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Δευτέρα 16 Νοεμβρίου 2015

January 1941: A Greek soldier sends a letter from the front, using an Italian "cartolina" war booty


War is not only the heroic images we see in the movies, the embellished narratives and the sterile depiction of historical reality.

Wars are fought by everyday people, with feelings, thoughts, people that leave their peacetime occupation and immerse themselves in the atrocities of the battlefields, an experience from which if they survive, it will mark them for the rest of their lives. 

One of them, the soldier Matthew Tloupas, from the 2nd company of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, is doing something very human in the lull of the fighting: 

He sends a letter to his girlfriend, which bears the handwritten note "CENSORED" .


In his letter, which is written in an Italian... war booty, dated January 11, 1941, in the heart of the harsh winter, soldier Matthew Tloupas, who is "somewhere in Albania", is dreaming of the moment he "will discuss closely" with his girlfriend Euphemia, and does not fail to note that "soon we will throw the Italians in the sea."

The Greek Army may not finally have reached its goal to ... throw Mussolini's army in the sea, but by reading this letter, everybody hopes that there was at least a happy ending in the romance and eventually Matthew was able to reunite with Euphemia. 






Η επιστολή... λάφυρο του 1941 και ο έρωτας στα βουνά της Αλβανίας


Ο πόλεμος δεν είναι μόνο οι ηρωικές απεικονίσεις, οι εξωραϊσμένες αφηγήσεις και η αποστειρωμένη αποτύπωση της ιστορικής πραγματικότητας.

Στον πόλεμο πάνε καθημερινοί άνθρωποι, με αισθήματα, σκέψεις, άνθρωποι που από την ειρηνική τους ενασχόληση βρέθηκαν στο επίκεντρο της θηριωδίας των πεδίων των μαχών, μια εμπειρία, από την οποία αν βγουν ζωντανοί, θα τους έχει σημαδέψει για το υπόλοιπο της ζωής τους. 

Ένας από αυτούς, ο στρατιώτης Ματθαίος Τλούπας, του 2ου λόχου πολυβόλων στο 4ο Τάγμα Κινήσεων Πολυβόλων, κάνει κάτι πολύ ανθρώπινο στην ανάπαυλα των μαχών: 

Στέλνει μια επιστολή,  η οποία, όπως είναι φυσιολογικό, φέρει τη χειρόγραφη ένδειξη "ΕΛΟΓΟΚΡΙΘΗ" στη φίλη του.


Στην επιστολή του, η οποία είναι γραμμένη σε ιταλική κάρτα... λάφυρο, με ημερομηνία 11 Ιανουαρίου του 1941, στην καρδιά δηλαδή του βαρύ χειμώνα, ο Ματθαίος "κάπου στην Αλβανία" ονειρεύεται τη στιγμή που "θα συζητήσει από κοντά" με την Ευφημία "του", ενώ δεν παραλείπει να σημειώσει ότι "σύντομα θα πετάξουμε τους Ιταλούς στη θάλασσα".

Μπορεί να μην επιτεύχθηκε τελικά ο στόχος της... κολυμβητικής δοκιμασίας των Ιταλών, διαβάζοντας όμως αυτή την επιστολή-ιστορικό τεκμήριο, ο καθένας εύχεται να υπήρξε τουλάχιστον ευτυχές τέλος στο ειδύλλιο και τελικά ο Ματθαίος να κατάφερε να σμίξει με την Ευφημία. 

Σύμφωνα με έρευνα στα ρχεία που πραγματοποίησαν οι φίλοι του ιστολογίου Ιδομενέας Φιλοκτήτης και Γιώργος Κρικέλας, το 4ο Τάγμα Πολυβόλων Κινήσεως, στάθμευε στο Τσιροτάτι, στην κοιλάδα Τομορίτσα (στενωπός Κερπίτσας). 

Η κατάσταση στον τομέα της Χ Μεραρχίας παρέμεινε αμετάβλητη ως τις 28 Δεκεμβρίου. Μετά από μια μικρή δράση στις 29 Δεκεμβρίου, όπου το Απόσπασμα προώθησε ελαφρώς τις θέσεις του (στις μάχες δεν φαίνεται να συμμετέχει το 4ο Τάγμα Πολυβόλων Κινήσεως), το ΤΣΔΜ εξαιτίας της κακοκαιρίας, διέταξε την διατήρηση του κτηθέντος εδάφους. 

Πιθανόν το τάγμα έκανε Χριστούγεννα και Πρωτοχρονιά στο Τσιροτάτι.



Η Χ Μεραρχία ζήτησε στις 14 Ιανουαρίου 1941 (από το Ε' ΣΣ στο οποίο πλέον υπήγετο αυτή και το 4ο Τάγμα Πολυβόλων Κινήσεως) αντικατάστασή της προς ανάπαυση και αναδιοργάνωση. 

Εν τω μεταξύ είχε λάβει διαταγές για συνέχιση των επιθετικών επιχειρήσεων αν επέτρεπαν οι καιρικές συνθήκες, γιατί επιχειρούσε σε υψόμετρα 1700-2100 μέτρα. 

Το προσωπικό είχε εξαντληθεί από 3μηνο αγώνα και κάθε μήνα μειώνετο η δύναμη των κτηνών σε άνω των 400. Το ΤΣΔΜ αναγνώρισε την ανάγκη ανάπαυσης κι επιφυλάχθηκε. Μεταξύ 24-25 Ιανουαρίου υπήρξε μια μικρή δράση στην οποία δεν φαίνεται να συμμετείχε το 4ο Τάγμα Πολυβόλων Κινήσεως. 


Καθ' όλον τον μήνα Ιανουάριον, επεκράτησαν δυσμενείς καιρικαί συνθήκαι και εις τον τομέα της Χ Μεραρχίας. 

Αι καθημεριναί χιονοθύελλαι και αι εκ των αγώνων ταλαιπωρίαι, επέφερον την εξάντλησιν των ανδρών, ιδίως των εν τη πρώτη γραμμή ευρισκομένων, προς ανακούφισιν των οποίων διετάσσετο η κατά το δυνατόν αντικατάστασις διά των εις χείρας των διοικήσεων εφεδρικών τμημάτων. 

Οι εφοδιασμοί προσέκρουον επισης εις πλείστας δυσχερείας, λόγω της καταστάσεως των οδών και της φθοράς και ελλείψεως μεταγωγικών κτηνών. 

Μεγάλη ήτο η φθορά ανδρών και κτηνών εκ του ψύχους, ιδία εις τα τμήματα τα ευρισκόμενα επί του υψ. 1732, των δυτικών αντηρίδων αυτού και των ανατολικών κλιτυών του Τόμορι, καλυπτομένων συνεχώς υπό χιόνων πάχους πλέον του ενός και ημίσεως μέτρου. 

Ο ποταμός Τομορίτσας, ορμητικός κατά τον ρουν, ήλασσε περιοδικώς κοίτην και επέβαλλε την συχνοτάτην κατασκευήν νέων γεφυρών. Η διάβασις διά του ορμητικού ρεύματος, ήτο επικίνδυνος και πολλά πεφορτωμένα κτήνη παρασυρόμενα επνίγοντο. 

Η καθ' ημέραν μέση διαρροή των ανδρών εκ κρυοπαγημάτων, υπερέβαιονε τους τεσσαράκοντα πέντε, οι δε θάνατοι κτηνών εκ των κακουχιών και της κοπόσεως τους είκοσι. 

Συνολικώς κατά το τέλος του μηνός Ιανούαρίου η έλλειψις κτηνών έναντι των προβλεπομένων υπό των πινάκων συνθέσεως δι' ολόκληρον την Μεραρχίαν, υπερέβαινον τα 500, των δε μαχίμων ανδρών τους 3500 κατά προσέγγισιν.


Τα παραπάνω περιγράφονται σε 2 τόμους της ΔΙΣ, "Η Ελληνική Αντεπίθεσις" (14 Νοε 1940 - 6 Ιαν 1941), σελ. 199-202 και "Χειμεριναί Επιχειρήσεις και Ιταλική Επίθεσις Μαρτίου", σελ.37-38, 55.














Πέμπτη 12 Νοεμβρίου 2015

"Μέσα από το σκοπευτικό μου": Η πρώτη έκδοση (1949) του βιβλίου του Ηλία Καρταλαμάκη

Το εξώφυλλο της πρώτης έκδοσης (1949) του βιβλίου του Ηλία Καρταλαμάκη

"Το βιβλίο αυτό", γράφει ο επισμηναγός Ηλίας Καρταλαμάκης στο εισαγωγικό σημείωμα "Για τους συναδέλφους μου" του έργου του "Μέσα από το σκοπευτικό μου", το οποίο εκδόθηκε στην Αθήνα το 1949 "δεν αποτελεί μια αυστηρά ιστορική μελέτη, ούτε στεγνή εξιστόρηση των πολεμικών γεγονότων της Αεροπορίας μας. Περιέχει όμως τις πιο εκλεκτές πολεμικές αποστολές από κάθε είδος που τα καταδιωκτικά μας εξετέλεσαν".
 

"Σελίδες από τη ζωή και τη δράσι των ελληνικών καταδιωκτικών στην ξενητιά..."

"Προσπάθησα να δώσω μια καλή εικόνα της σκληρής ζωής, των δοκιμασιών και της δράσεως μιας τετραετίας άγνωστης στον πολύ κόσμο" συνεχίζει ο αεροπόρος-συγγραφέας.


Το οπισθόφυλλο της πρώτης έκδοσης

"Ο τίτλος του βιβλίου δικαιολογεί τυχόν παραλείψεις γεγονότων εξ ίσου σοβαρών ή και πιο σπουδαίων από όσα εκθέτω, χωρίς όμως να αδυνατίζουν το περιεχόμενο, γιατί ο κύριος σκοπός του είναι να δείξη τις συνθήκες πούζησαν οι ξενιτεμένοι αεροπόροι για να συνεχίσουν τον αγώνα στη Μ. Ανατολή και Ιταλία"
 
Φωτογραφία του συγγραφέα (Ιούλιος 1942)


"Το τελευταίο θέλω να πιστεύω ότι το πέτυχα. Θα είμαι εξαιρετικά ευτυχής να μάθω την κρίσι σας, τόσο τη δική σας, όσο και των λοιπών αναγνωστών"

April 27, 1941: When the nazis entered Athens

On this rare photo, recoloured by acclaimed artist Markos Danezis, we see elements of a nazi mechanised column in Athens, most probably very close to Omonia (Concord) Square, one of the most central spots of the capital of Greece. Note the indifferent stance of the passers-by, no one is even looking at the nazis.


On 6 April 1941, Germany came to the aid of Italy and invaded Greece through Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. 
Greek and British Commonwealth troops fought back but were overwhelmed. 
On 20 April, after Greek resistance in the north had ceased, the Bulgarian Army entered Greek Thrace, without having fired a shot, with the goal of regaining its Aegean Sea outlet in Western Thrace and Eastern Macedonia. 
The Bulgarians occupied territory between the Strymon River and a line of demarcation running through Alexandroupoli and Svilengrad west of the Evros River. 
The Greek capital Athens fell on 27 April, and by 1 June, after the capture of Crete, all of Greece was under Axis occupation. 
After the invasion King George II fled, first to Crete and then to Cairo. A nominally right-wing Greek government ruled from Athens, but it was a puppet of the occupiers, the so-called "Quislings", the name of the Norwegian traitor who became a nazi pawn.


On this rare photo, recoloured by acclaimed artist Markos Danezis, we see elements of a nazi mechanised column in Athens, most probably very close to Omonia (Concord) Square, one of the most central spots of the capital of Greece. Note the indifferent stance of the passers-by, no one is even looking at the nazis.

HMHS Britannic: The... other Titanic, sunk on 21 November 1916, in Greece




The Titanic is a shipwreck that has attracted the interest of the audience for over 100 years, since its sinking back in 1912.

Few are aware though that her sister ship the Britannic, sunk during WW1 in the Aegean Sea, Greece, on November 21st, 1916, with the loss of 30 persons out of the 1065 people on board and is now resting on the seabed in almost perfect condition.





A Greek diving mission brought, from a depth of 120 meters, images from a shipwreck resting in the Aegean for almost 100 years. 

The "Greek Woman of the Abyss," Lena Tsopouropoulou recorded through her lens images of a ship almost 260 meters long.




The strait between Makronissos and Kea islands, just a few miles from the Temple of Poseidon on the southern tip of Attica, is one of the busiest sea passages, since antiquity with a history of 2500 years of navigation. 



"Victim" of the First World War, the Britannic was retrofitted into a hospital ship and sank after hitting a German mine that had been laid in late October by the German submarine U 73 and stayed for decades forgotten until the famous French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau located and identified it in 1975. 

Since then, several diving and scientific expeditions have visited the wreck, which is of great interest, both because of its almost perfect condition, almost 100 years after the sinking, and because of its historical and archaeological significance. 

Unlike the "Titanic" that dragged more than 1,500 people at the bottom of the sea, the "Britannic" was more... merciful since just 30 people perished with her.




"The Britannic is a major wreck with a great history," says Mrs. Lena Tsopouropoulou and adds: 

"Diving the wreck is a unique experience, the size of the ship left me speechless. It took a while until I started taking pictures".

Mrs. Lena Tsopouropoulou highlighted the technical difficulties that the project presented: "The conditions are very demanding, both technically and for photography. It is a great challenge to be able to capture photographically such a wreck and to be able to give an overall picture of the ship".






The "identity" of the Britannic

The "Britannic", one of three almost identical ocean liners of the shipping company "White Star", (the other two being the "Titanic" which sank in 1912 and the "Olympic" which was sold for scrap in the 1920s) is synonymous with luxury transatlantic voyages in the early 20th century.


It was launched in February 1914

Requisitioned in December 1915

Sank in November 1916

Registered length: 259.80 meters

Gross registered tonnage: 48,158

Cruising speed: 21 knots





Τετάρτη 11 Νοεμβρίου 2015

Major Alexis Casdagli, the Battle of Crete and the... "Fuck Hitler" message



By Trevor Solley
Imprisoned by the old enemy for four years during World War Two, Major Alexis Casdagli never lost his fighting spirit up with his own cheeky form of resistance, adding the secret messages to his needlework which were never spotted by his Nazi captors.

Pinching red and blue thread from a disintegrating pullover belonging to an elderly Cretan general, Casdagli passed the long hours in captivity by painstakingly creating the sampler in cross-stitch.



The passive resistance, ironically displayed in such a gentle pastime, could have put the prisoner of war's life in jeopardy.
But instead of spotting the comments, his Nazi captors put the canvas on display in the castle where he was being held and subsequently three other prison camps.

At first glance the painstaking needlework doesn't look offensive, and the main message reads "This work was done by Major A. Casdagli. No. 3311. While in captivity at Dossel-Warbung Germany December 1941".

Sewing for men: Believe me, chaps, sew and ye shall reap 07 Apr 2013

But around the outside of the decorative symbols which surround the message, an innocent looking set of dots and dashes is actually morse code.

And the hidden message spells out Casdagli's defiant message to his unwitting Nazi captors: 

"God Save The King" and "Fuck Hitler".

The sampler, which was recently on display at the Victoria and Albert museum, was this week reunited with Mjr Casdagli's son, Tony.

"My father always said that the red cross packages her received kept him alive, but the sewing kept him sane,"
said 79-year-old Tony.

"He was captured at the battle of Crete and marched up Greece for six weeks before being flown to north Germany.
"Having run a textiles company before the war he knew a little about sewing, so when he was given a canvas by another prisoner he started stitching for something to do."

Alexis was held along with a Greek general, from whose dress jacket Alexis pulled the threads he used to stitch the sampler.

"The Red Cross wouldn't give care packages to captives until they had been held for over a year ," said grandfather-of-five Tony.

"So my father had to pick threads from items of clothing. Eventually he was able to ask for thread and canvas in his packages.

"He was so good at it the Germans had him giving classes to his fellow officers, but the Germans never worked out his code."

When Tony was 11, he received a stitched letter through the post. "It is 1,581 days since I saw you last but it will not be long now. Do you remember when I fell down the well? Look after Mummy till I get home again," Casdagli laboriously spelled out with finely stitched letters.

In a bleak, claustrophobic part-map and part-diagram, his father created a needlework of "Room 13, Spangenberg castle".

"At the bottom was a Union flag, added Tony. "National flags were forbidden in the camp, so Casdagli sewed a canvas flap over it with "do not open" written on it in German.

"Each week the same officer would open the flap and say, 'This is illegal,' and Pa said, 'You're showing it, I'm not showing it.'"

Major Casdagli was held captive between June 1941 and April 1945, his time captive split between four different prisoner of war camps.

After the war Alexis's textile business folded and he joined a British mission to Greece during the civil war as a non combatant before starting a perspex factory in London.

He kept up is stitching habit until his death in 1990, at the age of 90, and his son joined him regularly to spend time together sewing.



Tony, a retired Royal Navy officer, who lives in London with his wife Sally, caught the bug off his father when he retired from the navy.

"I still sew when I have nothing else to do," he said. "My father didn't sit down to teach me how to do it but I picked it up watching him."

April 1941: Operation "Marita" and the Greek "Maginot Line" that cost the nazi Germans dearly

Mass grave of nazi soldiers killed during the first days of the offensive against the Greek fortresses at "Metaxas Line". Note the date, 8.IV.1941, two days after the start of the invasion.

On April 6th 1941, the nazi Germans started their offensive against Greece. 

The nazi German offensive against Greece, April 1941

Following the stalemate of their Italian allies in the Albanian front and the victories of the Greeks in the mountainous regions of northern Greece and Albania against the Italian army, since the unprovoked attack of fascist Italy on October 28th, 1940, which signaled the entry of Greece in World War Two, the paranoid German dictator Hitler initiated the preparation for Operation "Marita".

General Ioannis Metaxas, the Greek dictator-prime minister who died shortly before the German invasion of his country, had initiated this construction project in the summer of 1936. 

Only direct artillery hits would silence the bunkers

Its strongest part extended over a distance of  200 kilometres (125 miles) from the mouth of the Nestos River to the point where the Yugoslav, Bulgarian, and Greek borders meet. 

The fortresses within this defense system blocked the road that led through the basin of Nevrokop and across the Rupel Gorge to eastern Macedonia. 

The strength of the Metaxas Line resided not so much in its fortifications proper as in the inaccessibility of the intermediate terrain leading up to the defense positions.

Rare photo of the bunkers at Metaxas Line during the fight

The Greek fortifications along the border had been skillfully adapted to these terrain features and a defense system in depth covered the few available roads. No continuous fortifications had been erected along the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border, but road blocks, demolitions, and extensive mine fields had been prepared at all border points. 
 
The German plan of attack was based on the premise that, because of the diversion created by the campaign in Albania, the Greeks would lack sufficient manpower to defend their borders with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. 

Aerial bombardment, mainly by Stukas, of the "Metaxas Line" had minimal effect to the fortifications and the morale of the Greek soldiers

The frontal attack on the Metaxas Line, undertaken by one German infantry and two reinforced mountain divisions of the XVIII Mountain Corps, met with extremely tough resistance from the Greek defenders. 

After a three-day struggle, during which the Germans massed artillery and divebombers, the Metaxas Line was finally penetrated. 

Some of the fortresses of the line held out for days after the German attack divisions had bypassed them and could not be reduced until heavy guns were brought up.

The main credit for this achievement must be given to the 6th Mountain Division, which crossed a 7,000-foot snow-covered mountain range and broke through at a point that had been considered inaccessible by the Greeks. 

Nazis contemplate over the mass grave of 6 of their comrades
The division reached the rail line to Salonika on the evening of 7 April and entered Kherson two days later.

By driving armored wedges through the weakest links in the defense chain, the freedom of maneuver necessary for thrusting deep into enemy territory could be gained more easily than by moving up the armor only after the infantry had forced its way through the mountain valleys and defiles. 

Once the weak defense system of southern Yugoslavia had been overrun by German armor, the relatively strong Metaxas Line, whicl1 obstructed a rapid invasion of Greece from Bulgaria, could be outflanked by highly mobile forces thrusting southward from Yugoslavia. Possession of Monastir and the Vardar Valley leading to Salonika was essential to such an outflanking maneuver.

Nazis monitor the mountainous region that was part of the "Metaxas Line"

When Operation Marita began on 6 April, the bulk of the Greek army was on the border with Albania, then a protectorate of Fascist Italy, from which the Italian troops were trying unsuccessfully to enter Greece. 

German troops invaded through Bulgaria, creating a second front. Greece had already received a small though inadequate reinforcement from British Empire Forces, in anticipation of the German attack but no more help was sent after the invasion began. 

The Greek army found itself outnumbered in its effort to defend against both Italian and German troops.

When German troops officially entered Bulgaria during the first four days of March, the British reacted promptly by embarking an expeditionary force in Alexandria. 

Several squadrons of the Royal Air Force as well as antiaircraft units had been operating in Greece during the previous months. 

Nazi assault troops take cover while Ju87s bomb the fortifications

From the British point of view it was not feasible to desert the Greeks now that forces were available after the North African victories. 

At no time had the British exercised any pressure on the Greeks by requesting them to resist the Germans. 

On the contrary, Greek leaders had repeatedly expressed their intention to defend themselves against any German invasion, no matter whether they would be assisted by their ally or not. 

The British fully realised that their prestige would suffer a crushing blow, if the expeditionary force had to be evacuated in another Dunkerque, but even this possibility seemed preferable to leaving Greece to its fate. 

In a report Mr. Eden and his military advisers sent to London at the beginning of March, they summed up the situation by stating that there was a "reasonable fighting chance" and, with a certain amount of luck, a good opportunity "of perhaps seriously upsetting the German plans." 

Germans take a defensive position on the mountains of northern Greece

Even so, there can be no doubt that political factors overshadowed military considerations in the British decision to send an expeditionary force to Greece.


No definite decision on the disposition of forces was taken, mainly because of British and Greek hopes that Yugoslavia would join forces against the Axis Powers. 

When this hope finally and somewhat unexpectedly materialized at the end of March, the three countries failed to establish a unified command. No such initiative was taken, and there was only one meeting of British, Yugoslav, and Greek military representatives on 3 April. 

Newspaper frontpage, dated Sunday April 6, 1941, mentions that at 5:15 this morning the german attack against Greece started. "We will win and we will live free!"

During this conference the Yugoslavs promised to block the Strimon Valley in case of a German attack across their territory. Moreover, the Greeks and Yugoslavs agreed to launch a common offensive against the Italians in Albania. 

By 12 April the Yugoslavs were to concentrate four divisions along the northern border of Albania and provide additional forces in support of a Greek offensive in southern Albania. 

The course of events demonstrated only too clearly how unrealistic these offensive plans were at a time when both countries should have attempted to coordinate their defense efforts against the German threat.

Mountain troops are moving towards their targets

The assembly area of the German attack forces in southwestern Bulgaria was delimited by the rugged mountain range along the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border. 

In order to enter northern Greece the attacker had to cross the Rhodope Mountains, where only a few passes and river valleys permitted the passage of major military units. 

Two invasion routes led across the passes west of Kyustendil along the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border and another one through the Strimon Valley in the south. 

The very steep mountain roads with their numerous turns could not be negotiated by heavy vehicles until German engineer troops had widened them by blasting the rocks. Off the roads only infantry and pack animals could pass through the terrain.

An inside view of the underground tunnel of one of the forts at Metaxas Line


The Strimon and Nestos Rivers cut across the mountain range along the Greek-Bulgarian frontier; both valleys were well protected by strong fortifications which formed part of the Metaxas Line. This line was a system of concrete pillboxes and field fortifications, which had been constructed along principles similar to those applied in the Maginot Line. 

Along the Yugoslav-Greek border there is another mountain range with only two major defiles, one leading from Monastir to Florina, the other along the Vardar River. 

Aside from these mountain ranges bordering Greece in the north, an aggressor must surmount a number of other alpine and subalpine mountain ranges barring access to the interior of the country. 

Germans during a pause of the bitter fighting

In the west there are the Pindus Mountains stretching from Albania deep into the interior, whereas the Olympus and Thermopylae mountain ranges obstruct the eastern part of the mainland. 

Finally, the inaccessible Peloponnesus Mountains hamper military operations in the southern provinces of Greece. 

Troops are subjected to extreme physical hardships by a campaign across Greece because habitations are few, water is in short supply, and the weather is inclement with sudden drops in temperature.

Following the entry of German forces into Bulgaria, most of the Greek troops were evacuated from western Thrace, which was defended by the Evros Brigade, a unit consisting of three border guard battalions, when the Germans launched their attack. 

One of the bunkers that sustained direct artillery hits

Adjacent to this unit, in eastern Macedonia, stood the Nestos Brigade in the area around Xanthi. The Metaxas Line was held by three infantry divisions, the 7th and 14th east of the Strimon, the 18th west of that river. 

The 19th Motorized Infantry Division was in reserve south of Lake Doirani. Including the fortress garrisons in the Metaxas Line and some border guard companies, the total strength of the Greek forces defending the Bulgarian border was roughly 70,000 men. They were under the command of the Greek Second Army with headquarters in the vicinity of Salonika.


The Greek forces in central Macedonia consisted of the 12th Infantry Division, which held the southern part of the Vermion position, and the 20th Infantry Division in the northern sector up to the Yugoslav border. On 28 March both divisions were brought under the command of General Wilson. 

 
The heavy bombardments did not neutralise most of the bunkers

The bulk of the Greek forces First Army with its fourteen divisions was committed in Albania.


As a result it was planned that the mobile elements of the XL Panzer Corps would thrust across the Yugoslav border and capture Skoplje, thereby cutting the rail and highway communications between Yugoslavia and Greece. Possession of this strategic point would be decisive for the course of the entire campaign. 

From Skoplje the bulk of the panzer corps was to pivot southward to Monastir and launch an immediate attack across the Greek border against the enemy positions established on both sides of Florina. Other armored elements were to drive westward and make contact with the Italians along the Albanian border.


The XVIII Mountain Corps was to concentrate its two mountain divisions on the west wing, make a surprise thrust across the Greek border, and force the Rupel Gorge. The 2d Panzer Division was to cross Yugoslav territory, follow the course of the Strimon upstream, turn southward, and drive toward Salonika.


The XXX Infantry Corps was to reach the Aegean coast by the shortest route and attack from the east those fortifications of the Metaxas Line that were situated behind the Nestos.


All three corps were to converge on Salonika. After the capture of that main city, three panzer and two mountain divisions were to be made available for the follow-up thrusts toward Athens and the Peloponnesus. 

Twelfth Army headquarters was to coordinate the initially divergent thrusts across southern Yugoslavia and through Bulgaria into Greece and, during the second phase of the campaign, drive
"Dragons' teeth" were built to hinder the advance of armour
toward Athens regardless of what happened on the Italian front in Albania. 

Actually, the Twelfth Army maneuver would constitute the most effective assistance that could be given the Italians.


This plan of operations with far-reaching objectives was obviously influenced by the German experience during the French campaign. 

It was based on the assumption that Yugoslav resistance in front of the XL Panzer Corps would crumble within a short time under the impact of the German assault. 

The motorized elements would then continue their drive and, taking advantage of their high degree of mobility, would thrust across the wide gap between the Greek First and Second Armies long before the Greek command had time to regroup its forces. 

Remains of a bunker


In anticipation of this move the enemy command could either move up the newly arrived British forces or pull back the Greek First Army from Albania and form reserves which could block the German advance from the north. In view of the difficult terrain conditions it seemed doubtful whether this could be achieved with the necessary speed.


The other XVIII Mountain Corps units advanced step by step under great hardship. Each individual group of fortifications had to be reduced by a combination of frontal and enveloping attacks with strong tactical air support. 

A recent image of a destroyed bunker - Most of the bunkers were destroyed by the Bulgarian occupation forces, the allies of the nazis, following the capitulation of Greece. During the course of the war and when it became clear that the Germans were losing, the Bulgarians swiftly changed sides and became allies of the Russians.
 
The 5th Mountain Division together v ith the reinforced 125th Infantry Regiment penetrated the Strimon defenses on 7 April and, attacking along both banks of the river, cleaned out one bunker after another. After repelling several counterattacks the division reached Neon Petritsi, thus gaining access to the Rupul Gorge from the south. 

The 125th Infantry Regiment, which was attacking the gorge from the north, suffered such heavy casualties that it had to be withdrawn from further action after it had reached its objective. The 72d Infantry Division, which advanced from Nevrokopi across the mountains, was handicapped by a shortage of pack animals, medium artillery, and mountain equipment. 

A downed aircraft, possibly somewhere near the Metaxas Line