The Hellenic Air Force Museum, located at Dekelia Air Base (ICAO: LGTT), at the north of Athens, features some unique aircraft, ranging from WW2 to today.
The Air Base started operating in 1918 and features a single runway with a length of 1764 metres.
Among the WW2 aircraft of the Museum, a Ju87 "Stuka", W. Nr. 100375 S7+GM which was shot down southwest of Rodos Island on 09 October 1943 with both crew KIA (pilot officer Rolf Metzger and radio operator Hans Sonnemann), a Ju52 "Tante Ju" and a Bristol Blenheim were salvaged from the depths and underwent a thorough preservation process.
Peleliu, an island in the Pacific Ocean, where fierce battles were fought between Americans and Japanese in 1944 during World War II, amounted to approximately 12,000 killed soldiers, out of which 1,800 were Americans and the rest Japanese.
In view of the official visit of the Japanese emperor in Palau in April 2015, the local government decided to unseal the caves where entrenched Japanese fought to the bitter end.
As the fierce resistance of the Japanese caused mounting casualties to the Americans, the US Army decided to take drastic measures for the neutralization of the Japanese soldiers as flamethrowers, direct artillery shots and close-quarters combat were not enough to silence the Japanese.
The US Forces decided to begin a systematic undermining of the entrances of the caves with explosives, destroying them and burying alive those who were still in them.
It is estimated that at least 200 caves and underground fortifications were buried under tons of earth and stones and remained forgotten for decades.
In the first cave unearthed, with the symbolic participation of Peleliu's Prime Minister, the researchers found the remains of six Japanese soldiers and a large number of ammunition and weapons.
The remains of the six men were repatriated to Japan.
According to estimates, approximately 2,600 KIA Japanese were never found and may remain buried in those caves.
In 1941, when Axis forces occupied Greece, the Ionian Islands (except Kythera) were handed over to the Italians, who in their three years of rule attempted to Italianize the population of Corfu (as has happened with the Corfiot Italians).
Many revisionists claim that the Italian occupation was a period of friendly relation between the fascists and the Greek population of the islands.
The massacre of the Italians in Kefalonia island, in the hands of their former German allies, in September 1943, when Italy swiftly changed sides and lined up with the Allies, as well as a Hollywood movie staring Nicholas Cage "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (see further below) helped the Italians to give a false impression to a wide audience.
The historical truth is totally different:
As demonstrated in this rare and unique fascist newspaper published in Kefalonia (dated 3 April 1943), the Italian authorities threatened with death whoever helped the partisans in guerrilla actions and informed the people of Kefalonia that their villages would be blown to pieces.
Following the Italian surrender there were disputes surrounding the status of Italian military units.
Most of the Italian saw themselves as having to abide by the orders of the new Italian government.
Yet some units already fell under the command of German senior officers, particularly those in occupied Greece.
The German view was that by not abiding by the orders of the Germans they were committing treason.
The Acqui Division, on the island of Cephalonia, was amongst those that fell into this position.
The commander received orders from Italy that he must regard the Germans as hostile and resist attempts to give up his weapons.
From the Germans he received the ultimatum that he must either fight with them, fight against them, or surrender peacefully.
Negotiations broke down as the Italians sought further clarification from their higher authority.
Fighting broke out in which the numerically superior Acqui Division were initially successful.
However, when the Germans landed battle hardened Gebirgsjäger, mountain troops, on the island, the largely conscript Acqui Division was easily overcome.
By now the German High Command had now issued orders:
Because of the perfidious and treacherous behaviour [of the Italians] on Cephalonia, no prisoners are to be taken.
Between 13 and 22 September 1943, on the island of Cephalonia, the Germans fought the Italians of the 33rd Acqui Infantry Division.
A total of 1315 were killed in battle, 3,000 were drowned when the German ships taking them to concentration camps were sunk and 5,155 were executed by 26 September.
It was one of the largest prisoner of war massacres of the war, along with the Katyn massacre of approximately 22,000 Poles by Soviets and it was one of many atrocities committed by the 1. Gebirgs-Division.
The massacre provided the historical background to the novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which later became a Hollywood film.
