Athens, August 17th, 1940
Little doubt existed in the Greek government about who was responsible for the attack in Tιnos, after all torpedo fragments with Italian markings had already been retrieved from the harbour. The only question was whether the Italians would actually go to war or not following the attack. Much to the surprise and some relief for Athens they had not done so, so far and had even gone so far as to claim the attack had been in reality a British provocation. The Italian ambassador Emmanuelle Gracchi had even shown up to complain about several Greek newspaper hinting or openly accusing Italy for the attack, only to be told that the Greek government had made no such accusations but Greece had freedom of the press, if he didn't like what the papers were writing about his country he could take it up to the courts. Of course hint had already reached Gracchi that at least one article titled "the stiletto" by George Vlachos of the Kathimerini, the leading conservative paper, had been written at the instigation of the prime minister...
Djibouti, August 19th, 1940
40,000 Italian troops had invaded the French and British Somalilands, after the French one had definitely declared for Free France. Allied forces about 8,000 French and 4,500 British colonial troops had initially been pushed back, albeit slowly. But the French had been reinforced with the 29th Algerian regiment from Syria and with the political situation secure the regiment had been quickly rushed to the front, adding more than 3,000 men to the allied army. It had been enough to tip the balance. The Italian advance was stopped with slightly over 5,000 casualties for about 1,400 allied casualties.
Rome, August 20th, 1940
The Supermarina announced that the submarine Delfino had been lost at sea with all hands during patrol. No information was available where the submarine exactly was when it was patrolling or the cause of the loss.
Valona, August 21st, 1940
The last element of the 51st Siena division reached Albania increasing Italian divisions in Albania to six, one of them the 131st Centauro armoured. Given port limitations it took at least 6 days to move a new infantry division and its support elements to Albania.
Chad, August 26th, 1940
The colony declared for Free France.
Berlin, August 27th, 1940
The Germans refused to take part on any Italian operation against either Greece or Yugoslavia, precedence had to be given to the coming assault on Britain that would knock her out of the war. But if Italy felt compelled to take immediate action against the two Bankan countries Germany would not object, as long as it dod not hinder operations against Britain. After all both the Greeks and the Yugoslavs had clearly shown they were not friendly to the Reich, the Yugoslavs overthrowing an Axis-friendly prime minister and British instigation and the Greeks openly signing a treaty with France and Britain and meddling in support of the allies in Constantinople. French foreign ministry papers capture at Sarite were even speaking about plans of a Balkan front against Germany. Should it be Yugoslavia or Greece first. Yugoslavia had the larger army. Greece had a much tougher navy that joined up to the British Mediterranean fleet could be a problem. In the end it was up to what the Duce decided. Or how he woke up the day before ordering the invasion...
Libreville, Gabon August 28th, 1940
French equatorial Africa had declared for free France but pro-Vichy elements in Gabon had tried to hold out. Their resistance though had collapsed when Castex's fleet had shown up. All French African possessions south of Senegal had joined Free France.
Vienna, August 30th, 1940
Gigurtu had hoped that being pro-German would spare Romania further territorial loss. It had not as Germany and Italy had forced Romania to cede Transylvania to Hungary. Romania could had resisted of course, but then nothing guaranteed the Soviets would not invade again along the Hungarians and Bulgarians. Two thirds of the army were still tied down on the Prut to hold back against a renewed Soviet offensive. What remained would not stand up to the Hungarians and Bulgarians without Yugoslav and Greek support. But the Balkan Entente was for all practical purposes dead. 1.3 million Romanians had just been lost to the country without a fight. In September 7th the treaty of Craiva would also cost Romania Southern Dobruja. The Gigurtu government had already been overthrown by a coup led by Ion Antonescu and Codreanu's Iron Guard from the previous day.
Alexandria, September 3rd, 1940
Thomas Edward Shaw, left his motorcycle, a Brough Superior SS 100 he had managed to bring all the way from Britain, in the parking and entered the hotel. Somewhat to the surprise of the manager on the concierge he addressed him in fluent Greek, the ever observant manager had noticed he had talked to the bell-boy in equally fluent Arabic. The newly minted senior agent of the newly minted SOE, went straight to his room a copy of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur under his left arm.
Constantinople, September 10th, 1940
With the collapse of the League of Nations and then the fall of France the British high commissioner had found himself in de facto control of Constantinople. The Italian commissioner was gone, admiral Durand-Viel the French one had effectively lost all influence, the Greek and Turkish ones could influence the local populations in ways he could not match but did not represent great powers. Now he found himself under increasing pressure from the Greeks to proclaim an official referendum for the union of the city, or rather its European part with Greece. But such a move would completely alienate Turkey and this was something the Foreign office wanted to avoid, indeed low level talks were underway in Sivas to see what would be the Turkish price for keeping out of the mess. The Greeks should understand and stop pressing for Constantinople. More they should perhaps make some concessions to the Turks, even if that particular proposal wasn't exactly popular with his own government as well, particularly Churchill. But if every idea of the prime minister was taken at face value...
French Indochina, September 20th, 1940
Catroux and then admiral Decoux, had kept trying to stall the negotiations with Japan since June. But the Japanese would not accept any more stalling. Decoux received a Japanese ultimatum to accept Japanese troops into French territory. Two days later the Japanese 5th division would enter Indochina.
Slovenia, September 20th, 1940
A thousand guns opened up on Yugoslav positions as the Italian 1st, 2nd and 8th armies, jumped off their starting positions. Closely behind the motorised and celere divisions of the Army of the Po were ready to exploit any success. Yugoslav units, fought back but the Yugoslav 7th army had two infantry and a cavaltry divisions along with three mountain brigades facing 30 Italian divisions. Of course each Yugoslav brigade was about the size of an Italian division. But then the Yugoslav divisions were just mobilizing and Yugoslavia had been facing severe domestic trouble since her creation that even the recent agreement between Dragisa Cvetkovic, the deputy prime minister of the Stanojevic government and Vladko Macek the head of the Croatian peasant party calling for federalising Yugoslavia had come perhaps too late to relieve tensions. Then again the Slovenes had excellent reasons to hate fascist Italy...
Albania, September 20th, 1940
Eleven Italian divisions and the 7th army headquarters had been brought to Albania. Seven of these, backed by about 10,000 Albanian auxiliaries invaded Kosovo and Montenegro while 4 more covered the border with Greece.
Belgrade, September 20th, 1940
Yugoslav fighters rose up to meet the Italian bombers. The Italian CR.42s escorting the bombers barely had sufficient range to reach Belgrade. And facing the Yugoslav IK-3s, Hurricanes and LN-161s would prove a rude surprise. The bombing of Belgrade would not be repeated for some time.
Athens, September 20th, 1940.
Ion Dragoumis signed the orders mobilizing 2 full corps. Greece was not joining the war, right away at least, but the writing in the wall appeared to be pretty clear...
Dakar, September 23rd, 1940
The lifting of the morning fog revealed a Free French fleet including Richelieu, Strasbourg and Lorraine. General Boisson would still not be intimidated, even in the knowledge that four infantry regiments were carried with the fleet. However reluctant both sides were soon enough bullets replaced talk and cannon fire followed bullets. But the Free French forces were stronger and Boisson had no hope of reinforcement. It would take a week of somewhat desultory fighting before Dakar surrendered to De Gaulle. Boisson and Vichy loyalists would be allowed to evacuate to Morocco. Hopes that Morocco and Algeria might follow Dakar and Senegal would soon prove empty as the Vichy hold on them was too strong at the moment.
Averof is in part 33
