The invasion of the balkans and greece
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Transcript of The invasion of the balkans and greece
THE INVASION OF THE BALKANS AND GREECE
OCTOBER, 1940 – MAY, 1941
THE BALKAN PENINSULA (2009)
BACKGROUND HITLER NOT ORIGINALLY INTERESTED IN BALKAN/GREEK
OCCUPATION HITLER DIDN’T EVEN ENCOURAGE AN ITALIAN INVASION WHY NOT?
HITLER WANTED LEBENSRAUM IN EASTERN EUROPE (Poland, Russia, etc.)
HITLER WAS CONTENT TO ALLOW ITALY TO DOMINATE THE BALKANS & GREECE
MILITARY INVOLVEMENT THERE WOULD REQUIRE NAVAL RESORUCES GERMANS DIDN’T WANT TO DRAIN NAVAL RESOURCES FROM ATLANTIC
HITLER EVENTUALLY SUPPORTS ITALIAN INVASION OF GREECE WHY?
BENITO MUSSOLINI WAS DESPERATE TO ACHIEVE “GREAT” VICTORIES
AXIS MILITARY ACTION WOULD PUT MORE PRESSURE ON BRITS. HOW?
BRITS. & GREEKS ARE ALLIES – BRITS. HAS TROOPS IN GREECE ATTACK WOULD DISRUPT BRIT. MILITARY ACTION IN NORTH AFRICA
BENITOMUSSOLINI
MUSSOLINI
ITALIAN INVASION OF GREECE WHEN? OCTOBER, 1940 WHERE? GREECE & ALBANIA WHY?
MUSSOLINI WANTS MILITARY “VICTORIES” LIKE HITLER CONTROL OF BOTH COUNTRIES COULD GIVE AXIS CONTROL OF THE
ADRIATIC SEA BALKANS POSSESSED SOME IMPORTANT RESORUCES (Oil, metals, etc.) MUSSOLINI BELIEVED BOTH NATIONS WERE WEAK
WHAT? ITALIAN INVASION DOESN’T GO WELL HITLER FORCED TO “RESCUE” ITALIANS GERMANS MOVE GROUND / AIR UNITS TO BALKANS
OPERATION “MARITA” BEGINS, APRIL 1941 GERMAN INVASION OF THE BALKANS YUGOSLAVIA INVADED FIRST – WHY? TO SECURE BASES FOR INVASION
OF GREECE YUGOSLAVIA IS ETHNICALLY DIVIDED AND MILITARILY WEAK
EFFECT: GERMANS NOW FIGHTING BRITS. IN AREAS FAR FROM BRITAIN DELAYS GERMAN INVASION OF RUSSIA
OPERATION MARITA SPRING, 1941
INVASIONOF THE BALKANS (cont’d.) WHY DID ITALIANS FAIL?
MUSSOLINI DOESN’T HAVE A GOOD REASON TO INVADE
RESULT?: ITALIAN TROOPS ARE UNINSPIRED TO FIGHT
ITALIAN LEADERSHIP IS SUBSTANDARD WHY DOES GERMANY MOVE IN?
HITLER CAN’T ALLOW AXIS HUMILIATION BRITISH IN GREECE ARE A CONSTANT THREAT TO
HIS OTHER AXIS ALLIES EX.: BULGARIA, RUMANIA, HUNGARY
BRITS. COULD THREATEN AXIS RESOURCES IN THESE COUNTRIES EX.: OIL FIELDS IN RUMANIA
BRITS. IN GREECE COULD THREATEN AXIS TROOPS IN NORTH AFRICA
INVASION OF THE BALKANS (cont’d.)
KEY PROBLEM / QUESTION: TRANSFERRING FORCES TO THE BALKANS
WILL DELAY THE INVASION OF RUSSIA UNTIL SUMMER, 1941
SO WHAT? OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: YUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIAN GUERILLA MOVMENT DEVELOPS “PARTISANS”: GUERILLA ARMY DEVELOPED
BY JOSIP BROZ TITO COMMUNIST GUERILLA ARMY WHICH IS NOT
CONTROLLED BY THE SOVIETS WHY IMPORTANT?
JOSIP BROZ TITO
CRETE WHAT?
FIRST, and ONLY, LARGE-SCALE GERMAN AIRBORNE OPERATION OF WWII ONE OF THE FEW GERMAN CAMPAIGNS RUN BY THE LUFTWAFFE
22,000 TROOPS 600 TROOP TRANSPORT PLANES 280 BOMBERS 200 FIGTHERS 150 STUKAS
WHEN? MAY, 1941 (1 MONTH BEFORE GERMANS INVADE RUSSIA) WHY?
OPERATION MARITA HAD FAILED TO WIPE OUT BRIT. TROOPS IN GREECE BRITS. HAD RETREATED TO CRETE HITLER WAS ENCOURAGED TO TAKE CRETE BY HIS GENERALS GERMANS BELIEVE CRETE WILL BE A GOOD STAGING AREA FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS IN
MED. SEA. WHO?
C/O: GENERAL KURT STUDENT, LUFTWAFFE LUFTWAFFE “FALLSCHIRMJAGER” (PARATOOPERS) SUPPORT UNITS INCLUDED:
AIR UNITS (SEE ABOVE) ARMY “MOUNTAIN” UNITS
WHERE? ISLAND OF CRETE (GREEK – OWNED)
JUNKERS Ju-52 TRANSPORT
GERMAN TROOP-CARRYING GLIDER
LUFTWAFFE GENERAL KURT STUDENT,
COMMANDING OFFICER, GERMAN AIRBORNE
CRETE (cont’d.) GERMANS ARE VERY CONFIDENT BEFORE ATTACK WHY?
BELIEVE CRETE IS IDEAL TARGET (WHY?) BELIEVE BRITS. IN CRETE ARE SUBSTANDARD TROOPS DON’T KNOW BRITS. HAVE CRACKED THEIR
MILITARY CODES. RESULT?
BRITS. KNOW WHAT GERMAN PLANS ARE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE IS LOST WHY SO IMPORTANT?
GERMAN PLAN: AIRBORNE TROOPS WILL LAND & SEIZE AIRFIELDS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT WILL BE FLOWN INTO SECURE
AIRFIELDS GERMANS WILL ADVANCE ALONG MAIN ROAD UNTIL
THEY HAVE SECURED ISLAND
CRETE (cont’d.) GERMAN PROBLEMS:
BRITS. HAVE DECODED INFORMATION ABOUT THE ATTACK EX.: BRITS KNEW WHAT SPECIFIC GERMAN
TARGETS ON CRETE WERE AIRBORNE ASSUALTS DEPEND ON SECRECY –
WHY? GEOGRAPHY OF CRETE WAS DIFFICULT (rocky,
uneven) FALLSCHIRMJAGERS HAVE DANGEROUS
EQUIPMENT (ex. parachute harnesses) LACK OF ‘CHUTE CONTROL = GERMANS OFTEN
LAND ON BREITISH POSITIONS RESULTS? VERY HIGH CASUALTIES
FALLSCHIRMJAGER EQUIPMENT
GERMAN AIRDROP, CRETE, 1941
GERMAN AIRDROPOVER BRITISH POSITIONS, CRETE, MAY 1941
GERMANS DESCENDING OVER CRETE
JUNKERS Ju-52
under AA fire
JUNKERS Ju-52 DEPLOYING TROOPS
CRETE (cont’d.) BRITISH PROBLEMS:
LITTLE / NO AIR COVER LACK OF RADIO EQUIPMENT LACK OF TRANSPORT VEHICLES LACK OF EQUIPMENT PARTS / SPARES
SO WHAT? BRITS ARE CONSTANTLY UNDER AIR ATTACK BRITS CAN’T COMMUNICATE TO EACH OTHER BRITS CAN’T MOVE TO REINFORCE EACH
OTHER BRIT. EQUIPMENT CAN’T BE EASILY REPAIRED
FALLSCHIRMJAGER MACHINE GUN CREW
Fallschirmjagerin combat, Crete, 1941
FALLSCHIRMJAGER ON CRETE, MAY 1941
CRETE (cont’d.) GERMANS CAN REINFORCE TROOPS (thanks to airpower) BRITS. CAN’T RESULTS:
GERMANS TAKE CRETE / BRITS. RETREAT CASUALTIES ARE HEAVY FOR BOTH SIDES:
GERMANS: KIA – 4000 220 OUT OF 600 TRANSPORT PLANES DESTROYED
BRITISH: KIA – 2000 P.O.W. – 12,000
HITLER IS FURIOUS ABOUT LOSSES ; NEVER ALLOWS ANOTHER LARGE-SCALE GERMAN AIRBORNE OPERATION
U.S. & BRIT. AIRBORNE UNITS LEARN VALUABLE LESSONS FROM CRETE OPERATION EX: NEVER DROP TROOPS DIRECTLY ON TOP OF AN
ENEMY POSITION