122nd Infantry Division (France)

122nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the French Army during the First World War. It was deployed overseas, seeing action on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops. It was sent to the Crimea in December 1918 as part of the Army of the Danube.

Creation and nomenclature

9 December 1914 – 21 June 1915 : occupation of a sector towards la Neuvillette and north of Loivre.

Constitution of the 112th Division between 6 and 15 June 1915, using elements from the Division Provisoire Guérin.

21 June - 13 July : taken out of the front line; rest, training and miscellaneous work south-west of Reims.
13 July - 4 October : occupation of a sector towards Berry-au-Bac and Loivre
4–11 October : withdrawal from the front and rest towards Épernay.
11–14 October : transport by rail to Toulouse.
14–25 October : regrouping and preparation, in respect of their imminent departure for the Orient.
25 October - 3 December : transport by rail from Toulouse, to Sète and Toulon, then, by sea, to Salonika.
As they disembark, movement of the elements of the 122nd Division towards the front of the lower Tchérna.

11 November : fighting in the Tchitchévo region. From 12 November, defensive battles, then, on the 21st, retreat to the right bank of the Tchérna..

3–17 December : engaged in the Retreat to Salonika: 3 and 4 December, fall back to the defensive position at Gradéts.
17 December 1915 – 31 March 1916 : establishment of the entrenched camp of Salonika, in the Dogandji sector, Dourmouchlou: from January, extension of positions on the front on the right bank of the Vardar, as far as the Kara Azmak, by the south-east of Kayali .

31 March - 28 August : occupation and entrenchment of a sector, straddling the Vardar, towards Lake Ardzan and Lioumnitsa ; attack preparations
28 August 1916 – 1 January 1917 : Positions on the left bank of the Vardar are relieved by British elements, and extension of the sector towards the west, in the region of Notia: frequent local actions, particularly, on 12, 13 and 14 September, north of the Lioumnitsa trail, Notia, 9 and 17 October and 11 November, towards Hadji Bari Mahala, finally, 11 December, north-west of Mayadag.

10 July - 27 August : withdrawal from the front line and departed towards Veria; rest.
27 August - 15 September : deployed close to the front, then occupation of the sector towards Mount Sokol and Dobro Pole; offensive preparations.
15 September - 11 November : engaged in the Battle of Dobro Pole: seizure of Dobro Pole and Sokol. Then relieved from the front line and rest towards Vértékop then towards Guvezné.