Post subject: Greek Armed Forces History

Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 6:15 pm



Well Zdzislaw, I'll try :)

PART 1-A Brief History of the Greek Cavalry


Greek Cavalry in 1897

Armoured Cavalry/Ippikό Tethorakismena

Greek Cavalry was impossible to exsist during the 400 years of the Ottoman occupation of Greece, since there was not any kind of Greek tactical army either. The first serious attempt to form a cavalry unit, is the one organized by Alexandros Ypsilantis in Phoxane of Moldavia (back then, Russian Bessarabia), in early March 1821 . Modern Greece's Cavalry, appears as a tactical force for the first time, in April 1822 , in Naphplion, Peloponnese , under two forms: Heavy & Light . Heavy Cavalry was the main combat unit in the battlefield, while Light Cavalry had more or less, scouting duties. In 1825 (the official "birthday" of Greece's modern Cavalry) the Cavalry Corps was formed in Athens. In 1829, all the Cavalry Troops (Ile/Iles-plural-in Greek) were moved to Argos, Peloponnese & remained there until the end of the Greek Revolution. First commander of the Greek Cavalry was French Major August Regnaud de Saint-Jean-d'Angely the later on Maréchal de France/Marshal of France *

*August Regnaud de Saint-Jean-d'Angely, was dismissed from the army by the Restoration government, fought for the Greeks in the Greek War of Independence, and rejoined the French army in 1830. Under the Second Empire he went through the Crimean and Italian campaigns, and was made senator and marshal for bravery at the battle of Magenta.

The first confrontation between the newly born & weak Greek State & therefore its Cavalry, against the Ottoman Empire, took place in the unlucky (for the Greeks) Greco-Turkish War of 1897. Cavalry had poor results.


Greek Cavalryman, 1912-1913

The Balkan Wars
From 1897-1904 a major reorganizing effort takes place in the Greek Army. The year 1904, finds the Greek Cavalry with 3 Cavalry Regiments (1st-2nd-3rd Cavalry Regiment). In 1910, the Cavalry Directorate/Diephthynsis Ippikou is formed under the Ministry of Military Arm . From 1910-1912, another reorganization of the Greek Army takes place, under the instructions of the French Military Mission to Greece. Thus, on 2/15/1912, the Cavalry Brigade is formed.
During the 1st Balkan War (10/5-5/30/1913) , Greek Cavalry fought courageously, with daring bravery on both fronts (Macedonian front-Epirus front).
During the 2nd Balkan War (6/16/1913-7/18/1913) , when the Armies of Serbia, Montenegro & Greece fought against the Bulgarians, the main operations theatre was in central & eastern Macedonia. The one battle in which Greek Cavalry fought, was the battle of Kilkis-Lachana **.


Greek Cavalry attacks on Katranci, Minor Asia, 8/8/1921


Greek Cavalry Buglers, Minor Asia, 1919-1921

The expedition to Minor Asia
Greek Army's expedition to Minor Asia, started on 5/15/1919, a day on which the Greek Army disembarks at Smyrna & lasted to 9/5/1922, when the lattest Greeks Units of the C'/Γ' Army Corps abandoned Minor Asia. Cavalry went through the entire Greek Army Campaign, with remarkable results.


The first ever armoured vehicle was delivered to the Greek Army in 1931. This photo was shot on this day. The man in civilian clothing is PM Georgios Kondylis.

WWII
A significant fact on the history of the Greek Cavalry, is the formation of the first Battle Tank Battalion
in 1931. Its force consisted of 2 Vickers-Armstrong tanks & 2 Carden-lloyd armoured reckon cars. There was an option of bying 14 more tanks from the UK & France, unfortunately though, this option was never realised, due to the forthcoming of the II WW.
The first major armoured combat operational unit of the Greek Army was formed on 1/12/1941: It was the XIX Mechanized Division , with 27 British & Italian (war spoils) light tanks & 77 Armoured Personnel Carriers, in 3 Regiments: 191st-192nd-193rd Mechanized Regiments.


Greek Light Armored Cars in El-Alamein (1942-1943)

After the German Occupation of Greece, Greek Armed Forces fled to Egypt & the Middle East. There, an Armoured Troop was formed, with Carrier Light Armored Cars . This Troop, took part in the battle of El-Alamein .


Greek Cavalry's distinct colour is Velvet Green (as a rememberance of the solidarity & close relationship between man & horse). The two cavalry sabres above laurel leaves, is the insignia worn by cavalry officers on green field collar patches. Cavalry's motto is the phrase "όpou e doxa kai to katheekon/where glory calls, duty lies"

** THE BATTLE OF KILKIS-LACHANA


A lithograph of the battle of Kilkis-Lachana. The photo on the right shows men of the 5th Battalion of the 1st Regiment, attack against the Bulgarian entrenchments. During this battle, the 2nd Company, lost its commander Captain Papaspyrou & 2/3 of its force

After the signing of the London peace treaty between the Balkan states and Turkey- May 17th, 1913 -the allied Balkan countries felt that the time had come for them to settle their differences regarding the conquered territories.
Bulgarian demands at the time included its desire to expand over Macedonia. Serbia and Bulgaria had already signed an agreement and settled their territorial disputes, but Serbia at the end did not recognise the agreement since, at first it believed that Albania would finally be part of Serbia, thus gaining access to the Adriatic sea. The treaty provided for an independent Albanian state and Serbia's gains to the west were reduced. Bulgaria, however, insisted to annex all the agreed territories. While Serbia recognised as a Hellenic right the annexation of all the liberated territories, Bulgaria sought to drive Greece out from those territories and create the Great Bulgaria of the 1878 Saint Stephan Treaty.
Greece and Serbia, since May 19, 1913 , had signed a defensive alliance. Bulgaria had already made a decision for a surprise attack against the Hellenic and Serbian army.
During the night of 16-17 June, 1913 , the Bulgarians without any official declaration of war surpassingly attacked the Greeks and the Serbs, thus achieving to occupy Gevgeli , cutting off communication between the Greeks and the Serbs. However, they halted their advance towards Thessaloniki because they failed to drive the Serbs away from Axios/Vardar river.
As a result, the Bulgarian army settled defensively in the Kilkis-Lachana Line and the surrounding heights. The area offered many defence advantages because the ground is totally uncovered and offers perfect observation and fire fields. Holding this line, the Bulgarians, were able to secure Serrae, Sidirocastro, Doiran and Gevgeli, to control the Strymon river bridges , which were important for their re-supply, while they secured their withdrawal in case of an emergency.
The Bulgarians deployed 32 Infantry Battalions, 1 Cavalry Regiment and 62 Artillery guns (III Infantry Division, 1/X Infantry Brigade, 2 Independent Infantry Brigades, XI Infantry Division (in reserve), 5th Border Battalion, 10th Border Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment) . Field Marshal was General Ivanov . The overall forces of the Hellenic Army were 73 Infantry Battalions, 33 Field Artillery Battalions, 9 Mountain Artillery Battalions, 8 Cavalry Companies and 8 Cavalry Platoons (I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,X Infantry Divisions, the Cavalry Brigade). Commander in Chief was King Constantine .
During the night of June 19th, 1913, 4 Hellenic Divisions (II-III-IV-V) and the Cavalry Brigade moved to occupy Kilkis City . They met the Bulgarian outposts force which are fought obstinate. A bloody and tough fight was conducted and Greek forces gained the land foot by foot. The 1st Infantry Regiment was in the Mandres village heights and east of Pikrolimni was the 16th Infantry Regiment .
While the day went by, the attack was generalised. The Divisions faced severe casualties but in the end the Bulgarians were forced to withdraw towards the Lipsidrion-Mavroneri Height-Gynaekocastro Line . The dark is coming. During the day that followed the Bulgarians withdrew but the war was not over yet.


With red, the Bulgarian fortifications & lines of defence, with blue the Hellenic Army

Early in the morning of June 20, 1913 , the courageous Regiments of the V Division (16th-22nd-23rd) after a tough and bloody fight occupied the Kristoni rail station, the southern part of the Kristoni village and the surrounding heights . However, despite their courageous efforts they could not march towards Kilkis because the Bulgarians were constantly bombing the ground. The IV Division fought courageously and by mid-day occupied the eastern parts of the Kristoni heights and made contact with the main line of defence of the enemy. The casualties were tremendous. The II Division marched under the fire of the Bulgarians, overrided the enemy and occupied the eastern parts of the Potamia village heights . The III Division , after a tough fight, overrided the Bulgarians and occupies the Levedochori, Baptistis and Megali Vrisi villages .
The Cavalry Brigade marched towards the Megali Vrisi and Kastanies villages but due to arrival of enemy re-enforcement's (elements of the XI Infantry Division), was forced to retreat, with heavy casualties.
Despite the victories of the Hellenic Army, Kilkis City was still under Bulgarian hands. However it had to be occupied at all cost. Full of agony, the Commander in Chief sent to all Divisions his historic order, which showed the depth of his agony, but also showed his unbending will for victory: "Tomorrow, I demand the fall of Kilkis" .


The Commander in Chief of the Hellenic Army, King Constantine (left) in a meeting with PM Eleutherios Venizelos

Early in the morning of June 21, 1913, at 03:30 the attack towards Kilkis started. The heroic Regiments of the IInd Division (1st and 7th) advanced against the Bulgarians. Within 15 minutes they approached the first enemy defence line. The Bulgarians fired against the advancing Greeks. At 04:10 early in the morning the enemy defence line was occupied after a tough fight. Behind the first line however was the second enemy defence line, against which the Hellenic army attacked. At 05:00 in the morning the second line fell too and the Hellenic forces moved against the third and most important defence line. An unequal fight is conducted. The Greeks were marching dauntless under enemy fires. The Bulgarians defended their position obstinate.
The 3rd Regiment was also engaged in battle . The Bulgarians conducted strong counter-attacks. Due to the activities of the remaining officers of the 1st and 7th Regiments and the incomparable heroism of the Greek soldiers the counter-attacks were driven back. New attacks followed by the Greeks. The Regiments were constantly gaining ground, occupied the third line positions and drove out the Bulgarians.
The other Divisions ( IV, V and III ) deployed around Kilkis and continued from the early ours of the day their fight against the Bulgarians. The Bulgarians provided for strong resistance and with the Artillery engaged the Greeks. The fight however, continued. At 11:00 Kilkis was occupied and at 11:15 the Greek flag was proudly hoisted on Saint George height. The Bulgarians withdrew all over the front.
-The famous French General Debeney , ( Commander of the French Première Armée-1st Army- during the I WW), when in 1913 visited the Kilkis-Lachana battle field, was surprised of the Hellenic Army's deployment, all 8 divisions packed in a small field, without reserves, anable to perform any sort of manoeuvers. He stated: "This tactic was neither French, nor German...it was simply Greek".
-General Ivanov , Field Marshal of the Bulgarian forces, writes in his memoirs: "We were able to hold on for so long, because the enemy was clampsy, they could not estimate how serious our situation was, they could not exploit over our difficulties....I thought I had predicted everything though, I had guessed of everything, everything but the Greek madness".
The three day battle of Kilkis was over. The victory proved important and prejudged the outcome of the 2nd Balkan War. From Kilkis, the Hellenic Army marched towards Doiran, Kerkini, Stromnitsa, Deli Risar and Kresna straits. The victory was great, so were the casualties: 8,652 men killed & injured (37 Officers killed, 85 injured) . With such sacrifices, Greece decisively resisted efforts to redraw its borderline and the demands of its neighbour over its territories. There are no official records of the Bulgarian casualties. The Bulgarian POWs were 2,500 Officers & men.


The heroic figure of Major Ioannis Velissariou, commander of the 9th Euzone Battalion. He fell a couple of months later in the battle of Cressna. His men were the ones who first hoisted the Greek flag on St.George height

Last edited by valtrex on Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:35 pm; edited 3 times in total



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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:49 pm

:) Keep up a good work, very interesting
Z



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Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:01 pm

PART 2-A Brief History of the Greek Artillery/Pyrovolikό

Immediately after the Greek struggle for independence broke up (3/25/1821), the first effort to form some kind of artillery takes place in Kalamata, Peloponnese . There, the 1st Artillery Battery is formed. In 1828, the 1st Artillery Battalion is formed. Then, in 1829 (the official "birthday" of Greece's modern Artillery), the Artillery Corps appears, consisted of 1st-2nd-3rd-4rth Gunner Battalion (4 batteries each) & a Fortress Artillery Company . In 1833, Artillery is consisted of one Artillery Battalion, one Artillery Company & six Artillery Horse Companies. In 1843, for the first time, the distinction between Field & Mountain Artillery appears. In 1853, the term Moira/Section is used for the first time officialy. Thus, in 1853, the Artillery Section/Moira Pyrovolikou is consisted of one Technicians Company, One Field Artillery Company, three Mountain Artillery Companies . In 1904, when the Greek Army is fully reorganized, Artillery is consisted of 3 Artillery Regiments (A'-B'-C/Γ' Artillery Regiments), 3 Mountain Artillery Sections, 1 Heavy Artillery Section . There's something unusual & at the same time interesting thing, concerning the tradition of the Greek Artillery: Though it's a vital combat element, Greek Artillery is the only Greek Army Arm (Arms: Army elements that conduct or participate directly in combat), that does not have War Flag.


Greek Artillery's distinct colour is Black (as a rememberance of the black powder once used by its guns). The insignia shown above, is worn by Artillery Officers on black field collar patches. Artillery's motto is the phrase: "Iskhees dia tes gnόseos/Power through knowledge".


Greek Artillery Captain in 1922. The tree parallel stripes on the kepi declare his rank. Artillery's distinct colour patch (black) is worn on the collar. The eight point up chevrons on his left arm, suggest 24 months of combat service


Greek Artillery 1st Lt in 1940, wearing the Nr1 Official Uniform known as "Megale Stolee-Grand Uniform"

Last edited by valtrex on Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:52 pm; edited 2 times in total



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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:10 am

PART 3-A Brief History of the Greek Infantry/Pezikό


Greek Infantry (Sacred Company, a unit formed by Greek students studying abroad), fights the Turks at Dragatsani, Romania, in 1821

1821-1829
Dimitrios Ypsilantis , arrives in secrecy to Greece from Bessarabia in June 1821, carrying muscets for 300 men & black clothing uniforms. In July, he forms in Kalamata, Peloponnese , a tactical corps (semi-battalion in size, emitagma/half battalion ), named Tactical Corps of the Black Uniforms/Taktikόn Sόma Mavrophoremenon . It concisted of 3 Infantry Companies of 100 men each under Major Palessas a French Officer of the Napoleonic Wars with Greek origins.

Tactical Semi-Battalion
Kalamata, July 1821.
Commander: Colonel Palessas (former Officer of the French Imperial Army).
Deputy Commander: Major Cubernati (former Italian Officer).
Force: 1st Company (100 men), 2nd Company (100 men), 3rd Company (100 men), 2 Mountain Artillery guns under Voultier (former French Officer).

Tactical Semi-Battalion completed its 3 months training course at Kalamata & took part in the siege of Tripolis, Peloponnese . After the unlucky for the Greeks siege of Naphplion in 1822 (where 50 Greek & foreign Officers & men KIA), the Corps started to disintegrade. Colonel Palessas, with a small section of the Corps fled to Crete, where he fell fighting the Turks.

In July 1824, a new effort to form a tactical force begins, under Colonel Rodiou . This Corps concisted of 1 battalion (6 companies, 100 hundred men each). Its uniform was red shirt, white phoustanella (Greek short skirt, similar to the one worn today by the Euzones), red pharion (fez) .


Euzones of the Presidential Honorary Guard

In July 1825, a new efffort to reorganize Infantry begins, with Baron Charles Nicolas Fabvier * as its new commander.


*Baron Charles Fabvier (1782-1855, Karolos Favieros as Greeks called him) was a French Officer, made colonel for bravery at the Russian campaign. He went to Greece in 1825, fought for Greece's Independence & stayed there for the rest of his life. Greeks decided to grant him an honorary Greek citizenship on 6/4/1826.

Tactical Army in 1825

Commander: Colonel Charles Fabvier
Infantry: A' Battalion (Athens)-8 Companies (120-140 men each).
B' Battalion (Naphplion)-6 Companies (120-140 men each).
C'/Γ' Battalion (Athens)-8 Companies (120-140 men each).
D'/Δ' Semi-Battalion-4 Companies (120-140 men each).
Section of Light Infantry Scouts (250 men).
Infantry's ranking system, was somewhat strange:
-NCOs: Corporal/Dekaneas, Sergeant/Lochias.
-Officers: 2nd Lieutenant/Anthypolochagόs, 1st Lieutenant/Ypolochagόs, Senior 1st Lieutenant/Prothypolochagόs, Captain/Lochagόs, Senior Captain/Epilochagόs, Lieutenant Major/Ypotagmatarchis, Major/Tagmatarchis, Colonel/Syntagmatarchis (rank held only by Fabvier).

In July 1829, after the final battle of the Greek revolution, at Peta (victorious for the Greeks), Infantry reorganized to form 4 new Battalions:
A' Battalion (Naphplion)
B' Battalion (Patras)
C'/Γ' Battalion (Naphpaktos/Lepanto)
D'/Δ' Battalion (Naphplion)


Light Infantry Btn (Elaphron Tagma Pezikou) Officer in 1832


General/Strategos in 1830


Infantry Sergeant in 1832


Infantry 1st Lt in 1830

1st & 2nd Balkan Wars
From 1897-1904 a major reorganizing effort takes place in the Greek Army. In 1912, the first confontration of the newly reorganized Greek Army (and therefore its Infantry) against the Ottoman Army takes place, almost 15 years after the disastrous War (for the Greeks) of 1897. Infantry had its remarkable & heroic moments & contributed the most to the Greek triumph:

A' Army Corps ( I and II Infantry Divisions )
B' Army Corps ( III and IV Infantry Divisions )
C'/Γ' Army Corps ( with the mobilized V and VI Infantry Divisions )
VII Infantry Division ( independent )
1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th Euzones Battalions ( organised in two detachments )
1st and 3rd National Guard Battalions
NOTE: The Infantry Regiment consisted of : Three company battalions and two machine-gun platoons.
Each Euzones Battalion consisted of : Four companies and two machine-gun platoons.

The 2nd Balkan War was the continuation of the 1st Balkan War. Greek Infantry in 1913:

I Infantry Division
2nd Infantry Regiment
4th Infantry Regiment
5th Infantry Regiment

II Infantry Division
1st Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Regiment
7th Infantry Regiment

III Infantry Division
6th Infantry Regiment
10th Infantry Regiment
12th Infantry Regiment

IV Infantry DIvision
8th Infantry Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
11th Infantry Regiment

V Infantry Division
16th Infantry Regiment
22nd Infantry Regiment
23rd Infantry Regiment

VI Infantry Division
17th Infantry Regiment
18th Infantry Regiment
1/38 Euzones Regiment ( 8th and 9th Euzones Battalions, 3rd Cretans Battalion )

VII Infantry Division
19th Infantry Regiment
20th Infantry Regiment
21st Infantry Regiment

VIII Infantry Division
2/39 Euzones Regiment (7th and 10th Euzones Battalions)
15th Infantry Regiment
Independent Cretans Regiment (14th Infantry Regiment )

X Infantry Division
3/40 Euzones Regiment ( 3rd Euzones Battalion, 3rd Independent Euzones Battalion, 1/X Infantry Battalion )
4/41 Euzones Regiment ( 1st and 4th Euzones Battalion )
5/42 Euzones Regiment ( 2nd and 6th Euzones Battlion, 2/X Infantry Battalion )

Thessaloniki Command
27th Infantry Regiment
28th Infantry Regiment
29th Infantry Regiment

WW II:


Infantry Sgt. in 1940


Greek Infantry men in 1940

Greek Infantry on Mobilization, October 28, 1940:


Greek soldiers leaving for the front

Independent Units
V Infantry Division (Cretans)
VIII Infantry Division (Epirots)

A' Army Corps
II Infantry Division (Athenians)
III Infantry Division (Peloponnesians)
IV Infantry Division (Peloponnesians)

B' Army Corps
I Infantry Division (Thessalians)
IX Infantry Division (Western Macedonians)
IV Infantry Division (Western Macedonians)
5th Infantry Brigade (Thessalians)
16th Infantry Brigade (Thessaloniki/Salonika)

C'/Γ Army Corps
VI Infantry Division (Eastern Macedonians)
X Infantry Division (Eastern Macedonians)
XI Infantry Division (Thessaloniki/Salonika)
XVII Infantry Division (Thessaloniki/Salonika)

D'/Δ' Army Corps
VII Infantry Division (Eastern Macedonians)
XIV Infantry Division (Western Thracians)

E' Army Corps
XII Infantry Division (Western Thracians)
XIII Infantry Division (Aegean, Ionian Islanders)

Infantry small arms: The basic rifle was the Mannlicher-Schonauer 6.5mm M1903/14 and the LMG the Hotchkiss 8mm, (or captured Breda LMG) with the Medium MG the St.Etienne M1907 (a failed modification of the French Hotchkiss).


Off to the front. Greek Mobilization, October 28th 1940

It is true that the nation feels exceptional pride for the great "NO" on the 28th of October 1940, said by its leader Ioannis Metaxas , expressing the Greek deepest feelings at the very early dawn of that historic day. The Epic of 1940, a phenomenon psychologically and historically, was unexpected for the entire world, since from 1923, Greece was left deeply wounded after its campaign and disaster to Asia Minor, making huge efforts to assimilate one and a half million refugees and reconstruct its economy. Yet, a few months later, Korce, Tepelena, Clisoura, Morava, Ivan, Gijrokaster, Himara, Pogradec, heights 709, 717, 731**, Bubeshi, Breghu Rapit, all cities & places with strange Albanian names, became well known to us Greeks.
As it is known, the Epirus Division (VIII Infantry Division) bore the complete burden of the defense; it was the one, which alone, at least for a couple of weeks, had the luck and the honor to defend the integrity of the country. This Division, carrying out Major General Haralambos Katsimitros’ decision, did not abandon the forward defense line and fought there, without ceding an inch of national ground.
An extract of the Nr 30904 General Order of the VIII Division, dated 30th October 1940 is quoted below (Maj. Gen. H. Katsimitros) :
"We fight against a cunning and coward enemy, who suddenly attacked us without a pretext in order to subjugate us.
We fight for our houses, our families and our freedom.
Officers and enlisted men, keep your positions steadily and decisively looking forward, since in a short time we are going to counter-attack in order to throw out the enemy from our native soil that gets infected by their presence"...
The day that the coward foe will be thrown to the sea reaches. Keep strongly your positions and this is going to take place soon. Order to be notified to all the Officers and enlisted men servicing under air orders".


Major Gen dressed in the Nr4 Service Uniform in 1940

Offcourse, a special tribute must be made also to the men of the I Infantry Division , who almost alone, stood against the waves of the Itallian attacks during the major Italian Spring Offensive, earning the honour of being called "The Iron Brigade" .


Greek Infantry's distinct colour is Red (it symbolizes the blood shed by Infantry men in all National Rallies). The crossed rifles & the laurel leaves on red field collar patch, is the insignia worn by Infantry Officers. Infantry's motto is the phrase: "Dioke Dόxan kai Areteen/Pursuit Glory & Virtue".

** THE BATTLE FOR HEIGHT 731:


A Greek memorial at the Albanian village of Vouliarates, in the outskirts of hill 731

By wrapping round themselves the dusky cloud of death
these men clothed their dear country with an unquenchable renown.
They died, but they are not dead, for their own virtue leads them
gloriously up again from the shades.

Thucydides, Pericles Epitaphy, 431 BC


Italian Objective when Italians started their major Offensive ( Spring/Primavera/Earinee Epithesis ) in March 1941, was to create a gap on the Elaea-Kalamas line, in a narrow front of 32 Km, between the rivers Aόos-Apsos with the direction Ghlava-Bubeshi , in order to secure their way through Kalpaki-Metsovon-Ioannina (Epirus capital)-Athens . Thus, their main effort concetrated on the Ghrabala ridge , a series of heights controling the pathway to Kalpaki. Ghrabala marked the seal of the Italian unsuccesful effort to break the Greek resistance during the 1940-1941 Greco-Italian war. Ghrabala, on the other way, was the mark point of the Greek resistance. Holding this line, the Greeks, were able to secure Epirus capital, Ioannina & at the same time to control the Clisura narrow path to Leskoviki & the Kalpaki valley.
The Italians deployed their VIII Army Corps ("Cagliari", "Puglia", "Pinerolo", "Bari" Divisions, 2 Independent Battalions). To the North, was the "Sforzesca" Division (XXV Army Corps), "Sienna" & "Lupi di Toscana" Divisions (secondary line). "Piemonte" Infantry Division & "Centauri" Armoured Division were in reserve . The Italians had also deployed 15 Independent Alpini Battalions . The overall forces of the Hellenic Army, were the XVII,V,I,XV & XI Infantry Divisions, 2 Independent Regiments (out of XV & XVII Divisions) & one Regiment of the VI Division . Italian offensive began in the morning (06:30) of March 9th 1941, by using their enormous man & Artillery power, in an unknown until that day for the Greeks concentration of airplanes, armoured vehicles, artillery guns & infantry units. On the center of the Italian effort, stood hill 731 , the symbol of the Greek Infantry stuburness & will to defend its tradition & homeland. On this hill, were the entrenchments of the Greek 5th Regiment of the I Infantry Division , men descending from the Thessalian cities of Karditsa & Trikala , mostly farmers & peasants, at the age of 20-21. There, in a narrow front of 6 Km, 100,000 Artillery shells & mortars were fired on the first day. The Italian attack against 731, started in the same morning (March 9th), at 09:00 & lasted to 16:30. At first, courageous Italian Regiments succeded to step on hill 717 , a small height infront of the 731 hill, 731's watch dog , according to a Greek Colonel's words. During this attack, the Italian distinguished proffessor of the University of Naples Major Pellegrini was heavily injured. A successful Greek counter offensive, gives hill 717 back to the Greek hands. Italians attack back & recapture the hill. Then, in the morning of March 10th (06:45), Greek HQ gives the order to leave 717. Hill 731 is more vital. New waves of Italian air assaults concentrate of 731. Italians after a tough & bloody fight, occupy hill 731 for the first time. Elements of the Greek 5th Regiment attack back & manage to expell the Italians with bayonetts (March 11th. 525 Italians captured, 250 killed). More air assaults, Artillery barrages (according to some historians "a Verdun type of barrages") & new attacks, give the oppurtunity to the Italians to make contact with the main line of defence of the Greeks on 731, yet again. The casualties were tremendous on both sides. Due to the Artillery barrage & the air bombings, the peak of hill 731, is lowered by a couple of metres (!!). Italians think that the hill is by now abandoned. So, they organize a new effort to capture it, in the morning (00:45) of March 12th.. Yet, the Greeks are still there. With hand grenades & bayonetts, they manage to turn the Italians back. Another Italian general effort begins. Yet again, their offensive is unsuccesful. 731, is by now, a symbol for the Greeks. Untill March 15th, the Italians had launched 17 major offensives to capture hill 731. In the morning (06:30) of March 19th, a new Italian attack (No 18 ), begins against 731, by elements of the "Sienna" Division with the support of Light Armoured Vehicles. No result. A well known incident, describes the giant efforts made by the Italians & the Greeks on 731: An Italian committee, bearing a white flag, reaches on 731, in the morning of March 22nd, seeking for a 4 hour truce, so that the Italians could burry their dead. Head of this committe was a Catholic clergy man. Seeing the dead, Italians & Greeks lying together, hundreds of them, he fainted. Greeks gave him cognac. He was a living wreck. On March 24th 1941, Italians launched their two final attacks against 731. In the morning of March 25th, the Primavera Offensive is no more. The front will remain stable, until April 6th, when the German "Operation Marita", German Offensive in the Balkans will start. Greek casualties were heavy: 47 Officers dead, 144 injured, 1,196 men KIA, 3,872 injured. During the 20 Italian attacks against hill 731, Greek I Infantry Division, accounted 27 Officers dead, 59 injured, 531 men KIA, 2,028 injured. There are no official records regarding the Italian losses. According to Greek estimations, Italians had almost 11,800 dead & injured.



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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:38 pm

PART 4-A Brief History of the Greek Special Forces/Ellinikes Idikes Dynames (Commandos/Katadromees-Marines/Pezonaphtes)

Commandos/Katadromees


Tunesia-Egean Sea-Dodekannese. SACRED COMPANY 1942-1945

1-The Sacred Company 1942-1945. The creation of the Greek Special Forces

August 1942: Immediately after the German occupation of Greece, the Greek government fled to Egypt & started to form military units in exile. The plethora of Officers though rather than soldiers, led Air Force Lt.Colonel G.Alexandris to suggest the creation of an Army unit, formed by Officers, with soldier's duties . This suggestion was approved by the Commander of the II Hellenic Brigade, Colonel (Infantry) Alkiviadis Bourdaras . Thus, in 1942 the Company of Chosen Immortals was formed under Major (Cavalry) Antonios Stephanakis , with 200 men & was organized in the beginning as a Machine Guns Company .
September 15th 1942: Its new Commander, Colonel (Infantry) Christodoulos Tsigantes



renamed this unit to Sacred Company & succeeded to reform its mission.


Sacred Company's Crest. This Crest was (1916-1917) the World War I Cross Medal , a design of the French sculptor Andre Rivaud . The only difference between the two was that on the medal is written on the back the phrase: Greece 1916-1917/Hellas 1916-1917. Sacred Company's motto, was the phrase: "Ee Tan ee epi Tas/Either it, or upon it (a wish given from the ancient Sparta's mothers to their sons in war times. Litterary, it means, "either you will return carrying your shield, or you'll return carried on the shield, dead. )

He collaborated with the commander of the British S.A.S Regiment, Lt.Colonel David Stirling & under the approval of the Greek HQ, moved the company to Kabrit in Egypt (where the SAS base was) & began its Commando training.
January 27th 1943: Following Colonel Tsigante's suggestion, the Commander of the 8th British Army, General Bernard Montgomery put the Greek company under the commands of General Jacques-Philippe Leclerc of the 2nd Armoured Division of the Françaises Libres , with the duties of Light Mechanized Cavalry .
March 10th 1943: In the area of Ksar-Rillan (Tunesia), the first battle of the Sacred Company was given, against a German mechanized detachment, in order to cover the advancing of the 10th Army Corps (British & Newzalanders) that tried to by-pass the Mareth defence line, to the South.


A section of the Sacred Company at Ksar-Rillan

March 29th 1943: Immediately after the allied forces captured the Tunesian city of Gabes, the Sacred Company was disposed to the 2nd Division (Newzealanders) & on April 6th, a mixed Greco-New Zealand detachment fought against the Germans at Wadi Akarit.
May-October 1943: The Sacred Company (314 men) moved to Palestine, in various camps, for parachute training.


Sacred Company's Parachutist Wings

There, it reorganized ( HQ Section, Base Section, I,II,III Commando Sections ) & after the capitulation of the Italians (September 9th 1943), section I dropped to the Greek island of Samos while sections II & III moved there on fishing boats .


Parachutists ready for the jump on Samos


Sections II & III on fishing boats

At the same time, British troops, liberated the island complex of the Dodekannese . Unfortunately, when the British were pulled back from the islands, the Sacred Company was forced to withdraw from the Samos island too.
February 1944: Sacred Company was put under the commands of the British Raiding Forces . On February 7th, Sacred Company's Section I, moved for combat operations to the islands of the N.Egean sea (Samos, Psara, Lesvos, Chios), while its section II, moved to the Dodekannese with the same purpose. In April, Sacred Company formed a Regiment with a force of around 1,000 men.
After the Greek mainland was liberated (October 1944), Sacred Company continued operating in the islands of the Egean Sea & the Dodekannese, until May 1945, when the last German soldier, left the islands.


May 8th 1945: The allied joint committee signs the capitulation protocol of the Dodekannese German Garrison. To the right, is the representative of the Greek government, Colonel Christodoulos Tsigantes

The losses of the Sacred Company during the 3 years of its combat operations, accounted 113 men, dead or injured.


Greece's regent, Archbishop Damaskenos, pays his respects to the Sacred Company's War Flag. The bearer of the flag is Colonel Tsigantes

2-The formation & structure of the Special Forces, 1946-1950



Early August 1945: Colonel (Cavalry) Andreas Kallinskis , an active member of the Sacred Company, suggested to the Army HQ to maintain a small core of hard trained staff with the goal of forming a strong brigade of around 2,000 men, stationed to the port city of Volos (Thessaly, central Greece).


Major General Andreas Kallinskis in 1956

He characteristically said: "We must form a Unit which will combine the virtues of the Commandos, the S.A.S (special Air Service) & the S.B.S (Special Boat Service)" , meaning a unit fit to conduct Air-Sea-Land Special Operations. Unfortunately, Col. Kallinskis' suggestion was not accepted.
Early 1946: During the first months of 1946, the first communist partisans appear in various Greek provinces-especially in the North-which showed that the Army wasn't fit to conduct combat operations against the Guerilla flexible & small detachments. Therefore, Col. Kallinskis' suggestion was finally approved.
December 19th 1946: After a few months training, the first Commando Companies-LOK/ΛΟΚ were formed:
-A' Army Corps (Α' ΣΣ): LOK 1-10 (4 Officers 59 men, each).
-B' Army Corps (Β' ΣΣ): LOK 11-25
-C' Army Corps (Γ' ΣΣ): LOK 16-40


A commando section during the first combat operations of 1946

March 1947: The Sub-Directorate of the Commando Units/ ΥΜΟΚ was formed, under the commands of the A7 (organization, structure & tactical training) Infantry Directorate and 20 more Companies appear (41-60). The Commando Training Center (KEMK) established at first in the Athens area of Chaidari . Head of YMOK was Col. Kallinskis himself.
April 1947: KEMK was moved to the city of Vouliagmeni , a few Km away from Athens.
May 1947: The 20 new companies, without having completed a full training course, took part in the combat operations in Thessaly & Epirus, with excellent results. This success, leads the Army to form 20 more companies (61-80). The Army, also forms the first Commando joint Commands-DMK/ΔΜΚ , in June 1947:

-A' DMK (I & II Tactical Staff-TE): 41-50 LOK
-B' DMK (III & IV Tactical Staff-TE): 51-60 LOK
-C'/Γ' DMK (V & VI TE): 61-70 LOK

December 1947: A',B,C' DMK (Commando joint commands) were renamed to A',B',C'/Γ' Commando Squadrons (Battalion)/Moira Katadromon/MK & a fourth Squadron (D'/Δ' Squadron-71-80 LOK), was created along with the 48th Commando Signals Company .
Under the 1st Army , the Commando Command-DDK/ΔΔΚ was also formed, with a force equivalent to an independent brigade, under the commands of Col. Kallinski, at the city of Volos (all the Commando squadrons).
June 1948: Commando Command, creates two special tactical staffs, the North Commando Command-A' & B' MK & the South Commando Command-C'/Γ' & D'/Δ' ΜΚ
March-April 1949: North & South Commands form the I Commando Brigade (A & B Squadrons, 1st Commando Signals Company), under Colonel (Artillery) Kyriakos Papageorgopoulos & the II Commando Brigade (C'/Γ', D'/Δ', Ε' Squadrons, 2nd CSC), under Colonel (Artillery) Georgios Roussos .
During the Civil War, Special Forces accounted 38 Officers & 782 Soldiers dead.


April 1953: The War Flags of the five Commando Squadrons are hoisted, to honor their dead, at a ceremony




Greek Commandos/Katadromees




Greek Amphibious Commandos/Amphivii Katadromees (men of the Z' Amphibious Commando Squadron-Z' MAK )




Greek Paras/Alexiptotistes

Marines/Pezonaphtes

Greek Marines appear as 29th Marines Landing Regiment on 6/17/1913. In 1919, 29th MLR is renamed to 32nd Infantry Regiment. Took part in the operations in Minor Asia (1919-1922) & in the WII (1940-1941) as an Infantry unit. After the liberation (1944) is renamed to 42nd Infantry Brigade & took part in the Civil War (1946-1949). In 1950 is renamed again to 32nd Infantry Regiment. In 1954 is dismandled & reappears in 1959 as 132nd Light Infantry Regiment. In 1965, is an organic Marine Regiment (505,521,575 Marine Battalions). In 1967 is renamed again to 32nd Marine Regiment. In 1988 the 32nd Marines Regiment is reorganized to 32nd Marine Brigade (505,521,575 Marine Battalions, 807 Support & Transportation Company, 3rd Armored Troop, 32 Artillery Squadron, 32nd Engineers Company, 32nd Signals Company, 32nd Medical Company)

A photo showing Marines of the 1st Turkish Marine Battalion observe Marines of the 32nd Greek Marine Brigade, demonstrating checkpoint procedures on 23 June 2003 at Shirokiy Lan Range, Ukraine:
[glow=red:174c65249a] http://www.afsouth.nato.int/exercises/COP03/Photo5/D2003-315.jpg [/glow:174c65249a]


Greek Special Forces distinct colour is Red (it symbolizes the blood shed by Special Forces men). The crossed rifles & the laurel leaves on red field collar patch, is the insignia worn by Special Forces Officers. The distinction between Infantry personnel & Special Forces Commandos or Marines is made by the arc & sleeve patch worn by Special Forces members & offcourse the green beret.


Commando arc & pach


Marine arc & patch

Commandos motto is the phrase: "O Tolmon Nika/Who Dares Wins"
Marines motto is the phrase: "Tharseen Khree/Courage is needed"

Last edited by valtrex on Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:20 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:44 pm

PART 5-A Brief History of the Greek Engineers/Mechanikό




Greek Engineers distinct colour is the pink of the Amaranth flower (Amaranth comes from the Greek "Amaranthos", meaning never withering, as it is of that dry nature that it can maintain its freshness for a long time. It symbolizes the lack of tiredness of the Corps). The insignia shown above, is worn by Officers of the Corps of Engineers (or Arm of Enginners, in Greek military terminology), on pink field collar patch.

Greek Engineers birthday is on July 28th 1829. On this day, under the No 13559, general order issued by Greece's first governor, Ioannis Kapodistrias*


* Count Ioannis-Antonios Kapodίstrias. (Born Feb. 11, 1776, Corfu, Ionian Islands, died Oct. 9, 1831, Naphplion, Peloponnese)
Venetian Conte Giovanni Antonio Capo D'istria . Greek statesman who was prominent in the Russian foreign service during the reign of Alexander I (reigned 1801–25) and in the Greek struggle for independence.
The son of Conte Antonio Capo d'Istria , was born in Corfu (at that time under Venetian rule), studied at Padua, and then entered government service. In 1799 Russia and Turkey drove the French from the Ionian Islands and organized them into the Septinsular Republic (Republic of the Seven Isles) . Kapodίstrias participated in writing the new state's second constitution (adopted 1803) and became its secretary of state (1803). France regained control of the islands (1807), however, and Kapodίstrias entered the Russian foreign service (1809). He became an expert on Balkan affairs, which earned him a post with the commander of Russia's armed forces on the lower Danube River (1812). After the army marched north to oppose Napoleon's invasion of Russia (1812), Kapodístrias was assigned as a diplomat to the army staff (1813) and later was sent by Alexander I on a special mission to Switzerland (1814).
After attending the postwar Congress of Vienna as one of Russia's representatives (1814–15), Kapodίstrias became a highly influential adviser of the emperor; and, after January 1816, he was given equal responsibility with Karl Robert Nesselrode , the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the conduct of Russia's foreign policy.
Kapodίstrias, however, expressed doubts about Alexander's Holy Alliance with Austria and Prussia and objected to Russia's approval of Austria's suppression of the revolts in Naples and Piedmont/Piemonte (1820–21). Consequently, he earned the political enmity of Austria's chancellor Metternich, who used his increasing influence over Alexander to undermine Kapodίstrias' position. When Alexander refused to support the Greek revolt against the Ottoman Empire (begun March 1821), Kapodístrias, who had a deep sympathy for the cause of Greek independence, although he had earlier refused to lead the major Greek revolutionary organization, found himself in an intolerable position. In 1822, therefore, he took an extended leave of absence from the Russian service and settled in Geneva, where he devoted himself to supplying material and moral relief to the Greek rebels until April 1827, when he was elected provisional president of Greece.
Resigning from the Russian service, he then toured Europe seeking financial and diplomatic support for the War of Greek Independence and arrived at Naphplion, then Greece's capital, in January 1828. He subsequently directed his energies toward negotiating with Great Britain, France, and Russia (which had all joined the war against the Turks) over the settlement of Greece's frontiers and the selection of its new monarch. He became leader of a party with pro-Russian sympathies. He also worked to organize an effective government apparatus and to subordinate powerful, semiautonomous local leaders to the authority of the new state. In the process, however, he acquired many enemies, two of whom, Konstantinos and Georgios Mavromikhalis of Maina , assassinated Kapodístrias as he entered a church

the Officers Corps of Rampart & Architecture was formed (Naphplion, Peloponnese). First commander of the corps was the French Captain Garneau , who was promoted to lt.colonel. This corps had in its ranks, yet another French officer & six Greek officers, trained abroad: Major Stamatios Voulgaris, an officer of the French Corps des Ingennieurs , Captain Theodoros Valianos, officer of the Russian Инженерные войска (Engineer Troops) , 2nd Lieutenant Panayotis Papanaoum, a Prussian Army Ingenieur-Offizier , Major Telemachus Vlassopoulos (who had a degree on architecture). In February 1833, the first two Sappers Companies/1 & 2 Lochos Skapaneon were formed & on August 1st, the Directorate of Engineers appears. In 1885, the School of the Corps is formed, under the name School of the Engineers Regiment .
In 1904, with the reorganization of the Army, Engineer Officers acquire their own & independent school ( School of Engineers ).
From 1912-1922, Engineers followed the fate of the Army, went through the Balkan Wars & Minor Asia campaign (In Minor Asia, Engineers contributed the most, helping in Transponstation & provisioning). In 1929, with the law 4321, Engineers became one of the five arms of the Greek Army (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Signals, Engineers). From 1942-1944, when the government moved to the Middle East, Army HQ founded a temporary Engineers scholl at Ismaelia, Egypt ( School of Applied Tactics of Enginners ). In October 1944, after the country was liberated, the School moved to Goudi, Athens & in 1945 to Loutraki, Peloponnese , under the name School of Engineers . During the Operation Torch/Epikhirisis Pyrsόs , the final battle the Army gave against the Communists, Engineers contributed greatly (an extract of the Army's general report in 1951, is quoted below): Despite the losses & fatigue, all Officers & Enlisted Men of the Arm of Engineers, were aware of their delicate & important mission. All Officers & Enlisted Men of the Arm of Engineers, working silently & effectively as always, contributed to the final victorious outcome."

Engineers motto is the phrase: Am' epos am' ergon/To talk & to act simoutaneously



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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:28 pm

Do the Evezones have their own form of rank inisgnia or do they use the same version as the rest of the Greek Army?



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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 6:28 pm



Unfortunately, Euzone active units, no longer appear in the Army. They were somekind of light infantry units. Euzone men, descended mostly from mountain or peasant families, were hardcored men & advanced against the enemy lines, fearless & fiercefully (that's why they suffered the most). Euzone Regiments were dismantled in the 50's due to the unbearable losses suffered in every War Greece participated. Today, only the Euzone Battalion of the Presidential Honorary Guard, exsists. Yes, Euzones use the same rank insignia, have red as distinct colour & wear light blue berets.

Note: Euzone or E-V-Z-O-N in Greek, means the "well-belted", a term traced in Homer’s Iliad
The uniforms worn by Euzones (of which there are several kinds) are all hand-made at the tailor’s department of the Presidential Guard training camp. There, some ten individuals, skilled in hand-embroidery and machine-sewing, painstaking prepare the uniforms over long periods of time – the Euzones waistcoat alone takes up to one month to sew. World-famous "tsarouhi" shoes are also manufactured at the camp’s shoe-making department by three to four men trained in the craft. Each tsarouhi, a leather clog with black pom-poms, weighs three kgrs/6 pnds and has sixty nails studded into the soles so that the Euzones don’t slip.
The outfit’s variations include the cotton summer uniform, the woolen winter one, the official version reserved for special ceremonies, as well as the "Cretan uniform", an adaptation of traditional Cretan garments representing all Greek islands.
Throughout their entire service, each Euzones teams up with a partner: between them they share both training and duties. Mutual help is also appreciated when donning the uniforms, a task that can prove time-consuming – slipping into the official uniform, for instance, may take up to half an hour. Help also comes in handy with smoothing the black tassel atop the Evzones red cap, or "pharion" (fez), straightening the collar, or tying properly the two-part "phoustanella", the traditional 400-fold (as many as the years under Ottoman occupation) kilt.
Through the hottest summer and the coldest winter, the Euzones invariably wear white woolen stockings and a leather belt with bullet holders to emphasize the waist of the "well-belted" soldier.


Euzones changing guards (winter uniform, official version for special ceremonies). To the back is the monument of the unknown soldier. Every place (inside or outside Greece) where Greek soldiers died, is written on it



Detail of the pharion & the winter uniform



Euzone wearing summer uniform. On the ensription is written: Clisura=Premet=Ostruvica=Pogradec=Rupel=Perithori=Crete=El Alamein=Rimini=Rubicon=Dodekannese



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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:38 pm

Wasent it the Greek Sacred Battalion that stopped Rommel at El Alamain?

I have heard about Crete, a very brave and heroic defense. The Germans lost so many men that they never again performed a large scale parachute drop. The Greek villagers were even throwing stones and attacking them with hunting rifles.



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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:18 pm



No, in fact it was the I (1st) Mountain Brigade under Colonel Pausanias Katsotas (18/05/1942-24/03/1943) (not sure though if one can say that the "Greeks stopped Rommel". I Mountain Brigade was just one of the heroic allied units, fighting axis). On the other hand, III Mountain Brigade under Colonel Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos -commander of the A' Army Corps as Major General, during the civil war (1946-1949) & head of the "operation Torch" that gave the final blow on the communist forces in 1949)-was the first allied unit, that entered Rimini ( Heroic Greek Brigade Takes Rimini , as the British headlines stated. III Brigade is the "Rimini Brigade" as we call it here in Greece. Of its 3,000 or more officers and men, many had seen action in
Albania and at El Alamein). Tsakalotos' appeal to General Freyberg on August 31st, shows the Greek spirit:
"… from the time the Greek Expeditionary Force … had set foot on Italian soil I felt the soldiers' desire
to pass through Rome in order not to avenge but to efface an
abominable action of the Italians in Athens, i.e., the sacrilege of
the Acropolis by the hoisting of the Italian flag, action achieved
with the complicity of the Germans…. For the moral satisfaction
of the whole of Greece, the Army Commander and yourself are
kindly requested to consent to take the salute of a March Past
in Rome itself, of a Greek detachment of officers and men, made
up of representatives from all units, and exclusively from those
who fought in Albania…"

I Hellenic Mountain Brigade comprised of:
-HQ Company
-1/I, 2/I, 3/I Infantry Battalions
-Field Artillery Regiment
-Reckon Troop
-Engineers Company
-Transportation Company
-Finance Company
-Signals Detachment
-Military Police Detachment
-Technical Company
-Medical Company
At El Alamein, I Mountain Brigade had 89 Officers & men KIA, 228 injured.

III Hellenic Mountain Brigade:
-HQ Company
-1/III, 2/III, 3/III Infantry Battalions
-Field Artillery Regiment
-Transportation Company
-Finance Company
-Signals Detachment
-Military Police Detachment
-Technical Company
-Medical Company
Third Mountain Brigade, fought with distinction in the entire Italian campaign.



Not only Cretans, but also the men of the Army Academy (especially freshmen). Senior (IV class), Junior (III class) & Sophomore (II Class) students, were immediately mobilized (Seniors as 2nd Lts, Juniors & Sophomore as Warrant Officers) & sent to Crete. Freshmen mutinied (yes they did), stole the Academy's War Flag & left for Crete on their own. They fought against the Germans as Army Corporals & Sergeants.
German Paras (Falschirmjager) lost about 4,000 men there. New Zealanders & Australians fought very bravely also.


Australian memorial at Rethymnon, Crete


20 May 1941: German transport planes drop paratroops over Heraklion — many were shot from the ground & killed before they landed

-"Not only did they find, in the people of Greece and Crete, people that they wanted to defend, they also found people worth defending and worth fighting with and for," said Australian Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Scott , who headed the Australian delegation of the 60th annivarsary of the battle of crete.

-"I feel very much at home here," said 85-year-old British veteran Jim Horsfield . "I appreciate what they (the Cretans) did for me and our men." Horsfield recovered a Greek flag from one of the battles and returned it to the Greek army when he first returned to visit Crete in 1988.

-Many Allied soldiers found refuge in the monastery of Preveli, near Rethymnon during their retreat. Dozens were clothed, fed and sheltered by the monks, who also helped fighters sneak out of Crete by sea. Among them was Australian Charlie Parrott :
"They saved many," he said. "The Cretans were fantastic. They tried their hardest but they didn't have enough equipment. We didn't have enough equipment."

- Geoffrey Edwards , another Australian veteran who was sheltered by Preveli's monastic group, took the name back with him and established a park in western Australia called Prevelly as a sign of gratitude. He also built a Greek church dedicated to St. John the Theologian, like that in Preveli.
"In many ways it was about continuing a link between Australia and where the servicemen had served. I think it demonstrates an affection for the people and the region they defended."

From the Greek Army Academy archives:
-Albanian front (1940) & Battle of Crete (1941): Students of the Academy Killed in Action,
II class (Sophomore) students, fought as Warrant Officers , 24.
I class (Freshmen) students, fought as Corporals & Sergeants , 20.

On August 7th, 1945 the Academy's War Flag received the War Cross Medal & is now kept at the Academy's museum.

Last edited by valtrex on Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:25 pm

PART 6-A Brief History of the EUZONE REGIMENTS


Euzone soldiers with formal dress (white phoustanella), Euzone Officer (the second from the left), Euzone soldier with service dress (the third one from the left)

From 1897-1904, Army is fully reorganized (as a consequence of the disastrous War of 1897 against Turkey) with the help of the French. In 1904, 6 Euzone Battalions (1st-2nd-3rd-4rth-5th-6th Euzone Battalion/Evzonikό Tagma) are formed, with 4 Euzone Companies each. In 1912, Euzone Battalion is reorganized & is comprised of 4 Euzone Companies & 2 machine-guns companies.
In 1913, Army HQ takes the decition to rename & reform 5 Infantry Regiments to Euzone Regiments, as a consequence of the remarkable results of Euzone units during the 1st Balkan War. Following this decition, No 38 Infantry Regiment is renamed to 1st Euzone Regiment, former 38th Infantry Regiment , No 39 Infantry Regiment is renamed to 2nd Euzone Regiment, former 39th Infantry Regiment & so on (1/38-2/39-3/40-4/41-5/42 Euzone Regiment/Evzonikό Syntagma). Each Euzone Regiment in 1913, is comprised of:
1/38 ER-8th,9th EB
2/39 ER-7th,10th EB
3/40 ER-3rd,5th EB
4/41 ER-1st,4th EB
5/42 ER-2nd,6th EB
(4 Euzone Companies-2 machine-guns Companies each Battalion).
These Regiments had more or less scouting duties & were lightly armed. Army though, in numerous times, used Euzone Regiments as first line units. Euzones, performed gallantly & courageously. In several battles, Euzone Regiments were the first waves of march or advance against fortified enemy lines or enemy entrenchments, due to their fierceful attacks & good use of bayonet. The characteristic of the Euzone advance, was the shout AERA , meaning free air , which in many cases, caused enemy units to retreat without firing a shot.


Euzone Sodier in 1912

In the eves of WWII (1938), Euzone Regiments reorganized & renamed again. 1/38 was renamed to 38th Euzone Regiment , 2/39 to 39th ER, 3/40 to 40th ER & so on. Euzone combat dress changed also: A Khaki "Pharion" (fez) replaced the red one, with a removable tassel, Khaki "Doulamas" (Shirt) replaced the white one & the phoustanella kilt was abolished.


Euzone Officer in 1919

In 1946, Euzone Regiments were dismandled, for two main reasons:
1-Due to their huge losses & 2-Due to the appearance of Special Forces, according to Army Officials "...the continuation of the Euzone tradition in the Army..." , leaving only an Honorary Royal Guard.
Euzone Regiments War Flags (or War Colours) are treasured today in the Athens War Museum.


The Standard of the 7th Battalion of the 2/39 Euzone Regiment. The embroidered laurel leaves suggest that the unit fought in 1912 (battles of Pesta, Aetorachi, Ioannina) & 1913 (battle of Nevrokopi)


NOTE: Greek Army has two distinct sets of flags, Colours or Standards and Unit flags. The colours are the War flags . This is a translation of the Greek term Polemiki Semaea/War Flag . These are the flags carried into battle by the Greek armed forces.
In peacetime, colours are used for ceremonial purpose only. Each Army Brigade, Regiment or Battalion has its own war flag, i.e., a Greek White Cross on a Blue field with St. George slaying the dragon in the middle . Although they are all of the same design, they do have one distinguishing feature, the unit's name engraved on the point where the flagpole meets the peak cross . When soldiers are sworn in, there is a ceremony and the unit's war flag is paraded.


Presidential Guard Ceremony. Note the Euzone Officer's uniform, which differs from the Euzone Soldier's. The two Euzones in blue, wear the Euzone Cretan Uniform

Last edited by valtrex on Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:31 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:52 pm


Euzone bugler/Evzon Salpingtees in 1940. Note the unit's distinct number on collar patch (39th ER) & the new service dress


Euzone Colour Sergeant/ Epilochias in 1919. Note the medal ribbons & the French style rank stripes


Euzone Corporal/ Dekaneas in 1897

Last edited by valtrex on Sun Nov 27, 2005 9:39 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:07 pm

PART 7-A Brief History of the Hellenic Air Force/Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia

1911-1940

In 1911 , the Greek Government, invites the French to help in forming the Hellenic Air Agency/Elliniki Aeroporiki Yperesia .
On February 8, 1912 , Emmanuel Argyropoulos is the first ever Greek pilot. On a Nieuport plane, on the same day, he invited PM Eleutherios Venizelos * for a flight with him. After the short flight Venizelos was very impressed & stated that "....airplane is the weapon of the future..." .


Nieuport 1912 plane

* Eleutherios K. Venizelos (1864-1936)

The most prominent Greek statesman was a realist and a visionary, intelligent, flexible and daring, possessing an impressive personal charm.
He was born in Ottoman ruled Crete in 1864 . During his childhood years his family fled to Greece in consequence of his father's involvement in the Cretan insurrection of 1886 . Following his graduation from the Law Faculty of Athens University he worked as a lawyer in Chanea, Crete but soon he entered politics as a member of the liberal party of the island.
His political and leadership qualities were revealed during the revolution of 1897 . During the period of Autonomous Cretan State (1898-1912) Venizelos was actively involved in the drafting of the Cretan Constitution. He quallered with the High Commissioner Prince George of Greece on account of his liberal principles, he resorted to an armed rising at Therisso (1905) and secured the replacement of Prince George by the Greek politician Alexandros Zaimis . During his subsequent efforts for the unification of Crete with Greece Venizelos kept a skillful balance between daring and moderation.
In 1910 he put an end to his role as a politician in Crete and moved to mainland Greece, where he became Prime Minister and founded the "Liberal Party". He was the moving spirit in the political and economic progress of Greece and in the victorious outcome of the Balkan Wars (1912-13). During World War I he clashed with the Crown and, at the expense of the National Schism (1915-1917) he imposed his pro-Entente policy (Government of National Defence). Greece was rewarded for her contribution to the war by being given the High Commissionership of Smyrna, Asia Minor (1919) . In the vital elections of November 1920 Venizelos was defeated and he withdrew from politics to return after the Asia Minor disaster of 1922. With two of his radical initiatives (1923) - the mandatory exchange of Greek and Turkish populations and the Treaty of Lausanne which defined the boundaries between Greece and Turkey - he changed the orientation of Greek policy and laid the foundations for peaceful development.
His last term of office as Prime Minister (1928-1932) was a period of stability and creativity. His major achievement was the signature of the pact of friendship between Greek and Turkey (1930). The end of his career was marked by the attempt against his life (June 1933) and the failed venizelist coup of March 1935. He went into self-exile in Paris where he died on the 18th March 1936 .

On May 13, 1912 , Army Lieutenant Demetrios Kamberos
on a Henry Farman plane

is the first Greek military man who departed from a specified airport towards a specified destination airport. In June 1912 , while Navy was about to form its own Naval Air Agency/Naphtiki Aeroporiki Yperesia , Kamberos converted his Henry Farman to hydroplane, under the name "Daedalus" & reached the speed of 110 kph/68 mph setting a new air speed world record.
In September 1912 , is formed in Larissa, Thessaly, the Aviation Company (the official Birthday of the Greek Army Aviation Corps), with 4 Greek Army Officers. In October 1912 , with the 1st Balkan War having just started, the first ever Greek air reckon operation took place, in the Thessaly front. Some bombing operations followed & on January 24, 1913 , the first ever worldwide joint air/naval operation took place, in the Dardanells. On April 4, 1913 , Emmanuel Argyropoulos was shot down. He is the first KIA member of the Greek Air Force.

Bleriot 1913. Argyropoulos was flying a plane of the same type

The history of the Hellenic Air Force as an independent corps (from the Army or the Navy), starts officialy on December 5, 1929 , when Venizelos proposed to the parliament to form a Ministry of the Air Force . The Royal Hellenic Air Force is born & the first ever students were accepted for attending the Air Force Academy/ Scholi Ikaron (litteraly School of Ikarians, named after the ancient Greek myth of Ikarus), on December 2, 1931 .

WWII
In November 1940, the overall force of the Royal Hellenic Air Force , consisted of:
-36 PZL-P 24FG

-10 POTEZ 633 Grec

-10 Blenheim

-10 Fairey Battle

-18 Breguet Bre.19A2/B2

-14 Henschel Hs 126A-1

-12 Potez 25

-12 Dornier Do 22

-12 Avro 652A Anson

-12 Gloster SS37 Gladiator


When Italy invaded Greece from Albania on 28 October 1940, the Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia (Royal Hellenic Air Force) had two Gloster Gladiators on its inventory. The Gladiators had privately been bought in 1938 by a businessman named M. Zarparkis, a Greek from Gloster at a cost of £9200 and then presented to the Air Force. This was done in the same way as the procurement of the Air Force two Avia B.534s in 1936. The Gladiators and Avias were not used operationally at the time.
After the intervention of the Royal Air Force to help Greece, British aircraft started to arrive to country in the beginning of November 1940. The first were eight Blenheim Ifs of 30 Squadron, who arrived on 3 November.
Greek fighters were hard pressed and reinforcements were requested and received in form of ex-RAF Gladiators. On 2 December 1940 eight Gladiators from Sidi Haneish in Egypt were flown over by pilots of 112 Squadron and handed over to the Greek Air Force. The British pilots were then flown back to Egypt. To these aircraft were added five ex-80 Squadron machines and one from 112 Squadron. 21 Moira/Squadron, who previously had been equipped with PZL P.24s under the command of Smenagos (Squadron Leader) Ioanis Kellas , was withdrawn to Elephsis to re-equip. Their remaining serviceable P.24s were distributed between 22 and 23 Moira.
21 Moira was operational again on 23 December when they arrived to Ioannina to replace 80 Squadron.
The unit claimed Greece first Gladiator kill on 8 January 1941 and the last one on 2 April 1941. During the conflict 21 Moira made claims on eight enemy aircraft.
At the time of the German blitzkrieg through the Balkans, 21 Moira were stationed at Paramythia,Epirus and later moved to Kalambaka & Vassiliki (Thessaly).
When the remaining Greek fighters were moved to Amphiklia-Lodi (central Greece) on 16 April, twenty-one remained - eight Gladiators, 11 PZLs and two Bloch 151s. All of them, except three (unspecified type) were destroyed on a surprise attack by German Bf109s on 19 April. The three remaining fighters were evacuated to Elephsis were two more were destroyed by a German attack on 20 April by Bf109Es from II/JG27.

Known Gloster Gladiator claims made by the Greek Air Force:

Smenagos (Squadron Leader) Ioannis Kellas
Kellas was credited with 2 biplane victories and a total of 3. He survived the War & retired in 1948.

Anthyposmenagos (Pilot Officer) Anastasios Bardivilias
Bardivilias was credited with one victory, this one claimed while flying Gloster Gladiator. Bardivilias did not survive the War.
Epismenias (Aircrew Flight Sergeant) Elias Demetrakopoulos
Dimitrakopoulos ended the war with one biplane victory.
Episminias (Aircrew Flight Sergeant) Nikolaos Kostorizos
Kostorizos ended the war with one biplane victory.**

Royal Hellenic Air Force WWII victory claims , according to Jan J. Safarik:
Antoniou, Andreas 6 [ 6 - 0 - 0 ]
Argyropoulos, Panayiotis 5 [ 5 - 1 - 0 ]
Mitralexis, Marinos 5 [ 5 - 1 - 0 ]
Dagoulas, Epaminondas 4 [ 3+1 - 0 - 0 ]
Kellas, Ioanis 4 [ 3+1 - 0 - 0 ]
Bousios, Panayiotis 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ]
Kiriazis, Ioannis 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ] Lampropoulos 2 [ 1+1 - 0 - 0 ]
Laskaris 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ]
Oikonomopoulos, Panayiotis 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ]
Skroubelos, Nikolaos 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ]
Smyrniotopoulos, Eleutherios 2 [ 2 - 0 - 0 ]
Balkanas, Grigorios 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Bardivillas, Anastassios 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ] Dimitrakopoulos, Ilias 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Fanourgakis, Grigorios 1 [ 1 - 2 - 0 ]
Giannikostas, Constantinos 1 [ 1 - 1 - 0 ] Katsarelis 1 [ 1 - 1 - 0 ]
Katsaros, Ioannis 1 [ 3 - 1 - 0 ]
Kontogiorgos, Vassilios 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Kostorizos, Nikolaos 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Koutrompas, Pericles 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Mixalitsianos, Andreas 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Michopoulos 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Mokkas, George 1 [ 1 - 1 - 0 ]
Papadopoulos, Christos 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Sabbelos, Michalis 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
Theodoropoulos, Grigorios 1 [ 1 - 0 - 0 ]
For more information: [glow=blue:16ccfd83d7] http://math.fce.vutbr.cz/safarik/ACES/aces1/greece-ww2.html [/glow:16ccfd83d7]

Korean War
In Korea participated the Royal Hellenic Air Force 13th Carrier Flight/Smeenos Metaphoron (26 November 1950 – ceasefire)
On 26 November 1950 RHAF 13th SM began serving in the Korean theater operating six Douglas C-47 Dakota transport aircraft. This Flight was attached to the US Air Force’s 21st Troop Carrier Squadron (known as Kyushu Gypsy Squadron because it was moving constantly). Statistically speaking, 13th SM carried out 2,916 combat missions, marked 13,777 flight hours, carried 70,568 passengers, 9,243 injured, 11,104,550 pnds of material, had 17,000 pnds of ordnance drops. 13th SM, lost one aircraft.



Hellenic Air Force Antismenarchos /Wing Commander rank braid

Royal Hellenic Air Force/ Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia Visor Cap

Royal Hellenic Air Force Wings & Medal Ribbons (from left to right, first row: Order of the Redeemer, War Cross for Valour in Gold, Royal Order of King George-Officer grade.
Second row: The Order of the Phoenix, Gold Cross for Valour in Flight, Greek War Cross in Gold with Two Bars, The Air Force Flying medal)

A close-up of the RHAF button

Royal Hellenic Air Force Medal Officer's Badge

Hellenic Air Force Unit Flag & Crest. HAF motto: "Aeen Ypsikrateen/Always Dominate the Heights"

HAF Roundel

HAF tail marking

**Information taken from [glow=blue:16ccfd83d7]Hakans Aviation Page[/glow:16ccfd83d7]

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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:58 am

Great post, valtrex!!!



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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:03 pm

PART 8-A Brief History of the Hellenic Navy/Elliniko Polemiko Naphtiko

Navy in the Greek Revolution
The Turkish defeat of the first major Russo-Turkish War, that of 1768–74, was followed by the Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji (1774) , which declared the Crimean khanate independent of the sultan, gave Russia considerable territorial gains, conceded to Russia the role of protector of the sultan’s Greek Orthodox subjects , and allowed Russian shipping to navigate the Black Sea and pass through the Straits. The result of this treaty, was that the Greek islanders of Hydra, Kassos, Spetsae & Psara , gained the privilige of building big ships (150-300 tons), freely, under the Russian Imperial Flag. The Napoleonic Wars, gave-especially to the Hydreans-the means to accumulate considerable wealth. Due to the blockage of the Western Meditteranean ports by the British, Hydrean captains, found side ways of breaking the blockage & providing in secrecy the besieged populations with wheat. Hydra became therefore the "dominant" power of the Eastern Meditteranean mercantile marines. Thus, the Revolution of 1821, finds the Greek Islands having considerable merchant fleets. Under Constantine Kanaris & Andreas Miaoulis * Greeks dominated in the Aegean Sea, helping in many ways the revolted Greeks of the mainland.

*Constantine Kanaris
was born on the Aegean Sea island of Psara as a son of Michael and Maria Kanaris. His exact year of birth is unknown. The official records of the Greek Navy give it as 1795 but modern Greek historians believe that 1793 is more probable. Michael Kanaris, his father, had served several terms as the island's Elder. Constantine was left an orphan at a young age. Having to support himself he chose to became a seaman, like most members of his family since the beginning of the 18th century. He was hired as a boy in the brig of his uncle Dimitris Bourekas. Over time he gained prominence in the island's society. In 1817 this was signified by his marriage to Despoina Maniatis, a member of one of the island's more affluent families. They would have seven children in all:
Nicholas Kanaris, (1818–1848).
Themistocles Kanaris, (1819–1851).
Miltiades Kanaris, (1822–1899) - Admiral, member of the Greek Parliament, and government minister.
Lycurgus Kanaris (1826–1865) - Lawyer.
Maria Kanari, (1828–1847).
Aristides Kanaris, (1831–1863) - Navy officer.
Thrasyvoulos Kanaris, (1834–1898) - Admiral.
Constantine gained his fame during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). When Psara island joined the Revolution on April 10, 1821, formed its own fleet of ships and the famed seamen of Psara, already known for their successful naval combats against pirates and their well-equipped ships, proved to be effective at full naval war. Constantine soon distinguished himself as a fire ship captain/Bourlotieris . Notably at Chios, where on the night of June 6/June 7, 1822 forces under his command destroyed the flagship of the Turkish admiral Pasha Kara-Ali in revenge for the Massacre of Chios. The admiral was holding a celebration, while Kanaris and his men managed to place a fire ship/Bourlόto next to it. When the flagships' powder keg caught fire, all men aboard were instantly killed. The Ottoman casualties consisted of 2000 men, both naval officers and common sailors, as well as Kara-Ali himself. Constantine led three further successful attacks against the Turkish fleet in 1822-1824. But during this last year, the fate of both Kanaris and his island took a turn for the worst. Egypt was namely a province of the Ottoman Empire at the time but its viceroy Mohammad Ali (1769–1849) , had earned enough power to act independently from the Sultan and had formed his own army and naval fleet. It was headed by his adoptive son Ibrahim Pasha (1789–1848) . The later had hired a number of veteran French officers - who had served under Emperor Napoleon I of France and were discharged from the French army following his defeat - to help organise the new army. By 1824 it counted 100,000 men and was both better organised and better equipped than the Sultan's army. Sultan Mahmud II offered to the viceroy the command of Crete, if he agreed to send part of this army against the Greeks. They quickly reached an agreement. The Egyptian army, under the personal command of Ibrahim Pasha, started a campaign in both land and sea against the Greeks. Among other victories, the Egyptian fleet managed to capture Psara on June 21, 1824 . A part of the population managed to flee the island, but those who didn't were either sold into slavery or slaughtered . The island was deserted and surviving islanders were scattered through what is now Southern Greece.
After the destruction of his home island, Constantine continued to lead his men into attacks. Following the end of the War and the independence of Greece, Constantine became an officer of the new Greek Navy reaching the rank of Admiral and later a politician.

Andreas Miaoulis
was born on the Aegean island of Hydra. At the age of 17 he became captain of a commercial ship. During the Napoleonic wars he managed due to his courageous sea operations to accumulate considerable wealth. From the second year of the revolution he was appointed admiral of the Greek fleet. He defeated the Turkish navy near Patras and the Turko-Egyptian navy near Gerondas , and on many occasions he was able to provide supplies for Greek cities besieged by the Turks (e.g. Messolonghi ).

1831-1940
When Greeks won their freedom from the Turks they started to organise their fleet. In Balkan wars (1912-13) the Hellenic Navy was proved worthy the expectations of Greeks. With the beginning of enterprises, the Greek Fleet ensured the sovereignty in the Aegean, it supported the freedom of the Greek islands, and with the successful naval battles of ELLI and LEMNOS ** it compelled the enemy to withdraw itself to their bases. In this way it deprived from the enemy the possibility of marine supply of its forces.

** The Naval Battle of Lemnos (January 5-18, 1913) First Balkan War

With the help of God, the wishes of our King & in the name of Justice, I sail with unstoppable impulse & with belief in the final Victory against our Nation's perennial enemy
Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis, December 3rd, 1912



Following the loss of a number of Aegean Islands to Greece during the first phase of the war in 1912, the Ottoman navy sought to check Greek progress by destroying the Greek fleet docked at the port of Moudros, Lemnos. The plan of action was to bait the Greek fleet into leaving the safety of the port and to ambush it just off the southern coast of the Island where the Ottoman navy lay in wait. Despite the sinking of a Greek transport ship off the island of Syros on January 1st 1913 , the Greek navy, having realised the Turkish trap, was not enticed into sailing out of its port.
Having unsettled the Turks with its apparent inactivity, the Greek fleet slipped out of Moudros, Lemnos on January 5th and engaged the Ottoman fleet 12 miles SE of Lemnos where a running sea battle which culminated on the January 18th took place.
The Greek fleet was composed of its 9,960 ton armoured cruiser flagship RHNS Averof (now a naval museum),


three coast defence battleships , the RHNS Hydra, RHNS Spetsae, RHNS Psara
and eight destroyers, the RHNS Leon/Lion, RHNS Panther, RHNS Ierax/Hawk, RHNS Aetόs/Eagle, RHNS Sphendone/Catapult, RHNS Naphkratousa, RHNS Aspis/Shield, RHNS Niki/Victory . While the Ottoman flotilla included the pre-dreadnought battleships Hayreddin Barbarossa and Turgut Reis , the battleships Mesudiye and Assari Tevfik , thirteen destroyers and torpedo ships. Following a three-hour gunnery exchange on the morning of the January 18th the Turkish fleet, having sustained heavy damage, fled and was subsequently pursued and harried by the Greek ships all the way back to straits of the Dardanelles.
This, the final naval battle of the First Balkan War, forced the Ottoman navy to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, where it did not venture from for the rest of the war.
NOTE: The withdrawal of the Turkish fleet to within the Dardanelles was confirmed by Army 1st Lieutenat Michael Moutoussis and Navy Ensign Aristedes Moraitines on January 24, 1913 who took part in the first ever wartime naval aviation mission while flying their Maurice Farman hydroplane


over the Nagara point where they spotted the enemy fleet. During their sortie, they accurately drew a diagram of the positions of the retreating fleet, against which they successfully managed to drop four bombs. Moutoussis and Moraitines travelled over 180KM and took 2 hours 20 minutes to complete their mission, which was extensively reported in both the Greek and International Press.

WWII

The Greek Navy was consisted of 1 old battleship, RHNS Averof (built in 1911, disarmed and turned to training duties in 1932), 1 minelayer, 10 destroyers and 6 submarines when Greece entered the war. The Greek Navy participated in a lot of operations in the Mediterranean and also in convoys in the Atlantic Sea. The Greek merchant navy also contributed a lot during WWII.
The Greek vessels had big successes during whole war, fought bravely and contributed a lot in that war. The Greek Navy sank 2 Italian subs and 1 U-boat (U-458, sunk 22 Aug, 1943 in the Mediterranean south-east of Pantelleria, Italy , in position 36.25N, 12.39E, by depth charges from the British escort destroyer HMS Easton and the Greek escort destroyer RHNS Pindos . 8 dead and 39 survivors).
Greeks lost many warships in the war, including 5 destroyers ( RHNS Leon/Lion, RHNS Psara, RHNS Hydra, RHNS Vasileus Georgios/King George, RHNS Vasilissa Olga/Queen Olga ), the minelayer RHNS Elli and 4 submarines .
It is worth to mention that the Greek minelayer Elli was sunk intentionally by the Italian submarine Delfino , while Greece was still a neutral country in the war (August 15th 1940).

The Adrias incident (October 22nd 1943):

One of the most distinguished Greek warships during World War II. She was taken over from the British shipyards on 20th July 1942 , by Commander J. Toumbas . In January 1943 she sailed to the Mediterranean whilst assisting in the escorting of convoys. During her service, the Adrias took part in escorting many convoys around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the landings on Sicily where, during the night between 20th and 21st of July 1943 , in a combat with three torpedo-boats of the Italian Navy, she sunk two of them and put the third our of action. On 10th September 1943 , the Italian Fleet, based at Taranto, surrendered to a force of the Allied Fleet, consisting of four destroyers, three British and one Greek, (the Adrias). In the campaigns off the Dodekannese Islands in the Aegean on 22nd October 1943 , while operating close to the coast of Calymnos island , and in company with the British destroyer HMS Hurworth , she hit a mine, and the explosion cut off the vessels prow and blew the two-gun forward turret over the bridge. The Hurworth, in her effort to assist the Adrias also hit a mine and immediately sank with a loss of 143 men. Adrias, notwithstanding her condition, tried to rescue survivors of the Hurworth, (among them her Commanding Officer), and after an unbelievably dangerous passage, managed to reach the nearby coast of Turkey, at Chioumoultzouk , without a prow and with losses of 21 dead and 30 wounded . After great efforts, a certain temporary seaworthiness was attained, and on 1st of December 1943 she started her return trip to Alexandria. Even though all the forepart of the ship, up to the bridge, was missing, she finally managed to arrive on 6th December, 1943 . On her entry into port, she was given a glorious reception by ships of Greek and British fleets and all other Allied shipping in port .


The destroyer Adrias, in the condition she arrived at the port of Gioumoutlzouk on 23rd October 1943


Adrias in the condition she arrived at Alexandria

On of the most embarassing moments in the history of the Hellenic Navy is the mutiny of 1944. In early April 1944 five ships from the navy, mutinied and struck in favour of republican government, inspired by the Greek Communist Party/Kommounistikό Kόmma Elladas or KKE. A terrified British ambassador to the Greek government - that was in exile in Cairo - wrote to Churchill, "What is happening here among the Greeks is nothing less than a revolution' . British forces & Greek Army & Navy men stormed the ships, to suppress the rebellion. Eleven seamen were killed, others wounded, and many subsequently interned.
By the end of April the starving mutineers were forced to surrender to the British who arrested the leaders and put 20,000 in prisoner of war cages.
An extract of a Reuters report, is quoted below:
Four death sentences were passed by Greek court martial yesterday upon members of the crew of the Greek warship RNHS Saktouris , who, along with two other warships, staged a mutiny at Alexandria last April, reports Reuter. Thirteen other sentences were imposed on men of the crew ranging from 20 years to imprisonment for life.

Cyprus 1974:
The only contribution the Hellenic Navy had in July 1974, during the Cyprus crisis, was the incident with LST Lesvos



On July 20th 1974 under Lieutenant Commander Eleutherios Handrinos HN while sailing in the Pafos area of Cyprus she was informed of the Turkish invasion of the island. She immediately disembarked in Pafos the Greek military units on board, and with her gun fire effectively contributed to the surrender of the Turkish garrison of that area. Following this, Turkish ships and aircrafts began searching the area aiming to sink her. Not only their search proved unsuccessful but in the attack that followed between turkish ships and turkish aircrafts the Turkish destroyer KOCATEPE was sunk and another was damaged. Decommissioned on May 15th 1990 .


Hellenic Navy's Unit Flag & Crest. HN motto: "Mega to tes Thalasses Kratos/Sea Power is of Great Importance"



Royal Hellenic Navy Colors


Hellenic Navy Colors

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PART 9-A Brief History of the Hellenic Submarines Command (ComHel Submarines/ Dieekesis Ypovrykheeon or DY)


Greece , a naval country, soon after her liberation was interested in the organization of its navy. In 1886 acquired for the first time a submarine, which was the Swedish made Nordenfelt .


Nordenfelt class Submarine

It was steam-powered, length 33 meters/100 ft, diplacement 160 tn and max speed 9 kts. It carried one torpedo and it was in service until 1901 . In September 1910 the subs RHNS Xiphias/Swordfish and RHNS Delphin/Dolphin


RHNS Delphin/Dolphin

were ordered in France and comisioned in 1912 and 1913 , but turned back soon after the WW I burst out.
The first torpedo attack in the history of Greek naval warfare , was made by the Greek submarine RHNS Delphin against the Turkish Cruiser Medjidieh (unsuccessful) during the 1st Balkan War (1912). In December 1927 was acquired the sub RHNS Papanikolis (Y-2) and one month later RHNS Katsonis (Y-1) . They had displacement of 576 tn , speed 9 kts , six torpedo tubes and one gun (100 mm). Until 1930 four newer and more modern subs were acquired. These were the :
RHNS Proteus (Y-3), RHNS Nereus (Y-4), RHNS Triton (Y-5) and RHNS Glaphkos (Y-6) . But when the WWII burst out, these 6 subs had very serious technical and operational deficiencies and had overcome the approved life limit of ten years. They had maximum diving depth of 60 meters/180 ft, auxiliary machinery very complicated and sensitive , main engines that had serious malfunctions. They were not equipped with ballast tanks for quick diving, plotting table, torpedo data computer.

Greek Submarines in WWII:

RHNS Pipinos-Y8



One of four of the same class submarines ( Argonaphtes/Argonaut, Delphin/Dolphin, Triaena/Fish Spear ) transfered on loan by the Royal Navy . All four were built at the Vickers - Armstrong Shipyard. Pipinos' construction was completed on November 1st 1943 and she was the only one of the four that saw any action (7 war patrols). Accepted in England on October 13th 1943 by Lieutenant Commander Rallis RHN she sailed to the Middle East in February 1944 . On August 9th of the same year under Lieutenant Commander Loundras RHN she sunk in Samos island harbour the Italian destroyer Kalafatini and the small freighter Orion a former Greek lighthouse tender, captured by the Germans. Was returned to the British in 1959 .

RHNS Matrόzos-Y7



Built in 1936 by Santieri Riuniti Adriatico Shipyards (Monfalcone, Italy). On July 9th 1942 she was seized in the Mediterranean Sea by the British corvette HMS Hyacinth . She was transferred by the British to the Hellenic Navy and the Greek Flag was hoisted on December 5th 1942 under Lieutenant Massouridis RHN . Up to the end of 1944 she accomplished a total of 4 war patrols . In 1945 she was decommissioned.

RHNS Glaphkos-Y6



One of four submarines built in France by Chantier Naval in Blainville between 1927-30 on order of the Greek Government. Same class: Nereus, Proteus and Triton . Accepted on December 1st 1930 by Commander Zagas RHN with second in command Lieutenant Commander Lambrinopoulos RHN . Did not participate in any patrols during the 1940-41 war as she was undergoing major repairs. However she did sail to Alexandria on April 23rd 1941 and from the Middle East carried out two war patrols under Commander Arslanoglou RHN . On these patrols she sunk with her guns on June 21st and 22nd 1941 two 40 ton diesel operated German vessels and on November 10th 1941 the German freighter Norburg (2,392 tons) off Souda bay in Crete. On April 4th 1942 she was attacked by air while being repaired in the port of Malta and sunk. About a month preceding this attack, during another German air attack, Commander Arslanoglou was killed.

RHNS Triton-Y5



One of four submarines built by Chantier de la Loire, Nantes in France between the years 1927-30 by order of the Greek Government. Triton was accepted on March 1st 1930 by Lieutenant Commander Protopapas RHN . During the 1940-41 war she effected 5 war patrols . On January 14th 1941 under Lieutenant Commander Zepos RHN she possibly sunk the Italian submarine Neghelli while on March 23rd 1941 it is established that she sunk the passenger ship Carnia (5,451 tons) 30 nautical miles east of Cape Galo, Brindisi . When Greece was occupied by the Germans she sailed for Alexandria where she arrived on April 23rd 1941 . From the Middle East she completed 7 patrols and a voyage taking in supplies to Malta. She was sunk on November 16th 1942 (under Lieutenant Commander Kontoyiannis RHN ) near the Euboea island after giving a heroic battle with the German patrol boat UJ201 . In total 23 of her crew died and 30 were captured among them her Commanding Officer, while 2 escaped swimming to the shore Chief Petty Officer Maroulas & Petty Officer Papademetriou .

RHNS Nereus-Y4



She was accepted on March 1st 1930 by Lieutenant Commander Tsirimokos RHN . She participated in sixteen war patrols during WWII under Lieutenant Commander Rotas RHN . On September 24th 1942 under Lieutenant Commander Rallis RHN , she sunk the troopship Fiume (1,500 tons) in the Rhodes island area. On September 25th 1942 , she sunk a large fully loaded Italian sailer as well as on different dates smaller Italian sailers. She was also used for the transport of commando units and other personnel leaving the German occupied Greece. On May 3rd 1947 she was decommissioned.

RHNS Proteus-Y3



She was accepted on August 31st 1929 by Commander Xiros RHN . On December 29th 1940 , while on her third patrol mission under Lieutenant Cdr Hadjiconstantis RHN , she attacked a protected Italian convoy 40 nautical miles east of Brindisi and sunk the troopship Sardegna (11,452 tons). Due to her loss of depth she was detected and rammed by the Italian torpedo boat Antares and sunk with all hands on board.

RHNS Papanikolis-Y2



She was accepted on December 21st 1927 by Commander Vandoros RHN . On the outbreak of the Greek-Italian war and up to the occupation of Greece she accomplished four war patrols under Lieutenant Commander Iatrides RHN during which on December 23rd 1940 she sunk a motor sailer and the following day the troopship Firenze (3,952 tons). With the German occupation of Greece she fled to Alexandria and on November 30th 1942 under Lieutenant Roussen RHN she sunk off the harbour of Calymnia islet, Dodekannese , an 8,000 ton German freighter. She also sunk a number of German and Italian sailers, in fact 'took prisoner' one of them (220 tons). Overall she accomplished from the Middle East nine more war patrols. She returned to Greece after the liberation and was decommissioned in 1945. Papanikolis conning tower was initially preserved at the submarine Naval Base but was later placed and exhibited to this date in front of the Hellenic Maritime Museum.

RHNS Katsonis-Y1



The most heroic figure of the RHN, during WWII, was her last Commanding Officer, Commander Vassilios Laskos RHN .


Commander Laskos

She was accepted on June 8th 1928 by Cdr Arvanitis RHN . Carried on four war patrols during the 1940-41 war under Cdr Athanassios Spanides RHN .


Commander Spanides. Note the black Navy visor cap worn by Submarine Commanding Officers, as a better distinction mark inside the Sub's low visibility conditions

On December 31st 1940 she gunned down and sunk the Italian freighter Quindo inside Yugoslav water, creating an international incident. She fled to the Middle East following the German occupation of Greece. On July 2nd 1942 , she was damaged while undocking from dry dock and sunk in the harbour of Port Said. After a long overhaul she went on four patrols under Commander Vassilios Laskos RHN and Executive Officer Lieutenant Elias Tsoukalas RHN . On these patrols she sunk an Italian mine layer on April 2nd near Gythio, Peloponnese , on April 5th 1943 the Spanish merchant ship San Isidro off Kythnos island and on May 29th J943 , the freighter Rigel near the island of Skiathos . On September 14th 1943 , after a heroic battle against a German submarine chaser, off Skiathos island , Katsonis sunk taking down with her 32 men including her CO. Fifteen men were captured while Executive Officer Lt Tsoukalas RHN and Petty Officers Tsingos & Antoniou managed to reach Skiathos after a 9-hour swim. From Skiathos after an adventurous journey they returned to Egypt, and joined again the submarine flotilla.

NOTE: The last interview given by Captain Elias Tsoukalas HN (ret.) , in 1995

-Captain, please tell us a few words about Cdr Laskos

"Laskos was a brave man. Katsonis men litteraly addored him & carried out his orders blindly. Once, one of his junior officers had a nervous break down & tried to sabotage the ship. Thank God, he didn't succeed in doing so. I placed him under arrest & while I was filling up the papers for court marshal, Laskos came in. He ordered me not to report the incident & asked me to lead this officer at his quarters. They remained there talking for about one, one and a half hours. What was their conversation about, I never managed to find out. When this officer though, left the captain's quarters, he was ready not only to fight again, but to volunteer for the special forces! Later, during the Katsonis final battle, he was killed next to our beloved Cdr. That kind of influence Laskos had on his men."

-Please sir, describe Katsonis final battle

"Well, while we were patroling the Skiathos straights, we received a signal saying that a large German troop transporter was about to reach us. The sub was very old & we couldn't stay submurged for long. So, we had to stay on surface for a long time. This had the result of us being spotted by a German observation station at Trikeri island. Suddenly we spotted over the periscope a large ship coming on us. We thought it was the troop ship. Instead of the transporter though, it was a German Sub chaser (a corvette I think), which started immediately launching depth charges. As I said, the ship was old & couldn't last submurged for long. Laskos did not hesitate, never crossed his mind the possibility of surrendering: "To the surface...Prepare for surface battle" he ordered. Soon, Katsonis was on the surface. The German ship, started firing on us with her guns. A gun shell, cut off the gunner's foot. Laskos, immediately took his place on the gun. There, uncovered, was trying to give us courage, when suddenly, an enemy shell killed him, granting him a long wished proud death."

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PART 10-Historical Surface Ships of the Navy

RHNS Battleship/Thorektόn "Georgios Averof" BB-16 (Pisa class armoured Cruiser)


Ten years after the Greco–Turkish War of 1897, the Royal Hellenic Navy had only antiquated torpedo–ships and three battleships, manufactured in 1889 .
The need to create an effective fleet resulted at the end of 1908 in its reinforcement. Four brand new British and four German destroyers (torpedo–ships) were aquired. In adittion, the Battleship “Georgios Averof” , the pride of the Navy, joined the fleet.
For the resuscitation of the fleet, the Greek government approached the Orlando Shipyards , at Livorno, Italy , where at the time, a battleship was under construction. She had been ordered and then cancelled by the Italian Navy . The Greeks offered to advance one third of her total cost and thus ,secured the acquisition of the battleship. The amount given in advance came from George Averof' s will and the rest of the cost was covered by a loan from abroad. George Averoff had been a wealthy Greek patriot and benefactor.

He had willed funds for the Navy to acquire a training ship for the Naval Academy.
The 9,900 tn, steel plated warship had Italian engines of 19.000 hp, 22 French boilers, German generators and British Armstrong type guns of 190 and 234 mm. Her top speed was 23 knots. “G. Averof” was launched on the 27 th February 1910 . She arrived at Phaliron Bay on the 1 st of September 1911 , where the Greeks welcomed it with enthusiasm.
The battleship, with the beginning of the First Balkan War in October of 1912, was at the head of the Aegean Fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral Pavlos Kontouriotis and set sail to Dardanelles. It took over Lemnos island where the anchorage of the fleet was established in Moudros bay . After that, the liberation of Eastern and Northern Aegean islands ( Thassos, Samothrace, Tenedos, St. Eustratius, Mytilene, Chios ) took place.
An engagement with the Turkish fleet was inevitable. Rear Admiral Kountouriotis' plan favoured a battle offensive. On December 3th 1912 , he ordered the fleet to sail towards the Ottoman fleet that had made its appearance at the exit of the Dardanelles. Kountouriotis dispatched his famous signal to the Greek ships which were led by “G. Averoff”: “With the help of God and the wishes of our King and in the name of justice, I sail with unstoppable impulce towards the victory against the perennial enemy of our Nation.”
The successful result of the naval battles of Elli & Lemnos that followed, discouraged the Sultan's expectations of controlling the Aegean Sea. The Ottoman Fleet would never attempt another exit to the Aegean.
Greece remained neutral during most of World War I. The Eleutherios Venizelos' government in 1917 decided to participate on the Allies' side. At the end of the first World War in November 1918 –Turkey capitulated ( Moudros truce ) and Greece was on the winners' side. “G.Averoff” sailed to Istanbul/Constantinople and raised the Greek flag as one of the winning powers of the Great War. After, the signing of the peace treaties, “G.Averoff” with the rest of the fleet moved the Greek troops to Asia Minor.
In 1941 after the start of World War II, the Greek fleet had moved to Alexandria with “G.Averoff” at the lead. From Alexandria, the battleship was dispatched to Bombay to patrol the Indian Ocean. At the end of the war 'G.Averoff” anchored with the rest of the fleet at Phaliron ( 17 Oct.1944 ) having brought back the Greek government from its exile in Cairo.
In 1952 , "G. Averoff" was decommissioned. From 1956-1983 , the battleship was moved to Poros island . In 1984 , the Navy decided to restore it as a museum. Thirty years after being set aside, the battleship was on a new course. The ship was moved from Poros to its present location at Phaliron, where the restoration took place.
The cost for the stabilization and the restoration from 1985 until today is very large. A large percentage of it comes from donations.
Today the “G. Averoff “ battleship museum honors those who served and died during its time of active service. It also keeps alive a sense of the Navy's heritage. The battleship serves its educational purposes by hosting day visits from schools, institutions, organizations and private individuals.

RHNS Minelayer "Elli" (former Chines Fei Hung)



Named after the victorious naval battle of Elli during the 1st Balkan War (1912). She was sunk at peace time, on the 15th of August 1940 , by the Italian S/B DELFINO ( Commander Aicardi ) at the island of Tenos , while she layed at participating in the celebrations of Virgin Mary's ascumption day. Nine petty officers and sailors were killed and 24 were wounded. The same S/B attempted to torpedo the passenger ships Else and Esperus anchored in the port. Luckily this attempt failed. Only a section of the port's jetty was damaged by torpedoes.


Photo taken at the instant the first Italian torpedo hits the port's jetty. To the right is Elli. Seconds later she'll be hit by another torpedoe

RHNS "Vassilisa/Queen Olga" D-15 (former HMS "Greyhound")



Built by the British Yarrow shipyards in the period 1936-38 . One of the most distinguished ships of the Hellenic Navy. She participated actively in the 1940-43 naval operations. Till April 1941 in convoy escorts and in the first and third Otranto Straights raids ( November 14th to 15th 1940, January 4th to 5th 1941 ). She sailed for the Middle East after the German occupation of Greece. Between November and December 1941 she underwent modifications in Calcutta. She was back in the Mediterranean in February 1942 where she participated successfully in the Tobruk operations with a British squadron (under Lt Cdr Georgios Blessas RHN ). On December the 14th 1942 in cooperation with British destroyer HMS Petard they sunk near Bengazi the Italian submarine Varsciek . On January 18th 1943 she sunk in the Pantelaria area the Italian oil tanker Stromboli (500 tons). On June 2nd 1943 , in cooperation with British destroyer HMS Jervis they sunk an entire Italian convoy consisting of 2 merchant ships and 2 escorts, destroyer Castore (650 tons) being one of them. Was also in action for the capturing of Pantellaria and the landing in Sicily . On September 16th with other British and allied vessels was given the honour to escort the surrendered Italian fleet proceeding to Alexandria. On September 18th 1943 in cooperation with British destroyers HMS Faulknor and HMS Eclipse they sunk near the island of Astypalea yet another convoy consisting of freighters Pluto (2.000 tons), Paolo (4.000 tons) and their escort ship No. 2104 . Finally, she was sunk on September 26,1943 during a german air attack while anchored in Lakki bay of Leros island after the capitulation of Italy. Her CO. Lt. Cdr Blessas RHN, 6 officers and 65 petty officers and sailors were lost .

RHNS "Vasileus/King Georgios" D-14



After her arrival in Greece (1938), served as Flag ship to the Destroyer Flotilla. Was in action in the 1940-41 war operations. Specifically participated in the first and third raids at the Otranto Straits in 14-15 January 1941 and also escorted convoys. On April the 14th 1941 while anchored in Sophikos bay at the Saronic Gulf , she was attacked by German a/c and suffered severe damages. Under the command of Cdr Lappas RHN she reached with great difficulty the Salamis Island Naval Yard where she was dry docked. Due however to the rapid German advance and the inability of repairs to be completed on time, she was scuttled, unfortunately not effectively. The Germans found and overhauled her. They changed her name to Hermes . They used her as the Flag ship escorting their convoys. One of these convoys came under attack by the RHN submarine Triton and resulted with the sinking of Triton . On April the 30th 1943 , Hermes still carrying the German Flag and manned by a German Crew suffered serious damages when attacked by air by allied a/c and forced to run aground near Cape Bon in Tunisia . When the allies liberated that area it was decided not to repair the ship due to the high cost involved and she was abandoned.

RHNS "Adrias" L-67 (former HMS Border, Destroyer Escort type Hunt III)



On loan by the Royal Navy, accepted by Cdr. Ioannis Toumbas RHN in Newcastle, England on July 20th 1942 . Upon completion of the training period on August 26th , while sailing under foggy conditions with only the left engine functioning, she ran aground near Scapa flow . It took 4 months to repair. No responsibility was attributed to the captain for the accident. In the beginning of January 1943 after the completion of repairs, Adrias sailed to the Mediterranean participating in escorting convoys. On January 27th 1943 , while positioned 360 miles NW off Cape Finisterre she possibly sunk the German U-Boat U-553 (British Admiralty's signal presumed her possibly sunk). When the war ended the loss of the German U-Boat was officially confirmed to have occured on January 27th . However, the name of the ship that caused the sinking was not mentioned. During that same operation on February 13th 1943 the Adrias sunk or seriously damaged the U-Boat U-623 (the last report from that submarine was dated February 9th 1943 ). Adrias took part in numerous convoy escorts in the Mediterranean Sea as well as in the Sicily landing operations where on the night of July 20-21 1943 , in cooperation with British destroyer HMS Quantoc she successfully confronted 3 torpedo boats during a night engagement and sunk two of them. On September 20th 1943 the Taranto based Italian Fleet sailing towards Malta surrendered to a force of 4 ships, Adrias being one of them. On October 22nd 1943 during operations in the Dodekannese and while near the island of Kalymnos with the British destroyer HMS Hurworth she struck a mine. From the explosion her bow was cut off. Hurworth, while trying to come to Adrias' rescue, also hit a mine and sunk taking down with her 146 men. In spite of the damages suffered, the Adrias managed to reach the nearby Turkish coast of Gumucluk with 21 men dead and 30 wounded. After some minor repairs the ship sailed on December 1st 1943 and in spite of the missing bow managed to reach Alexandria on December 6th where she was enthusiastically greeted by the British Fleet and other allied ships. This achievement is a brilliant example, underlining the courage and skills displayed by her CO. and his crew. After the liberation, Adrias, with her stern temporarily repaired, arrived in Greece with the rest of the ships of the Hellenic Fleet. The ship was never fully repaired due to the termination of war operations in the Mediterranean and sailed to England where she was returned to the Royal Navy.



HNS "Velos/Arrow" D-16 (former USS Charette DD581 Fleet Destroyer Fletcher class)



Offered by the U.S.A. during the 1959-60 period. She was accepted in by Cdr Georgios Moralis HN on July 15th 1959 in Long Beach U.S.A. In May 1973 under the command of Cdr Nicholaos Pappas HN she took refuge in Italy's Fiumicino as an act of protest against the military dictatorship in Greece and within the actions of the Navy's coup against the colonels. The CO. six officers and twenty five petty officers requested and remained abroad as political refugees. Velos returned to Greece under another CO. Decommissioned on February 26th 1991 , she was anchored in the Park of Maritime Tradition in Phaliron coast and is converted into a naval museum.



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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 2:30 pm

PART 11-Pre Revolution Era Greek Armed Forces

STRADIOTI:
By 1461 , the entire Greek region, was under Ottoman rule. Many Greeks, decided to enter Venetian military service during the Republic's wars with the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century thinking it as a way of taking revenge on the Turks. These men were called "Stradioti" , a misspelling of the Greek word Stratiόtis (soldier) & were among pioneers of light cavalry tactics in European armies in the early modern era. They were introduced into Italy by the Venetians in the 1470's and participated in wars in Italy through much of the 16th century, not only for Venice, but also for other employers. It was in these wars that the stradioti made an impact on warfare in Italy and the west, chiefly by their style of fighting and tactics. The stradioti were armed and fought as light cavalry in a manner that developed from warfare among Byzantine, Slavic, Albanian and Ottoman forces . They carried spear, a long sabre, mace, and dagger , and were attired in a mixture of oriental, Byzantine and western military garb. The stradioti continued the Balkan traditions of cavalry warfare, which used hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, feigned retreats, counterattacks and other tactics little known to western armies of the time.
In the late fifteenth century, companies of stradioti were brought to Italy and served in Venice's armed conflicts on the terrafirma. They entered service in Italy at the crucial period in which the military system of the Italian states, as well as their independence, were being threatened by transalpine armies in the late 15th century. One observer, Marino Sanuto , described the stradioti and their arrival in Venice thusly:

-They have sword, lance with pennant, and mace. Very few wear cuirasses, generally they wear cotton cloaks, sewn in a particular fashion. Their horses are large, accustomed to hardships, run like birds, always hold their heads high and surpass all others in maneuver of battle. Countless of these stradioti are found in Napoli di Romagna and other areas of Greece which are under the signoria and they consider their fortified towns as their true armor and lance

The French Memoirist, Philip de Commines , describes the stradioti that opposed the French at the Battle of Fornovo:

-Marchal de Gie sent to the king word that he had passed the mountains, and that having sent out a party of horse to reconnoitre the enemy, they had been charged by the Estradiots, one of them called Lebeuf being slain, the Estradiots cut off his head, put it on top of a lance, carried it to their proveditor, and demanded a ducat. These Estradiots are of the same nature as the Genetaires (Spanish light cavalry); they are attired like Turks both on horse and on foot, except they wear no turbans on their heads. They are a rugged people, couched all the year round on their horses. They were all Greeks, coming from places possessed by the Venetians, some from Napoli di Romagna (i.e. Naphplion) , others from Albania at Durrazzo, and their horses are good and are all from Turkey...I saw them all at their first arrival at Venice, and they mustered on an island...numbering a good fifteen hundred, and they are stout, active men who greatly harry an opposing force when they set themselves to it


Greek Stradioti


The Colours of a Stradioti unit, under Mercurius Bouas , a warlord from Epirus, who fought for the Germans. Notice the Byzantine eagle & the Burgundy Cross , a privilege given to Bouas from the German Emperor (Maximilian I). Bouas, together with Crocόndilos (Crocodile) Kladas, were the first Greeks who revolted against the Ottomans, in 1490

CHRISTIAN SPAHIS ( Hiristian Sipahiler or Kafir Sipahiler in Turkish):

These men were armed & fought like light cavalry , formed almost entirely by Greeks originated from the Epirus & the Peloponnese regions. Spahis, had the obligation to fight for the Ottomans, whenever the Sultan was in their need. Spahis, at the times of war, gathered at Ioannina, Epirus , carrying their colours. From there, they strucked their colours, replacing it with the Imperial colours & moved to battle. During the Siege of Baghdad (December 24th, 1620) , a battle where the Ottoman Army had difficulties in defeating the Persian Army, Spahis, a total number of 12,000 Greeks, attacked the Persians carrying their colours instead of the Ottoman Imperial colours & defeated them. The Sultan (Murad IV), although he appreciated their courage, decided to dismandle the Christian Spahis corps.


Christian Spahis colours. Notice the similarities between their colours & the current Greek Colours

THE GREEK BATTALION OF BALAKLAVA ( Balaklavaskii
Grecheskii Pekhotnyi Batalion in Russian):


The Greek Battalion of Balaklava, fights the Turks. Officer (left) & soldier (right).

In the 18th century there was a sizeable Greek population in Crimea. In 1768 , only a few years before Catherine the Great finally took Crimea from the Ottoman Empire, 18,000 Crimean Greeks , along with other christians tired of living under Tatar rule successfully petitioned the empress for permission to move to Russia and emigrated to the shores of the sea of Asov , where they founded the city of Mariupol .
Fresh Greek settlers arrived soon afterwards, known as the "Archipelago Greeks" because they came mainly from the Greek islands . They also provided soldiers for the Balaklava battalion , which later reinforced Russian Imperial Army & fought the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 . Some of the officers of this Greek regiment built substantial estates at Oreanda and Livadia near Yalta .

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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:18 pm

PART 12-Distinguished figures of the Armed Forces

REVOLUTION ERA (1821-1829)

Theοdoros Kolokotrοnis



(born 1770 - died 1834). He came from a family of klephtes (i.e. armed Greeks opposed to the Ottomans, forming armed guerilla groups) and escaped to Zakynthos island where he served in the British Army ( British Regiment for Greeks ). He returned to the Peloponnese on the eve of the revolution and due to his military experience and knowledge he soon became the leading figure in organising the Greek fighters. He lead the siege of Tripolis and its surrender marked the first success of the Greek revolution. The following year ( 1822 ) with his courage, determination, patience and military acumen defeated the army of Dramali Pasha . He was imprisoned by his political opponents but was freed when Ibrahim invaded Greece, against whom Kolokotronis applied guerrilla tactics and was able to inflict major blows to his army. Kolokotronis is considered as the most important figure of the Greek revolution. He was the military master mind behind the Greek victories in the battles of Tripolis, Valtetsi, Dervenakia.


The statue of mounted Kolokotrinis in the center of Athens

Geοrgios Karaiskakis



(born 1782 - killed 1827). He grew up in poverty and was forced to the mountains as kleftes . He was one of the first to take part in the Greek revolution and his military genius became apparent during the last years of the struggle. He was appointed by the first Greek government as Marshal of Eastern Greece and made Elephsis as his headquarters. Following a clash with the Turks at Haidari, he was planning to cut off Kioutachi Pashas' supplies, during the siege of Acropolis . His initial failures followed two famous victories at Arachova & Distomo . He was killed in a clash with the Turks at Phaliron . Karaiskakis is considered the second most important military figure of the revolution, after Kolokotronis.

Constantinos Kanaris



(born 1793 - died 1877). He came from the island of Psara . He blew up the Turkish armada at Chios and at Tenedos isles and other Turkish ships at Mytilene and Samos (1824) . He attempted to burn the Turkish ships inside the port of Alexandria, Egypt in order to destroy Muhammad Ali's preparations against Greece and failed only due to the fact that at the time the wind was blowing from opposite direction. He became one of the important naval figures of the revolution. With the liberation of Greece he became involved with politics. He served several times as a minister and became prime minister. He was brave, courageous and modest man.

Ioannis Makriyannis



Ioannis Makriyannis was born at Lidoriki, in Eastern Greece . His real name was Ioannis Triantaphyllou & was named Makriyannis (i.e. long-John) because he was quite tall. When in June 1825, Ibrahim Pasha attacked the mills of Argos with a force of 4,000 foot-soldiers and 600 cavalrymen from his regular army, Makriyannis, together with Ypsilantis, Mavromichalis and 300 men , defended the position, which commands the approaches to Naphplion, Peloponnese . They had already repulsed four fierce attacks by Ibrahim when, towards evening, they were reinforced by a detachment of the first regular Greek regiment. Its arrival decided the outcome of the battle and the Turko-Egyptian forces retreated in great disarray, with heavy casualties. The gallant Makriyannis, who was gravely wounded in the fighting, was invited onboard the French Admiral de Rigny's frigate, where he was accepted by the admiral.
At the battle of Phaliron on the 5th February, 1827 , Makriyannis commanded the corps of Athenians . He distinguished himself again and again in the defence of his position.

Laskarina Bouboulina



Amongst the heroines of the Greek revolution was Laskarina Bouboulina. Bouboulina came from a rich family from the island of Spetsae . This "Archontissa" (Lady) of Spetsae used her wealth to build a navy and became one of the most famous leading figures in the Greek War of Independence. After the success of the revolution in Peloponnesos and Central Greece, the uprising spread in the islands. Spetsae was the first of the islands to join the revolution and this was mainly due to Bouboulina's leadership and courage. The example of Spetsae was followed by many other islands and therefore the freeing of the Island of Spetsae was one of the initial major steps towards victory for the Greeks. Thereafter Boumboulina, with her fleet took part in many naval battles and dominated the Aegean creating probelms to the, by far superior, Turkish fleet.

Andreas Miaoulis



He was born in the island of Hydra . At the age of 17 he became captain of a commercial ship. During the Napeleonic wars he managed due to his courageous sea operations to accumulate considerable wealth. From the second year of the revolution he was appointed admiral of the Greek fleet. He defeated the Turkish navy near Patras and the joint Turko-Egyptian navy near Gherondas , and on many occasions he was able to provide supplies for Greek cities besieged by the Turks.

Nikitas Stamatelόpoulos



He was born at Leontari, in Arcadia, Peloponnese the son of a poor peasant farmer. He was Kolokotronis' nephew & he too, served in the army of the Ionian Islands. In 1821 he became head of a band of Pallikars (Pallikar: Brave warrior) . He fought Kiaya Bey at Kaki Scala and in March and April 1822, at Ayia Marina , Nikitas fought successfully against Dramali Pasha , who was threatening Thermopylae . After Dramali's invasion of the Peloponnese, Nikitas took up a position commanding the narrow passes on his route back to Corinth . There the Greeks inflicted a terrible defeat on the enemy, killing 3,000 Turks. The result of this battle won for him the nickname of "Nikitaras o Tourkophagos" (big-Nikitas the extinguisher of Turks) . At the siege of Messolonghi , Nikitas gave further proof of his pure and selfless patriotism. The sailors bringing reinforcements to the besieged town demeaned payment in advance. But there was no money. Then Nikitas flung down his sword, a priceless weapon which he had won from a high-ranking Turk, and cried out, "All I have is this sword. I offer it to my country!" His fine example had an immediate effect. All present stepped forward eagerly to donate whatever they could afford

Gregόrios Dikaeos



Born at Messenia, Peloponnese in 1788 . In his teens he became a monk of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Turks, knowing his revolutionary character forced him to leave Greece. He became one of the key members of "Philiki Etairia" (Society of Friends. A Greek society formed by Greeks living abroad, with the aim to prepare the suppressed Greeks to revolt against the Ottomans). Under Ypsilantis orders he returned to Peloponnese and started preaching the ideal of freedom, preparing so the people for the revolution. He was a key figure of the Greek Revolution. When in 1825, Ibrahim landed with thousands of Turkish army in the Peloponnese, Dikaeos leading 2,000 men marched against him. During the battle which took place at a place called Maniaki , on 20 May 1825 , Ibrahim with 6,000 Turks attacked and killed 600 Greeks and their leader Dikaeos, who fought bravely to the bitter end.

THE WAR OF 1897

Lithograph of the period: the battle of Melouna, published in the newspaper Le Petit Journal on May 2, 1897

Colonel (Artillery) Constantinos Smolenskis



At the beginning of 1897, the atmosphere in Greece was very tense because of the Cretan revolt and the slaughters the Greek population on the island suffered from the Turks. Soon, at the Greek-Turkish borders, the tension had risen dangerously. The Crown Prince Constantinos , undertook the position of commander-in-chiefs on March 15 , causing enthusiasm and rekindling the agitation for liberation. The majority of the people, the intellectuals and the army officers wanted a national war, which they were hopeful they would win rather easily. After the intrusion of the armed forces of the National Committee into the Turkish occupied Macedonia , the Greek government tried to shake off its responsibilities. But on April 5 , the Ottoman government announced its decision to interrupt the diplomatic relations with Athens. The war had begun long before its official declaration and before the start of organised battles at the borders, from April 6 to 11, 1897 .
The Greek troops, unprepared and inexperienced in war, were defeated and had to withdraw from their initial positions. The Ottoman forces started to proceed into Greek soil. On April 12 they conquered Tyrnavos, Thessaly and on the next, on Easter Day, Larissa, the Thessalian capital .
The Greek forces backed out at Pharsala, Thessaly , where they were regrouped. Only one brigade, under Colonel Constantinos Smolenskis's lead, reformed at Velestino, Thessaly , in order to maintain control of the road and railroad towards the port city of Volos . The battles at Velestino continued till April 24 , and Smolenskis gained the distinction of a hero . Colonel Smolenskis dissuaded his men from taking undisciplined flight and deserting the army, and kept his position for as long as the rest of the forces needed, in order to withdraw from Pharsala to Domokos .
In Thessaly, within one month the Greek army had lost the greatest part of the land which diplomacy had given to Greece, fifteen years before. The truce declared after the Czar's intervention on May 5 , did not put an end to Thessaly's occupation by Ottoman troops, which only retreated in May 1898 , after having caused a lot of destruction and acts of violence.
In this war, the only officer who honoured the Greek Colours, was Colonel Smolenskis

1st & 2nd BALKAN WARS

Corporal Gerasimos Raphtόpoulos


Raphtopoulos (left) together with Euzones & other troops

Raphtopoulos is the youngest ever NCO in the history of the Greek Armed Forces . He was born in Fiscardo, Cephallonia in 1900. During the 1st Balkan War, against the Ottomans, he volunteered at the age of 12(!!) & was accepted as private of the 18th Infantry Regiment of the IV Division . For his courage in the battle of Sarandaporon he received a Manlicher-Schonauer rifle as a gift. In the battle of Kilkis-Lachana , in 1913, he managed to escape from enprisonment, killing 3 out of the 5 Bulgarian soldiers who had captured him. On his way back, he found a wounded Euzone soldier & carried him with him. For his valour, he was promoted to the Corporal's rank on August 28th, 1913

Emmanuel Argyrόpoulos



On February 8, 1912 , Emmanuel Argyropoulos is the first ever Greek pilot. He volunteered for the 2nd Balkan War & was shot down on April 4, 1913 . He is the first KIA member of the Greek Air Force

1st Lieutenant Michael Moutoussis



1st Lieutenat Michael Moutoussis and Navy Ensign Aristedes Moraitines on January 24, 1913 , took part in the first ever wartime naval aviation mission while flying their Maurice Farman hydroplane
over the Nagara point, where they spotted the enemy Ottoman fleet, confirming its withdrawal to within the Dardanellenes, following the Turkish fleet defeat in the naval battle of Lemnos. During their sortie, they accurately drew a diagram of the positions of the retreating fleet, against which they successfully managed to drop four bombs. Moutoussis and Moraitines travelled over 180KM and took 2 hours 20 minutes to complete their mission, which was extensively reported in both the Greek and International Press.

THE CAMPAIGN TO MINOR ASIA (1919-1922)

Colonel Nicholaos Plastiras



He is known as "O Mavros Cavalares" ("The Black Horseman") .



During the botched war with Turkey from 1919-1922, Colonel Plastiras, as commanding officer of the famous 5/42 Euzone Regiment was responsible for arresting the Greek army's retreat and stabilising the front in Thrace along the Evros River . His stance is considered heroic since it helped save the lives of large masses of Anatolian Greeks and Armenians . Plastiras is a prestigeous figure of the Armed Forces. He distinguished himself in the battles of Yannitsa & Elassόn during the 1st Balkan War & in the battle of Kilkis-Lachana during the 2nd Balkan War . For his heroic stance in the battle of Skra-di-Lengen during WWI (1917) (as Captain of the 5/42 Euzone Regiment), he was promoted to the Colonel's rank.


Mounted Euzones of the 5/42 Euzone Regiment. Plastiras' unit was the only Euzone Regiment that organized, following his orders, cavalry section. These mounted Euzones had reckon duties & fought as dismounted cavalry, like the 17th century dragoons

WWII

1st Lieunenant Alexandros Diakos



Lieutenant Diakos is the first Greek Officer killed in the WWII . He was killed in the battle of Tsouka on October 29th, 1940 . The last Greek killed in the Greco-Italian War, was Private Theophanes Regas (32nd Infantry Regiment). He was killed on April 8th, 1941 in the battle of the height 1370 .

Colonel Mardochaeos Frizis



Colonel Frizis, a Greek officer of Jewish origins, is the first Greek Staff Officer (or Superior Officer in the Greek military terminology) killed in the WWII . He was killed in the batlle of Vistrica , on December 5th, 1940 .

Colonel Constantinos Davakis



Colonel Davakis had the privilige & honour to be the first Greek Officer who resisted the Italians in WWII. His detachment (the Davakis' detachment , consisted of two Infantry Battalions-out of the 51st Infantry Regiment-one cavalry troop & one Artillery battery), was the first Greek unit that received the "blow" of the Italian invasion to Greece in October '40. He & his men, alone, stood against the Italians for two days ( October 28-October 30, 1940 ).

Major General Haralambos Katsimitros



Major General Katsimitros, was the CO of the Epirus Division (VIII Infantry Division) . As it is known, the Epirus Division bore the complete burden of the defense; it was the one, which alone, at least for a couple of weeks, had the luck and the honor to defend the integrity of the country. This Division, carrying out Major General Haralambos Katsimitros’ decision, did not abandon the forward defense line and fought there, without ceding an inch of national ground.
An extract of the Nr 30904 General Order of the VIII Division, dated 30th October 1940 is quoted below (Maj. Gen. H. Katsimitros):
"We fight against a cunning and coward enemy, who suddenly attacked us without a pretext in order to subjugate us.
We fight for our houses, our families and our freedom.
Officers and enlisted men, keep your positions steadily and decisively looking forward, since in a short time we are going to counter-attack in order to throw out the enemy from our native soil that gets infected by their presence"...
The day that the coward foe will be thrown to the sea reaches. Keep strongly your positions and this is going to take place soon. Order to be notified to all the Officers and enlisted men servicing under our orders"

Major General Vassilios Vrachnόs



Major General Vrachnos, had the privilige & honour to be the first General Officer who organized a major counter offensive against the Italian forces. He was CO of the I Infantry Division , the Iron Division . The Greek counter-offensive started on November 14th, 1940 .

Commander Nicholaos Roussen RHN



Cdr. Roussen (top) and onboard "Papanikolis" (bottom)

Cdr Roussen, is the most tragic figure of the WWII. As CO of the RHN Papanikolis S/M, he survived accomplishing 9 successful War Patrols & was tragically killed on April 23rd, 1944 by "Brothers in Arms". He was ahead of the Greek naval detachment that stormed the ships of the mutinied Greek fleet in Alexandria, Egypt in order to suppress the revolt.


The Naval Medal received by the men of the detachment that stormed the mutinied ships

Colonel Pausanias Katsotas


Col. Katsotas (right) with a member of the Greek government in exile

Col. Katsotas, was the CO of the Hellenic I Mountain Brigade . This brigade had the honour of participating in the battle of El Alamein . It acounted 89 officers & men killed, 228 wounded.


The CO of the 8th British Division, Gen. Montgomery (left) on the instant he pins on his hat the Greek National Cockade. Col. Katsotas stands next to him (center)

Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:37 pm; edited 5 times in total



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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:03 pm

very good post

I ask to prolong your messages
I . interested
History of a Сommand of frigates and destroyers- After 1945
History of a cruiser ''HELLI'' in Greek navy 1951-1965 -former italian ''EUGENIO DI SAVOIA''
History of fleet IOANIAN/CRETE of the SEA- AKIП
HISTORY of FLEET AEGEAN - AAП
vitos



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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm





Light Cruiser Elli di Savoia

Built between 1932-35 at Ansaldo Shipyard in Genoa . She was ceded to Greece, in July 1950 by the Italian government, as part of the war reparations for the torpedoing of ELLI . Since hoisting the Greek Flag in June 1951 she became the headquarters for the Commander in Chief of the Hellenic Fleet . Served for official visits of King Pavlos/Paul to Istanbul in June 1952, Yugoslavia (Dubrovnik) in September 1955, in France (Toulon) in June 1956 and Lebanon in May 1958 . In 1959 she was moved to Souda bay (Crete) where she was used as HQ to the Admiral, C-in-C of Cretan and Ionian Seas . Decommissioned in 1965 and used as Naval prison . Certain naval personnel were detained there during the dictatorship because of their resistance activities . She was auctioned in 1973 .



IONIAN SEA COMMAND/ Naphtiki Dieekesis Ioniou or NDI/ΝΔΙ



1935: The Ministry of Navy forms the Supreme Command of Naval Defence consisted of six Naval Defence Areas . One of these areas was the Naval Defence Area 1-NAP/NAΠ 1 based at Patras, Peloponnese:

a. Naval Defence Area 1/NAP 1 (Western Greece, Patras)
b. Naval Defence Area 2/NAP 2 (Crete, Chanea)
c. Naval Defence Area 3/NAP 3 (Southern Aegean, Piraeus)
d. Naval Defence Area 4/NAP 4 (Euboea island, Chalkis)
e. Naval Defence Area 5/NAP 5 (N. Aegean, Salonika)
f. Naval Defence Area 6/NAP 6 (Eastern Aegean Isles, Chios)

1945: After WWII, the six NAP merged to form three Naval Commands:
a. Southern Aegean Naval Command (Piraeus)
b. Northern Aegean Naval Command (Thessaloniki/Salonika)
c. Western Greece Naval Command (Patras)

Current Structure:
Today, Ionian Sea Command-NDI/ΝΔΙ is based at Patras, Peloponnese , is under the commands of a Commodore HN & is comprised of:

1. NDI Staff HQ
2. Corfu Naval Station
3. Araxos Naval Fortress
4. Avliotes Naval Fortress
5. Ayios Stephanos/St. Stephen Naval Fortress



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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 6:24 pm

FAMOUS BATTLES

1-THE BATTLE OF DERVENAKIA (JULY 1822)


[b]Painting representing the battle of Dervenakia based on describes given by fighters who participated in the battle

In the summer of 1822 , the Greek revolution was going extremely well for the Greeks. In June of 1822, Odysseus Androutsos, Ioannis Gouras, Ioannis Makriyiannis and other Greeks of Eastern Rumeli (i.e. eastern Greek mainland) blocked the way to the supplies that were sent to Dramali Pasha ,


Mahmud-Dramali Pasha

who with a huge army of 40,000 men was already at Corinth, Peloponnese , ready to crush the revolution.
Mahmud pasha or Dramali who had already suppressed the revolution in Thessaly advanced with his huge army and after burning the city of Thebes he seized the Castle of Corinth . The govenrment had appointed as garrison commander Achilles Theodoridis , who deserted his post when he saw the enemy soldiers coming. Initially all went well for Dramali. His next objective was to occupy the city of Argos and to relieve the Turks besieged in Naphplion . All the members of the government proved to be cowards as they fled and embarked on the ships which were outside Naphplion. Greeks were in desperate position and only one man could help them and this man was Theodoros Kolokotronis .


Theodoros Kolokotronis

Kolokotronis, the military leader in the Peloponnese , had not good relations with the government which in every way tried to disgrace him. He wasn't allowed to organise a long besiege for the fortress of Patras which was vital for the good development of the revolution. Nevertheless he had marched in February against the Turks of Patras, with a force of 2,000 men, but without success. With him was Plapoutas, his son Gennaeos Kolokotronis, Petmezas, Kanellos Deliyiannis, Lontos, Zaimis and Sekeris . The crucial battles had taken place at Saravali, Girokomion and Eglykada on 9 March 1822 with minor success. When he was informed about the coming of Dramali he reached Argos, and gave orders to burn all the crops and contaminate the wells, around Argos . He left a garisson in the castle of Argos, and left for Mylloi, a place outside Naphplion. Dramali, having reached Corinth and occupied its citadel so easily, was now faced with a choice. This was debated at a council of war which was joined by Yussuf Pasha , the turkish commander at Patras and Ali , commander of Argos. They proposed that, provided that the army should split into three sections, one to press on towards Tripolis , a second to occupy the region around Kalavryta and a third to move to Patras . Thus the Turks would be marching on the Peloponnese on a far broader front, which would force the Greeks to divide their much smaller forces, and crucially would have a better chance of finding provisions. But Dramali insisted to lead the whole army to Tripolis. So he entered Argos on 12 July and spent his time besieging the citadel which was defended by a Maniat* named Kariyiannis . Kolokotronis also had a meeting with the other commanders and suggested that they all should wait Dramali at Dervenakia , which was a narrow passage, because he propably would return to Corinth to get provisions for his men. Petros Mavromichalis insisted that Dramali would advance to Tripolis, according to a letter that they had seized from a prisoner. But Kolokotronis had sensed that the letter was false. So, Kolokotronis left, accompanied with Nikitas Stamatelopoulos, Demetrios Ypsilantis and Gregorios Dikaeos for Dervenakia, while he heard the other leaders mocking him saying that Kolokotronis became again klephtes and is fleeing to the mountains . Meanwhile Dramali's difficulties were multiplying. The army had luck of food and water and diseases had spread to the soldiers. The supplies from Rumeli were cut off, and the other pashas didn't help him especially because he would gain the Sultan's favor if he succeded. The fires that Kolokotronis had set on the route to Tripolis made Dramali believe that the road to Tripolis was blocked. His only choice was to lead his army back to Corinth.
On 26th of July the troops started to advance to Corinth. The army was so huge that when the forefront reached Dervenakia, the last soldiers were getting out of Argos. The Greeks were waiting and when the turkish column was well inside the passage they opened fire from the rocks above with devastating effect. Hand to hand fighting followed, in which Nikitas took the lead. Some of the Turks got through and some retreated towards Argos, leaving in the ravine abandoned weapons, dead horses and human corpses. Dramali lost his sword and his turban but he managed to reach Corinth. More than 3,000 Turks were killed and the turkish army was dissolved. On 12 August , Turks advanced to Vasilika, a place outside Corinth in an effort to reach Patras but they were defeated. In the battle which followed where Anagnostis Petmezas and his seventeen years old son were killed. Of the 40,000 men only 6,000 survived and Dramali himself died of fever at Corinth, while Hursit Pasha the overall commander of Turkish forces fearing of the sultanic rage, commited suicide and died at Larissa. Halet bey , a general in Istanbul, had accused him to the sultan for the failure to suppress the revolt of the Greeks. Later, the Sultan beheaded also Halet bey .
The success at Dervenakia, turned the war in favor of the Greeks. Yet, in a couple of years time, the situation turned for worse, due to a civil war that broke among the revolted Greeks. Greeks were fighting Greeks & all together were fighting Turks (a real "Greek tragedy").
A folk song, sang even today in the Greek province, describes the outcome of the battle of Dervenakia:

Blow, ye chilled wind, who is coming from the sea,
blow, and carry with you the news to Dramali's mother:
All the Rumeli's beys & Dramali's agas
lie at Dervenekia, they lie on the ground,
they use for bed the black soil, they use for pillow
hard rocks,
they use for cover the moonlight.
A little bird flies by & is asked:
-little bird, how the war goes, is the klephte's rifle working?
-Ahead goes Nikitaras, beside him, Kolokotronis,
followed by the Greeks, with bear swords in their hands.

*MANI: According to the traveler Pausanias , the first inhabitants of Mani were Lelegs , while in the Homeric times it was divided into small City-Kingdoms ("Polismata") . Homer was the first one to mention the cities of Mani: Messe, Oetylon, Kardamyle, Enope, Gerenia as well as Pephnos, Avia, Gythion, Kotronas etc.
In many areas of Mani inscriptions and archaeological items of old days were found. Quite information on the local history of the first proto-Christian years has been preserved. Some time later the history of Mani was associated with the history of Sparta when in 207 B.C. Navis , the tyrant of Sparta, trying to save the people of Mani made them to leave for the Taenaron peninsula . There a peculiar political organization named Society of Lacedemons was founded.
In the Roman days the most southern area of Mani separated from Sparta and founded a Federation under the name of Society of Free Lacedemons which survived until the days of Emperor Diocletian . This society survived until the middle of the 3rd century A.D.
The area acquired a special historical significance in the Francish times . After the Francs conquered Constantinople in 1204 for the better supervising of the area they built three castles in mount Taygetus: One-near Gythio under the name of Passava , another - the Castle of Megali Mani or Maini (i.e. Greater Mani), West of Taygetus and the third one - the Castle of Lephktron near Kardamyle .
After the defeat of Prince Guillaume Villardouin in 1259 near Pelagonia , the three Peloponnesian castles of Mystras, Mani and Monemvassia passed to a new ruler, Byzantine Emperor Ioannis Palaeologus . Very soon the castles of Mani followed the same fate.
The Francish invasion of the Peloponnese resulted in additional growth of refugees in the mountains of Mani. Most of the inhabitants of Niklion after their surrender to the Francs in 1209 (or according to other data after the earthquake of 1296 ), arrived to Mani and founded two dynamic family clans. The clan of Niklians and the clan of Megalogennitans .
Especially important events took place in Mani after the Turks have conquered Constantinople in 1453 .
In May of 1460, Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror conquered the whole of the Peloponnese. Being aware of the unbalanced character of the people of Mani the Sultan didn’t fight them but tried to make them friends. Maniats, under their leader Crocondilos Kladas recieved from the Sultan the offer of giving them a semi-autonomous status if they would support him in the fight between the Turks and Venetians. Kladas refused the Turkish offer and took the side of the Venetians. For 16 years from 1463 till 1479 , the people of Mani defended their land and prevented Turks from building guarding posts in the area.
The hard Turkish-Venetian war ended shamefully for the Venetians and they left the Maniats to their fate. Crocondilos Kladas never accepted the clauses of the agreement between the Turks and Venetians and not only refused the new Turkish offers but started the fight against them.
During hard battles and fights the Maniats people reflected all the attacks of the Asian invaders. They remained outside the new fights that took place in 1499-1502 and 1537-1540 between the Turks and Venetians but took all the necessary defensive measures.
Later in 1571-1573 they actively supported the Venetians and the brothers Melissinos, Metropolite Makarius and Bishop Theodore were the first among these supporters.
In the 17th century the uprisings of the Maniats became more often. The agreement was achieved with Carolo II Gonzalo, prince of Navarre who dreamed of restoring the Byzantine state and proclaimed himself an ancestor of the Paleologs. But these plans failed.
During the Cretan uprise of 1648-1649 , Maniats supported the Venetians by offering them their pirate ships.
In order to make Mani to surrender, the Turks tried their best to flatter the unstable character of a Maniat pirate Limberakis Gerakaris , the future-to-be Bey of Mani. With his assistance they built in Mani three fortresses: Kelephas, Zarnatas and Porto-Kayo .
Very soon the Maniat ports weakened and Gerakaris took the responsibilities of a general leader. But some time later his Maniat blood spoke and with his piratic ships he attacked the Turks. In the end he was caught and imprisoned by the Venetians.
As a result of many revolts against the Ottoman yoke, Mani welcomed new refugees from various areas including Asia Minor and especially Crete when it changed hands from Venetians to Turks in 1669 . The Cretan refugees settled in Maniat villages and enriched the Maniat dilect with Cretan words and idioms.
Also to the usual endings of Manian names with "-eas" and "-akos" the ending of "-akis" was added (which is a Cretan idiom).
The mass movement of refugees caused new problems in Mani. The limited area of good aribal lands led to a rough fight for obtaining a "place under the sun" and not just quarrels but real local wars took place between families, clans and different villages.
Thus, the era of vendetta started in Mani. It seemed that only a new Turkish invasion could save the country. Many Maniat began to serve as hirelings in the army of the Venetian Doge while some others became pirates. They were not simply pirates, they tried to fulfill their patriotic duties and it should be mentioned that for example to a great extend the Turkish fleet near Chanea, Crete was destroyed by the Maniat pirates.
The example of two Maniat families is mostly characteristic: The family of Yatrianos from Oetylon in 1670 moved to Livorno, Italy and the family of Stephanopoulos in 1675 settled in Corsica, in Cargese . They kept their language, ethnic customs and until nowadays are called "Greeks".
In 1715 after the Venetians left Peloponnese, Mani remained a free land. The Turks decided to leave the situation in Mani unchanged and the area would have been ruled by a bey, as the case was in Moldova-Walachia. The people of Mani were told to pay 4,000 groshes a year which they rarely did.
After 50 years of peaceful life in 1770 the Maniat people took part in the Orlov campaign and after its failure were forced to pay to the Sultan 15,000 groshes.
From 1776 till 1821 eight Beys consequently ruled Main. They were: Tzanetos Koutifaris (1776-1779), Mikhailbeys Troupakis (1779-1782), Tzanetbeys Kapetanakis Grigorakis (1782-1798), Panayiotis Koumoundouros (1798-1803), Antonbeys Grigorakis (1803-1808), Constantine Zervakos or Zervobeys (1808-1810), Theodorbeys Grigorakis (1811-1815), Petrobeys Mavromikhalis (1815-1821) . The most prominent of them were: Tzanetbeys Grigorakis and Petrobeys Mavromikhalis.
The name of the first of them was associated with the weakening of the Turkish fortress of Passava, the extention of south-eastern Mani area, the restoration of the city of Gythion, the meetings with the Greek armed men and the negotiations at first with the Russians and then with Napoleon on the subjects concerning the liberation of Greece.
The name of Petrobeis Mavromikhalis was associated with the liberation movement of 1821.
Before the uprising of 1821 Mani was the place where klephtes and armed men found their shelter. In this area men like Kolokotronis, Androutsos, Katsonis found shelter and had their HQ.
Maniats, well known for their martial qualities, were among the first to join the liberation movement of 1821. The Society of Friends sent their representatives Perrevos and Chrisospathis to organize the Maniats.
On the 17th of March 1821 , eight days prior to the official date of the rebellion, 12,000 Maniots gathered in the church of Archangels at Areopolis and declared war against the Ottoman Empire.
The official flag of the Greek revolution was white with a blue cross in the centre. On top of the flag there was a sign: Liberty or Death . Mind, Maniats used the same flag but wrote "Victory" instead of "Freedom" because Mani was always free. On the bottom of the flag was an ancient inscription: "With the shield or on the shield" .
On the 22nd of March 1821 the Maniat rebells gathered at Kardamyle and together with other Greeks moved to Kalamata.
A great number of soldiers of the army that on the 23rd of March 1821 fought for the liberation of Kalamata were Maniats. Generally speaking, the financial and military assistance of Maniats during the liberation movement was very significant.
In the battle of Verga where the Egyptian leader Ibrahim was about to give a huge blow on the Greek forces, got absolutely demorilised after he heard the proud words that once the ancient predesendants of Maniats said to their enemy: Come and get them . He lost 2/3 of his army and his deafeat was really very disgraceful when women of the village Diros armed only with sickles and cudgels managed to throw the rest of his army into the sea.
In another battle, that happened in August of 1826 near the village Poliaravos , its victorious outcome sealed the defeat of the Egyptian leader and practically saved the course of the Revolution.
The history of Mani that suffered so much and fought so bravely is reflected in the architecture of its castles, villages and house-towers ( Pirgospita ). Their Orthodox churches of the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries are the most ancient on the Peloponnese.
Most of these simple structures were built of stone and are part and parcle of the wild Maniat landscape.


House-towers of Mani


Map of Peloponnese. Dervenakia is on the road from Mycenae to Epidaurus. Mani covers the entire area of the middle "leg" of the Peloponnese



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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 5:46 pm

2-THE BATTLE OF YANNITSA (19 OCTOBER 1912)


Infantry Bugler calls for attack. October 19th 1912, Battle of Yannitsa

The 1st Balkan War was started by an alliance made up of Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro . It was a desire to liberate their kinsman and a response to repressive policies of the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan League agreed to ally themselves to take the offensive.
On March 13, 1912, Serbia & Bulgaria signed a treaty which assigned northern Macedonia to Serbia, and southern Macedonia to Bulgaria. The two also contemplated war against Austria-Hungary as well as Turkey if Austria destroyed the status quo. In May 1912 , Greece and Bulgaria signed a similar treaty making use of military actions against Turkey. Montenegro's attachment to the league was secured by an informal arrangement with Bulgaria and Greece, and a treaty with Serbia concluded in September 1912 .
On October 8, 1912 , Montenegro declared war against the Turks, and 10 days later the allies entered the war. On 19 October 1912 , Greek Army deployed six Infantry Divisions ( II, III, IV, VI, VII & I in reserve ), near the town of Yannitsa . Greek HQ was expecting the Turks to settle their forces defensively near Axiόs/Vardar river , yet the Turks decided to deploy their forces (25,000 men, 30 guns), at the outskirts of mount Paikon & the surrounding heights. The reason for the Turkish deployment was that the area offers perfect observation and fire fields & protects the narrow path between the Yannitsa lake & the mountain. During the morning of October 19th, the Greek forces while crossing the Melissiou bridge , they halted their advance because the Turks started firing against the advancing units. Almost immediately, the Turkish Artillery started bombing the ground. Under constant Artillery bombing, elements of the II & III Greek Infantry Divisions , having just crossed the bridge, deployed their men in the narrow field between the bridge & the town of Yannitsa.


Greek Infantry men fire against the Turks. Battle of Yannitsa

The IV Infantry Division , at noon, entered the battle. At the same time, elements of the VI Infantry Division , approached the first enemy defence line at the nearby heights. The Turks defended their position obstinate. While the day went by, the battle was generalised. The Greek forces, marching under heavy rain, made courageous efforts to override the open field and make contact with the main line of defence of the enemy. The battle continued overnight, with the Turks conducting strong counter-attacks & the Greek cannons engaging the enemy forces. At 8:45 of the next morning (20th October), the 9th Euzone Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel/ Antisyntagmatarchis Constantine Papadopoulos , occupied the heights at the entrance of the town. The Turkish forces, seeing the Euzones entering town, withdrew all over the front & moved to the North, towards Salonika. The first Greek forces that entered the town of Yannitsa, were elements of the II Infantry Division , under Major General Constantine Kallaris (11:00 am, October 20th). The two-day battle of Yannitsa was over. Greeks acounted 10 Officers, 178 men dead, 29 Officers, 756 men wounded. There are no official reports concerning the Turkish losses. 3,000 Turks were captured as POWs. Overall, the Greek losses of the 1st & 2nd Balkan Wars were 30,760 men, dead or injured, 473 Officers.


Lithograph of the period: The Battle of Yannitsa

Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:28 pm; edited 2 times in total



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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 6:19 pm

Valtrex, I was just playing the computer game Rome: Total War (a very good game) and I noticed that the Sacred Band was in the game as a Carthage unit. Isent the Sacred Band a Greek unit? Did the Greeks take the idea from Carthage or did the game maker get it wrong?



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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:27 am

Yes ChrisWI , Carthage too, had organized its own Sacred Band: The Sacred Band of Carthage was the elite military force guarding the city of Carthage itself. Unlike most of the Carthaginian military, it was formed entirely of Carthaginian citizens as opposed to mercenaries; in fact, it was the only armed force of Carthage where mercenaries were forbidden to join. It was the only military force allowed in the city itself, and dressed in white, the color asscoiated with death in Carthaginian society. The band usually formed a phalanx formation of spearmen or pikemen, on the Macedonian model. They were eventually wiped out completely at the end of the Third Punic War , along with Carthage itself. Though they reached a certain level of prestige, they were never as important as the Carthaginian navy. That's why, I prefer to refer to the Greek unit as Sacred Company , which is a literal & more accurate translation of the Greek term Ierόs Lόchos . In the Greek history, Sacred Company appears for four times, describing these Greek special units:
1-The Sacred Company of Thebes (circa 394 - 338 BC)
It participated: A) In the battle of Coronea (August 394 BC) against Sparta. In this battle, the Spartans defeated the Thebeans.
B) In the battle of Tegyra (375 BC) , against Sparta again, under the Thebean General Pelopidas . In this battle, the Thebeans defeated the Spartan Army. C) In the Battle of Lephktra (371 BC) , against Sparta, again. In this battle, the Thebeans under General Epamenόndas , defeated the Spartans, yet again. D) In the battle of Mentinea (366 BC) . The Spartans were defeated by Epamenondas' Sacred Company for one more time. E) In the battle of Chaeronea (August 7th 338 BC) , against the King Philip's Macedonian Army. In this battle, the Thebean Sacred Company was literaly annihilated by the Macedonian Forces.



The Thebeans built on sight the famous Lion of Chaeronea as a remembrance of their dead. A few years back, arcaeological excavations brought to the light the remains of 294 dead Thebean soldiers.

2- The Sacred Company of Iasi, Romania (back then Moldavia) formed on February 22nd, 1821 by 500 Greeks studying abroad. They fought against the Ottoman Spahis in the battle of Dragatsani (June 7th 1821) . The Turks defeated the untrained & poorly equipped Greek students.



3- The Sacred Company of the Greeks of Northern Epirus (formed February 14th 1914) under Spyridon Melios or "Spyromelios" , mainly by Cretan volunteers. The Greeks of N. Epirus (now S. Albania) formed this unit in order to gain their autonomous status inside the newly established Albanian State. They defeated the Albanian forces in the battle of Premet , on February 23rd, 1914 .

4- The Sacred Company of the Greek units in exile, during WWII , under Colonel/ Syntagmatarchis Christodoulos Tsigantes (1942-1945) . It is believed to be the progenitor of the Greek Special Forces.



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Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 3:33 pm

GREECE IN WWI


French and Greek officers during the First World War

Greece participated in the I WW on the side of the Entente practically from September 1916 after the decision of the Revolutionary Government of Thessaloniki/Salonika .
To this direction new military units had to be formed, since the organized army had sided with the government of Athens. Apart from the limited number of officers there were also a serious shortage of war equipment. Nevertheless the first formation of the new army, the 1st Battalion of National Defence , was ready by mid-September and was forwarded to the Macedonian front to reinforce the Allies that had already deployed in the area. Other units followed that had been formed in the meanwhile and eventually reached eleven divisions.
In 1917 the Allies were in a difficult plight. The capture of Romania by the troops of the Central Powers allowed the latter to be easily supplied in grain and oil and gave them the chance to reinforce the Macedonian front. On the contrary, the allied army confronted problems in its supply and the smooth transportation of reserves. The front extended from river Strymon to Northern Epirus (now Southern Albania) . On the side of the Entente 243 battalions, French, British, Serbian, Italian, Russian and Greek ones have deployed, whereas facing them were approximately equivalent troops of the Central Powers, German, Bulgarian, Ottoman and Austrian ones . Throughout the year engagements were taking place with no spectacular results.
In June 1917 Venizelos became again the prime-minister of the unified by now Greek state after the departure of King Constantine. The government of Athens had by now officially declared war on the Central Powers. From that point onwards attempts at reorganizing the army and achieving the greatest Greek participation possible in the allied operations became more intense.
The task was not an easy one, given the negative disposition of many Greeks regarding the country's involvement in the war on the side of the Allies. This attitude has been intensified because of the pressure and the blockade imposed by the Entente on southern Greece but also the practically dictated by it removal of Constantine, as a political solution to the problem of the National Schism *. For this reason in Southern Greece mobilization followed a slow pace, summoning gradually new recruits mostly from the newer classes and taking into account the political climate of each area. On the contrary, in the Northern Greece, where Venizelists prevailed, and mostly in the islands of the Archipelago, Crete and Macedonia, mobilization was effected at a quick pace and the troops were rapidly forwarded to the front. The full deployment of the Greek army took place only as late as the first semester of 1918 .
The Greek forces eventually participated with determination in the development of the war in the Balkan peninsula. In May 1918 Greek military units held a leading part in the battle of Skra di Legen , the most important among the local offensives, that resulted in the capture of a particularly fortified position, controlled until then by the Central Powers, chiefly Bulgarian troops. The battle of Skra confirmed in the eyes of the allies the fighting readiness of the Greek army that has practically just been restructured. After that the preconditions for the allied counter-attack have been laid, that was launched in September of that same year (The Vardar Offensive). This has been marked by a series of victories and continuous advances of the allied troops that led Bulgaria to capitulation on 30 September 1918 . The capitulation of Turkey followed with the Mudros armistice that signaled the termination of war in the Balkans, just before its definite termination with the capitulation of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

* The National Schism: In 1915 , Greek PM Eleutherios Venizelos openly supported the coalition with the Entente. The allied operations in the peninsula of Gallipoli against Turkey served as a pretext. The Greek PM proposed the participation of Greek troops in these operations meeting the strong opposition of the King. This conflict led to the resignation of the prime-minister. Venizelos, regaining power after the elections of summer 1915 and confronting the entrance of Bulgaria in the war and its attack against Serbia gave orders for mobilization. The desicion was nominally ratified by Constantine. At the same time military troops of the Entente landed and held control over the area of Thessaloniki/Salonika.


The Scotts in Salonika

When the prime-minister Venizelos brought forward the matter of active participation in the clash, he was once more led to resignation. There was again his fundamental disagreement with Constantine, who did not wish by any means to confront Germany. The Venizelists however held the majority in Parliament and their foreign policy had been recently endorsed by the people's vote.
The capture of Greek Eastern Macedonia and the city of Kavala in particular by the Bulgarian army , the captivity of parts of the 4th Corps of the Greek army and the persecutions of the Greek population of the area in the summer of 1916 rendered more acute the clash between the two views for the selection of camp in the international conflict. Eleutherios Venizelos decides to side with the movement of the National Defence and forms a revolutionary government in Thessaloniki/Salonika declaring war on the Central Powers and naturally Bulgaria .

Eleutherios Venizelos and Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis review the Greek units of the Allied Front during the First World War

The Battle of Skra-Di-Legen (May 17th 1918)

The top of Kounja , of the Mount Djena , westwards of the river Axiόs/Vardar, has an altitude of 1096 metres/3596 feet . It became well-known from the victorious battle of 17 May 1918 , one of the harder of the Macedonian Front. The basic allied offensive force was constisted of the three Greek divisions of the National Defence:Archipelago Division, Serres Division and Crete Division . It was a clash of the I World War, similar in form with those of France. The Bulgarian & German forces, had been deployed in an area of natural strong positions of great importance. The Allied forces, started a 13-hour Artillery barrage, before elements of the Greek Archipelago Division under Major General Demetrios Ioannou were thrown to battle. The Allied force's offensive peak was constituted by the 3rd Battalion of the Greek 6th Regiment . The enemy forces were comprised of seven fortified Regiments of the Bulgarian Army, that constituted part of the 11th German army . Despite the constant bombing of the battle field by the Bulgarian Artillery, the various artificial obstacles built by the engineers, the triple line of barbwire and the fortified machine gun nests, the Greek forces had accomplished their mission within an hour (the Greek offensive began at 06:00 am & ended at 07:00 am). All the Bulgarian counter-attacks failed. The Greek Divisions left in the field of honour 2,800 dead & injured, officers & men . They captured 2,300 Bulgarians & Germans as POWs and tons of material.


Major General/ Ypostrategos Constantinos Nither, CO of the A' Corps (right), with his XO, Colonel/ Syntagmatarchis Theόdoros Pangalos, observe the battle field


Bulgarian POWs, after the battle of Skra-di-legen


Major General/ Ypostratigos Emmanuel Zymvrakakis (right), CO of the Greek Forces of the Armee d'Orient, with his XO


The Victory Parade in Paris, after the end of the WWI. Greek Euzones marching under the Arc de Triomph

Sir George Milne's (CO of the British Forces) Order of the Day Addressed to Greek Forces, following the battle of Skra-di-Legen:



"On this the first occasion on which the Greek troops have fought by the side of the English, I wish to express to you my admiration for the way in which you have fulfilled the mission entrusted to you.

You have attacked with incomparable dash naturally strong positions rendered almost impregnable by a stubborn Army.

The result of your efforts is already visible in the retreat of the Bulgarian Army. I thank you for your gallantry and tenacity, which are above all praise.

I am proud to have had you under my command."

General Franchet d'Esperey's (CO of the Allied Forces) Telegram to Eleutherios Venizelos, on the Vardar Offensive:



"At the moment when the success of the offensive operations which have been begun on the Macedonian front is being affirmed, I desire to express to you my entire satisfaction at the brilliant conduct of the Greek units which are taking part in the battle.

In particular, the Serres division , attacking west of Lake Doiran in very difficult country, has just covered itself with fresh glory, taking possession of extremely strong positions, which were bitterly defended, and capturing a large number of prisoners. Certain of these units have still further added to the renown which they had already won in the attack on the Skra di Legen.

Among the units which have recently arrived the 35th infantry regiment has just asserted its worth by storming, in cooperation with French units, the important Preslap massif and the village of Zborsko. All the Greek units moreover are competing with one another in endurance and dash, and I am persuaded that they will soon win fresh laurels."[/b]


Lance Corporal-Ypodekaneas of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Lake Doiran, September 1918), Captain-Lochagos of the Archipelagos Division (Battle of Skra-di-Legen)

NOTE: [i]Click [url=http://www.firstworldwar.com/maps/graphics/maps_50_balkans_salonika_2_(1600).jpg][highlight=red:20e47ca873]here[/highlight:20e47ca873][/url] for a map of the Salonika front

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THE MINOR ASIA CAMPAIGN (1919-1922)

Following Ottoman Empire's surrender to the Allies in 1918 there were internal political troubles in Turkey while the Allies were squabbling among themselves over the division of the Ottoman Empire, still nominally ruled by the Sultan. The Middle Eastern lands were eventually allocated to Britain and France under League of Nations mandates. As for the Turkish heartland on Asia Minor, Italy, France & Greece all nursed claims and in pursuit of these Italy made landings in the Adalya area . With support from Britain and France, Greek troops were sent to Smyrna where there was a considerable Greek population, to ensure Italian gains remained limited. These incursions, Greek control of most of Eastern Thrace and international control of the Straits of the Dardanelles Zone were all recognized by the Treaty of Sevres .
However, as early as May 1919 nationalist moves to resist this partitioning were begun under the leadership of Mustapha Kemal , known as Ataturk (i.e. father of the Turks) . He soon had a considerable following and was proclaimed head of a provisional government in April 1920 . The Allied response was to occupy Constantinople/Istanbul and to urge the Greeks to begin an advance inland from Smyrna which they did in June 1920. Adrianople and most of Thrace were also overrun and in Anatolia (i.e. Eastern Minor Asia) there were inconclusive battles near Eski-shehir (the First and Second Battles of the lnonu) and at Afion-Kara-Hissar in early 1921. In July a Greek victory at Afion allowed the Greek forces to make a general advance toward Ankara but Kemal's forces won a bitter battle in the bend of the Sakarya River and the Greeks retired to their July positions. By this time the Turks were receiving some Soviet help while diplomatic efforts had persuaded the Italians to leave the Adalya area and the French were ready to move out of southwest Turkey. Kemal's popularity was unquestioned and the Greek forces were exhausted. A Turkish offensive in August 1922 quickly took Afion-Kara-Hissar and in a lightning advance the Greeks were bundled out of Smyrna. In a surprise attack at sunrise on August 26, 1922 , the Kemalists broke through the southern flank of the Greek front, surrounded and destroyed half the Greek army and drove the rest headlong back to Smyrna and the coast. In Smyrna harbour lay the yacht from which the Greek commander-in- chief General Hadjanestis , incompetent and almost insane, had directed the fatal battle. 40,000 Greek troops escaped from Smyrna in Greek warships, leaving another 18,500 as Turkish prisoners. When the Turks entered Smyrna on September 9, 1922 , the city was packed with refugees. The Turks began to deport all able-bodied Christian men to the interior, killing Greeks and Armenians and looting and setting fire to their houses. The flames from the burning houses spread into a great fire, destroying most of the city and driving thousands of people into the sea.


Smyrna set on fire, September 9, 1922

After Smyrna, the next Turkish objective was to recover control of Constantinople and of the area of eastern Thrace, including Adrianople, which was still in Greek hands. But when the Kemalists advanced towards the Allied neutral zone round Constantinople, they were stopped by the British at Chanakkale on the Asian shore of the Dardanelles. A minor international crisis ensued with a threat of renewed war between Britain and Turkey. France and Italy advocated a peace conference with Kemal and withdrew their support from Britain when the British government sent a division of troops to reinforce the Chanakkale garrison. A compromise was reached by which, pending the organisation of a peace conference, the Turks would occupy eastern Thrace together with an Allied detachment. The Greek population of eastern Thrace began to move out to Greece and preparations were put in hand for a peace conference at Lausanne.
In Constantinople, the Kemalists gradually took over power, leaving the sultan isolated. Kemal then proposed, and the Ankara Assembly accepted, the abolition of the sultanate but leaving the caliphate still in being. On November 4, 1922 , the Kemalists formally took over from the Ottoman government in Constantinople. The last Ottoman sultan, Mehmet VI Vahdettin , was smuggled out of the city on a British warship into a comfortable exile on the Italian Riviera.
The sultan's government was not the only victim of the Anatolian debacle. In Greece, a military revolution under General Nichόlaos Plastiras had overthrown the government, tried and shot for high treason General Hadjanestis, Gounaris and four other ministers (Stratos, Theotόkis, Protopapadakis, Baltatzis)


The left photo shows minister Gounaris with higher ranking Army personnel, prior to the Greek expedition to Minor Asia. The right photo shows the six (Gounaris is among them) men put on trial. They were executed at Goudi, Athens, on November 15th, 1922

and sent King Constantine once more into exile , holding him responsible for the disaster. The revolutionists asked Venizelos to return to Athens, but he replied that he had finally retired from public life. He agreed, however, to represent Greece at the Lausanne Conference. Lloyd George's Near Eastern policy was in ruins and the Chanakkale crisis finally brought him down. He was replaced as prime minister by the Conservative, leader, Bonar Law , who had declared in a letter to The Times: "we cannot act alone as the policeman of the world"
In the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on July 24, 1923 , Greece renounced all claims to Asia Minor and to eastern Thrace beyond the Maritza/Evros river. Her only territorial gain was a small area of Western Thrace .
Greece and Turkey also agreed at Lausanne to a gigantic and unprecedented barter of populations . Before the Anatolian war there had been over 2,000,000 Greeks and about 600,000 Armenians left in Asia Minor . Several hundred thousand had subsequently lost their lives and another million or more Greeks had fled as refugees to Greece. Most of the refugees were old men, women and children, since many of the younger men had either fought in the war or had been deported, into the interior of Anatolia by the Turks. Greece asked that these refugees be returned to their former homes but the Turks refused to have them back; so Greece demanded the compulsory emigration of 1,400,000 Moslems from Greece, chiefly from Macedonia, to make room for the Greek refugees returning to Greece. The only Greek and Turkish minorities on either side who were not compelled to move were approximately 100,000 Greeks who had stayed in Constantinople and in the islands of Imbros and Tenedos, and some 124,000 Moslems of Western Thrace . The departure of the Greeks from Asia Minor ended a long historic association for both the Greeks and Turks. Anatolia was the main reservoir of power for both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. It was the birthplace of the Modern Greek people and the backbone of the medieval Greek State. After the Ottoman conquest most of the unconverted Christians in Anatolia adopted Turkish as their language, which they wrote in Greek script (i.e. Karamanlian script. These populations were called Karamanlis). Similarly, many of the Moslems in Greece spoke only Greek and wrote it in the Turco-Arabic script . So what took place was not an exchange of Greeks and Turks, but rather an exchange of Greek Orthodox Christians and Ottoman Muslims . Six weeks after the signature of the Lausanne Treaty, the Allies withdrew from Constantinople. Mustapha Kemal, recognising that Anatolia had now become the backbone of the modem Turkish republic, decided to make his capital at Ankara.

THE BATTLE OF TUMLU-BUNAR (MARCH 1921)


Greek Troops, crossing the "Salty Desert" marching towards Ankara

Following the Greek defeat of the second battle of Inonu (where the Greeks lost about 4,000 men), the entire Greek frontline was about to collapse. Yet, thanks to the desicive stance of the CO of the A' Corps, Lieutenant General/ Antistrategos Kontoulis , he managed to restrain his forces: On March 26th 1921 , he ordered the XIII Infantry Division to take defensive positions on the Tumlu-Bunar area, outside Afiun-Kara-Hissar & the II Infantry Division to move towards the town of Ayvalik , thinking that this was the only way for the Turks to cut off the supplies of his Corps & to break the liaison between the C'/Γ' Corps (operating in the Northern Minor Asia) & the A' Corps (operating in the S. Minor Asia): The Turkish forces had to attack against the Greek forces holding the Ayvalik-Tumlu Bunar area. Infact, the Turkish HQ had already decided to attack against Tumlu-Bunar. So, at the same time, when elements of the XIII Division were moving to reach their objective (Duz-Agac area) & the elements of the II Division were moving towards Ayvalik, since March 26th , the 1,500 men of the 34th Infantry Regiment , under Colonel/ Syntagmatarchis Demosthenes Dialetis stood firm against constant attacks realised by two Turkish Infantry Divisions & a Cavalry Brigade . Colonel Dialetis ordered his men to take defensive positions "...& to fight till the end" . The Turks were attacking courageously, but the Greeks were defending their positions obstinate. On March 27 , the CO of the Turkish forces in the area Refet Pasha ordered for a general attack against the Greek Regiment, with the support of his artillery. The Greeks were resisting obstinate but they were just 1,500 men against an attacking force of 7,000. Colonel Dialetis gathered every man able to carry a rifle : Cookes, lightly wounded men, priests. The Colonel himself fights with his men & orders one of the Regiment's priest to carry the Regiment's Colours.


Greek Infantry attacking. Summer 1921

The Greeks kept fighting back, yet their lines began to shake. The battle of Tumlu-Bunar seemed to be lost for the Greeks when an Artillery Battery reached the area on time & with constant bombing of the ground, managed to turn the Turks back for a short period of time.
During this short break of the battle, the Greek 7th Infantry Regiment arrived to the field. The Battle continued during the night. At dawn of March 28th , a miracle happened: Through the woods of the nearby forrest, men of the 5/42 Euzone Regiment , attacked the Turks from the rear! Colonel Plastiras, the "Black Horseman" , CO of the legendary 5/42 Euzone Regiment



appeared himself leading to the battle two Euzone Battalions & one Cavalry Troop .


Euzones Attacking. Summer 1921


Men of the famous 5/42 ER

The Turks ignored the newly come opposing force & continued their attacks. Soon though, the Greeks, with the help of the Artillery & the Euzone counter attacks, managed to turn the Turks back. Not without casualties: The 5/42 ER, lost 276 men (65 dead). Plastiras himself after the battle, wept over their graves.




The Turks withdrew the frontline leaving behind 800 dead, 200 POWs. On the other hand the Greek 34th Regiment had 165 men dead, 587 wounded.
Despite the fact that more victories came for the Greeks, the incompetent Greek HQ, did not "build" on these successes. A main reason for this setback is the presence of the incompetent Greek C-i-C General Hadjanestis



Within the next year, the Turks managed to throw the Greek forces to the sea...literaly.
The overall losses of the Greek Army during the 3-year campaign to Minor Asia were tremendous:
854 Officers dead, 1,644 WIA, 460 Officers MIAs, 18,675 men killed in action, 44,304 wounded in action, 18,500 POWs. Total number: 84,442 .


Greek Cavalry Sergeant in 1921. Notice the branch colour patch (velvet green) & the french style rank insignia. He's armed with the short Cavalry rifle Bertier M1892/16 & the M1887 Cavalry Sabre. The point up chevron on the right sleeve, suggest that he's wounded in action


Greek Infantry Corporal. He's armed with the Mannlicher-Schonauer 6.5 mm M1903/14 rifle. The point up chevrons on the left sleeve suggest 24-month combat service

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THE BATTLE OF PINDUS (OCTOBER 28th 1940-OCTOBER 30th 1940)

At 2:50 am on Sunday, 28 October 1940, General Ioannis Metaxas, Prime Minister of Greece , was awoken in his Athens home. At the door was the Italian Ambassador, Count Grazzi , with a written ultimatum to the Greek government demanding that Italian forces be given free passage into Greece from Albania and that they be allowed to garrison certain unspecified "strategic points of Greek territory" . Italy claimed that its request for this "temporary" occupation was the result of English attempts to involve more and more countries in the war. If Greece refused to comply then resistance would be "broken by force of arms" . A reply was demanded by 6.00 am but Metaxas gave it at once — "Alors c'est la guerre" (well, this means War, in French) . At 5.30 am Italian troops crossed the Greek–Albanian border and Greece was at war with Fascist Italy.



At 5:30 am, on October 28, 1940 , according to the Italian plan, the 3rd Alpini Division "Giuglia" invaded Greece, towards the Greek town of Metsovon . The Italian objective was to cut off the Greek VIII Infantry Division from the rest of the Greek forces in order to split the Greek units deployed in Epirus, W. Macedonia & Thessaly. The Pindus Sector* (i.e. the central sector of the front) was vital for the Greek defence.

*The Pindus Mountain range, extending across the countries of Greece, FYROM, and Albania (150 Km/93 miles), contains high, steep peaks, dissected by many deep canyons and other karstic landscapes.

Peaks of Pindus Mountain

The only Greek force deployed in the region, was the Pindus or Davakis' Detachment , named after its CO, Colonel/ Syntagmatarchis Constantine Davakis . It comprised of two out of the three Infantry Battalions of the 51st Infantry Regiment (I/51 IB, II/51 IB) . The III/51 Battalion was moving to the front when the Italians invaded. The Detachment comprised also of a mountain artillery battery (75 mm), a field artillery battery (65 mm) & a Cavalry section . Its total force was 2,000 men . The Deachment's objectives were:
-To secure its sector according to the Greek defence plan (code name: IBa plan)
-To play the role of the liaison between the VIII Division & the ΤΣΔΜ (W. Macedonia Army Section)
-To block the Pindus mountain paths that lead from E to W

The DD had to cover an area of around 37 Km/23 miles .
To fullfill its mission, Davakis divided its front to 3 sectors:
-Left sector (one Infantry Battalion)
-Central sector (one IB)
-Right sector (one Infantry Company, two MG platoons, one scout team, one field artillery battery, one platoon out of the IX Division)

The Italians launched their assault at 5:30 am. The Alpini troops, attacked against the three DD sectors following five major directions, with platoon or company strength. This assault took place under heavy rain.
Against the right sector, the Alpinis attacked with two companies, without any artillery support. Due to the fierce Greek resistance, this attack failed. During the night of October 28-29 , the sector's Greek CO, organized a commando operation against the Italian troops stationed at the village of Grammos, which resulted to the capture of 11 Alpini troops & one Alpini Officer.



At the central sector, the situation was more dangerous. The Itallians advanced against the Greek entrenchments with the main force of the Division, with the support of Artillery guns & mortars. The Greeks fought obstinate, however at noon, they forced to withdraw to the S.



At the left sector, the Italians attacked with a force of two battalions. Despite their courageous efforts, they failed to overcome the Greeks covering this area.
During the first night (October 28th), though, the Italians managed to establish a bridgehead at the village of Kastaniani . The Greek HQ was worried about the new situation & ordered the I Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Vassilios Vrachnόs) to move immediately with a 24-hour limit to the area. It also issued an order for the immediate strenghtening of the DD.
In the morning of October 29 , the Italians continued their attacks.
At the central sector, they managed after heavy fighting to capture the Muka top . The Greeks attacked back (with the III/51 Batallion that had just arrived to the area) & recaptured the top. Yet, within a few hours, the Greek defence line (central sector) was shaking. Davakis ordered immediately its troops to withdaw their forces to the second line of defence ( Kato Arena-Gusteritsa ).
At the left sector, in the evening of the same day, the Italians succeded in creating a gap between the defence forces (they surrounded an entire company). Davakis ordered his men to withdraw towards Kerasovo .
During the night of October 29th , the Italians succeded in creating a gap at the central sector, they moved their forces towards the Greek VIII Division & they were threatening Metsovon .
In the morning of October 30th , Davakis decided to withdraw its entire force towards the Samarina-Koutsouro-Tsouka line . At 16:00 , elements of the I Infantry Division arrived in the area & its CO Maj. Gen. Vrachnόs, took over the command. The front remained on stability until November 14th , when the Greek Counter-Offensive began. On November 14th , the total force of the Greek mobilized, was 420,000 men.


Greek troops dance before a captured Italian gun


Greek Cavalry man, 1940. He's armed with the Manlicher-Carcano M1938 short Cavalry rifle & the M1887 Cavalry Sabre


Greek Infantry in 1940


Greek Infantry Captain, 1940. In numerous occasions, Greek officers used to wear the insignia of rank on their aft caps as well


Greek Major General in 1940

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THE BATTLE OF THE METAXAS LINE (April 6-April 10, 1941)

The Greek High Command was fully aware that Germany would not permit its ally, Italy, to be embroiled in an embarrassing little war indefinitely. In mid-February 1941 , therefore, the Greeks seized their last chance and opened an offensive that was intended to drive the Italians from Albania before the Wehrmacht could intervene. The offensive made progress, but it was not sufficient. At the turn of the month, German troops marched into Bulgaria, and a British expeditionary force, which with earlier arrivals eventually numbered approximately 62,500 troops , began moving into Greece. Because of its fear of provoking the Germans, the Greek government had previously been reluctant to accept large-scale British assistance.
The Greek Army, commanded by Marshal Alexandros Papagos , had a total effective strength of 420,000 men . Unlike the Yugoslav Army, it was fully mobilized and to some extent battle tested. Its problem in countering a German attack was complicated by the psychological and political necessity of defending the long northern frontier. The army command believed that it could not voluntarily evacuate Albania, since to do so would seem to concede victory to the Italians. On the other hand, it was convinced that national morale would be equally damaged if it were to give up the long tongue of Greek territory extending east of Thessaloniki/Salonika. There the Metaxas Line , a series of fortifications, covered the Bulgarian border. Built only for use in the event of a war with Bulgaria, the line could not withstand a German attack, but it had cost a great deal of money and in the popular mind had become a symbol of national security.

The opposing Forces:

Greek Fortresses

Fortress Popotlivitsa: 17 Officers, 277 men, two 75mm Guns, one 20mm A/A Gun, two mortars, 21 MGs.
Fortress Istibey: 17 Officers, 440 men, two 75mm Guns, one 37mm A/T Gun, one 20mm A/A Gun, two mortars, 26 MGs.
Fortress Kelkaya: 7 Officers, 236 men, one 37mm A/T Gun, 18 MGs.
Fortress Arpaluki: 13 Officers, 354 men, one 75mm Gun, one 20mm A/A Gun, two mortars, 19 MGs.
Fortress Paliouriόnes: 15 Officers, 592 men, two 75mm Guns, two A/T 37mm Guns, one A/A 20mm Gun, three mortars, 31 MGs.
Fortress Roupel: 44 Officers, 1353 men, two 75mm Guns, five A/T 37 mm Guns, one A/A 37 mm Gun, three 20mm A/A Guns, five mortars, 85 MGs.
Fortress Karatas: 28 Officers, 783 men, three 75mm Guns, one A/A 20mm Gun, four mortars, 46 MGs.
Fortress Kale: 30 Officers, 902 men, two 75mm Guns, one 20mm A/A Gun, 3 mortars, 51 MGs.
Fortress Persek: 9 Officers, 200 men, one 75mm Gun, one A/A 20mm Gun, two mortars, 12 MGs.
Fortress Babazόra: 22 Officers, 695 men, two 75mm Guns, one 20mm A/A Gun, four mortars, 35 MGs.
Fortress Maliaga: 19 Officers, 578 men, two mortars, 42 MGs.
Fortress Perithόri: 7 Officers, 249 men, three 75mm A/T Guns, two mortars, 18 MGs.
Fortress Partaluska: 4 Officers, 124 men, three 75 A/T Guns, 8 MGs.
Fortress Dasavle: 4 Officers, 83 men, two 75mm A/T Guns, 5 MGs.
Fortress Lisse: 12 Officers, 457 men, three 75mm A/T Guns, three 75mm A/A Guns, three 20mm A/A Guns, two mortars, 22 MGs.
Fortress Pyramidoid: 4 Officers, 173 men, two 75mm A/T Guns, 11 MGs.
Fortress Castillo: 8 Officers, 173 men, one 75mm A/A Gun, one A/A 20mm Gun, 10 MGs.
Fortress St. Nicholas: 14 Officers, 297 men, one 20mm A/A Gun, two mortars, 16 MGs.
Fortress Bartiseva: 20 Officers, 504 men, one 75mm Gun, one 20mm A/A Gun, four mortars, 27 MGs.
Fortress Echinos: 26 Officers, 806 men, two 75mm Guns, two A/T 75mm Guns, one 20mm A/A Gun, four mortars, 46 MGs.
Fortress Nymphaea: 14 Officers, 464 men, two 75mm A/T Guns, one A/A 20mm Gun, two mortars, 27 MGs.


German Attack Forces:

XVIII Mountain Corps, under General der Gebirgstruppen (Lieutenant General) Franz Boehme , consisted of the 2nd Panzer Division, 5th and 6th Mountain Divisions, 72d Infantry Division, and the reinforced 125th Infantry Regiment . These troops moved into assembly areas in southern Bulgaria opposite the Greek frontier.
XXX Infantry Corps, under General der Artillerie (Lieutenant General) Otto Hartmann , was composed of the 50th and 164th Infantry Divisions .

THE GERMAN ATTACK ON THE WESTERN SECTOR

The main effort of the German attack against the Greek Metaxas line, concentraded on the fortresses of Istibey, Kelkaya & Arpaluki .



The German invasion to Greece began at 05:30 of April 6th, 1941 .
The German reinforced 125th Infantry Regiment had the duty to secure the paths towards the Strymόn River . The left wing of the German forces was covered by the 72 Infanterie Division , which had as its objective to clear the way through the Nevrokόpion plateau . The initial German assault was launched by men of the 8th company of the Brandenburg Regiment (a force of 50-60 men), who dressed as Greeks, tried to capture the bridges over the Strymon river intact. They were annihilated by the Greek units guarding the bridges; only 3 survived. At the same time, the Luftwaffe realized (800 Stuka airplanes) a "carpet bombardment" on the Greek defencive positions. Whithin 2 hours, the Stuka airplanes, completed 4 consecutive bombings. By 07:00 am , the Germans had succeded to capture the Greek posts at the Greek-Bulgarian border line. They had their first difficulties, when they met with a Greek force of 2 plattoons supported by two mortars & four artillery guns , deployed at the top of the 1120 height . After a 9-hour struggle, only 4 Greek survivors surrendered to the Germans. A historical fact, that describes the brutality of the clashes, is the incident involving the machine gun nest Π8 . Its men kept fighting the Germans till the moment they faced ammunition shortage & surrendered to the Germans. The CO of the German unit, having suffered heavy casualties, at first congragulated the Greek NCO in charge of the nest, Sergeant Major/ Epilochias Demetrios Intzos & then he ordered his troops to execute him on sight, before the terrified eyes of the Greek POWs.
By the end of the first day, the secondary Greek defence line was under the German control. The German penetration deep inside the Greek left wing, was threatening the entire front. The Greeks had begun to realize what "blietzkrieg" means


Germans invade Greece

By April 10th , when the first German troops (elements of the 2 Panzer Division) entered Salonika, the Roupel & Istibey fortresses were still fighting. Their COs, surrendered to the Germans, only after the capitulation of the Greek Army. The Greek Evros Brigade (2,000 men-100 officers), decided not to surrender to the Germans & fled to Turkey, where the Turkish forces disarmed them. The sad epilogue of the story is that its CO Major General/ Ypostrategos Ioannis Zisis , did not accept the disarmament of his men: He committed suicide on April 9th near the Turkish village of Ypsala.



Greeks surrender to the Germans


A Greek & a Bulgarian carry a Greek wounded fighter, in front of the German troops

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THE GREEK EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN KOREA (November 1, 1950-July 25, 1953)

Chronological Table

1950 11.1: The 13th transportation moves to Japan, attached to the US 5th Air Force
12.4: The Greek battalion arrives in Busan
12.4: The 13th tranportation fleet deployed at Yeonpo airbase, patients evacuation operation at Hagalu-ri
12.16: The Greek battalion moves to Suwon, attached to the US 1st cavalry division
1.16: Remnants sweeping operation at Wolaksan, Haseoksan, Munsusan and Sinseol summit
1951 1.29: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill 489, west of Icheon
2.8: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill 489, north of Gonjiam-ri
3.7: Attack Hill 326, east of Yongdu-ri
4.7: Advance to Geumhaksan, north of Hongchen
4.27: Defend Hongje-dong area of Seoul
5.14: The 13th transportation fleet deployed at Kimpo air base
5.26: Advance to Imjingang via Nogosan and Gamaksan
6.9: Advance to Wyoming line, north of Yeoncheon
8.4: Battle with the Chinese Army near Churadong area
10.3: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill313
12.30: Deployed at Imjingang S-curved area
1952 3.17: Battle over Kelly, Nori, Betty outposts
5.23: The 1st company guards Geoje island prisoner camp
7.23: Advance to Imjingang S-curved area again after improving the corps for 4 months
8.7: Surprise attack at Hill 167 near Imjingang
9.28: Battle with the Chinese Army near Nori Hill area
10.29: Return to the US 9th corps, move to Cheolwon area
12.14: Entice and destroy 1 Chinese company at Yujeong-ri
12.27: 14 soldiers die due to a transportation craft crash in Jinhae
1953 3.11: Battle between reconnaissance fleets at Hill 438
5.16: Deployed at Junggasan, north eastern sides of Cheolwon
6.17: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill 420
7.16: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill 495, south of Bukjeongryeong
7.25: Battle with the Chinese Army at Hill 492, north of Seungam-ri

After the invasion of South Korea by the North Koreans in June 1950 , an international force was formed, under American leadership, in response to the resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations . Although dominated by the United States, many nations provided combat troops, medical personnel, naval and air forces for the UN force.
In many cases the contributing nations followed the practice of the US Army which sent a specific number of units to Korea and then rotated personnel in and out of those units.

THE BATTLE FOR OUTPOST (OP) HARRY, JUNE 17-18, 1953



"At our memorial services, I will always say a special prayer for the brave men who were killed on Outpost Harry, and trust that we will always commemorate those who lost their lives. For me, the hardest thing about Outpost Harry was knowing that so many outstanding soldiers were killed and wounded."
- Captain Martin A. Markley*


After the front line stabilized in November 1951 , along what eventually proved to be the demarcation line between North and South Korea , the fighting over the next 20 months degenerated into a battle for outposts, whose possession served more political and propaganda purposes than military. In some respects it was like the trench warfare of WWI.
The battle for Outpost Harry began on 10 June 1953 with the following units heavily engaged in its defense: 15th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team; and the Greek Expeditionary Forces Battalion (GEF or EKSE/ΕΚΣΕ: Ekstratephtikό Sόma Ellados in Greek. The Hellenic Forces' Companies P and N of the Greek Battalion relieved Charlie Company of the 5th RCT (Regimental Combat Team) on June 13th)




Hellenic Forces in Korea

After nine days of repeated assaults, the Chinese bid to gain control of the critical terrain between the Chorwan and Kumhwa Valleys had failed. The entire Chinese 74th Division was committed to this operation and was rendered combat ineffective by 18 June . Estimated Chinese casualties were 1,673 dead and 3,800 wounded . United Nations casualties included 102 dead (5 Greeks: Sergeant Prodromos Ouzounoglou, Corporal Nicholaos Mytilenaeos, Corporal Marinos Melissaratos, Private Aristides Karozis, Private Christophoros Terzopoulos) , 533 wounded (19 Greeks), and 44 missing in action . In support of their attack, the Chinese fired approximately 88,810 indirect fire rounds in the Outpost Harry sector. United Nations forces countered with approximately 368,185 rounds . By the end of the nine day battle, Outpost Harry resembled a cratered moonscape.
The Greeks had a name for OP Harry and it was called "Death Place" (i.e because the name "Harry", is heard similar to "Haros"-Death in Greek)

OP Harry after the battle

The Hellenic Forces were attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division . They had the following companies: Hq Company, Rifle companies N, O & P, Heavy Weapons Company (Q Company) and a Headquarters Section, R Company .


The Chinese attacks on the Greek contingent


The front page of the newspaper of the US 3rd Infantry in Korea. The photo shows Brigadier/ Taxiarchos Georgios Vlassis (right)congratulating the CO of the 3rd (P) Company, Captain/ Lochagos Constantine Skaltsas, after the battle. Among the units received the Distinguished Unit Citation for their performance on Harry was the Greek Battalion for the night of June 17/18.


1st Lt/Ypolochagos Constantine Pissiotis (left) & 1st Lt/Ypolochagos Antonios Kolovos (right) on Harry

Greece sent a battalion and one transportation unit (4 transport planes), a total of 10,251 service-members to the Korean War. The Greek forces participated in many battles in Geumhwa and Cholwon , and around Imjin river , and they also fought bravely in Geumsung area until the moment of the ceasefire. 186 of them were killed, 543 injured in defense of Korea during the war


The arrival of the remains of the 186 men killed in Korea (March 4th, 1955). The left photo shows King Paul I, arriving to Piraeus. The right photo shows the relatives of the KIA, 2nd Lt. Georgios Matsoukas, mourning on his coffin


The Greek monument in memory of the fallen Greeks

* Captain Martin A. Markley


Markley in front of K Company Mess

A few weeks after the battle for the OP Harry, Greek 1st Lt. Constantine Pissiotis, was flown to the Tokyo Hospital, because of his severe injuries. There, he met with Cpt. Martin Markley, an American who was baddly wounded in the same battle:
..."I remember meeting Lt. Constantine Pissiotis of the GEF in Tokyo. I did not know him before we met in Japan, but we talked a lot about the battle there..."

They became really good friends. On September 13th, 1953 , Cpt. Markley received a letter. According to this, he was accepted as an ..."honorary member of the Greek Expeditionary Force & had the honour of wearing the Greek national cockade on his uniform..."


Cpt. Markley (left) with Greek 2nd Lt. Georgios Chondros on Harry

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THE CYPRUS CRISIS (JULY-AUGUST, 1974)

In November 1973 , the Greek junta (in power since April 21, 1967), started to exercise extreme rightist pressure on the legit Cypriot government, under its democratically elected president Archbishop Makarios , with the purpose of the total control of the cyprus politics.



The pressure mounted until the coup in july 15, 1974 , led by Nichόlaos Sampson , that overthrew Makarios. For Turkey, this raised the spectre of Greek control of Cyprus .

At 04:45 am, Saturday, July 20th, 1974 , the Greek Ambassador to Ankara, is informed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry that .."Turkey is forced to take extreme actions on the Cyprus issue"... .

At 05:30 am, Saturday, July 20th, 1974 , the Turkish Army began its invasion with deployment of their forces at Pente Mili (Five Mile Point) west of the town of Kyrenia , unloading heavy material, tanks, artillery units and troops.



At the same time, Turkish paratroopers, were dropped on the Turkish enclaves of Nicosia - Agyrta .




The only force that proved to be the most efficient & the better organized
military unit on the Greek side, inflicting heavy casualties on the Turkish side, was the ELDYK contingent on the island (ELDYK: Hellenic Forces on Cyprus, Elliniki Dynamis Kyprou in Greek). ELDYK was comprised of 900 men at the time of the invasion.
At 07:00 am, Saturday 20th 1974, 550 men of the ELDYK contingent with the aid of 15 T-34 Cypriot tanks, start an attack on the Kioneli area, defended by the Gönyeli Grubu (Turkish contingent on Cyprus). While the Greek forces are advancing, Turkish Paras are dropped near their lines. On this July morning of 1974, another battle between Turks & Greeks takes place, almost 50 years after their latest confrontation; only this time, with an exception: Both powers are members of the NATO alliance . The two most precious allies of the SE NATO wing, are fighting each other. The losses suffered by the unprepared Turkish paras side, are enormous. After a great number of Turkish AF (Air Force) raids, the Greek side regroups, to start another assault. By this time, the ELDYK contingent had very few men dead, few men injured, and 100% of its fire power.


A dramatic photograph of one of the counter-offensives of the ELDYK forces on the Turkish positions in the Nicosia-Agyrta enclave

THE BATTLE FOR THE ELDYK CAMP, AUGUST 14-16, 1974


The last men standing. Men of the sappers platoon of the ELDYK forces, are covering the ELDYK withdrawal to the south together with a machine-guns team, while the Turkish forces, are entering the ELDYK camp.
From a force of 46 men, only 6 survived. There were no survivors from the machine-guns team

By August 14th , the Turkish Army had accomplished its main objectives: A force of 40-50,000 has been deployed on the island (with 50-60 M-47 & M-48 tanks) while the Cypriot National Guard forces are in complete disarray.
The only pocket of resistance on the entire island, is the ELDYK contingent (HQ company deployed outside the ELDYK camp, 2nd & 4th company, inside. The main ELDYK force-1st & 2nd ELDYK Btn-had evacuated the camp)

On August 16th, 1974, at 09:00 am , the third & bloodiest battle for the breaking of the ELDYK resistance, begins. The Turkish forces, with the aid of 30-40 tanks, advance against the ELDYK camp. The Greeks fight obsinate. By 11:00 am , the Turkish tanks are about 100-150 yards away from the camp central gate. At noon, the Greek left wing starts to shake. The Turkish pressure on the weakest left Greek defence line is enormous. Captain/ Lochagos Soterios Stavrianakos , CO of the sappers company, decides that the two ELDYK companies must leave the camp & regroup further to the south. He takes the responsibility for staying back with one sappers platoon and one machine-guns team (under Warrant Officer/ Anthypaspistees Constantine Kentras ) to cover the Greek companies leaving the camp. At 14:00 pm , the first Turkish tanks enter the Greek camp. Now the battle is generalized inside the camp. It is ferocious. A brutal hand to hand combat breaks out. Cpt. Stavrianakos is killed while trying to shoot the officer commanding a Turkish tank, with his 0.45 colt pistol. By 16:00 , the ELDYK camp is evacuated. Only one man stands back: Pvt. Anastassios Kratemenos, remained firm, firing against the Turks with his Thompson sub-machine gun . The 2 day battle for the ELDYK camp was over. From a force of 900 officers & men, the ELDYK contingent had 80 dead & 220 wounded. The Turkish losses accounted for several hundred.


Warrant Officer (the photo shows him holding the rank of Master Sergeant), Georgios Binakis. He was killed inside the ELDYK camp


The monument erected in memory of the fallen ELDYK men, inside the current ELDYK camp in Cyprus. The statue of the ELDYK soldier points towards the 1974 ELDYK camp, now under Turkish control.
The names of the 80 men KIA, are engraved on it

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335 Squadron/ Moira



No.335 Squadron was formed on 10 October 1941 at Aqir, Palestine , under the RAF (named 335 Hellenic Squadron ). Equipped with Hawker Hurricanes MKI (1941). It was manned by Greek personnel and was engaged in defensive duties from October 1941 until January 1942 , when it moved to the Western Desert to fly fighter patrols. In June 1942 it was withdrawn to Egypt, and returned in September 1942 with Hawker Hurricane MkIIb- MkIIc for ground attack and escort missions. After the battle of El Alamein , the squadron was engaged in shipping protection duties along the Libyan coast until September 1944 , when it moved to Italy with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb/Vc . After six weeks of sweeps over Albania and Yugoslavia, No.335 moved to Greece in November for sweeps over German-occupied islands in the Aegean and Crete until the end of the war. In September 1945 , the squadron moved to Thessaloniki/Salonika . In June 1947 is equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe/s LF/HF & takes part in combat operations during the civil war. Two years later, it appears equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI .



336 Squadron/Moira

No.336 Squadron was formed on 25 February 1943 at Landing Ground 219 in the Western Desert , as the second Greek fighter squadron in the RAF Desert Air Force (336 Hellenic Squadron) , equipped with Hawker Hurricane MkIIc . It was employed on shipping protection and air defence duties off the Libyan coast until September 1944 , when the squadron moved to Italy with 335 Squadron. After flying sweeps over the Balkans, both squadrons moved to Greece for attacks on German-held islands in the Aegean ( Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb/Vc ). In May 1945 , No.336 moved to Salonika. It amassed 3,250 combat operations in WWII & lost 12 pilots.

Operation "And the four never returned" (April 1943)

On April 4, 1943 , 336 Hellenic Squadron moved to Sidi Barani, Egypt (L.G 121 Western Desert Airport). It was engaged in ground attacks & combat operations, over Crete. But such operations were not without their costs. In mid-April 1943, four Greek Hawker Hurricane MkIIc, piloted by Karydes, Mademles, Psilόlignos & Sarsόnes , attacked on the German artillery batteries, and communications, on the Southern Cretan coast. They were all shot down (two killed, two captured). This operation is even today, called by the members of the HAF, operation "and the four never returned" . In a similar mission, Pilot Officer/ Anthyposmenagόs Soterios Skantzikas , was shot down, captured by the Germans & moved to the infamous Stalag Luft III (a P.O.W. camp for pilots), at Żagań, Poland . He was among those who escaped during the Great Escape (24 March 1944). He was captured though & putbefore the firing squad.


335 Hellenic Squadron

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Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 2:37 pm

THE GREEK CIVIL WAR (1946-1949)

On April 27, 1941 the Germans entered Athens and the occupation of Greece had begun. King George II and the Greek Government, along with approximately 10,000 Greek troops, transferred the seat of government to Crete. The Germans, on May 20 , assaulted Crete with airborne troops. The island was in German hands by June 1, 1941 , the British forces and Greek Government having been evacuated to Egypt. A Greek government-in-exile was established in Cairo; the few Greek troops that had escaped to Egypt were put under the command of the British Commander-in-Chief, Middle East. The Germans decided to share occupation duties with the Italians and Bulgarians. A "wait and see" attitude characterized the initial reaction of the Greeks to the Axis occupation. The first major form of resistance came from the communists. Many communist leaders escaped from Greek prisons in the confusion of the German invasion and immediately went underground to help reorganize their party. A few were recaptured by the occupation authorities. These communists were members of the Communist Party of Greece or KKE (Kommounistiko Komma Elladas) . The first efforts of the KKE towards resistance centered around creating organizations affiliated with labor. The communists started where their strength was, hoping to gain members sympathetic to their cause. One such organization was the National Workers' Liberation Front, EEAM (Ethniko Ergatiko Apelephtherotiko Metopo), formed in July 1941 . The prime success of EEAM was the stifling of a German attempt to export laborers to Germany by means of strikes, stoppages and general unrest.
Another, and more important, secret organization was the National Liberation Front or EAM (Ethniko Apelephtherotiko Metopo) . Founded on September 27, 1941 , EAM was ostensibly a coalition of six political parties joined by the common purpose of resisting the Axis occupation. In reality EAM was a front organization for the KKE, for the communists controlled its leadership conmittee. Meantime, the idea of armed resistance to the occupation began to form in the minds of a few Greeks. Small bands of guerrillas began to surface in the mountainous areas of Greece during late 1941 and early 1942 . Often these bands were centered around a leader who was a communist or had right-wing political beliefs. One such communist band was led by Aris Veloukhiotis



a known communist who took the field in early 1942 in the Mount Olympus area . Other bands appeared in Thessaly, the Peloponnese, and Roumeli . Some, (like Psaros' 5/42 Euzone Regiment ), were not organized or in any sense created by a political
party, but rather came into being spontaneously. Another army was also formed in early 1942. Colonel Napoleon Zervas



a former officer in the Greek army, took to the field in June 1942 in his native Epirus . A strict republican in his politics, Zervas raised a small army known as EDES (Ethnikos Demokratikos Ellinikos Syndesmos), the National Republican Greek League. By September 1942 , EDES
was about 300 strong but was very well trained; it consisted mostly of former officers and men from the Greek army. Offensive action against the occupation forces was sporadic during mid-1942 . The tempo of operations began to accelerate in the autumn; on September 9, 1942 ELAS, under Aris, clashed with Italian troops and EDES did the same in Epirus on October 23 . With the impact of armed resistance to the occupation authorities growing, the British interest in Greece was rekindled. On September 30, 1942, Colonel Edward "Eddie" C.W. Myers parachuted into Roumeli with a small group of commandos in order to disrupt the German supply routes through Greece to North Africa. British, ELAS and EDES blew the Gorgopotamus viaduct on November 25, 1942 , disrupting the railroad for six weeks.



On October 12, 1943 , ELAS attacked virtually all groups that posed any threat to ELAS at all over the whole of Greece. A fighting broke out between the larger two organizations (ELAS-EDES) but a truce was negotiated between them in February 1944 ; the Communist-dominated political wing of ELAS, the National Liberation Frond (EAM), created a Political Committee of National Liberation (PEEA, Politiki Epitropi Ethnikis Apelephtherόseos) whose function was to administer the large areas of rural Greece under its control. The fighting between Greeks tapered off because the Germans commenced aggressive operations against both ELAS and EDES at the same time. When the German offensive abated somewhat, General Zervas sent his EDES fighters to counterattack ELAS in the hopes of regaining ground lost in the earlier fighting. In early January 1944 , EDES had some success against their rivals, making headway into Roumeli. ELAS went on the attack again in late January ; despite the hindrance posed by the harsh winter weather, ELAS made progress against EDES. The Allies imposed their will onto the guerrillas on February 4, 1944 , when both sides agreed to a cease fire. This was followed on February 29 with the signing of a document known as the Plaka Agreement .
Signed at the Plaka bridge over the river Arakhthos in a contested area of Epirus , the agreement appeared to be a victory for ELAS.
On March 26, 1944 , as announced by ELAS guerrilla radio, the aims of PEEA were "to intensify the struggle against the conquerors, carrying it on by every means at our disposal within Greece at the side of our Allies; and to strive for the expulsion of the German and Bulgarian invaders, for full national liberation, for the consolidation of the independence and integrity of our country and for the annihilation of domestic Fascism and armed traitor formations."
In April 1944 ELAS launched an attack on what remained of 5/42 Euzone Regiment in Roumeli. General Demetrios Psaros , leader of the Regiment, was captured and executed. In October 1944 , the British had into Greece only two brigades of light infantry along with a few hundred commandos. ELAS had some 50,000 troops under arms and another 20,000 in unarmed reserve (Ephedriko ELAS). EDES had approximately 10,000 men overall. Liberation proceeded apace. British troops landed in the Peloponnese on October 3, 1944 . The Germans evacuated Athens on October 12 ; British troops entered the city the next day and proceeded to move toward Piraeus. As the line of German occupation receded north, more British forces were introduced into Greece. By the end of October, the newly designated III British Corps had 26,500 men, under Lt.Gen Ronald Scobie . The Government of National Unity arrived in Athens on October 18, 1944 . Six EAM/ELAS nominees entered the government in relative junior positions and, even more significantly, ELAS, together with the much smaller EDES, agreed to place its armed forces under the command of Lt.Gen Ronald Scobie. The Goverment of National Unity, under PM Geόrgios Papandreou , was recognized as the legitimate government by the Allies and was ultimately backed up by British arms.


October 18, 1944. The liberation


PM G. Papandreou, raises the Greek flag on the Acropolis

Throughout November 1944 , Papandreou and the left-wing ministers in the government were engaged in protracted negotiations over the demobilization of the guerrilla formations issue, and their replacement by a national army. Amid charges and counter-charges of lack of good faith and in a climate of mounting tension, the left-wing ministers resigned from the government on 2 December and EAM called a general strike for 4 December , to be preceded by a mass demonstration in Syntagma Square, in the center of Athens, on Sunday 3 December . Thousands of pro-EAM demonstrators converged on Syntagma Square, and, at the height of the demonstration, panic-stricken police opened fire, leaving some fifteen dead and many more wounded.


December 3, 1944

The shooting provoked attacks by ELAS on police stations and within a few days ELAS and British troops were locked in bloody street fighting. By
December 5 , ELAS was in Athens in strength, attacking police stations and government buildings; British troops were attacked and were forced to return fire.


British Tanks in the center of Athens

British PM Winston Churchill , made the impulsive decision to fly with Anthony Eden to Athens on Christmas Eve 1944 in an effort to negotiate a settlement. Not even Churchill's great prestige could effect a deal but he was not aware of the pressing need to establish a regency and, on his return to London, pressured King George to leave Greece & to appoint Archbishop Damascenos as regent.


Churchill in Athens, December 25, 1944

In early January , Papandreou was replaced as prime minister by the seemingly more conciliatory General Nichόlaos Plastiras . The insurgency was essentially supressed by military means, in which British control of the air was vital. A ceasefire, negotiated on 11 January 1945 , was followed by a political settlement at Varkiza on 12 February . Given the bitterness of the December conflict, the terms imposed on the left were not as oppressive as might have been expected. ELAS had to give up its arms but EAM and the KKE remained legal organizations and the government undertook to purge the administration, security battalions, and police of collaborationist elements and to hold a plebiscite on the monarchy, to be followed by elections.


General Saraphis (ELAS), General Scobie, Napoleon Zervas

The peace that appeared to have been secured by the Varkiza agreement proved, however, to be illusory. A succession of weal governments proved incapable of holding in check the anti-communist backlash that followed the December 1944 insurgency. Moreover, with the KKE itself vacillating between a policy of seeking power, or a share of it, through constitutional means, and preparing for further armed conflict, the country slithered towards chaos.
The liberation of the country from Axis occupation proved to be the prelude to a bitterly fought civil war (1946-9) which was to set back the process of post-war reconstruction for a further five years.
By early 1946 , the clashes between the army & the communist guerilla forces had been generalized. Infiltration and sniping tactics accompanied assaults by company-sized units, into every town or city in Greece. DSE, Demokratikοs Stratοs Elladas-Greek Democratic Army , the continuation of ELAS, appeared to have many mortars & artillery guns and enough ammunition for them to use them at will. A DSE division, under General Bakindzis & Markos Vaphiades , had deployed in and around the city of Athens. In the northern countryside, General Saraphis with his forces attacked the villages & the small Greek provincial towns. By the fall of 1946 larger groups of communist guerrillas were operating in Greece, mainly in the mountainous areas of Macedonia and Epirus with borders on the
communist satellite countries.

OPERATION TORCH, THE FINAL BLOW ON THE COMMUNIST FORCES (August 2-30, 1949)

The Order of Battle:

-GREEK ARMY

-I, II, VIII, IX, X, XI, XV Infantry Divisions
-III Commando Division
-Two independent Infantry Brigades
-Fourteen light Infantry Regiments
-150 mountain & field artillery guns
-200 Tanks & Armored Vehicles
-100 Airplanes (51 Helldivers).

C-i-C of the Greek Army, was Marshal Alexandros Papagos


Head of the Operation, was Lieutenant General Thrasyvoulos Tsakalοtos, CO of the A'Corps (CO of the III Hellenic Mountain Brigade in the Middle East)

Total Force: 150,000 men.

-GREEK DEMOCRATIC ARMY/Demokratikοs Stratοs Elladas or DSE


The colours of the DSE

-VIII Democratic Division-including the 107th Brigade , formed by Yugoslav communist volunteers (25%) & women (30%)
-108th Brigade
-IX Democratic Brigade
-Independent Infantry Battalion
-Independent Engineers Battalion
Total Force: 5-10,000 men & women

C-i-C of the Democratic Army was General Markos Vaphiades or Markos


Political leader of the KKE was its general secretary Nikos Zachariades


On August 2, 1949, Operation TORCH/Pyrsοs commenced. By August 10 , A' Corps had started a generalized attack on the mountain area of Grammos-Vitsi with considerable air and artillery support (TORCH A, 2-8 August 1949). In spite of the overwhelming superiority of fire, the DSE held its positions grudgingly (two Communist Divisions, 16 guns, two 120mm mortar tubes); On August 8th , elements of the A'Corps managed to step on the guerilla strongholds height 1425, "Tamburi", height 1356 . On August 10th , operation TORCH B' begins (10-16th August 1949). II, IX, X, XI, XV Infantry Divisions, III Commando Division, 22nd Infantry Brigade, 12th Light Infantry Rgt., six National-Guard Btns, supported by four field artillery rgts, three heavy artillery squadrons, four mountain artillery squadrons, II & IX Armored Cavalry rgts, XI Armored Troop, attack on the guerilla positions on mount Vitsi (Greek-Yugoslav border). At 06:30 the 22nd Infantry Brigade attacks on the Communist forces & by noon, manages to capture the communist strongholds height 1585 & "Polenata" . Immediately, XI Division & E' Commando Squadron follows & by the morning of the next day, the Communist forces on Vitsi are surrounded by the government forces. During the night, the entire III Commando Division, launches a surprise attack on the positions held by the Communist forces. A hand-to-hand combat begins. The communists resist. On August 14th , the DSE counter-attacked with modest success. But the heavy toll exacted by the supporting arms was decisive. By August 16 , the 7 or 10,000 defenders of Vitsi were pushed out of Greece into Albania . From August 19-22 , elements of the C Corps assaulted the 107th DSE brigade discovered in the mount Beles range. The Brigade's CO, Kapetan Yannoulis (i.e. Kapetan is Captain, meaning leader or chief), was tried & executed on sight by his comrades, following his defeat.


Kapetan Yannoulis

TORCH C began on August 24 . Four Greek Army divisions (I,VIII ,IX ,XV), 77th Indpendent Brigade, III Commando Division & four light infantry regiments (8th,15th, 24th & 40th), supported by 51 newly arrived Helldiver aircrafts, moved against the Grammos complex. Progress was slow but steady.
On the 27th of August , the Army seized Mount Grammos itself and DSE morale and resistance collapsed. Although the DSE continued to fight from several small pockets, by August 30 the Greek Army was firmly in control of Grammos-Vitsi. Almost 8,000 communist insurgents escaped into Albania. Zachariades attempted to rally them and keep their formations together, but to no avail. The Albanian government, viewing the DSE as the defeated army it was, began in September to disarm and detain any armed Greeks it found. On October 16, 1949 , the KKE announced that the DSE had agreed to "cease-fire" in order to prevent the complete annihilation of Greece. The Greek Civil War had ended.

Greek Army had 16,753 men killed in the 3-year civil war, 4,527 MIAs. The civilian population suffered too: 250-300,000 men, women & children were forced to leave their homes. 4,289 civilians executed by Communists.
DSE had 38,000 rebels killed. 5,000 were executed, both sides.

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GREEK CIVIL WAR: Chronological table


Communist guerillas captured

Night of 30-31 March, 1946: 33 communist guerillas under Ypsilantis enter the town of Litochoron (N.Greece) & attack the local Gendarmerie . In the short battle that followed the infiltration, 13 Gendarmes were killed. This was the first armed confrontation of the civil war

June, 1946: 65 right-wing rebels killed in communist attack on their camp. Communist armed bands attack the Gendarmerie stations of 6 Thessalian villages.

July 5, 1946: The first clash between the communists & the Army takes place in Kilkis, Macedonia: An armed guerilla band assaults an Infantry company stationed there. 40 soldiers enter the ranks of DSE (Greek Democratic Army).



Early August, 1946: Communist assaults on various army units in N.Greece. At the town of Grevena, two Gendarmerie stations are hit simoutaneously.

30 August, 1946: Armed communist bands attack a mechanized column moving from Athens to Larissa. At night of the same day, guerillas enter the city of Larissa & spread thousands of propaganda brochures.

September 1946: Armed rebel bands attack & destroy an infantry company stationed at Kotyli (Greek-Yugoslav border). Three successful assaults on various army units follow. After the successful (for the communists) battle of Deskate, the entire Kastoria prefecture (N.W. Greece, Greek-Yugoslav border), is under the communist control. By October, the communists control the mountain area of Grammos-Vitsi.



26-30, September 1946: The first serious attempt of the Greek armed forces to suppress the communist revolt. The attack against the Grammos complex is unsuccessful.

November 1946-February 1947:
Rumeli region: 28 rebel assaults on Gendarmerie stations & army units of Thessaly. Four counter-attacks are attempted by the army. The communists resist obstinate.
Epirus region: 7 rebel assaults on 16 villages & 12 Gendarmerie stations.
Peloponnese region: From 12-16 February, rebel bands attack on the government prison at Sparta. 176 communists face life enprisonment or death penalty, are liberated.



May-July 1947: In May 1947, operation Terminous starts. The first serious confrontation between government & communist forces takes place in Epirus. The rebels resist.



December 23, 1947: The communists form the Democratic government of the mountain (Demokratiki kyvernisi tou vounou) , a communist regim whose function was to administer the areas of Greece under the rebel control. Thus, Greece in 1947 has two governments.

December 24-January 5, 1948: The battle of Konitsa begins. 3 infantry battalions & 5 gendarmerie battalions clash with 2 DSE brigades & 4 DSE battalions. 12,000 men & women on both sides fight for the control of the town of Konitsa (Greek-Albanian border). After a ferocious battle & under airforce raids, the communist forces withdraw the front. This marks the first serious victory of the government forces.



February 1948: KKE central committe approves its general secretary (Nikos Zachariades) suggestion that .."from now on, our forces must leave behind the guerilla & infiltration tactics & fight the monarchofasistes (i.e. pro-monarchy fascists) in regular army tacticts.." . A serious debate starts between Zachariades & Markos Vaphiades (DSE general). Markos argues that ..."our troops are not well trained for frontal battles against tactical units.." . Finally Markos obeys. For many Greek historians, this is the beginning of the end of the communist revolt in Greece.

February 6-7, 1948: Rebel bands, attack on the Gendarmerie station at mount Parnes, 20 km/12 miles away from Athens. 9 gendarmes are killed, large quantities of rifles & ammunition captured.

February 9-10, 1948: Rebel bands under Nikos Triantaphyllou, infiltrate Salonika & clash with army & police units. Communist artillery shells the city. This is the first communist assault against a big city. A report issued by the A' Corps HQ describes: The guns used (3 or 4) were German 75mm caliber. The rebels fired 40 shells, from a distance of approximately 3-3,5 Km/1.8-2 miles




The front pages of three Salonika newspapers after the incident

February 23, 1948: A force of 200 communists infiltrates the city of Gythion, Mani & attacks on the government prison. 23 rebels are liberated. Dozens of gendarmes & prison guards are killed.

The battle of Chalandritsa (Peloponnese), July 5th 1948: One DSE division (III) & two independent brigades attack on a gendarmerie platoon operating in the area. The 618 infantry battalion arrives to aid the gendarmes. From a total force of 68 gendarmes, only 7 survived. The communist losses accounted for 3 dead, 7 wounded.

The first battle of Grammos, operation "Coronis/Crown" (june 14, 1948-August 21, 1948):
6 army divisions (I, II, VIII, IX, XV-60,000 men) under lt.gen. Tsakalotos, clash with 8 DSE brigades (107th, 14th, Democratic Youth Brigade, 16th, 102nd, 103rd, 105th, 123rd-8,600 men & women) under Markos, on Grammos. After 40 days of hand to hand combat, Markos does the unthinkable: Concentrates his forces & attacks on the center of the deployed government forces. Thus, a gap is created. The rebels advance through it, towards mount Vitsi & escape. Greek army had 6,740 dead & wounded, the communists had 1,200 dead & wounded.

September 9-10, 1948: The battle of Vitsi commences. One army division (XV) & three brigades (3rd, 22nd, 53rd) clash with 9,000 rebels. On september 10th, the rebels counter-attack on the government forces. The 22nd Infantry Brigade is cought by surprise & is literaly annihilated. 78 infantry men were arrested, tried & putbefore the firing squad. This is the biggest communist victory in the civil war.

August 28-September 16, 1948: The battle of Mourgana (Epirus). One army division (VIII), one brigade (35th), one armored cavalry troop & four independent battalions attack on four DSE battalions. DSE withdraws the battlefield after having suffered huge losses.

December 5-January 30, 1949: Operation "Dove/Peristera". The battle of Peloponnese
One greek army division (IX), fourteen infantry battalions, three gendarmerie battalions, four commando squadrons, one armored cavalry regiment, one field artillery regiment, one mountain artillery section, one engineers company (approx. 40,000 men), commence a generalized attack on the rebel forces stationed in the entire Peloponnese region. By the end of January '49, the entire communist army in the Peloponnese is crashed. 3,500 rebels killed, 4,000 captured.

December 11-12, 1948: The battle for the capturing of Karditsa (a town of 40,000 in Thessaly). Two DSE divisions (I, II) & the DSE cavalry brigade, attack on the town of Karditsa. After inflicting huge losses on the local gendarmerie force, the communists withdrew with 3 artillery guns (war spoils).

December 15-30, 1948: X DSE division (under kapetan Gousias) attacks on the towns of Veroea, Edessa & Aridaea in N.Greece. The division suffered many losses & withdrew to Vitsi.

January 11, 1949: X DSE division, after regrouping & under new CO (kapetan Vlantas), attacks on the town of Naousa (N.Greece). After a 2-day fight & with minimum losses, the town was captured. The division withdrew two days later.

January 20-22, 1949: The Capture of the town of Karpenesion (Rumeli)

Two DSE divisions (I,II), two independent battalions & two independent companies, attacked & after a 2-day battle, captured & held the mountain town of Karpenesion for 18 days. On [b]January 29th , one Greek army division (XV), two commando squadrons (A',B') & the 39th infantry regiment, commence a counter-offensive to recapture of the town. After a ferocious battle, the government forces retake Karpenesion, inflicting enormous losses on the rebels (one DSE battalion had all its men killed).

February 11-13, 1949: The battle of Phlorina (N.Greece):
Four DSE brigades (14th, 103rd, 18th, 107th), men of the DSE officers academy, three saboteur companies, two tank-destroyer companies, one transportation battalion, one medics company & one signals company attack on the government forces (II infantry division, Gendarmerie HQ & commando companies) stationed in the town of Phlorina. After a 2-day battle, the DSE forces withdrew the field leaving behind 713 dead. 350 rebels were captured. The government forces had 44 KIA, 284 wounded, 35 MIAs.



April 1-30, 1949: The second battle of Grammos:
DSE forces (16th, 108th, 103rd brigade), clash with three greek army divisions (VIII, IX, XVI) & two brigades (77th, 45th). After huge losses on both sides, the battle turns in favor of the communists.

May 1-June 21, 1949: Operation "Rocket/Pyravlos". The battle for the control of central Greece
Government forces (70,000 men) under lt.gen. Tsakalotos, commence a generalized attack on the rebel forces stationed in Roumeli & Thessaly (two DSE divisions, DSE army academy brigade) under Koliyannis. The battle is victorious for the government forces. The CO of the II DSE division kapetan Diamantees is killed. I DSE division, manages to escape & through the mountains of Olympus, Hasia, Pieria & Smolikas, reaches Grammos. On July 12, 1949 , KKE central committed announces that: ..."our democratic forces in central Greece, are no more.." . The last DSE forces now are gathered in the mountain area of Grammos-Vitsi.

NOTE: In my previous post i've made a mistake. The numbers regarding the civilian population that was deported due to the rebel assaults on the towns, the conscription by force & the executions were (according to official reports):
January 1947: 19,000

May 1947: 65,000

September 1947: 238,000

November 1947: 500,000

March 1948: 600,000

May 1949: 684,000

Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:12 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 9:44 am

A Brief History of the Signals Corps (Diavivases)

The Signals Corps was formed in the beginning (1910) as an agency (Yperesia) of the Corps of Engineers (together with the Transportation/Metagogikόn agency of the Engineers). Its duty was to act as a link between the various army elements (Telegraphist Company of the Engineers Corps/Lόchos Telegraphetόn Mechanikou).


Optical Telegraph of the Telegraphist Company in the 2nd Balkan War (1913)

In 1913, immediately after the Balkan Wars, two independent Signal Regiments appear. Between 1926-1935, the three Divisions (II, III, IV) of the A'Corps appear having one Signal Btn each. In 1946, Signals became the fifth Arm (Infantry, Artillery, Armor, Engineers, Signals) of the Hellenic Army.


A telegraphist in the Albanian front (1940)


Students of the Officers School of Signals (formed in 1949), in 1966


The insignia shown above, is worn by Signals Officers on blue-colour collar patches. The distinct branch-colour of the Signals Corps, is blue (as a rememberance of the sky, used by the first flying telegraphists, the doves)


The shield of the Signals Corps

Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:17 am

A brief History of the Technical Corps (Technikόn)

Technical Corps appears for the first time as an independent Corps in 1946 under the name Army Technical Agency Corps/Sόma Technikόn Yperesiόn Stratou . Since then, each Corps of the Army had its own technical agency (Artillery technical agency/technikee yperesia pyrovolikou, Engineers technical agency/technikee yperesia mechanikou). In 1947, the Technical Directorate of the HAGS (Hellenic Army General Staff) is formed & the Corps took its name used today (Technical Corps/Sόma Technikόn). The Technical Corps Battalion today appears under the name Base/Vasis & the TC Company under the name Maintenance Company/Lόchos Syntereeseos or Repair Company/Lόchos Episkevόn



The insignia shown above, worn by the officers of the Technical Corps on red-blue-red collar patches. It symbolizes the technical support given to the Artillery (guns), the Engineers (gear wheel) & to the various electronic devices used by the Army (lightning)



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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:00 am

A brief History of the Ordnance Corps (Sόma Ylikou Polemou)

The Ordnance Corps appears for the first time in 1866 as Artillery Ordnance Authority/Ephoria Ylikou Polemou Pyrovolikou . In 1880 appear for the first time, independent Ordnance Supply Companies . In 1900 the Directorate of the Ordance Corps is formed, with one Ordnance General Warehouse (i.e. Btn)/Genikee Apotheke Ylikou . In early January 1945 , the Ordnance Corps is formed & its first unit was the 651 Ordnance Base(i.e. Btn)/651 Vasis Ylikou Polemou. In April 1945 , three independent Ordnance Brigades are formed ( 3rd, 21st, 22nd Ordnance Brigade/Taxiarchia Ylikou Polemou ).


The insignia shown above (crossed spears, three on the left-three on the right with ancient Greek helmet on the center), is the insignia worn by the Officers of the Ordnance Corps on blue-red-blue collar patches.



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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:09 pm

A brief History of the Finance Corps (Sόma Economikόn)


The insignia shown above, is the one worn by the Finance Officers on orange collar-patches. The sword symbolizes the fact that is the only Corps of the Army formed almost exclusively by officers. The pen symbolizes the budgetary assistance & the scientific mission of the Corps. The working-bee stands for the non-interrupted operation of the Corps

The Finance Corps is the first Corps of the Hellenic Army, formed in 1828 . In 1834 is renamed to Military Logistics Corps/Sόma Genikou Logisteriou . In 1914 is disbanded & its mission is conducted by the newly formed Logistics Corps/Sόma Epimeleteeas . In 1970 the Finance Corps is reformed, under the Finance Directorate of the HAGS.


Collar patches of the Finance Officers. Left: Brigadier-General collar-patch. Middle: Field & Subaltern Officer collar patch (the complex of the bee, the sword & the pen surrounded by laurel leaves). Right: Finance controller/Economikόs Elengtees collar-patch (the lit torch), an independent branch of the Finance Corps. The two patches below are the ones worn on the battle dress by Finance officers (left) & Finance Controller Officers (right)



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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:47 pm

A brief History of the Supply & Transportation Corps/Sόma Ephodiasmou-Metaphorόn

This Corps appeared for the first time in 1897 as an agency of the Engineers Corps under the name Yperesia Metagogikou Mechanikou/Transportation Agency of the Engineers . In 1929 the Transportation Corps/Sόma Metagogikόn is formed as an independent Corps under the B' Branch (Supply & Transportation) of HAGS . In 1941 the Automobile Corps/Sόma Aphtokineeton , the Transportation Corps & the Supply Corps/Sόma Ephodiasmou (units in exile operating in the Middle East) unite to form the Supply & Transportation Corps .


The insignia shown above, is worn by the Officers of the Corps on yellow-green-yellow collar patches. The wheat stalk stands for the supply & the wings stand for the airborne supply operations conducted by the corps (865 TENEF-Tagma Enaeriou Ephodiasmou/Airborne Supply Btn)







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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:27 pm

A brief History of the Army Aviation Corps/Aeroporia Stratou

Army Aviation is the sixth & newest Arm (Arms in the Greek Military terminology are the Army elements that participate directly to battle): Infantry, Artillery, Armor, Engineers, Signals, Army Aviation.
Army Aviation as an independent corps, appeared in 1915 when the Army Aviation Agency/Aeroporikee Yperesia Stratou is formed at Palaeon Phaleron outside Athens. In 1919 the Army Aviation Agency Directorate/Diephthynsis Aeroporikes Yperesias Stratou of the Army HQ is formed. In 1924 , Army Aviation is equipped with the Dehavilland-4 , Dehavilland-9 & Sopwith Camel planes. In 1960 Army Aviation appears equipped with the newly arrived OH-13H (Bell 47G) helicopter.

In 1961 this agency is named to Army Aviation/Aeroporia Stratou & the Army Aviation Directorate/Diephthynsis Aeroporias Stratou of the HAGS is formed. Army Aviation is equipped with the L-21B Piper


Since 1997, 1 TAXAS-Taxiarchia Aeroporias Stratou/Army Aviation Brigade is equipped with the AH-64A Apache Helicopter (24) .
The insignia worn by the Army Aviation Officers, is a helicopter surrounded by laurel leaves, on dark red collar patches. Army Aviation Officers & enlisted personnel wear dark red berets.





Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:26 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:55 am

A brief History of the Medical Corps (Sόma Hygionomikόn)

Medical Corps was founded in 1822 according to the act issued by the first revolutionary parliament of the revolted Greeks (A' Epidaurus National Assembly). The man who founded the first Military Hospital in Greece, was the German surgeon Heinrich Treiber , the founder of the first Military Pharmacist Warehouse (Stratiotikee Pharmakapotheke), also, in 1828 . First CO of the Military Hospital of Naphplion (first capital of liberated Greece) was the German Adolf Mann (1830) & the first director of the Military Vaterinary Service/Stratiotikee Kteniatrikee Yperesia was the Bavarian Georg Horsch . In 1880 the Military Medical Service/Stratiotikee Hygionomike Yperesia is formed. In 1897 this agency is reformed under the advices of the French (member of the French military mission to Greece), Dr. Arnaud Odilot . Thus, in 1909 , every major Army unit has an organic Medical Company/Lόchos Hygionomikou. In 1914 , after the Balkan Wars, the Military Pharmacist Corps/Sόma Stratikόn Pharmakopiόn is formed & in 1917 , each Army Corps has one organic Medical Btn/Tagma Hygionomikou. In November 1917 , the Military Veterinary Service/Yperesia Stratiotikόn Kteniatron is formed under the Medical Directorate/Diephthynsis Hygionomikou of the Army HQ. In 1937 , the Military Dentist Corps/Sόma Stratiotikόn Odontiatron is formed. In 1946 the Nurse Corps/Sόma Nosokόmon is formed & in 1969 , the Dentist, Pharmacist, Veterinary & Nurse Corps unite with the Military Medical Service to form the Medical Corps. Today, Medical Corps operates three major Military Hospitals (equivalent to Medical Brigade each): 401 GSNA (Athens General Military Hospital), 414 SNEN (Special Diseases Military Hospital), 417 NIMTS (Military Medical Institution) , four smaller hospitals (equivalent to Medical Btn each): 406 SNI/Military Medical Hospital (Ioannina), 411 SNT/Military Medical Hospital (Tripolis), 412 SNX/Military Medical Hospital (Xanthi), 424 SNET/MASH (Thessaloniki/Salonika) & the 441 AVYY (Medical Ordnance Base-i.e Btn) .


The insignia shown above, are worn by Officers of the Medical Corps on distinct colour-branch collar patches. From left to right: Medical, Dentist Officer (A staff, with a snake curled around it, surrounded by laurel leaves, on purple colour patch), Veterinary Officer (A staff, with a snake curled around it, surrounded by laurel leaves, on pink colour patch), Pharmacist Officer (a staff, with a snake curled around it, surrounded by laurel leaves, on green-colour collar patch), Nurse Officer (the mortar and pestle on purple colour patch), Medical Finance Controller/Hygionomikόs Elengtes (a staff, with a snake curled around it, without the laurel leaves, on green-purple collar patch).
The patches shown below, are the ones worn by Brigadier Generals (Medical-Dentist, Veterinary, Pharmacist)

NOTE: Medical Corps has special ranks for its Officers; 2nd Lt- Anthypiatros (Med), Anthypokteniatros (Vet), Anthypopharmakopios (Pharm) , 1st Lt- Ypiatros (Med), Ypokteniatros (Vet), Ypopharmakopios (Pharm) , Cpt- Iatros (Med-lit. Doctor), Kteniatros (Vet-lit. Veterinarian), Pharmakopios (Pharm-lit. Pharmacist) , Maj- Epiatros (Med), Epikteniatros (Vet), Epipharmakopios (Pharm) , Lt.Col- Archiatros (lit. Chief Doctor for Med), Archikteniatros (Chief Veterinarian for Vet), Archipharmakopios (Chief Pharmacist for Pharm) , Col- Genikos Archiatros (lit. General Chief Doctor), Genikos Archiakteniatros (lit. General Chief Veterinarian), Genikos Archipharmakopios (General Chief Pharmacist)



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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:48 pm

A brief History of the Postal Corps (Sόma Tachydromikόn)

Army Postal Agency/Tachydromikee Yperesia Stratou formed in 1949 & initially its administrative staff was Career Officers. In 1969 , the Postal Corps was formed. Today, every Officer of the Corps is transfered from another Corps (70-80% of the Postal Officers come from the Engineers). Postal Officers, can reach the Colonel's rank.


The insignia worn by the Postal Officers: The herald's horn on green-brown collar patch. The second patch from the left, shown on the picture above, is the one worn on the battle dress.



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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:21 pm

A brief History of the Judicial Corps (Sόma Dikastikόn)

The Judicial Corps, is a joint corps of the Armed forces. It's officers belong to either the Army, Navy or Air-Force. Judicial Officers wear dark green uniforms & on the rank insignia worn by the Field & General officers, the flaming grenade is replaced by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff crest


Judicial Corps was formed from the beginning of its existence as joint corps, under the act issued on April 28th 1880 (General Judicial Agency/Genikee Dikastikee Yperesia).

The insignia shown above, is worn by the Judicial Officers on raspberry-colour collar patches

NOTES: Judicial Corps has special ranks for the officers in its service:
2nd Lt-Deputy Judicial Councillor C' Class
1st Lt-Deputy Judicial Councillor B' Class
Cpt-Deputy Judicial Councillor A' Class
Maj-Judicial Councillor C' Class
Lt.Col-Judicial Councillor B' Class
Col-Judicial Councillor A' Class
Brig.Gen-Revision Court Councillor C' Class
Maj.Gen-Revision Court Councillor B' Class
Lt.Gen-Revision Court Councillor A' Class



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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:58 pm

A brief History of the Religious Corps (Sόma Threskephtikόn)

The first Greek military-oriented chaplains appeared during the Greek revolution of 1821-1830, with the act issued by the A' Epidaurus National Assembly of the revolted Greeks in 1822. Since 1969 , Religious Corps is the second joint corps of the Armed Forces. Religious Corps officers, wear the traditional soutane of the Greek Orthodox clergy (in green-grey or grey colour instead of the traditional black though). The Officer's rank insignia is worn on the stiff collar of the soutane. Religious Corps rank insignia have the HNDGS crest (field & general officers) instead of the flaming grenade, too. Head of the RC is the B' Deputy Chief of the HNDGS. Father (Cpt-RC) Antόnios Chrysόpoulos is the military chaplain of the Greek RRF (rapid reaction force) & a fully trained commando parachutist. He wears the Greek Parachutist wings on his soutane. Today, RC has 44 military chaplains in its service. Religious Corps does not have distinct branch colour.

Last edited by valtrex on Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:30 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:39 pm

A brief History of the Conscription Corps (Sόma Stratologias)

Since January 1, 1880 in Greece there is an obligatory military service for every able male (from January 1st of his 20th year). So, the Armed Forces needed a corps that could organize the registration of males for a military service. Thus, the Conscription Corps is formed in 1914 . Since June 8, 1989 , the Conscription Corps is the third joint corps of the Armed Forces. Its officers wear dark-green uniforms & come from either the Army, the Navy or the Air-Force. Conscription Corps officers wear the same rank insignia of the Judicial & Religious Corps.


The insignia shown above, is worn by the officers of the Conscription Corps on light blue (sky-blue) collar patches. The sword stands for the fact that the Corps is formed entirely of officers. The anchor stands for the Navy, the eagle stands for the Air-Force & the flaming grenade stands for the Army. This complex is crossed by two pens that stand for the scientific & secretarial mission of the Corps, surrounded by laurel leaves



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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:23 pm

A brief history of the Research & Informatics Corps (Sόma Erevnas kai Plerophorikees)

The R&I Corps is the newest corps of the Army. It was established in 1998 , aiming at the exploitation of modern technologies in the Army, so that, through them, power multipliers, strategic advantage and possibility of dominance over the upcoming digital battle field, to be created. Towards this purpose, R&IC, was manned by highly educated, in the technical field, officers.


The insignia shown above is worn by the R&I Corps officers on grey-colour collar patches. The electron stands for the digital technology, the lightning bolt for the communication & informatics. The sword stands for the exploitation of the digital technology in the Army



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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:41 pm

A brief History of the Geodetics Corps (Geographikee Yperesia Stratou/Hellenic Military Geographical Service or GYS)

In August of 1889 , the Geodetic Mission was established. Its CO was an Austrian Military Officer Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich Hartl



and its purpose was to compile the "Topographic and Cadastral Map of the Country. The Geodetic Mission which included Greek officers of the Corps of Engineers in 1891 was renamed "Geodetic Section".
After the departure of the Austrian Mission the " Geodetic Section" was renamed to "Cartographic Military Service". GYS acquired its present name and it's new regulation according the legislature of February 2, 1926 . During the Second World War all of GYS archive and equipment were destroyed. Today GYS produces, all necessary cartographic materials needed for the Hellenic armed forces, but also a variety of other products for the development of the country and needs of the general public


The insignia shown above is worn by the Geodetics Corps on brown-coral light-brown collar patches



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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:48 am

Auxiliary Corps

A brief History of the Quastermasters Corps (Sόma Phrontistόn)

According to the legislature 219/1996 of the Ministry of Defence, "...March 1, 2000, will mark the establishment of an independent service support branch of the Hellenic Army, the Quartermasters Corps... . Since 1996, QM was an auxiliary branch of (mostly) the Finance Corps. QM has one peculiar characteristic: The Officers in its service, wear the working-bee (the same one worn by the Finance officers, without the pen, the sword & the laurel leaves) on the distinct branch-colour collar patch of their specialty (for instance, the bee on green patch for Cavalry QM, the bee on black patch for Artillery QM etc.-Cavalry QM, Artillery QM, Infantry QM, Engineers QM, Signals QM & Technical QM).

A brief History of the Chief-Technicians Corps (Sόma Architechnitόn)
March 1, 2000 is the birthday of the second auxiliary corps of the Army, the Chief-Tecnicians Corps. Chief-Technician is the most highly skilled of the technical staff. As the supervisor of all technicians, the Chief Technician normally does not work in the field, but may be required to do so when complex problems arise. They wear the Technical Corps branch insignia (without the laurel leaves) on the distinct branch colour collar patch of their specialty (Specialties: Infantry CT, Cavalry CT, Artillery CT, Engineers CT, Signals CT, Technical CT, Supply & Transportation CT, Ordnance CT, Medical & Vaterinary Ordnance CT, Ordnance Explosives Disposal CT).

PS: I've asked a friend of mine, a Finance Officer, the correct translation of the Greek Economikόs Elengtees & he replied that these officers are Finance Registers . So, Finance registers for Finance Corps (instead of Finance controllers) & Medical Finance Registers for Medical Corps (instead of Medical Finance Controllers).



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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:33 am

The Army Secretaries Corps-Sόma Stratiotikόn Grammateon

It was established in 1996 . 70-80% of the officers in its service, are women.

The crossed pens surrounded with laurel leaves, as shown above, is the branch insignia of the ASC worn on orange-brown branch-colour collar patch

The Judicial Secretaries Corps-Sόma Dikastikόn Grammateon

It's a joint corps of the Armed Forces, under the HNDGS (Judicial Secretaries Directorate of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff). Its Director holds the Colonel's (JSC) rank. 70-80% of its personnel are women volunteer NCOs.
The scales of justice, and the crossed pens on raspberry-colour collar patches is the branch insignia of this corps .

The Army Interpreters Corps-Sόma Stratiotikόn Diermineon

70-80% of its personnel are women professional conference interpreters (volunteer NCOs). Two overlapping rings (one red, one blue, like the ones found on the olympic flag), on orange-brown branch-colour collar patches, is the branch insignia worn by the AIC officers



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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:05 pm

A brief summary of the Hellenic Army insignia of branch:

1-Arms (Hόplon/Hόpla in plural , army elements that participate directly to battle or provide combat support):

Infantry-Pezikόn

Two crossed rifles surrounded by laurel leaves on red branch-colour collar patches

Armored Cavalry-Ippikόn Tethorakismena

Two cavalry sabres surrounded by laurel leaves on green branch-colour collar patches

Artillery-Pyrovolikόn


Engineers-Mechanikόn

Engineers distinct colour branch is the pink of the amaranth flower

Signals-Diavivases

Signals distinct colour branch is blue

Army Aviation-Aeroporia Stratou
The helicopter surrounded by laurel leaves on dark red branch colour patch

2-Corps (Sόma/Sόmata in plural , army elements that provide logistic support):

Technical-Technikόn


Ordnance-Ylikou Polemou


Finance (or Audit)-Economikόn

The working-bee, the crossed pen & sword on orange branch colour collar patches. The lit torch on orange for Finance registers

Supply & Transportation-Ephodiasmou Metaphorόn

the wheat stalk & the wings surrounded by laurel leaves on yellow-green-yellow branch colour collar patches

Medical-Hygionomikόn

Purple colour for Medical-Dentist-Nurse, pink for veterinary, green for pharmacist. The stalk and the snake without laurel leaves on green-purple
branch colour collar patches for Medical registers & Medical administratives. The mortar & pestle for nurse.

Postal-Tachydromikόn


Research & Informatics-Erevnas kai Plerophorikees

The complex of the sword the ligtning bolt & the electron on grey branch colour collar patches

Quartermasters-Phrontistόn
The bee on specialty branch colour collar patch

Chief Technicians-Architechnitόn

The insignia shown above (without the laurel leaves) on specialty branch colour collar patch

Army Interpreters-Stratiotikόn Diermineon
Two overlapping circles (one red-one blue) on orange-brown branch colour collar patches

Army Secretaries-Stratiotikόn Grammateon

Two crossed pens surrounded by laurel leaves on orange-brown branch colour collar patches

Music-Mousikόn
The lyre on dark-blue branch colour collar patches

Geodetics-Geographikee Yperesia Stratou or GYS

Geodetics branch colour is brown-light coral-brown

3-Joint Corps (Diakladika Sόmata , comprised of officers of the Army, Navy & Air-Force, under the authority of HNDGS-Hellenic National Defence General Staff. On the Field & General Officer rank insignia, the flamming grenade is replaced by the HNDGS crest)


Religious-Threskephtikόn
No branch insignia

Judicial-Dikastikόn


Judicial Secretaries-Dikastikόn Grammateon

The Judicial Corps branch insignia, plus crossed pens.

Conscription-Stratologikόn or Stratologias

The complex shown above on sky-blue branch-colour collar patches

Here's an example of the branch insignia (on battle dress):

First row (vertical): General Officers, Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Army Aviation
Second row (vertical): Technical, Supply & Transportation, Ordnance, Research & Informatics, Geodetics, Finance, Finance Registers, Medical.
Third row (vertical): Nurse, Medical registers-Medical administratives, Army Interpreters, Army Secretaries, Postal, Music, Chief-Technicians, Quartermasters

Here's an example of the branch insignia:

First row (vertical): General Officers (Arms-Technical-Supply & Transp.-Ordnance-Research & Inform.-Geodetics), General Officers (Medical Doctor-Dentist-Nurse), General Officers (Vet), General Officers (Pharmacist), General Officers (Finance-Finance Registers)
Second row: Infantry, Armored Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Army Aviation.
Third row: Technical, Supply & Transp., Ordnance, Research & Inform, Geodetics, Finance.
Fourth row: Finance Registers, Medical (Doctor-Dentist), Medical (Vet), Medical (Pharm), Medical (Nurse), Medical (Medical Registers-Medical Administratives).
Fifth row: Army Interpreters, Army Secretaries, Postal, Music, Chief-Technicians, Quartermasters

Last edited by valtrex on Mon Jun 20, 2005 1:35 pm; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:28 pm

Hellenic Navy, Naval Academy/Scholee Naphtikόn Dokimon


Navy Cadets on Parade


Navy Cadets in class


Navy Cadets in a ceremony


The current official uniform of Navy Cadets, worn by students of all branches & classes, is almost identical (with minor changes) to the original one of 1845

Naval Cadet Insignia:

From left to right, first row (starting from top, horizontally): Cadet Branch designation shoulder-board and sash insignia: Anchor (line), Propeller (engineers), worn on shoulder board & sash. Cadet year designation shoulder-board insignia: 1-freshman/protoetees, 2-sophomore/dephteroetees, 3-junior/tritoetees, 4-senior/tetartoetees, worn on shoulder board. Second row: Academy valeditorian (won numerous academic excellence awards), Class valeditorian.
Third row: Seamanship qualifications-Military skills, naval skills.
Fourth row: Cadet School & Class CO designation sleeve insignia-Line, Engineers.
Fifth row: Honorary distinctions-skilled marksman, skilled athlete, skilled fencer

Hellenic Navy, Career NCO School/Scholee Monimon Ypaxiomatikόn Naphtikou or SMYN


SMYN students in a ceremony

SMYN Student Insignia:

From left to right, first row (starting from top, horizontally):
First row: School grade 1 (valeditorian-won numerous academic excellence awards), School grade 2.
Second row: Seamanship qualifications-naval skills, military skills.
Third row: Student School CO designation sleeve insignia-Leader, Sub-leader
Fourth row: Class valeditorian, Student year designation insignia: 1-Freshman/Protoetees, 2-Senior/Dephteroetees



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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 3:56 pm

Hellenic Army Academy/Stratiotikee Scholee Evelpidon

Army Academy provides the Army with Regular Officers of the Arms (Infantry, Armored Cavalry, Engirneers, Signals, Army Aviation), the Technical, Supply & Transportation Corps as well as the Ordnance Corps.


1910 Cadet

The CO of the 1st Cadet Btn delivers the short swords to the 1st & 2nd year students. Note that the Ceremony Uniform worn by the Cadets today, is identical (with minor changes) to the Uniform worn by the Cadets in 1910


The President of the Republic, hands over the swords to the new sworn-in Second Lieutenants


The new Second Lieutenants, deliver the Academy Colours to the School Valeditorian (4th-year Cadet)

Cadet year designation shoulder-board insignia:

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th-year Student

Academy valeditorian I:

Chief Grade I/Archegόs Scholees. The Academy Valeditorian, always holds the rank of Master Sergeant

Academy valeditorian II:

Academy Chief Grade II/Yparchegόs Scholees. The second in academic excellence in the Academy, always holds the rank of 1st Sergeant

Class valeditorian I:

Class Chief Grade I/Archegόs Taxeos. The top student in academic excellence in each class, always holds the rank of Sergeant .

Class valeditorian II:

Class Chief Grade II/Yparchegόs Taxeos. The second in academic excellence in each class, always holds the rank of Corporal



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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 2:55 pm

A brief History of the Military Combat Support Officers School-Stratiotikee Scholee Axiomatikon Somaton or SSAS-ΣΣΑΣ

In 1926 , the Military Medical School/Stratiotikee Iatrikee Scholee, or SIS/ΣΙΣ is established in Athens.


SIS in 1926


The crest of SIS in 1926

In 1935 , Army HQ decides that SIS must cease providing support officers for the Army. Thus, in 1937 , the Military School of Combat Agency Officers-Stratiotikee Scholee Axiomatikon Somaton Yperesion, or SASY/ΣΑΣΥ is established in Athens. It provided officers for the Medical, Conscription, Finance & Automobile Corps. In 1941 with the German occupation of Greece, SASY ceases to exist.
In 1946 , a year after the liberation, SIS is established again, this time in Thessaloniki/Salonika.


SIS in 1946

In 1970 , SIS (Military Medical School) is renamed to SSAS (Military School of Combat Support Officers) & according to the law of 1970, SSAS provides the Army with Medical, Dentist, Vaterinary, Pharmacist, Judicial, Conscription & Finance Officers... . Today, SSAS is based in Salonika


SSAS today

and provides the Army with Medical, Veterinary, Pharmacist, Conscription & Finance Officers.


The SSAS crest. The owl stands for wisdom & the spears stand for the military nature of the school. SSAS motto is a phrase from the Aeshylus tragedy The seven against Thebes (written in 467 BC): Petharchia Ephpraxias Meter/Discipline is the mother of the deeds of valour

The ranking system of SSAS, is the same as the Hellenic Army Academy.



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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:40 pm

Amazing stuff! Good job!



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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:49 am

Maybe it isn't good place for this question ... but:

I look for info about modernization and development of Greece Air Force on teh 2nd halt of '1930 (mainly time 1938-41 - especially every info of buying Potez-633, MB-151 and Blenheim's and modernization and development programs in this time).

thx for every info.

Mitoko (Poland)
mtkowalewski@kaskada.gda.pl



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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:26 pm



Check here:
http://math.fce.vutbr.cz/safarik/ACES/aces1/greece-ww2.html
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se
http://koti.welho.com/msolanak/diafora.html



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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:52 pm



thx - but I know it and unnecessary there is no info wchich I looking for



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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:49 pm

A Brief History of the Hellenic Navy Underwater Demolition Command/Dioikesis Ypovrychion Katastrophon or DYK



The first MYK unit (MYK=Monas Ypovrychion Katastrophon/Underwater Demolition Unit) was established in 1953 the year Greece was accepted as a NATO member. A small nucleous of NCOs & officers was sent then at the UDC training center of the US Navy. Today, MYK units are specially trained and equipped for making hydrographic reconnaissance of approaches to prospective landing beaches; for effecting demolition of obstacles and clearing mines in certain areas; locating, improving, and marking of useable channels; channel and harbor clearance; acquisition of pertinent data during pre-assault operations, including military information; observing the hinterland to gain information useful to the landing force; and for performing miscellaneous underwater and surface tasks within their capabilities.
MYK has a number of available reservists that are often mobilized for training.






The official pin-on insignia worn by MYK members


The specialty embroidered patch worn by the MYK members. Under the MYK & its staff, exist four OYK teams (OYK: Omas Ypovrychion Katastrophon/Underwater Demolition Team). These teams are the operational "branch" of MYK. OYK-1/2=Hydrographic reconnaissance of approaches to prospective landing beaches. OYK-3= Acquisition of pertinent data during pre-assault operations, including military information. OYK-4=Demolition of obstacles and clearing mines in certain areas & performing miscellaneous underwater and surface tasks within their capabilities.


The unofficial emblem of the OYK units


Diver pin-on & embroidered patch insignia


The embroidered parachutist insignia worn by the MYK men is identical to the ones worn by the Army Special Forces: Basic Parachutist insignia, senior parachutist insignia, master parachutist insignia


MYK NCOs & Officers use the HN insignia of rank. Note the officer insignia patch worn on the collar (the standing officer on the right)



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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 10:23 am

Hellenic Army Officers Winter Uniforms


Official Uniform Nr1


Ceremony Uniform Nr2


Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff (A/GEETHA) Nr2 Ceremony Uniform


Ceremony Uniform Nr3a


Special Forces Nr7 Officer Parade Uniform


Official Euzone Officer Uniform (1st Lt, note that he wears the rank insignia on the red pharion- fez )


Officers Mess Nr4 Uniform


Officers Mess Nr5 Uniform


Winter Nr8 Service dress

Last edited by valtrex on Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:47 am; edited 1 time in total



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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:03 pm

Hellenic Army Officer Summer Uniforms


Nr1 Official Uniform


Nr2 Ceremony Uniform


Nr3 Ceremony Uniform


Nr3a Ceremony Uniform


Nr4 Officers Mess Uniform


Nr6 Soiree Uniform


Nr9 Service Uniform


Nr9 Special Forces Service Uniform


Army Aviation Pilot Service Uniform (Winter-Summer)



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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:20 pm

Hellenic Navy Officers (Male)


Winter Nr2 Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr3 Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr3a Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr4 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr5 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr6 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr7 Service Uniform (Garrison Officer)

Winter Nr8 Inspection Uniform

Winter Nr8a Battledress

Winter Nr8b Service dress

Winter Nr8c Service dress (Wooly-Pooly)

Winter Nr9 Service dress (Patrol Officer)



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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:33 pm

Hellenic Navy Officers (Female) Uniforms


Winter Nr2 Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr3 Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr3a Ceremony Uniform

Winter Nr4 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr5 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr6 Soiree Uniform

Winter Nr7 Service Uniform (Garrison Officer)

Winter Nr8 Inspection Uniform

Winter Nr8a Battledress

Winter Nr8b Service dress

Winter Nr9 Service dress (Patrol Officer)



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Post subject:

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:42 pm

Hellenic Navy NCO (Male) Uniforms


Winter Nr1 Inspection Uniform

Winter Nr2 Service dress

Winter Mr3 Service dress (Garrison)

Winter Nr4 Battledress

Winter Nr5 Service dress

Winter Nr5a Service dress (Wooly-Pooly)

Winter Nr6 Service dress (Patrol)



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Post subject:

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:48 pm

Hellenic Navy NCO (Female) Uniforms


Winter Nr1 Inspection Uniform

Winter Nr3 Service dress (Garrison)

Winter Nr4 Battledress

Winter Nr5 Service dress



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Post subject:

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:52 pm

Hellenic Navy Draftee Uniforms


Winter Nr1 Inspection Uniform

Winter Nr2 Garrison-Parade Uniform

Winter Nr4 Service dress



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Post subject:

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:41 am

Hellenic Army Draftee Uniforms


Winter Inspection Uniform

Summer Inspection Uniform

Winter Service Dress

Summer Service Dress

MP Nr1 Inspection Winter Uniform

MP Nr1 Inspection Summer Uniform

MP Nr2 Winter Nr Service dress

MP Nr2 Summer Service dress

MP Nr3 Winter Service dress

MP Nr3 Summer Service dress

Euzone Ceremony Uniform

Euzone Winter Service dress

Euzone Summer Service dress

Cretan Presidential Guard Service dress



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Post subject:

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 9:08 am

Hellenic Army gradual evolution of Officer Formal (Nr1) dress (1840-current)



Lt.Col. in 1840

Lt.Col. in 1880

Col. in 1890

Col. in 1900

Lt.Col. in 1906

Col. in 1909

Col. in 1910

Col. in 1911

Lt.Gen. in 1922

Maj.Gen. in 1930

Maj.Gen. in 1936

Artillery Col. wearing the Nr2 ceremony uniform in 1940

Maj.Gen. in 1946

Brig.Gen. wearing the Nr2 ceremony uniform in 1946

Maj.Gen. in 1956

Maj.Gen. in 1964

Brig.Gen since 1974 wearing the Nr2 ceremony uniform

Special Forces Maj.Gen. (Director of the Special Forces Directorate of the Army General Staff) wearing the Nr8 Service dress in 2001



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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:42 pm

A Brief History of the 13th Special Operations Command (Amphibious Commandos)/13 Dioikesis Eidikon Epikheresion (Amphivioi Katadromeis)

The 13th Infantry Regiment/Syntagma Pezikou was established in 1913, under the Law Nr85 of November 29, 1913. 13th-27th-28th Infantry Regiment together with the XI Squadron of Mountain Artillery consisted the XI Infantry Division/Merarchia Pezikou .
During the Greek campaign of Minor Asia (1919-1922), 13th IR took part in the battles of Kara-Bunar (July 10, 1920) & Uzun-Kupru (July 11-12, 1920) .
In 1935, 13th IR was renamed 65th IR .
During the WWII, 65th IR took part in the battles of Erseke, Gjerkova, Dobrusa (November 25, 1940-February 5, 1941) & Mali-Spandarit (February 6-April 2, 1941) . After the capitulation of the Greek Army (April 20, 1941), 65th IR was dismantled.
On May 22, 1988 , Hellenic Army General Staff re-established the 13th IR under a new name 13th Amphibious Commandos Regiment . In 2001, 13th ACR was re-organized & formed a Special Forces brigade: 13th Special Operations Command/13 DEE .





Amphibious Commandos of the 13th SOC. C'/Γ' & Z' MAK-Amphibious Commando Squadron (i.e. battalion) comprise this unit


The crest of the Amphibious Commando Squadrons


The unofficial emblem of the Amphibious Commandos



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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:24 pm

A Brief history of E.T.A (Eidiko Tmeema Alexiptotiston/Special Parachute-Airborne Unit)

It is considered to be the elite of the elite of the Hellenic military. It is the most highly trained, and secretive unit of the Greek Special Forces. The ETA (Special Parachute-Airborne Unit) was formed in 1959 , as a Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP) type unit, and is tasked with conducting operations similar to US LRSU (Long Range Surveillance Units) or British Airborne Pathfinder units . Some of these missions include: Strategic reconnaissance, direct action raids, and sabotage missions.
Very little information about the units training, organization, or operations has been released publicly. What little is known is that it's composed of career Officers and NCO's. ETA's troops undergo some of the most extensive and grueling training within the Greek armed forces. In addition to completing training at the Special Forces' KEAP (Kentro Ekpedephseos Anorthodoxou Polemou/Unconventional Warfare Training Center), KEOAX (Kentro Ekpedephseos Orinou Agonos Chionodromon/Alpine & Mountain Warfare Training Center) and parachute courses, ETA operators have also attended the Greek Navy's MYK course, and the NATO ILRRPS (International Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol School) in Germany. ETA operators have conducted joint training exercises with similar type units from allied NATO countries, excluding Turkey . ETA is one of the units that comprise 13 Special Operations Command.






The ETA unofficial emblem



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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 12:52 pm

A Brief history of the 1st Commando-Para Brigade/Taxiarchia Katadromon-Alexiptotiston

The 1st Infantry Regiment/Syntagma Pezikou was established in 1913. 1st-7th-34th Infantry Regiment alongside the II Artillery Squadron consisted the II Infantry Division. 1st IR took part in the battle of Kilkis-Lachana (July 21, 1913) in the II Balkan War. Its men contributed the most for the victorious final outcome of the battle. It was also one of the regiments that followed A' Army Corps during the Ukraine expedition of 1919*
1st IR followed up the Greek Army in its campaign to Minor Asia & in WWII. After the German occupation of Greece (April 20, 1941), 1st IR was dismantled.
In 1966 Greek General Staff decided to re-establish 1st IR as 1st Commando Regiment .

In 1974 , during the Cyprus crisis, the entire 1st CR was moved on the island. A' MAL (Moira Alexiptotiston/Para Squadron i.e. battalion) left 29 men dead there.
On Janury 1, 2003 , 1st CR was re-organized & formed the 1st Commando-Para Brigade .




The crest of the Commando-Para Squadrons. 1st Commando-Para Brigade is composed of A' & B' MAL (Para Squadron)

Basic parachutist (5-30 jumps) pin-on metal insignia worn on Nr8 service uniform-for officers-or inspection uniform for career NCOs & enlisted personnel

Senior parachutist (31-64 jumps) pin-on metal insignia

Master parachutist (65+ jumps) pin-on metal insignia

Embroidered HALO breast patch

Pin-on metal HALO insignia


* NOTE: After the end of WWI, allied troops landed in southern Russia (i.e Ukraine) to support anti-Bolshevik military & political movements in the Ukraine & Crimea (February 1919). Greece sent out there its entire A' Army Corps under Major General Constantine Nither (Maj. Gen. Iakovos Negrepontes from June 1919) .

Maj.Gen. Constantine Nither with his staff

A' Army Corps in the Ukraine:
Infantry:
II Infantry Division-1st IR, 7th IR, 34th IR
XIII Infantry Division-2nd IR, 5/42 Euzone Regiment
Artillery:
2A Squadron of Mountain Artillery-1st & 2nd Artillery Battery
2B Squadron of Mountain Artillery-3rd & 4rth Artillery Battery
Independent Units:
4th Auxiliary Battalion
A' Telegraphist Detachment
B' Medical Conveyance Hospital
5th-6th-8th Medical Transport Section
4th Automobile Section
543 Army Aviation Flight
The Russian, Polish & Greek troops consisted the 1st Divisional Group under General Franchet d'Esperey . The Russian (white russian), Polish & Greek units were the main defence line while the French were in support or reserve.



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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 2:32 pm

A brief history of the Hellenic Alpine Battalion/Elliniko Tagma Chinodromon



In December 1940 , two months after the Italian invasion, Greek Army HQ decides to form an Alpine Battalion. It sends a request to the Greek Snow Club (a private organization) to suggest a number of alpine skiing experienced personnel. This Alpine Battalion is decided to be composed of three companies. 1st Company was manned by personnel suggested by the Greek snow club (a force of 130 Officers & men) under Captain (reservist) Emmanuel Bamieros . 2nd & 3rd Company was decided to have a force of 200 Officers & men. Hundreds of men came urgently from Korce, experienced men who had faught on the front line. These men attended alpine skiing training course for a month. Major Ioannis Paparrodou , the CO of the Alpine Battalion, picked 50 men & under an experienced skier, 1st Lieutenent (reservist) Constantine Talios who was a member of the Thessaloniki snow club, formed the 2nd Company. 3rd Company was in reserve. Most of the men of the 1st Company, were athletes & volunteers (like the Cypriot volunteer Renos Phrangoudes who was a Balkan champion in track & field) or even underaged (like the 17-year old Alexander Vouxinos). 1st Company's I/1 & II/1 platoons were sent to the Mneema tes Grias (beldam's grave) a 2,100 meter/7,546 feet top & put under the orders of Colonel Printzos of the 53rd Infantry Regiment, Army's most forward echelon on the front line.


Maj. Paparrodou (center), Sergeant Marinos (right), Pvt Georgios Pappas (left) who was killed on April 4th 1941, at beldam's grave

Major Ioannis Paparrodou (center) with his staff officers at the Battalion's HQ (Moschopol, Albania)

This was an "embryonic" attempt made by the Greek military to form a unit able to conduct war in Alpine conditions. Alpine Battalion lost Pvt Georgios Pappas & its CO Major Ioannis Paparrodou (he was killed in a clash with German troops on April 15th, 1941 ) during WWII.
Today, Greek Army doesn't have separate operational Alpine units. Every Special Forces (Commandos & Marines) unit undergo Alpine & Mountain Warfare training by completing training courses at the Special Forces' KEOAX (Kentro Ekpedephseos Orinou Agonos Chionodromon/Alpine & Mountain Warfare Training Center) at Mount Olympus.






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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 2:10 pm

I can't see most of the pictures :(((



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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:41 pm



Sorry about that...is any other member experiencing this problem?



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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:39 pm

I see ALL of them :D



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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:39 am

So am I now :)



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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 4:13 pm

A brief History of the 13th Hellenic Squadron


13th Light Bombing Squadron/13 Moira Elaphrou Vomvardismou was the first Squadron established in exile by the RHAF (Royal Hellenic Air Force) after the German occupation of Greece. The first combat mission of the Squadron took place in July 14, 1941 and was an anti-submarine patrol. This was flown in Anson N56 with the crew of: Sqn.Ldr S.Dakopoulos, F.Sgt S.Papadopoulos and Sgt P.Makris .
Training and anti-submarine patrols continued until November 1941 , when the Squadron was ordered to move to Mariyut near Alexandria, where in December of the same year received its first Blenheim IV aircraft. On July 28 flying a Blenheim IV with crew Plt Off I.Papoutsis, Lt Papadiamantopoulos and Sgt F.Saridis , while on convoy escort duty, hit a large enemy submarine forcing it to crash-dive North of Port Said. During Greek Civil War, based in Hassani from November 1944 through October 1946, 13th LBS operated the Baltimore and Wellington aircrafts on general support and reconnaissance duties. In 1947, 13th LBS was dismantled.

The patch worn by the men of the 13th Light Bombing Squadron





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