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XII Corps was an army corps of the British Army in World War I and World War II. In World War I, it formed part of the British Salonika Force on the Macedonian front. In World War II, it formed part of Second Army during the Normandy and North-West Europe campaigns of 1944-45. ==World War I== XII Corps was formed in France on 8 September 1915 under the command of Lt-Gen Sir Henry Fuller Maitland Wilson.〔〔''Official History: France and Belgium 1915'', Vol. II, p. 87.〕 In November 1915, XII Corps was sent from France with 22nd, 26th and 28th Divisions under command to reinforce Allied forces on the Macedonian front. Wilson and his corps headquarters (HQ) arrived at the port of Salonika on 12 November, but the commander of the British Salonika Force (BSF) took XII Corp’s staff to establish his own HQ.〔''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol. I, p. 58.〕 On 14 December 1915, the War Office sanctioned the establishment of two corps within the BSF and Wilson reformed XII Corps.〔Wakefield & Moody, p.45; ''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol. I, p. 95.〕 After a period holding the defensive position known as ‘the Birdcage’ around Salonika, XII Corps moved up-country in July 1916, taking over former French positions, but only part was involved in the fighting during the summer and autumn.〔Wakefield & Moody, pp. 48–58; ''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol. I, pp. 155, 188.〕 XII Corps was selected to attack the Bulgarian positions west of Lake Doiran in April 1917.〔''Official History, Macedonia'', Vol I, p. 295.〕 The area to be attacked was ‘a defender’s dream, being a tangled mass of hills cut by numerous ravines’.〔Wakefield & Moody p. 65.〕 Wilson planned a three-stage operation to capture the three lines of defences, preceded by a short intense bombardment. The BSF’s commander, Sir George Milne decided that his manpower was too limited, and reduced this to a smaller assault on the first defence line only, preceded by a three-day bombardment to neutralise enemy batteries and destroy trenches and barbed wire. This, of course, lost the element of surprise and the Bulgarians were well aware of what was coming. Only three brigades were engaged, but the casualties were high and little ground was gained. In a second attack two weeks later, the assault troops managed to cross no man’s land, but it was difficult to get information back to HQs, and some companies simply disappeared.〔Wakefield & Moody, pp. 65–98;''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol I, pp. 306–319.〕 This 1st Battle of Doiran (second battle by Bulgarian reckoning) had been a failure and, with many troops being withdrawn to other theatres, XII Corps did not get another opportunity to launch a major attack until 18 September 1918. On that day, with two brigades of 22nd Division and the Greek Seres Division, XII Corps failed to take ‘Pip Ridge’ and the ‘Grande Couronne’. The following day, the attack was renewed with a brigade from 27th Division supported by the remnants of 22nd Division, the Seres Division, and the French 2nd Regiment of Zouaves. Once more the attack failed with heavy casualties.〔Wakefield & Moody pp. 196–219; ''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol II, pp. 163–178.〕 However, the 2nd Battle of Doiran had served its purpose by drawing Bulgarian attention away from Gen Franchet d’Esperey’s main Franco-Serbian thrust, which broke through the Bulgarian lines further west. On 21 September, the BSF was ordered to pursue the retreating Bulgarians, with XII Corps in the lead. Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies on 29 September, but XII Corps continued to advance across Bulgaria towards the Turkish frontier, until the Ottoman Turks also signed the Armistice of Mudros on 31 October.〔Wakefield & Moody pp. 220–227.〕 XII Corps occupied parts of European Turkey and Wilson was appointed GOC Allied Forces Gallipoli and Bosporus. On 11 February 1919, XII Corps ceased to exist, Wilson becoming Commander, Allied Forces Turkey in Europe, British Salonika Army, and British Army of the Black Sea.〔''Army List''.〕〔''Official History: Macedonia'', Vol II, pp. 268–70.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「XII Corps (United Kingdom)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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