The Odyssey of Paul Fries, on land and at sea, in Greece, 1941-44.
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos © Jochen Fries, submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission. Personal stories of individuals, who found themselves in the maelstrom of war, are always interesting, as they offer us a glimpse of daily life, as well as the country they found themselves in. One such case is German soldier Paul Fries, […]
Hellenic Air Force Museum update: The exhibits on September 21st, 2025
By Pierre Kosmidis All photos © www.ww2wrecks.com The Hellenic Air Force Museum has undergone major changes, focusing mostly on the jet era, rather than the World War 2 wrecks, that made it a unique museum worldwide in the past. Nevertheless, the aviation enthusiast will still find some interesting exhibits in the hangar and the yard […]
The ghosts of the Greek Civil War: The remains of a fallen soldier found in the mountains of Florina, 80 years later.
All photos © by Panagiotis Kostidis, submitted exclusively to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission Text by Pierre Kosmidis Florina town, in northwestern Greece, has witnessed fierce fighting during the initial stages of Operation “Marita”, the German invasion of Greece in 1941, as well as during the Greek Civil War, in 1949. During the Greek Civil War, it is estimated […]
The iron harvest of Greece: Unexploded relics of the Greek Civil War, 1946-49, by Greek Army EOD Specialist Panagiotis Kostidis
All photos © by Panagiotis Kostidis, submitted exclusively to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission Text by Pierre Kosmidis Florina, with approximately 17,000 inhabitants, is one of the most beautiful towns in northwestern Greece. Today, visitors from all over Greece, as well as neighbouring countries, are visiting Florina for its wonderful climate, the nice architecture and […]
Red Cross Flag misuse and infringement in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, by Vincenzo Giacomo Toccafondi
Research, photos and text by Vincenzo Giacomo Toccafondi The guarantee of immunity offered by the Red Cross flag and livery were frequently broken during both world wars. In this article we want to limit our attention to the hospital units serving with the German Navy and engaged in the evacuation of the wounded during the […]
Centaur tanks in Greek service, 1946-1957
By Pierre Kosmidis Greece received its first tanks after WW2 as part of the British military aid in May 1946, 52 Centaurs (along with Carriers, Marmon Herrington Mk. IVs and Otter Is) , which were set in action the very next year, during the Greek civil war, against the communist forces in Macedonia and Epirus. […]
When disaster struck: WW2 wrecks of the eight B-17 bombers that crashed in Greece on January 11, 1944
By Ioannis Mylonas, Elliott Knox and Kate Siegler Photos submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com by Elliott Knox and used by permission On January 11, 1944, four B-17 Groups (2nd, 97th, 301st, and 99th) of the 5th Wing of the 15th Air Force based in Foggia, Italy, were ordered to attack the docks in the port of Piraeus, […]
Regia Aeronautica aircraft at Maritsa airfield, Rodos island, by Massimo Mometti
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com by Massimo Mometti and used by permission Mr. Massimo Mometti, from Italy, has a series of photos of his father, who served with the Regia Aeronautica, the Italian Royal Air Force, in Rodos island, during World War 2. Mr. Mometti’s father was based at the Maritsa airfield. Maritsa airfield is […]
Then and Now: The Fallschirmjäger memorial in Crete, 1941-2022
The Fallschirmjäger memorial (German: Fallschirmjäger-Denkmal) is a German war memorial for German parachutists who fell during the ten-day Battle of Crete in World War II. The memorial, known to Cretans as the German bird or the Evil bird, was erected in 1941 by the occupation forces and is located about 3 kilometers west of Chania […]
ITALIAN GROUND FORCES IN GREECE, 25 APRIL 1943-Through Italian staff maps Part 1 – Epirus and the Ionian Islands, by Alexis Mehtidis
Text and research by Alexis Mehtidis SOURCES T-812 R-143/IT1220 (section) T-821 R-247 Italienische Dokumente Aktensammelstelle mit Sitz in Sud Bavaria u. Munich 1932-1944 NOTES : Formations/units there were under German operational control First place names are in modern Greek. Italian follow in parentheses. This is actually in note form. A lot of the […]