9051 - Liberation of Volos
August 5th, 1943
Central Greece, Volos - The Australians finally arrive in Volos, four days after the discussion between Montgomery and Spiliotopoulos, moderated by Audet. Over the course of the kilometers, burned houses and corpses of civilians, men, women and children, the anger rises in the ranks of the soldiers, while at the end of the peninsula appears a desolate city from which rise numerous plumes of smoke.
There is hardly any fighting when the Allies enter the city, which takes place in a gloomy atmosphere, in contrast to the cheers of Pharsalus. The port is ravaged, the city center is largely burned, cries and screams are the only sounds that accompany the progression of the troops. As a trophy, the men of Lieutenant-General Stevens capture a score of German or Italian deserters, as well as a hundred Greek collaborators.
The latter obviously tried to hide, in town or in the countryside, after having ditched their uniforms... but not their weapons. They are anyway systematically denounced to the allied soldiers, who often have to protect them in front of the angry population. Some lynchings are obviously reported, sometimes interrupted by the Australians, but not always. Sometimes, those who are the target can defend themselves before succumbing, adding more deaths to the dead.
Stevens, revolted, questions the most senior prisoner, a lieutenant of Austrian origin, about the reason for the sacking of Volos and the martyrdom inflicted on the population. The lieutenant tries to invoke "uncontrollable elements that were sanctioned when possible", pointing to the two hanged men in Riga Fereou Square, who have been rotting in the sun for five days. A pathetic defense, of course, and only the discipline of a general of Her Majesty spares the lieutenant from an immediate beating. Some were not so lucky, the Australians passing these "prisoners" to the Greek resistance. The luckiest were shot, the rest...
KG Müller therefore retreats northwards, out of reach of Stevens. The battalions that attempt to intercept it will only pick up stragglers or deserters. To this day, some inhabitants of the region still bitterly criticize the attitude of the Anglo-Saxon soldiers, who were considered timid while the drama was being played out in front of them. The right-wing movements hardly hesitate to speak of conspiracy, even complicity. However, it appears clearly that the 6th ID (AIF), which covers 70 kilometers in five days in a zone technically occupied, could hardly do better without exposing itself dangerously. Certainly, nowadays, it is a given that no unit of importance was between Neo-Monastiri and Volos, at the time, the Australian officers obviously knew nothing about it. The action of the Australians was able to preserve many civilians from the exactions of the henchmen of Müller, who alone were responsible for the massacre.
Unfortunately, Colonel Müller was to make his name again later, with his "Damned Band", as the "Kangaroos" would call him. Reduced to a large battalion, the KampfGruppe will leave a much more famous bloody trail than that of the 153. Feldausbildungs-Division, whose exactions committed further north were a little less spectacular.
Stevens' troops do not immediately push towards Larissa, as they could not secure their already stretched lines. To help the population, a field hospital will be sent from Athens, as well as an engineering unit intended to restore the port as soon as possible.
.........
Karditsa - Robertson and his staff are awakened around midnight by the sound of cannon fire. It is not their artillery, but that of the Germans! Indeed, thinking to take advantage of the presence of the allied tanks, the ELAS partisans (the Andartes), helped by a large number of peasants with the very diverse armament (petroses, axes, knives or even sticks!) rise in the center of Karditsa, immediately behind the German device.
The civilians are, for once, vigorous and relatively well equipped - direct consequences of the last two excellent harvests realized in this agrarian region*. They are, moreover, used to help each other against the Occupier: the majority of the young people joined the partisans, and the Jews were hidden and protected from deportation. Those who did not take up arms became liaison officers, the literate were assigned to organizational and administrative tasks, while the craftsmen made the equipment. The women serve as nurses and, mounted on the roofs, informing the Resistance fighters at the risk of their lives.
If the front line was far away and the area occupied by second-rate troops, this insurrection would certainly have succeeded. Its launching in the presence of seasoned troops, on the sole rumor of an imminent allied assault, was catastrophic. The GebirgsJägers, momentarily destabilized, retaliated with violence, quickly regaining control of the suburbs. The rebellion is thus confined to the old town, which has no military interest for the Germans and which is shelled with field guns. The insurgents who are taken prisoner, numbering 63 prisoners (including many Jews), are summarily executed, as well as 76 civilians rounded up at random in retaliation.
Robertson and Freyberg confer in the tent, in a heavy atmosphere. They can easily imagine the ordeal suffered by the inhabitants of Karditsa. Nevertheless, they are also professional soldiers, who know that emotion is a bad advisor: throwing their men into the night under the German machine guns will not help the population. Consequently, they decide to stick to the initial plan, only bringing forward the time of the assault. The officers are confident that the German soldiers will abandon the city once the breakthrough is achieved, for fear of being surrounded.
The attack starts at 06:30, as the sun is rising. As expected, the Luftwaffe troops crack under the pressure and the whole 11. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division begin to retreat, dragging the two regiments of the 164. ID - the whole German right wing retreats in disorder at 11:30. The Australians do not pursue immediately, but describe a wide arc to the west, tending to encircle the town. A message well understood by the soldiers of the 4. Gebirgs-Division "with the white gentian", who withdraw towards the mountains and Mouzaki as night falls. They will have to make a large detour before reaching Trikala. For that, at least, the Greek revolt had a purpose...
The soldiers of the Commonwealth prepare to continue to advance, somewhat slowed down by the civilian population which shouts its joy but asks for help. In fact, the sanitary and logistic services will be very busy during the next days.
.........
Course of the Sperchios - Further south, thanks to the progress of the ANZAC soldiers, the Yugoslavs billeted in Neo-Monastiri raise camp. They are relieved by the Greeks of the 2nd AC (General Georgios Tsolakoglou).
.........
North shore of the Gulf of Corinth - After the fight of the day before, the Poles resume their advance towards Amfilochia, moving towards the mountains south of Argos Amphilochians, whose foothills are reached at nightfall. The tanks of Maczek stop their progression there, waiting for the infantry. They take advantage of this opportunity to make contact with the EKKA partisans, who are much more friendly than those of the ELAS. The city of Agrinio, to the east, is also liberated by them.
The surviving defenders continue northward to join the next blockade formed by other elements of the 100. Jäger Division.
* The yield of the crops in this region at that time was 30 to 40 oke of wheat per working day, or 42.7 kilograms on average.
Central Greece, Volos - The Australians finally arrive in Volos, four days after the discussion between Montgomery and Spiliotopoulos, moderated by Audet. Over the course of the kilometers, burned houses and corpses of civilians, men, women and children, the anger rises in the ranks of the soldiers, while at the end of the peninsula appears a desolate city from which rise numerous plumes of smoke.
There is hardly any fighting when the Allies enter the city, which takes place in a gloomy atmosphere, in contrast to the cheers of Pharsalus. The port is ravaged, the city center is largely burned, cries and screams are the only sounds that accompany the progression of the troops. As a trophy, the men of Lieutenant-General Stevens capture a score of German or Italian deserters, as well as a hundred Greek collaborators.
The latter obviously tried to hide, in town or in the countryside, after having ditched their uniforms... but not their weapons. They are anyway systematically denounced to the allied soldiers, who often have to protect them in front of the angry population. Some lynchings are obviously reported, sometimes interrupted by the Australians, but not always. Sometimes, those who are the target can defend themselves before succumbing, adding more deaths to the dead.
Stevens, revolted, questions the most senior prisoner, a lieutenant of Austrian origin, about the reason for the sacking of Volos and the martyrdom inflicted on the population. The lieutenant tries to invoke "uncontrollable elements that were sanctioned when possible", pointing to the two hanged men in Riga Fereou Square, who have been rotting in the sun for five days. A pathetic defense, of course, and only the discipline of a general of Her Majesty spares the lieutenant from an immediate beating. Some were not so lucky, the Australians passing these "prisoners" to the Greek resistance. The luckiest were shot, the rest...
KG Müller therefore retreats northwards, out of reach of Stevens. The battalions that attempt to intercept it will only pick up stragglers or deserters. To this day, some inhabitants of the region still bitterly criticize the attitude of the Anglo-Saxon soldiers, who were considered timid while the drama was being played out in front of them. The right-wing movements hardly hesitate to speak of conspiracy, even complicity. However, it appears clearly that the 6th ID (AIF), which covers 70 kilometers in five days in a zone technically occupied, could hardly do better without exposing itself dangerously. Certainly, nowadays, it is a given that no unit of importance was between Neo-Monastiri and Volos, at the time, the Australian officers obviously knew nothing about it. The action of the Australians was able to preserve many civilians from the exactions of the henchmen of Müller, who alone were responsible for the massacre.
Unfortunately, Colonel Müller was to make his name again later, with his "Damned Band", as the "Kangaroos" would call him. Reduced to a large battalion, the KampfGruppe will leave a much more famous bloody trail than that of the 153. Feldausbildungs-Division, whose exactions committed further north were a little less spectacular.
Stevens' troops do not immediately push towards Larissa, as they could not secure their already stretched lines. To help the population, a field hospital will be sent from Athens, as well as an engineering unit intended to restore the port as soon as possible.
.........
Karditsa - Robertson and his staff are awakened around midnight by the sound of cannon fire. It is not their artillery, but that of the Germans! Indeed, thinking to take advantage of the presence of the allied tanks, the ELAS partisans (the Andartes), helped by a large number of peasants with the very diverse armament (petroses, axes, knives or even sticks!) rise in the center of Karditsa, immediately behind the German device.
The civilians are, for once, vigorous and relatively well equipped - direct consequences of the last two excellent harvests realized in this agrarian region*. They are, moreover, used to help each other against the Occupier: the majority of the young people joined the partisans, and the Jews were hidden and protected from deportation. Those who did not take up arms became liaison officers, the literate were assigned to organizational and administrative tasks, while the craftsmen made the equipment. The women serve as nurses and, mounted on the roofs, informing the Resistance fighters at the risk of their lives.
If the front line was far away and the area occupied by second-rate troops, this insurrection would certainly have succeeded. Its launching in the presence of seasoned troops, on the sole rumor of an imminent allied assault, was catastrophic. The GebirgsJägers, momentarily destabilized, retaliated with violence, quickly regaining control of the suburbs. The rebellion is thus confined to the old town, which has no military interest for the Germans and which is shelled with field guns. The insurgents who are taken prisoner, numbering 63 prisoners (including many Jews), are summarily executed, as well as 76 civilians rounded up at random in retaliation.
Robertson and Freyberg confer in the tent, in a heavy atmosphere. They can easily imagine the ordeal suffered by the inhabitants of Karditsa. Nevertheless, they are also professional soldiers, who know that emotion is a bad advisor: throwing their men into the night under the German machine guns will not help the population. Consequently, they decide to stick to the initial plan, only bringing forward the time of the assault. The officers are confident that the German soldiers will abandon the city once the breakthrough is achieved, for fear of being surrounded.
The attack starts at 06:30, as the sun is rising. As expected, the Luftwaffe troops crack under the pressure and the whole 11. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division begin to retreat, dragging the two regiments of the 164. ID - the whole German right wing retreats in disorder at 11:30. The Australians do not pursue immediately, but describe a wide arc to the west, tending to encircle the town. A message well understood by the soldiers of the 4. Gebirgs-Division "with the white gentian", who withdraw towards the mountains and Mouzaki as night falls. They will have to make a large detour before reaching Trikala. For that, at least, the Greek revolt had a purpose...
The soldiers of the Commonwealth prepare to continue to advance, somewhat slowed down by the civilian population which shouts its joy but asks for help. In fact, the sanitary and logistic services will be very busy during the next days.
.........
Course of the Sperchios - Further south, thanks to the progress of the ANZAC soldiers, the Yugoslavs billeted in Neo-Monastiri raise camp. They are relieved by the Greeks of the 2nd AC (General Georgios Tsolakoglou).
.........
North shore of the Gulf of Corinth - After the fight of the day before, the Poles resume their advance towards Amfilochia, moving towards the mountains south of Argos Amphilochians, whose foothills are reached at nightfall. The tanks of Maczek stop their progression there, waiting for the infantry. They take advantage of this opportunity to make contact with the EKKA partisans, who are much more friendly than those of the ELAS. The city of Agrinio, to the east, is also liberated by them.
The surviving defenders continue northward to join the next blockade formed by other elements of the 100. Jäger Division.
* The yield of the crops in this region at that time was 30 to 40 oke of wheat per working day, or 42.7 kilograms on average.
