Serb WW1 soldiers honored in Greece

26 September 2010 | 12:07 | Source: Tanjug

THESSALONIKI -- Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac visited Thessaloniki, Greece, on Saturday, on the the 92nd anniversary of the Macedonian Front breach. Serb and Allied forces were engaged in this World War 1 battle. French, British and Italian military representatives, city of Thessaloniki officials and representatives of World War One societies from Serbia and the Greek association of World War One soldiers also laid wreaths at the Serbian and Allied memorial cemeteries. Šutanovac will visit Polikastro, near Thessaloniki, on Sunday and attend a commemoration for the breach of the Thessaloniki front. Around 21,000 soldiers are buried at the Serbian military cemetery in Thessaloniki. Some 7,000 of those are Serbs. The front was breached in the offensive that started September 15,1918. The operation was completed with the Serbian army reaching the Vardar River, northwestern Macedonia, on September 20. Belgrade was freed on November 1, 45 days after the start of the operation. Around 150,000 Serbian troops took part in the effort. The breach forced Bulgaria to capitulate on September 29. Turkey surrendered on October 30. Austria-Hungary surrendered on November 3, while Germany capitulated on November 11.