Greek Epirus Army, 1st Balkan War, 1912 -1913

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.