19 April 1941. Kalabaka, Greece.
allanpcameron
Donor
19 April 1941. Kalabaka, Greece.
The heroes of Trebeshina, the 5th Infantry Division, proud of their Cretan heritage, had suffered badly in their victory over the Italians. When they were commanded to hold the Metsovon Pass, General Papageorgiou, the commander of the Division repeated his assessment that the Division was no longer combat effective. Lieutenant General Tsolakoglau, commanding the Western Macedonian Army, now known as the First Army, having amalgamated with the Epirus Army, agreed with the assessment. He knew all too well that few of his formations could be described as combat effective. He ordered Papageorgiou to take his remaining men to Kalabaka, and from there, by train to Pireas, where the navy would carry them back to Crete to rebuild.
With 1st, 8th and 9th Divisions manning the Venetikos Line, Tsolakoglau ordered all of 11th Division to fortify the Metsovon Pass. 3rd Division were to move to Kalabaka and 2nd Division to Trikkala to defend the railway line for as long as possible. Tsolakoglau wanted to get as many of his men to the south as possible, using the railhead at Kalabaka. If these six Divisions could halt the Germans even for a day or two before withdrawing, the majority of the First Army, like the remnants of 12th, 20th and the Cavalry Divisions, would be able to get back towards Athens. Movement by road and rail was dangerous in daylight when the Luftwaffe seemed to be everywhere, and the railway would probably be over-burdened by what was being asked of it, but it gave hope to the men of getting out of a potential trap.
The Australian 16th and 19th Brigades, having given up their positions on the Servia Pass, were falling back towards Thermopylae, and they had made sure it was going to take the Germans time to clear a way through the demolitions they’d left behind. The New Zealand 4th and 5th Brigades were due to pull out that night, while 6th Brigade held the roads around Elasson, to prevent the Germans approaching from either the Servia or Olympus Passes. Much of the Luftwaffe were concentrating on the more obvious motorised transport and airfields around Larisa. Tsolakoglau knew he had a window of opportunity to save as much of his army as he could. The danger of a headlong retreat was that it might become a rout. But if the British Empire forces could hold the Germans at Thermopylae, then the Greek army would have time to regroup, even if, like the new recruits, it had to be done on Crete, or even in Egypt.
Meanwhile the 17th Australian Brigade were getting used to working alongside the 1st Armoured Brigade. This particular Infantry Brigade had had the least exposure to working with the Infantry Tanks against the Italians in Cyrenaica. Working with the Cruiser Tanks in a defensive role was a different style of collaboration, so that lack of experience wasn’t too debilitating. Brigadier Charrington was particularly happy working with Brigadier Savige’s Australians. The single motorised battalion (1st Rangers) attached to his Brigade had been run ragged, and the Australians meant that each of his three understrength armoured regiments could work with an Infantry Battalion and the two Brigades’ artillery and anti-tank regiments. The successful experience of leapfrogging back from one defensive position to another to the River Aliakmon, was now going to have an even bigger canvas to work on.
Generals Blamey and Freyberg had set out a few intermediate positions where one of their Brigades would set up a holding position in case the Germans closed quickly with the retreating ANZACs. Charrington and Savige would play of the role protecting these holding positions. All of Charrington’s Regiments knew that their role would likely lead to them being destroyed piecemeal. So far, they’d been able to lay a few punches to the German nose, and liked to think, that while they might not be able to land a knock-out blow, the German Panzer Divisions would know they’d been in a fight.
In the Pineios Gorge the New Zealanders were struggling to hold back the combined efforts of a German Panzer and Mountain Division. The liberal use of explosives to create landslips and block the German progress had been the extra dimension to the New Zealand 5th Brigade’s defence, that, with their doughty fighting skills, had held up the Germans for as long as hoped. The Brigade had begun the process of thinning itself out, so that the majority of the men could board their transport as darkness fell. The rear-guard knew that they would struggle to extricate themselves, but were prepared to hold as long as possible to let their mates get away, to fight another day.
This map from here is obviously OTL. But hopefully gives some of the names of the places. You'll also notice that the Germans are indeed falling behind their OTL schedule. Kalabaka btw is where Savige Force is circled on the map.
The heroes of Trebeshina, the 5th Infantry Division, proud of their Cretan heritage, had suffered badly in their victory over the Italians. When they were commanded to hold the Metsovon Pass, General Papageorgiou, the commander of the Division repeated his assessment that the Division was no longer combat effective. Lieutenant General Tsolakoglau, commanding the Western Macedonian Army, now known as the First Army, having amalgamated with the Epirus Army, agreed with the assessment. He knew all too well that few of his formations could be described as combat effective. He ordered Papageorgiou to take his remaining men to Kalabaka, and from there, by train to Pireas, where the navy would carry them back to Crete to rebuild.
With 1st, 8th and 9th Divisions manning the Venetikos Line, Tsolakoglau ordered all of 11th Division to fortify the Metsovon Pass. 3rd Division were to move to Kalabaka and 2nd Division to Trikkala to defend the railway line for as long as possible. Tsolakoglau wanted to get as many of his men to the south as possible, using the railhead at Kalabaka. If these six Divisions could halt the Germans even for a day or two before withdrawing, the majority of the First Army, like the remnants of 12th, 20th and the Cavalry Divisions, would be able to get back towards Athens. Movement by road and rail was dangerous in daylight when the Luftwaffe seemed to be everywhere, and the railway would probably be over-burdened by what was being asked of it, but it gave hope to the men of getting out of a potential trap.
The Australian 16th and 19th Brigades, having given up their positions on the Servia Pass, were falling back towards Thermopylae, and they had made sure it was going to take the Germans time to clear a way through the demolitions they’d left behind. The New Zealand 4th and 5th Brigades were due to pull out that night, while 6th Brigade held the roads around Elasson, to prevent the Germans approaching from either the Servia or Olympus Passes. Much of the Luftwaffe were concentrating on the more obvious motorised transport and airfields around Larisa. Tsolakoglau knew he had a window of opportunity to save as much of his army as he could. The danger of a headlong retreat was that it might become a rout. But if the British Empire forces could hold the Germans at Thermopylae, then the Greek army would have time to regroup, even if, like the new recruits, it had to be done on Crete, or even in Egypt.
Meanwhile the 17th Australian Brigade were getting used to working alongside the 1st Armoured Brigade. This particular Infantry Brigade had had the least exposure to working with the Infantry Tanks against the Italians in Cyrenaica. Working with the Cruiser Tanks in a defensive role was a different style of collaboration, so that lack of experience wasn’t too debilitating. Brigadier Charrington was particularly happy working with Brigadier Savige’s Australians. The single motorised battalion (1st Rangers) attached to his Brigade had been run ragged, and the Australians meant that each of his three understrength armoured regiments could work with an Infantry Battalion and the two Brigades’ artillery and anti-tank regiments. The successful experience of leapfrogging back from one defensive position to another to the River Aliakmon, was now going to have an even bigger canvas to work on.
Generals Blamey and Freyberg had set out a few intermediate positions where one of their Brigades would set up a holding position in case the Germans closed quickly with the retreating ANZACs. Charrington and Savige would play of the role protecting these holding positions. All of Charrington’s Regiments knew that their role would likely lead to them being destroyed piecemeal. So far, they’d been able to lay a few punches to the German nose, and liked to think, that while they might not be able to land a knock-out blow, the German Panzer Divisions would know they’d been in a fight.
In the Pineios Gorge the New Zealanders were struggling to hold back the combined efforts of a German Panzer and Mountain Division. The liberal use of explosives to create landslips and block the German progress had been the extra dimension to the New Zealand 5th Brigade’s defence, that, with their doughty fighting skills, had held up the Germans for as long as hoped. The Brigade had begun the process of thinning itself out, so that the majority of the men could board their transport as darkness fell. The rear-guard knew that they would struggle to extricate themselves, but were prepared to hold as long as possible to let their mates get away, to fight another day.
This map from here is obviously OTL. But hopefully gives some of the names of the places. You'll also notice that the Germans are indeed falling behind their OTL schedule. Kalabaka btw is where Savige Force is circled on the map.
