Order of battle of the Hellenic Army in the First Balkan War

The following is the order of battle of the Hellenic Army during the First Balkan War.

Background

Greek artillerymen with 75 mm field gun.

Greece, a state of 2,666,000 people in 1912,[1] was considered the weakest of the three main Balkan allies, since it fielded the smallest land army and had suffered a humiliating defeat against the Ottomans 16 years before in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897.

Following the defeat, starting in 1904 and especially after the Goudi coup of 1909, serious efforts were undertaken to reorganize and modernize the Army. From 1911, this task was undertaken by a French military mission.[2] The peacetime establishment of the Hellenic Army in 1912 comprised four infantry divisions (1st at Larissa, 2nd at Athens, 3rd at Missolonghi and 4th at Nafplion) newly reformed as triangular divisions, a cavalry brigade, six Evzones battalions, four field artillery and two mountain artillery regiments, one heavy artillery battalion and various support units, including two engineer regiments and an aircraft company. From 25 March 1912, Crown Prince Constantine assumed the position of Inspector-General of the Army, becoming its de facto commander-in-chief.[3]

Mobilization

The army was still in the process of reorganization when the war began. With the escalation of the crisis between the Balkan states and the Ottoman Empire, on 29 September [O.S. 16 September] 1912, a general mobilization was declared. The existing units were brought up to full complement, and the 5th, 6th, and 7th infantry divisions were set up. This brought the peacetime establishment of ca. 25,000 men up to ca. 110,000. In contrast to pre-war planning, no army corps were established; instead, the divisions were directly subordinated to GHQ.[4][5]

The available forces were grouped into two main commands: the Army of Thessaly (Στρατιά Θεσσαλίας), under the Crown Prince, which comprised the bulk of the Greek Army, and the Army of Epirus (Στρατιά Ηπείρου), under Lt Gen Konstantinos Sapountzakis.[6]

Army of Thessaly

Field uniforms of the Greek Army during the Balkan Wars

The Army of Thessaly comprised in total 59 infantry and 4 Evzone battalions, eight cavalry companies (of the Cavalry Brigade), seven engineer companies (organic to the infantry divisions), 32 artillery batteries with 96 field guns, 24 mountain guns and 70 machine-guns, and various support troops including an aviation company with four aircraft. The force totalled some 100,000 men, with ca. 80,000 effectives.[6] On 19 October [O.S. 3 October] 1912 these were organized in the following formations:

Army of Epirus

The Army of Epirus was tasked with the secondary strategic direction, towards the strongly fortified city of Ioannina and beyond. As the main initial strategic effort was to be against Thessaly, it was relegated to a secondary role, and was initially outnumbered by the Ottoman forces in the area (Yanya Corps under Esad Pasha). It nevertheless pushed back the initial Ottoman assaults, took Preveza and advanced to the approaches of the Ioannina fortified zone. Two attacks on the city in December and January were repulsed by the Ottoman forces, but after extensive preparations and transfer of forces from Macedonia, the city fell following the Battle of Bizani. The Army of Epirus was commanded until 23 January [O.S. 10 January] 1913 by Lt Gen Konstantinos Sapountzakis, and thereafter by Crown Prince Constantine.

Order of battle at the outbreak of hostilities

The Army of Epirus was composed of several independent units of roughly divisional strength. Its forces numbered eight infantry and Evzone battalions, one cavalry company and 24 guns, totalling some 10,000–13,000 in the early phases of the war.[6] At the outbreak of the war, it comprised the following units:

To these were later added two battalions of Cretans, as well as the volunteer Garibaldini legion.[6] On 25 December [O.S. 12 December] 1912, these forces formed the Epirus Division (Μεραρχία Ηπείρου), renamed in February 1913 as the 8th Infantry Division (VIII Μεραρχία).[4] In early December, the Army of Epirus was reinforced with the 2nd Infantry Division,[7] followed on 27 December by the 4th Division, by mid-January by the 6th Division and the 7th Infantry Regiment.[8] In preparation for the Battle of Bizani, the Crown Prince brought in additional troops and artillery, while a Mixed Brigade was formed to attack the fortifications of Ioannina from the northeastern flank.[9]

Order of battle before the Battle of Bizani

Sketch plan of the Greek left wing's flanking manoeuvre
Plan of the Greek flanking move that led to the fall of Ioannina.

Before the Battle of Bizani, the Army of Epirus comprised the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th Infantry Divisions, the Mixed Brigade, a cavalry regiment and the three independent detachments of Acheron, Preveza and Himara, in total 51 infantry battalions and other units, comprising 41,400 men with 48 machine guns and 93 field and mountain guns. These were grouped as follows, from the right to the left of the Greek front:

References

  1. ↑ Erickson (2003), p. 70
  2. ↑ The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 (2005), pp. 219–282
  3. ↑ The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 (2005), pp. 239–241, 285
  4. 1 2 The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 (2005), p. 287
  5. ↑ Hall (2000), p. 17
  6. 1 2 3 4 Oikonomou (1977), pp. 289–290
  7. ↑ Erickson (2003), p. 293
  8. ↑ Erickson (2003), p. 299
  9. ↑ Erickson (2003), p. 301

Sources

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