The Liberation of Drama – 1 July 1913

The sudden Bulgarian attack against the Greek and Serbian covering detachments, on 16 June 1913, marked the outbreak of the Second Balkan War, and the Greek Army was called upon to defend the territories of Macedonia that had only just been liberated from Turkish occupation. This war was characterised by the speed with which it was conducted – it lasted only one month – the harshness of the battles and the great losses. The foremost battle was that of Kilkis – Lachanas (9-21 June), where the Bulgarians were defeated and retreated in almost disorderly fashion toward the heights of Doiran and beyond the bridge of Strymoniko toward the plain of Serres.

On 28 June 1913, the VII Division, which was on the right of the Greek Army's formation, received an order from General Headquarters to head toward Serres and to liberate Serres, Drama and Sidirokastro. After this, the Division ordered its detachments that were at the village of Cheimarros (19th Infantry Regiment and 1st Field Artillery Regiment), as well as those at Dasochori (Division Headquarters, 21st Infantry Regiment and a field artillery battery), to assemble at Strymoniko, so that the entire Division could pass through the bridges of Strymoniko and Koumaria and advance to the north.

General Headquarters, meanwhile, wishing to hasten the advance into the interior of Bulgaria, issued at 1600 on 29 June 1913 a new order, according to which the VII Division was to advance with the bulk of its force toward Nevrokopi, sending at the same time a regimental detachment toward Drama. The VII Division received this order at Pentapolis the following day and immediately ordered the 21st Infantry Regiment with a battalion of Artillery to head to Drama, while the rest of its force was to return to Serres, in order to advance via Vrontou toward Nevrokopi.

The column of the 21st Infantry Regiment with a battalion of Field Artillery (Drama Detachment) under the command of Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Michalopoulos – Arkadikos Nikolaos, moved from Pentapolis at 08:00 on 30 June and reached, unhindered, the railway station of Angista in the evening hours, where it spent the night. At 05:00 on 1 July the Detachment continued its movement, toward the northeast. About one kilometre past Alistrati, its vanguard easily neutralised an ambush of komitadjis and continued its march. Then the Detachment, after a brief struggle, put to flight a Bulgarian column escorting supply wagons, which abandoned a total of 75 vehicles full of various materials, and advanced toward Drama. On the same day the Greek detachments entered the city, which they managed to save from certain arson. The same did not happen, however, in the town of Doxato the previous day, when the retreating Bulgarians committed large-scale acts of vandalism, set it on fire and slaughtered more than 3,000 of its inhabitants, among them many priests, women and children. The inhabitants gave them an enthusiastic welcome, celebrating their liberation.

SOURCE: TOPICS OF MILITARY HISTORY

Republished from 1-7-2017