The Smyrna Division ( el, Μεραρχία Σμύρνης) was an infantry division of the Hellenic Army, active in 1919–1920 during the Asia Minor Campaign. Following the Greek landing at Smyrna on 2 May 1919, and the establishment of an

occupation zone Germany was already de facto military occupation, occupied by the Allies of World War II, Allies from the real German Instrument of Surrender, fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 Octo ...

Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...

, the Smyrna Division began formation on 17 June 1919. Its core was provided by the 8th Cretan Regiment and the newly raised

27th Infantry Regiment The 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Wolfhounds", is a regiment of the United States Army established in 1901, that served in the Philippine–American War, in the Siberian Intervention after World War I, and as part of the 25th Infant ...

, formed from the 1st and 2nd Security Battalions of Thessaloniki. The division's third regiment, the

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, was being formed in Thessaloniki, and arrived at Smyrna on 7 July, along with the divisional artillery and support services. The first commander was Colonel Alexandros Mazarakis-Ainian. In November 1919, the 8th Cretan Regiment was replaced by the newly raised 30th Infantry Regiment. At about the same time, the Smyrna Division became part of the newly formed Smyrna Army Corps under Lt. General Dimitrios Ioannou, subordinate to the Army of Asia Minor. In 1920, the division participated in the Greek summer offensive, captured Balıkesir and took part in the advance towards

Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

. From there the division were recalled to be used in a landing operation in support of the occupation of Eastern Thrace: the division was ferried from Asia and landed at Ereğli and Rodosto, and thence advanced north. After overcoming Turkish resistance at Lule Burgas,

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and Çorlu and capturing the local Turkish commander, Cafer Tayyar, the division reached

Adrianople Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

. Returning to Asia, the Smyrna Division occupied positions around Bursa, and launched a series of raids against Turkish territory. Following the Venizelist defeat in the November 1920 elections, the division lost its commander, Mazarakis, who resigned. Shortly after, it was renamed to 10th Infantry Division by the new royalist government.

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* * * * {{Greece divisions 1919 establishments in Greece 1920 disestablishments in Greece infantry divisions of Greece Military units and formations established in 1919 Military units and formations of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)