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Battle of Skra

The Battle of Skra di Legen' was a two-day World War I battle which took place on May 29 through May 30, 1918 (May 16 and 17 OS) between Greek army units, led by Lt Gen Emmanouil Zymvrakakis and Bulgarian units that occupied the fortified area. It ended in a decisive Greek victory over the Bulgarian forces.

Greek casualties in this battle numbered:

  • Dead: 29 officers and 412 soldiers
  • Wounded: 69 officers and 2,135 soldiers

Bulgarian casualties were approximately

  • Dead: 600
  • Prisoners: 1,800

The battle was the most significant of World War I in the Macedonian Front and resulted in the capture of a particularly fortified position, controlled until then by the Central Powers - chiefly Bulgarian - troops. The battle of Skra confirmed in the eyes of the allies the fighting readiness of the Greek army that had practically just been restructured after the great divide between Venizelist and Royalist factions.

The Battle of Skra eventually led to the collapse of Macedonian Front - the first front to collapse - leaving the Central Powers' underbelly exposed.