The invasion of the balkans and greece

1. The invasion of the balkans and greece OCTOBER, 1940 – MAY, 1941

2. THE BALKAN PENINSULA (2009)

4. BACKGROUND • HITLER NOT ORIGINALLY INTERESTED IN BALKAN/GREEK OCCUPATION • HITLER DIDN’T EVEN ENCOURAGE AN ITALIAN INVASION • WHY NOT? • HITLER WANTED LEBENSRAUMIN 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

5. BENITO MUSSOLINI

6. MUSSOLINI

7. 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

8. OPERATION MARITA SPRING, 1941

11. 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

12. 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?

13. JOSIP BROZ TITO

14. 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)

15. JUNKERS Ju-52 TRANSPORT

16. GERMAN TROOP-CARRYING GLIDER

17. LUFTWAFFE GENERAL KURT STUDENT,COMMANDING OFFICER, GERMAN AIRBORNE

18. 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

20. 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

21. FALLSCHIRMJAGER EQUIPMENT

22. GERMAN AIRDROP, CRETE, 1941

23. GERMAN AIRDROP OVER BRITISH POSITIONS, CRETE, MAY 1941

24. GERMANS DESCENDING OVER CRETE

26. JUNKERS Ju-52 under AA fire

28. JUNKERS Ju-52 DEPLOYING TROOPS

30. 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

32. FALLSCHIRMJAGER MACHINE GUN CREW

33. Fallschirmjagerin combat, Crete, 1941

34. FALLSCHIRMJAGER ON CRETE, MAY 1941

35. 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