation in the Ypres Salient, by the British Fourth Army against the German 4th Army during the Third Battle of Ypres in Belgium during the First World War. Two battalions of the 2nd New Zealand Brigade of the New Zealand Division attacked the low ridge from which German observers could view the ground from Cameron Covert to the north and the Menin road to the south-west. A New Zealand advance of 600 yd (550 m) on a 400 yd (370 m) front, would shield the area north of the Reutelbeek stream from German observers on the Gheluvelt spur further south.
The 1910s in the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria 
United Kingdom 
