Battle of Kütahya–Eskişehir

Part of Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)

Greek cavalry attack

Date	July 10–24, 1921
Location	Afyonkarahisar–Kütahya–Eskişehir
Result	Greek victory

Belligerents

Grand National Assembly

Greece

Commanders and leaders

İsmet İnönü

Anastasios Papoulas

Strength

Greek source:
95,750 men
Turkish source:
55,000 men
711 light and heavy machine guns
160 cannons

Greek source:
~110,000 men
Turkish source:
106,000 men (11 divisions, 1 cavalry brigade)
908 light and heavy machine guns
318 cannons

Casualties and losses

1643 killed
4981 wounded
374 prisoners
30,809 soldiers deserted
18 cannons, 47 heavy and 34 light machine guns lost

1491 killed
6472 wounded
110 missing

The Battle of Kütahya–Eskişehir (Greek: Μάχες Κιουτάχειας-Εσκί Σεχίρ (Δορυλαίου), Turkish: Kütahya-Eskişehir Muharebeleri), was fought between July 10 and July 24 (or June 27 and July 10 in the old calendar, then in use in Greece), 1921 when the Greek Army of Asia Minor defeated the Turkish troops commanded by İsmet Pasha in defence of the line of Kara Hisâr-ı Sahib (present day Afyonkarahisar)-Kütahya-Eskişehir. It was also known in some Greek historiography as the Battle of Dorylaion and known in Turkish historiography as the Battles of Kütahya-Eskişehir (Turkish: Kütahya-Eskişehir Muharebeleri or Kütahya-Eskişehir Savaşları‎). It was part of the Greek Asia Minor Campaign and the Turkish War of Independence of 1919–1922.

Strategically, the battle was of little importance as the Greeks failed to grasp the opportunity to encircle the retreating Turkish troops. This proved later to be a major strategic error, when the two sides had to meet each other again during the much more fierce Battle of Sakarya which turned the tide in favour of the Turks.

The Greek Army managed to break through Turkish resistance and occupied the towns of Kara Hisâr-ı Sahib, Kütahya and Eskişehir, together with their inter-connecting rail-lines.

The Turks despite their defeat managed to avoid encirclement and made a strategic retreat on the east of Sakarya river. On August 5, 1921 İsmet İnönü was replaced by Birinci Ferik Fevzi Çakmak as the Minister of the General Staff (Erkân-ı Harbiye-i Umumiye Reis Vekili) of the Ankara government after his failure to check the Greek offensive.

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Wikipedia