Greece and Crete

I was wondering why Crete and Greece, and a lot of campaigns in that area are not talked about much? Also the beginning of the war 1939-1940 is not talked about much.

 

I guess it depends who's talking - Crete and Greece were largely about the UK/Commonwealth against the Axis......

 

Im not one for telling anyone to do a srearch...as it sounds a bit bossy...but im sure youll find lots on greece and crete in their various forms on this forum...Iknow youll find start of war jumping out at you in its various guises as it is a popular topic..just be aware it usually pops up in the what if section..

 

You can start here for example...

http://www.ww2f.com/naval-war-mediterrean-malta-crete/18255-battle-crete-1941-a.html

Please use the search function!

 

I guess I should have worded it better. I meant that it is not talked about alot on the history channel or other networks like that, or in books, since a lot of ww2 books are based on d-day and later or the pacific.

 

Then, see my previous post. It probably depends a lot on where the books are published, and as for the History Channel.......put it this way, Antony Beevor has written a superb book about Crete, whereas Stephen Ambrose didn't.

 

cutting martin...cutting..apologies to original poster as I missread you too. Isuppose it depends on location..I dont believe Crete for one has ever been underplayed in the land of the Brit or Anzac..Greece to a lesser extent but not difficult to come across either in Brit ww2 histories or media..nor for that matter yugoslavia..perhaps syria and iran would be areas that important though they were seem to have dissapeared off face of most folks ww2..But id also suggest if I was russian I wouldnt understand if I visited the west today how my country is marginalised by many..not us of course..and who is this easy coy that seems to have won ww2...ill put me old tin hat on now then...incoming...

 

Actually I wasn't being that sarcastic ; there is still a very Nationalist bias when it comes to book-publishing (after all, they have to sell the things...).

As an example, there aren't that many books published in the UK about Corregidor or Bataan, or about (say) the Winter War in Finland.....But if you're interested, a little digging can unearth good books about all these subjects.

(Actually, it's a pity - if Beevor had written his Crete book after 'Stalingrad', it may be better-known......)

 

I get it. Like how it is harder to find books written by German soldiers.

 

I have found that data on the Royal Yugoslav army is very hard to come by, it not so bad if you need data on infantry Divisions, Regiments and Battalions, its when you get to the infantry Company and smaller units were it becomes rare.

 

You should check out www.nzetc.org/ it has the whole New Zealand official history of WW2 which includes the best book i have ever read on Crete the Official History of the Battle for Crete by Dan Davin who was actually on the Island.

I have both books and Davins blows Beevors away.

 

When I was in Greece in 2010, I remember visiting the War Museum in Napflion. I would upload photos from my trip, but unfortunately my computer is being a bit laggy. However, I remember hearing that Napflion was the only city in Greece and one of the few cities in Europe that was never bombed by aircraft during either of the world wars. I thought that was pretty interesting.

In Athens, I also bought this little trinket. It's a Greek War Cross, 2d Cls., M1940. It was most likely won during the fight against the early Italian invasion (which failed miserably thanks to Greek resistance).

 

Some interesting points...I think all respondants are correct. Its to do with saleability, not just because we ARENT Greek, but because its not seen as..."sexy"...or not seen as important as other areas of Europe. That may be a result of Greece being a largely "unknown" country to many...unknown because it keeps its nose clean and doesnt make the news headlines very much at all (fires? Economy?) Thats about it...Also i think the Allies time in Greece was a debacle...! The war in Greece was largely lost by the time we got there, so promptly trotted back off again...My understanding is that the Greeks were being hit from all sides and despite fighting like demons were always going to go under...
Crete, on the other hand has many books written about it...Anzacs fought like the dickens out there...

 

I cannot say I've ever seen a book that covers the Italian invasion of Albania/Greece. In the histories, it's always sandwiched between other accounts, or reference made to it with anecdotes. My favourite concerns a unit of Bersegliari, (the ones with the plumes on the helmets. They turn up at the Edingurgh Tattoo double timing in formation whilst blowing bugles...very athletic!). These troops were advancing through rugged terrain when they became pinned down by Skirted Greek Mountain Troops firing rifles. The 'Berseg' commander called for support. A light, two man tank rumbled up the road. Greek fire slackened as their rounds began to bounce off the tankette. The monster stopped to fire. The first round was away, but the jolt from it loosened one of the rivetted armor plates. It fell off. Another round was fired. This time, the entire armored plating gave way, leaving the two Italians inside totally exposed, sitting on a chasis!

The Bersegliari unit surrendered en mass!

The other story concerns French border guards on the Franco-Italian border. During the days of heady Italian retreat back into albania, the French posted a sign....it read "GREEKS! STOP HERE! THIS IS THE FRENCH BORDER".

I would love to read more about this campaign. There is so little in our language concerning it.

 

The Greeks were largely holding their until the British stepped in to 'help' them. President Metaxas refused British support because of the obvious corollary that it would bring massive German intervention. It was only after his death in late 1940 that Churchill was able to persuade the Greeks to let British and Empire troops into the country. Churchill wrote honestly in his postwar memoir that his goal was not to aid Greece per se but rather to open up a new front against the Axis, hopefully involving Greece, Yugoslavia, and Turkey (getting Turkey into the war was an odd obsession of his).

Similarly, Hitler's concern was not so much helping Mussolini as the danger posed by British troops or air forces getting a foothold in Greece. He would have been in keeping with international law - something of a novelty for him - in reminding the Greeks that Germany was neutral with regard to their war with Italy but was at war with Britain, and that allowing belligerent forces to operate in their territory entitled Germany to respond.

 

From what I have learned the Greeks had a substantial army for their status as a minor power. Not to mention the fact that the Greeks themselves are fiercely nationalistic and therefore, needless to say, put up a hell of a fight against the Italians and Germans.

Also: the Greeks suffered terribly during the Holocaust as well. The Jews from the Isle of Corfu suffered particularly harshly.

 

and those from Saloniki too.

 

Google Images

I was at this exact spot.