Battle of Skra-di-Legen

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Skra di Legen
partof=World War I


caption=
date=May 29–May 31, 1918
place=Skra, Greece
result=Greek victory
combatant1=Allies
combatant2=Central Powers
commander1=flagicon|Greece|royal Emmanouil Zymvrakakis
commander2=flagicon|Bulgaria|1878 ?
strength1= flagicon|Greece|royal Greece: 3 divisions (14.546 men),
flagicon|France France: one brigade
strength2=flagicon|Bulgaria|1878 Bulgaria: 3-th brigade of 5-th infantry division
casualties1= 2000 killed or wounded
casualties2= 600 killed, 1500 taken prisoners

The Battle of Skra di Legen (Skora di Legen) was a two day World War I battle which took place at the Skra fortified position, located NE of Mount Paiko North of Thessaloniki on May 30, 1918.

The Allied force comprised three Greek divisions under Lieutenant General Emmanouil Zymvrakakis plus one French brigade. The three Greek divisions included the "Archipelagos Division" under Major General Ioannou, the "Crete Division" under Major General Panagiotis Spiliadis, and the "Serres Division" under Lieutenant Colonel P. Gardicas.

The Bulgarian force comprised one division plus three regiments well defended in well fortified positions.

Victory of the allied troops with a decisive Greek contribution. In May 1918 Greek military units held a leading part in the battle of Skra di Legen, the most important among the local offensives, that resulted in the capture of a particularly fortified position, controlled until then by the Central Powers, chiefly Bulgarian troops. The battle of Skra confirmed in the eyes of the allies the fighting readiness of the Greek army which had practically just been restructured. The battle laid the preconditions for the allied counter-attack launched in September 1918. It was marked by a series of victories and continuous advances of the allied troops against the Central Powers.

External links

* [http://www.1914-1918.net/salonika.htm World War I history]
* [http://memorabilia.homestead.com/files/Salonika_and_Macedonia_1916_18.htm Salonika and Macedonia 1916-1918]

Bibliography

* Source Records of the Great War, Vol. VI, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923
* Grigorios Dafnis, "Sofoklis Eleftheriou Venizelos" (Athens: Ikaros, 1970) pp. 44-47.