The 13th Infantry Division ( el, XIII Μεραρχία Πεζικού, XIII ΜΠ; ''XIII Merarchia Pezikou'', ''XIII MP'') was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...

. The 13th Infantry Division was established in December 1913, during the reorganization of the

that followed the Balkan Wars. Its headquarters was at

Chalkis Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...

in central Greece, comprising the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

and 3rd infantry regiments, as well as the

5/42 Evzone Regiment The 5/42 Evzone Regiment "Delvinaki" ( el, 5/42 Σύνταγμα Ευζώνων «Δελβινάκι», 5/42 ΣΕ) is an active infantry unit of the Hellenic Army. It was established in 1913 as an elite regiment of Evzones, recruited in Central Gre ...

. The division formed part of the

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

-based I Army Corps. As a result of the

National Schism The National Schism ( el, Εθνικός Διχασμός, Ethnikós Dichasmós), also sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos regarding the foreig ...

, the division was disbanded in 1916. As part of the reconstituted I Corps, the division fought in the

Strymon River The Struma or Strymónas ( bg, Струма ; el, Στρυμόνας ; tr, (Struma) Karasu , 'black water') is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymṓn (Greek: Στρυμών ). Its drainage area is , of which in Bulgaria, ...

sector of the Macedonian front during the final stages of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in the summer of 1918. In early 1919, the division formed part of the Greek expeditionary force sent to support the Allied intervention in Southern Russia. After being withdrawn from Russia, in June 1919 the division was sent along with the rest of I Corps to take up occupation duties in the Smyrna Zone. The division was headquartered at

Manisa Manisa (), historically known as Magnesia, is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province. Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port ci ...

. It participated in all subsequent operations of the

Asia Minor Campaign Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

in 1920–1922. In the interwar period, due to the reduction in the size of the army, the division was disbanded, until the December 1939 changes to the mobilization plan, which re-established the 13th Division at

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University o ...

, in the eastern Aegean island of

Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Asia Minor by the nar ...

, under the V Army Corps. During the

Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...

of 1940–41, the 13th Division fought as part of the III Army Corps and the

Western Macedonia Army Section The Western Macedonia Army Section ( el, Τμήμα Στρατιάς Δυτικής Μακεδονίας, ΤΣΔΜ; ''Tmima Stratias Dytikis Makedonias'', ''TSDM'') was a field army of the Hellenic Army active during the Greco-Italian War (1940–41 ...

. With the capitulation of the Greek army following the

German invasion of Greece The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usu ...

in April 1941, the division was disbanded. Major General Allan Adair of the British Army commanded and reformed the division 1945-46.

References

Sources

* {{Greece divisions 1913 establishments in Greece 1941 disestablishments in Greece Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War Infantry divisions of Greece Military units and formations established in 1913 Military units and formations disestablished in 1941 Military units and formations of Greece in the Greco-Italian War Military units and formations of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) Military units and formations of Greece in World War I