Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas

Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas

Greek lithography of the Battle (Kilkis sector)

Date	19–21 June 1913 (O.S.)
Location	Kilkis (present-day Greece)
Result	Greek victory

Belligerents

Bulgaria

Greece

Commanders and leaders

Gen. Nikola Ivanov

King Constantine I

Strength

75,076 men, 175 guns (57 infantry battalions, 10 cavalry squadrons)

117,861 men, 176 guns (73 Infantry Battalions, 8 Cavalry Squadrons)

Casualties and losses

6,971 killed and wounded, 2,500 men and 19 artillery pieces captured

8,828 killed and wounded

The Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas took place during the Second Balkan War between Greece and Bulgaria for the town of Kilkis in Macedonia. The battle lasted three days from 19 to 21 June 1913 and ended with a Greek victory.

During the night of 16–17 June 1913, the Bulgarians, without official declaration of war, attacked their former Greek and the Serbian allies, and managed to evict the Serbs from Gevgelija, cutting off communication between them and the Greeks. However, they failed to drive the Serbs away from the Vardar/Axios river line. After repulsing the initial Bulgarian attack of 17 June, the Greek army, under King Constantine, advanced with 8 divisions and a cavalry brigade, while the Bulgarians under General Ivanov retreated to the naturally strong defensive position of the Kilkis–Lachanas line.

The Bulgarian 2nd Army commanded by General Nikola Ivanov held a line from Lake Dojran south east to Kilkis, Lachanas, Serres and then across the Pangaion Hills to the Aegean. The army had been in place since May, and was considered a veteran having fought at the siege of Adrianople in the First Balkan War. On 16 June 1913 it had about 75,076 men and 175 guns in 57 infantry battalions, 10 cavalry squadrons and 37 batteries. General Ivanov claimed after the war that his Army consisted of only 36,000 men of whom 20,000 were "still untrained" and that many of his units were understrength. The Greek General Staff considerably overestimated the numbers of Bulgarians, reckoning them to be between 80,000 and 105,000. Although General Ivanov probably underestimated the number of his soldiers, he still faced a much larger Greek enemy.

The Greek army, commanded by King Constantine I, had 8 divisions and a cavalry brigade (117,861 men) with 176 artillery guns in an 80 km line extended from the Gulf of Orphanos to the Gevgelija area, since it was not possible for the Greek headquarter to know where the Bulgarian attack will take place, giving by necessity the Bulgarian Army the possibility to enjoy temporary local superiority to the chosen for the attack area. The Greek plans were defensive in nature, expecting a Bulgarian attack toward Thessaloniki. As such Thessaloniki was garrisoned by the newly raised Thessaloniki Fortress Command. The Greek divisions deployed forward had the mission to allow the Bulgarians to attack first and while holding their positions as best as they could the Greek army would concentrate the rest of its units for a counterattack on the Bulgarian flank which would be determined as the weakest. The Greek disposition was such: on the Greek left the 10th Infantry Division occupied the area around Axioupoli, an Army Section (disbanded when the war started) with the 3rd and 5th divisions the area between Axios and Gallikos rivers, the 4th Division between Gallikos river and the highway Thessaloniki-Serres, the 1st Division between the lakes Langada and Volvi and the 7th between lake Volvi and the Gulf of Orphanos. The 2nd and 6th divisions were held as reserve north of Thessaloniki, while the Cavalry Brigade was stationed in Sindos west of Thessaloniki.

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