Landships II

Tim. This is a pretty interesting subject, with not a lot of published material on it. As far as actual information, all I know is what everyone knows.

"Thessaloníki was the main prize of the First Balkan War of 1912, during which it was successfully captured by Greece (October 1912). King George I of Greece was assassinated in Thessaloníki in March 1913.

In 1915, during World War I,a large Allied expeditionary force landed at Thessaloníki to use the city as the base for an offensive against pro-German Bulgaria. A pro-Allied temporary government headed by Eleftherios Venizelos was established there, against the will of the pro-neutral King of Greece.

Most of the town was destroyed by a single fire in 1917 of unknown origin, probably an accident.Venizelos forbade the reconstruction of the town center until a full modern city plan was prepared. This was accomplished a few years later by the French architect and archeologist Ernest Hebrard. The Hebrard plan swept away the Oriental features of Thessaloníki and transformed it to a European style city."

And as for pictures... Here are all I could dig up:

Full color real photo / photograph showing a Greek allied torpedo boat ship with its Captain on board.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/9d9c16aa_grwwisaloniqtorpedobtpc1.jpg

Greek army practicing Bayonetting?
http://www.pammachon.gr/images/bayonet%20training%20WWI.jpg

The postcard depicts a satirical caricature of Bulgarian soldier hanging laundry in the form of beaten up enemy soldiers from the Greek, Serbian, Romanian and French Army.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/d358b899_propagPC2.jpg

Postcard showing the captured Imperial German aviation airplane in the Greek town of Salonique / Thessaloniki during WWI and people observing it near the white tower.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/6ce859a7_grwwisaloniqcaptgerplpc1.jpg

Postcard showing the captured Imperial German aviation airplane in the Greek / Greece town of Salonique / Thessaloniki during WWI and people observing it at the main streets of the town.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/a020dbb6_grwwisaloniqcaptgerplpc2.jpg

Postcard showing the Allied France / French pilots and their airplane in the Greek / Greece town of Salonique / Thessaloniki somewhere at the military airfiled.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/05aa04ec_grwwisaloniqfrenchplanepc.jpg

Postcard showing the captured Imperial German aviation military zeppelin in the Greek / Greece town of Salonique / Thessaloniki during WWI and people observing it as the zeppelin is being dismantled and destroyed bythe French and Greek forces.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/57e6d5c5_grwwisaloniqzeppc1.jpg
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/bdb2d7ea_grwwisaloniqzeppc2.jpg

Postcard showing the captured German Zeppelin crew members and military pilots over Greece / Greek Macedonia and the Vardar in particular. The image shows the zeppelin pilots guarded by a French soldier.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/944b30eb_grwwisaloniqzeppilotspc.jpg

Balkan Wars Royal Bulgarian occupation of Greek territories postal history cover / postcard with Bulgarian postmark of the occupied Greek town of Soloun now Thessaloniki during the times of the Balkan War 1912-13.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/ad24d855_occupPH11.jpg

Greek real photo / photograph postcard of the Royal Guard. Card was mailed by a person named and signed as A. Coppola.
http://militaria.militariamarket.com/ext/items/769e126c_gr1905royalguardpc.jpg

Thats all I could find... Hope it helps a wee bit.

---Vil.