[[WATCH@@@]] Today: Greece VS Germany live 12 April 2023
We have been an honest nation and brave soldiers. [143] The Germans drove straight to the Acropolis and raised the Nazi flag. According to the most popular account of the events, the Evzone soldier on guard duty, Konstantinos Koukidis, took down the Greek flag, refusing to hand it to the invaders, wrapped himself in it, and jumped off the Acropolis. Whether the story was true or not, many Greeks believed it and viewed the soldier as a martyr. [137] Evacuation of Empire forces[edit] In the morning of 15 April 1941, Wavell sent to Wilson the following message: "We must of course continue to fight in close cooperation with Greeks but from news here it looks as if early further withdrawal necessary.
[71] Defence and attack forces[edit] Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey, commander of Australian I Corps, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, commanding general of the Empire expeditionary force ('W' Force) and Major General Bernard Freyberg, commander of the New Zealand 2nd Division, in 1941 in Greece The Fifth Yugoslav Army took responsibility for the south-eastern border between Kriva Palanka and the Greek border. The Yugoslav troops were not fully mobilised and lacked adequate equipment and weapons. Following the entry of German forces into Bulgaria, the majority of Greek troops were evacuated from Western Thrace. By this time, Greek forces defending the Bulgarian border totalled roughly 70, 000 men (sometimes labelled the "Greek Second Army" in English and German sources, although no such formation existed). The remainder of the Greek forces—14 divisions (often erroneously referred to as the "Greek First Army" by foreign sources)—was committed in Albania.
[117] On the morning of 18 April, the Battle of Tempe Gorge, the struggle for the Pineios Gorge, was over when German armoured infantry crossed the river on floats and 6th Mountain Division troops worked their way around the New Zealand battalion, which was subsequently dispersed. On 19 April, the first XVIII Mountain Corps troops entered Larissa and took possession of the airfield, where the British had left their supply dump intact. The seizure of ten truckloads of rations and fuel enabled the spearhead units to continue without ceasing.
Join Our Expat Activities and Mingle with Fellow Germans in GreeceMoreover, please feel free to attend our regular expat events and activities in Greece. Our get-togethers are very diverse and range from a cozy gathering to enjoy the traditional Greek moussaka, to big expat celebrations with hundreds of participants in Athens’s best locations. You can also participate in one of our expat trips to go and see the picturesque Peloponnese as well as other beautiful landmarks in Greece.
The British rear guards withdraw to Thebes. 5, 200 Commonwealth soldiers are evacuated from Porto Rafti, East Attica. 25 April The few RAF squadrons leave Greece. Some 10, 200 Australian troops are evacuated from Nafplio and Megara. The Germans stage an airborne operation to seize the bridges over the Corinth Canal.
27 April The first Germans enter Athens. 28 April Italian troops start occupying the Ionian and Aegean islands. 29 April 5th Panzer Division units reach the south coast of Peloponnese, where they are joined by SS troops arriving from Pyrgos. 30 April The evacuation of 42, 311 Commonwealth soldiers is completed. The Germans manage to capture around 7-8, 000 Commonwealth troops. The Greek campaign ended with a complete German and Italian victory.
[11] Greek-Yugoslav counteroffensive[edit] In early April 1941, Greek, Yugoslav and British commanders met to set in motion a counteroffensive, that planned to completely destroy the Italian army in Albania in time to counter the German invasion and allow the bulk of the Greek army to take up new positions and protect the border with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. [91][92] On 7 April, the Yugoslav 3rd Army in the form of five infantry divisions (13th "Hercegovacka", 15th "Zetska", 25th "Vardarska", 31st "Kosovska" and 12th "Jadranska" Divisions, with the "Jadranska" acting as the reserve), after a false start due to the planting of a bogus order, [93] launched a counteroffensive in northern Albania, advancing from Debar, Prisren and Podgorica towards Elbasan. On 8 April, the Yugoslav vanguard, the "Komski" Cavalry Regiment crossed the treacherous Accursed Mountains and captured the village of Koljegcava in the Valbonë River Valley, and the 31st "Kosovska" Division, supported by Savoia-Marchetti S.
The British did not have the military resources to carry out large simultaneous operations in both North Africa and the Balkans. Even if they had been able to block the Axis advance, they would have been unable to exploit the situation by a counter-thrust across the Balkans. [citation needed] The British came very near to holding Crete and perhaps other islands that would have provided air support for naval operations throughout the eastern Mediterranean. In enumerating the reasons for the complete Axis victory in Greece, the following factors were of greatest significance: German superiority in ground forces and equipment;[170][171] The bulk of the Greek army was occupied fighting the Italians on the Albanian front. German air supremacy combined with the inability of the Greeks to provide the RAF with adequate airfields;[170] Inadequacy of British expeditionary forces, since the force available was small;[171] Poor condition of the Hellenic Army and its shortages of modern equipment;[170] Inadequate port, road and railway facilities;[171] Absence of a unified command and lack of cooperation between the British, Greek and Yugoslav forces;[170] Turkey's strict neutrality;[170] and The early collapse of Yugoslav resistance.
Greece Loses to Germany in EuroBasket Quarter Final Giannis Antetokounmpo scores against Germany in Tuesday's quarter final. Credit: FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Greece lost the chance to progress