It was the most important of all the battles fought in the spring of that year on the Macedonian Front and the first engagement of Greek forces in a large-scale operation.
By December 1915 the Central Powers (Bulgarians and Germans) troops had approached near Skra and in the spring of 1916 the Entente forces began to advance towards Skra di Leggen, as the French had named the location, in order to pin down the German forces so that their units would not be transferred to the Western Front. From April 1917, skirmishes began between the two opponents, while the German-Bulgarians were fortifying the area.
As a result, the French commander-in-chief of the Front, General Guillaume, decided to occupy the fortified area of Skra. The plans for the attack were completed and implemented by his replacement, General François d'Espéret. The attack was carried out by the Army of National Defence Corps under Lieutenant General Emmanuel Zymvrakakis, while the assault forces were led by Major General Ioannou. The 5th and 6th Regiments of Archipelagos, the 7th and 8th Regiments of the Cretan Division and the 1st Regiment of the Serres Division were made available for this purpose. The Greek force had 14,546 infantrymen, supported by 287 heavy and light guns. It was supported by the 16th French Colonial Division and the 1st African Regiment. The Bulgarians had five infantry regiments, supported by powerful artillery, heavy and light.
The attack began at 5 a.m. on 16 May with an artillery barrage. The infantry divisions designated for the attack dashed out on the morning of 17 May and by the afternoon, after fierce fighting and despite stubborn Bulgarian resistance, had captured Skra. The price was heavy for the Greek troops. The dead amounted to 434 and the wounded to 1,925. The number of dead and wounded Bulgarians was estimated at several hundred and the number of prisoners at 2,000.
The victory of the Greeks in Skra made a great impression on the Allies and delighted the Greek people. It showed that the Greek army, despite all the internal conflicts due to the National Schism, its organizational and operational problems, was still capable and expert in warfare.
Source: sansimera.gr
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