The invasion of the balkans and greece

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

2. EUROPE & THE MEDITERANNEAN, 1941

4. BACKGROUND • HITLER NOT ORIGINALLY INTERESTED IN BALKAN/GREEK OCCUPATION • HITLER DIDN’T EVEN ENCOURAGE AN ITALIAN INVASION • WHY NOT? • HITLER WANTED LEBENSRAUMIN (Poland, Russia, etc.) EASTERN EUROPE • 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 SUPPORTS ITALIAN INVASION OF GREECE • WHY? • BENITO MUSSOLINI WAS DESPERATE TO ACHIEVE “GREAT” VICTORIES • AXIS MILITARY ACTION = MORE PRESSURE ON BRITS. • HOW? • BRITS. & GREEKS ARE ALLIES – BRITS. HAVE TROOPS IN GREECE • ATTACK = 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. THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

10. OPERATION MARITA,APRIL, 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. RED ARMY PARATROOPERS IN JUMP SEQUENCE, 1935

16. SOVIET RED ARMY PARATROOPERS IN JUMP SEQUENCE, 1930’s

17. SOVIET “WINGED” PARATROOPER, 1930’s

18. JUNKERS Ju-52 TRANSPORT

19. JUNKERS Ju-52 ON TAKEOFF

20. LUFTWAFFE TROOP-CARRYING GLIDER

21. GERMAN PARATROOP GLIDER IN TRAINING FLIGHT

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

23. GERMAN PARA RECRUITING POSTERS

24. 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

26. 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 BRITISH POSITIONS • RESULTS? VERY HIGH CASUALTIES

27. FALLSCHIRMJAGER EQUIPMENT

29. GERMAN PARAS WITH STANDARD COMBAT APPAREL

31. GERMANFALLSCHIRMJAGERDEPLOYING FROM ARICRAFT AS CHUTE OPENS

32. LUFTWAFFE FALLSCHIRMJAGER EXITING CABIN ON JUNKERS JU-52 TRANSPORT PLANE

34. WWII GERMAN PARACHUTE & LANDING PROCESS

35. GERMAN PARA CANDIDATE IN TRAINING SESSION

36. GERMAN MOUNTAIN TROOPS DO PRE-FLIGHT EQUIPMENT CHECK

37. FALLSCHIRMJAGER EMBARKING FOR AIRDROP

38. GERMAN MOUNTAIN TROOPS IN FLIGHT TO CRETE

39. GERMAN AIRDROP, CRETE, 1941

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

43. GERMANS DESCENDING OVER CRETE

47. JUNKERS Ju-52 under AA fire

48. 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