site.btaSeptember 19, 1918: The Battle of Doiran Ends with Victory for Bulgaria and Defeat for Entente Troops

On September 19, 1918, the Battle of Doiran during WWI ended with victory for Bulgaria and defeat for the Entente (of Britain, France, Russia, Serbia and other countries formed in 1904-1907). The Entente troops who launched the action lost about 47,000 British soldiers and 20,000 Greek soldiers. Fewer than 500 Bulgarian soldiers perished. 

A day earlier, on September 18, 1918, Entente troops launched an offensive against Bulgarian troops on the Southern Front during World War I. The Entente planned, through two breakthroughs - of the French at Dobro Pole and of the British and Greeks at Lake Doiran, to do away with the Bulgarian army in Macedonia. 

At Dobro Pole, the French had a break-through on the front and advanced slowly, expecting a parallel breakthrough at Doiran. There, however, the situation was different. 

Near Doiran, four British, two Greek and one French divisions were built up against the 9th Pleven Division led by Gen. Vladimir Vazov. Twelve other Bulgarian divisions were deployed on the 600-kilometer front from the Aegian Sea to Albania. The ratio of forces was 7:1 in favour of the Entente. 

The assault on the Bulgarian positions at Doiran started on September 16 but thanks to Gen. Vazov's fortifications only nine soldiers were built and 40 wounded. On 18 September 1918, the Entente troops advanced, hoping to bring the military operation at Doiran to a swift end. The Bulgarian army responded with 220 guns, 400 mortars, 440 machine guns and 30,000 Bulgarian rifles. A day later, the battle ended in defeat for the Entente troops.