Greek Epirus Army, 1st Balkan War, 1912 -1913
v. 1.0 June 16, 2002
Alexis Mehtidis
Sources
:
- Greek Army Historical
Service, ' The 1912 - 1913 War ' Volume B'
- B' Army Corps, '
Battles of the Greek Army for the liberation of Epirus ', June 1965
- Mission Militaire Francaise
en Grece, ' Rapport du Lt Colonel Crosson - Duplessix au sujet du Siege
de Jannina ', Athenes : 30 Avril 1913 ( Reprinted in Ioannina by
IMIAX in 2000 )
Note : There are some discrepancies as to the composition of the various
formations between these three sources. I've tried to accommodate for all
of them.
Corrections
and additions welcome at : alexmehtidis@hotmail.com
According
to the 1912 Mobilization Plan the Greek Army consisted of two General Headquarters:
the Thessaly Army General Headquarters and the Epirus Army Headquarters.
Epirus
Army composition
October
3rd, 1912
|
Infantry
15th Infantry Regiment
3rd Evzones Battalion
3rd Independent Evzones Battalion
7th Evzones Battalion
10th Reserve Evzones Battalion
2nd National Guard Battalion
|
|
Artillery
III/4 Field Artillery Squadron
II Mountain Artillery Squadron
II Siege Artillery Squadron of 150mm
|
|
Cavalry
4th Troop / 2nd Cavalry Regiment
|
|
Engineers
Engineer Company
Telegraphists Platoon
Other
One Stretcher-bearers Squadron
Three Operating Theatres
Three Medical Units
One Ammunition Supply Column Squadron
One Supply Column
L.O.C. Service
|
|
Ionian Naval Squadron
2 Gunboats with one cannon ( ' Aktion ', ' Amvrakia ' )
3 Gunboats ( ' A ', ' B ', ' C ' )
4 Steamships ( ' Alfeios ', ' Evrotas ', ' Pineios ', ' Aheloos
' )
|
Reinforcements
Army
Units
|
17/10/1912 Independent Cretans Regiment
12/11/1912
105mm Heavy Battery
25/11/1912
II Division
28/11/1912
Independent Infantry Battalion
23/11/1912
Grevena Detachment
14/12/1912
IV Division
28/12/1912
24th Marines Regiment
28/12/1912
VI Division
31/12/1912
Mixed Hios Detachment ( four Infantry Battalions, two Mountain Artillery
Batteries )
13/1/1913
Cavalry Regiment ( Two Squadrons )
28/1/1913
2nd Infantry Regiment ( from the Ist Division )
10/2/1913
4th Infantry Regiment ( from the Ist Division )
22/2/1913
III Division
From 28/10/1912 onwards: Various units from the Athens Area
replaced losses and reinforced Epirus Army
At some stage one Optical Telegraph Unit and three Wireless Sections
were brought with the Prince Regent's Staff .
|
Volunteer
Corps
|
3/10/1912 Various units of Epirotan and Cretan Volunteers
31/10/1912
Cretans Militia Company, Volunteer Company of Greeks living in New York USA,
Redshirt and Garibaldi Corps
|
Aviation
|
23/11/1912 Squadron of three airplanes
Note : According to other sources the ' Epirus Army Aeroplane Squadron
' consisted of four Maurice Farman with a Renault 70hp motor or the four
mentioned above one Henri Farman with a Gnome 80hp motor and one ex-Turkish
REP with a Gnome 70hp motor - that was captured in Thessaloniki - . The total
of six could be the total number of planes at the later stages of the
campaign.
|
Middle
of November 1912
|
II Division
|
|
A' Mixed Detachment
|
|
B' Mixed Detachment
|
|
Reserves ( Cavalry Troop, Engineer Two-company, Field Artillery
Squadron, Heavy ( 105mm ) Artillery Battery, Aeroplane Squadron, Operating
Theatres etc.
|
End
of December 1912 / beginning of January 1913
The
two Heavy Artillery Batteries, 2nd Field Artillery Regiment and the I/3 Field
Artillery Battery were placed under direct Epirus Army control as Army Artillery.
February
19th, 1913
|
Mixed Metsovo Brigade
|
|
VI Division
|
|
VIII Division
|
|
II Division
|
|
Army Group B'
|
|
Aheron Detachment
|
|
Detachments in Preveza, Louros and Philippiada
|
|
Infantry Battalion ( Heimarra Landing Detachment ? )
|
|
Cavalry Regiment
|
|
Army Artillery : Six Field Artillery Batteries and two Heavy Artillery
Batteries
|
May
30th, 1913
|
VIII Division
|
|
IX Division
|
|
Occupation Battalion
Occupation
Two-company
Occupation
Company
National
Guard Battallion
National
Guard Company
Note : The Order of Battle for May 30th, 1913 is incomplete.
|
Composition
of Epirus Army formations
including tactical formations created for a short length
of time
Army
Group Right
( 28/12/1912 - 15/2/1913. Renamed Army Group A' from February 16th,
1913)
|
VI Division
Epirus
Division (renamed VIII Division from November 1st, 1913
|
Army
Group A'
( 16 - 22/2/1913 )
|
VI Division ( without 1st Evzones Regiment and the I/17 Battalion )
VIII
Division ( without 15th Infantry Regiment )
Metsovo
Brigade ( ex-Metsovo Detachment, renamed in February 8th, 1913 ) , including
two Field Artillery Squadrons - five batteries -, 105mm Heavy Artillery
Troop, Special Engineer Detachment
|
Army
Group B'
( 16 - 22/2/1913 )
|
1st Column: from IVth Division units ( minus two 9th Infantry Regiment
battalions and one 11th Infantry Regiment battalion ).
|
|
2nd Column: 1st Evzones Regiment, 3rd Infantry Regiment ( minus one
battalion ), 15th Infantry Regiment, I/17 Battalion, Mountain Artillery
Squadron (two batteries ), half Engineer Company.
|
|
3rd Column: 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Regiment ( minus one
battalion ), one Independent Battalion, Olitsikas Detachment ( three
battalions ), two Mountain Artillery Batteries, half Engineer Company.
|
Epirus
Army Group
( 6/3/1913 - 31/7/1913 )
|
6/3/1913 - 17/3/1913
III Division
VIII Division
Epirus Cavalry Regiment
Aherontas Detachment
V Division Detachment
|
|
18/3/1913 - 23/6/1913
VIII Division
IX Division
V Division Detachment - until April 17th, 1913 -
|
|
24/6/1913 - 31/7/1913
IX Division
|
II
Division
|
3/10/1912
1st Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment
I Squadron / 2nd Field Artillery Regiment
II Squadron / 2nd Field Artillery Regiment
Sappers Company
Optical Telegraph Platoon
Cavalry Half-squadron
End of December 1912
2nd Independent Infantry Battalion
II/7 Infantry Battalion
3rd Infantry Regiment
III/4 Field Artillery Squadron
etc.
Note : From February 16th, 1913 the 1st and 7th Infantry Regiments
were attached to the 3rd Column / Army Group B'
|
III
Division
|
6th Infantry Regiment
10th
Infantry Regiment
12th
Infantry Regiment
I
Squadron / 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
II
Squadron / 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
III
Mountain Artillery Squadron
Sappers
Company
Telegraphists
Company
Cavalry
Half-squadron
Note : Units as of 3/10/1912.
|
IV
Division
|
8th Infantry Regiment
9th
Infantry Regiment
11th
Infantry Regiment
I
Squadron / 4th Field Artillery Regiment
II
Squadron / 4th Field Artillery Regiment
I
Mountain Artillery Squadron
Sappers
Company
Telegraphists
Company
Cavalry
Half-squadron
Notes:
1. Units as of 3/10/1912.
2. Arrived in the Epirus front from December 14th,
1912.
|
VI
Division
|
1st Evzones Regiment
17th
Infantry Regiment
18th
Infantry Regiment
III
Squadron / 2nd Field Artillery Regiment
Sappers
Company
Telegraphists
Company
Cavalry
Half-squadron
Note : Units as of 3/10/1912.
|
VIII
/ Epirus Division
( Created as Epirus Division on December 22nd, 1912
from already exisitng units in the area of the Epirus Army, renamed VIII
Division on January 11th, 1913 )
|
22/12/1912 - 22/1/1913
Indpendent Cretans Regiment
15th Infantry Regiment
3rd Evzones Regiment
7th Evzones Regiment
10th Evzones Regiment
3rd Independent Evzones Regiment
Two Independent Battalions
|
|
23/1/1913 until the end of the campaign
15th Infantry Regiment
2nd Evzones Regiment (formed with the four Evzones Battalions already
in the Division)
|
|
22/12/1913 until the end of the campaign
1/II Mountain Artillery Battery
Slow-firing Mountain Artillery Battery
Note : The Division had an Optical Telegraph Unit according to some
sources.
|
IX
Division
|
24th Infantry Regiment
25th
Infantry Regiment
26th
Infantry Regiment
5th
Field Artillery Battery
Cavalry
Half-squadron
Note: Units as of 19/3/1913
|
Gribovo
Detachment
|
15th Infantry Regiment (minus II/15 Battalion )
10th
Evzones Battalion
II
Mountain Artillery Squadron
Note : Units as of 7 - 11/10/1912
|
Kiafa
Detachment
|
7th Evzones Battalion
Troop
12/15 Company
2nd
Mountain Artillery Battery
Note: Units as of 8 - 11/10/1912
|
Sector
of the Plains Detachment
|
II/15 Battalion
3rd
Evzones Battalion
10th
Evzones Battalion
1st
Mountain Artillery Battery
Note : Units as of 10 -11/10/1912
|
Left
Sector Detachment ( Formed on October 14th, 1912 to
replace Gribovo Detachment ) / Left Column ( From October 23rd, 1912 )
|
14 - 22/10/1912
15th Infantry Regiment
One Mountain Artillery Battery
One Field Artillery Battery
|
|
23/10 - 20/11/1912
15th Infantry Regiment
7th Evzones Battalion
2nd Mountain Artillery Battery
3rd Mountain Artillery Battery
|
Right
Sector Detachment (Formed on 14/10/1912 to replace
Kiafa Detachment ) / Right Column ( From 23/10/1912 )
|
14 - 22/10/1912
3rd Evzones Battalion
7th Evzones Battalion
10th Evzones Battalion
1st Mountain Artillery Battery
2nd Mountain Artillery Battery
|
|
23/10 - 20/11/1912
3rd Evzones battalion
3rd Independent Evzones Battalion
10th Evzones Battalion
1st Mountain Artillery Battery
|
Botsari
Detachment
( Formed on October 15th, 1912, part of Malamos - Olitsikas - Detachment
from November 16th, 1912 )
|
Evzones Company from the camps in the Arta Area
Western
Epirus Volunteer Corps
|
Spiliadis
Detachment
(Formed on October 15th, 1912 )
|
III/15 Battalion
7/15
Company
Area
Troop
Epirotans
and Cretans Volunteer Corps
|
Metsovo
Detachment ( Created on October 16th, 1912 ) / Metsovo
Brigade ( From February 8th, 1913 )
|
Two Companies
Cretans
Volunteer Corps
Epirotans
Volunteer Corps
4th
Infantry Regiment - from February 6th, 1913 -
Battalion
from the Athens Area - from February 6th, 1913 -
Garibaldi
Corps
Redshirts
corps
Fast-firing
Mountain Artillery Battery - from February 6th, 1913 -
Notes :
1. 4th Infantry Regiment returns to the Ist Division
on March 3rd, 1913.
2. Units comprising the Brigade become part of the
IXth Division and the Brigade ceases to exist.
|
Malamos
( Olitsikas ) Detachment
( Formed on November 11th, 1912 )
|
I/11 Battalion
Evzones
Company from the Arta Area
6/15
Company
Three
National Guards Companies
Western
Epirus Volunteer Corps
Mountain
Artillery Troop
Notes:
1. Part of the 3rd Column / Army Group B' from 16 -
22/2/1913
2. It ceases to exist on February 2nd, 1913. Its
non-divisional units become part of the Ioannina L.O.C. Service
|
A'
Mixed Detachment
( 21/11 - 22/12/1912 )
|
3rd Evzones Battalion
7th
Evzones Battalion
10th
Evzones Battalion
3rd
Independent Evzones Battalion
1/II
Mountain Artillery Battery
Engineer
Troop
|
B'
Mixed Detachment
( 21/11 - 22/12/1912 )
|
Independent Cretans Regiment
15th
Infantry Regiment
Field
Artillery Squadron (three 4th Field Artillery Regiment batteries)
3/II
Mountain Artillery Battery
Cavalry
Troop
Engineer
Troop
|
Agioi
Saranta Detachment
( Formed on November 21st, 1912 )
|
1st Infantry Regiment (minus one battalion )
One
mountain Artillery Battery
Company
from Heimarra
Note : Agioi Saranta is Sarande in Albania
|
Grevena
Detachment
|
Four Infantry Battalions
Cretans
Volunteer Corps
Note: Units as of 23 - 30/11/1912
|
Pramanta
Detachment
|
1/3 Evzones Company
Engineer
Company Section
Volunteer
Scouts Corps
Note: Units as of 23 - 30/11/1912
|
Epitos
( Aheron ) Detachment
( Formed on December 26th, 1912 )
|
Two Battalions (minus two companies ) from the Epirus Army reserves
1st
Independent Infantry Battalion
II/17
Battalion
Infantry
Company
1/3
Evzones Company
Two
Mountain Artillery Troops
Three
Krupp howitzers
Aherontas
Volunteers Troop
|
Heimarra
Landing Detachment
(formed November 2nd, 1912 )
|
Initially
200 Cretan Volunteers
|
|
13/11/1912
200 Cretan Volunteers
One Company ( 100 men ) from Corfu.
|
|
13/3/1912
200 Cretan Volunteers
One Company ( 100 men ) from Corfu.
One Company from camps in the Athens Area.
Notes:
1. Heimarra is in Albania
2. Became part of VIIIth Division on March 13th,
1913
|
Notes:
1. War
against the Ottoman Empire was declared on October 5th, 1912.
2. The
Garibaldi Corps was a volunteer force first created by the Italian Giuseppe
Garibaldi in 1860 to fight with the '...ones fighting for their freedom. ' His
son, Ricioti Garibaldi took part in the Balkan Wars, on the side of Greece, in
command of about 2300 Philellenes and Greek volunteers. This Corps was also called
The Redshirts. The Greeks in the Garibaldi Corps were about 1100.
3. The
Epirotan and Cretan volunteers were named Scouts Corps. They were composed of
volunteers not liable to conscription. They gave the soldier's oath and were
organised in Corps. 77 Cretan Scouts Corps (3556 men), 9 Epirotans Scouts Corps
( 446 men ) and 9 Macedonians Scouts Corps were organised. Volunteer Scouts
from other parts of Greece were 1812 men.
4.Each
Division consisted of: Staff, three Infantry Regiments and one Field Artillery
Regiment.
The Infantry Regiment consisted of: three
three-company battalions and two machine-gun platoons.
Each Evzones Battalion consisted of: four companies
and two machine-gun platoons.
Each Mountain Artillery Squadron consisted of: two or
three batteries.