Battle of Doiran (1916)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox military conflict

|conflict=First Battle of Doiran

|partof=Macedonian front (World War I)

|date=9 August 1916 - 18 August 1916

|place=Lake Dojran, Kingdom of Serbia (present-day North Macedonia)

|result=Bulgarian victory

|combatant1={{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bulgaria}}

|combatant2={{plainlist|

• {{flagcountry|FRA-3}}
• {{flagcountry|UKGBI}}

}}

|commander1={{flagicon|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} Dimitar Geshov

|commander2={{flagicon|FRA-3}} Maurice Sarrail

|strength1=2nd Thracian Infantry Division

|strength2={{plainlist|

• {{flagicon|FRA-3}} 3 divisions
• {{flagicon|UKGBI}} 1 division

  ---

• 45,000 men
• 400 guns

}}

|casualties1=851

|casualties2=3,200 men

|campaignbox={{Campaignbox Macedonian Front (World War I)}}

}}

At the beginning of August 1916, three French and one British division with 45,000 men and 400 guns launched an offensive against the Bulgarian positions at Lake Dojran, defended by the 2nd Thracian Infantry Division. The attack began on 9 August with heavy artillery fire on the positions of the 27th Chepino Regiment and 9th Plovdiv Regiment. All four attacks that followed on 10, 15, 16 and 18 August were repulsed by the Second Division, and the Allies were forced to retreat to their original positions with heavy casualties.

Other sources state that the French took Tortoise Hill (Tortue) and Doldzeli, an area of {{nobr|30 km{{sup|2}}}}, but at a very high cost.{{cite web|url=http://1rima.fr/histoire_dobro.html |title=Historique |accessdate=30 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221172303/http://1rima.fr/histoire_dobro.html |archivedate=21 February 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.gwpda.org/memoir/Salonica/salon4.htm|title=G. Ward Price. The Story of the Salonica Army. 1918. Chapters X-XIII.|publisher=|accessdate=30 November 2014}} The British 7th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry took Horseshoe Hill.{{cite web|url=http://www.worcestershireregiment.com/bat_11_1916.php|title=Worcestershire Regiment (29th/36th of Foot)|publisher=|accessdate=30 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.clyde1924.plus.com/jts_hoey/index.html|title=2nd Lieut. JTS Hoey - Croix de Guerre|publisher=|accessdate=30 November 2014}}