British Attacks on Lake Dojran 8 May 1917

After the first attack at Lake Dojran on 24 April had been repelled, the Bulgarians immediately repaired their breached and damaged defences. Accordingly, when the British infantry were ordered to attack again on 8 May, they were facing essentially the same obstacles that had defeated them two weeks earlier. Preceded by another fierce artillery bombardment, the assault began at 9 pm; five infantry waves took part in four separate attacks over the night, suffering massive losses. The following day the British belatedly called off the action, having suffered 12,000 casualties to the Bulgarians’ 2,000. Lake Dojran would again prove invincible in 1918, when a major joint Anglo-Greek attack would be repulsed. The Bulgarians would later vacate it of their own volition when threatened with Allied encirclement towards the end of the war.