The bombing of Piraeus on January 11, 1944
By Pierre Kosmidis The port of Piraeus has been the target of aerial bombings on several occasions during World War 2, both by the Germans, as well as the Allies. In April 1941, the Luftwaffe bombed Allied shipping and port facilities in Piraeus, causing extensive damage and on January 11, 1944, a large-scale Allied aerial […]
The Battle of Crete in 3D: Realistically recreating the WW2 battlefields
By Pierre Kosmidis Info and 3D renditions by Michael Johnson Mr. Michael Johnson is working on a computer project seeking to accurately reflect the invasion of Crete 1941. He is looking for accurate photos and locations of various buildings at Rethymno and Maleme so he can make them in 3D and place them on the maps […]
Help us solve the mystery of a Greek flag from World War 2!
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and information submitted by Charles Eliopoulos Mr. Charles Eliopoulos, from Baltimore, USA, is of Greek descent and his uncle George fought during WW2 on board USS JORDAN. According to his account, he was in a Βritish convoy close to Crete, where they found a Greek naval ship. The Greeks were still fighting against […]
Major Alexis Casdagli, the Battle of Crete and the… “F@ck Hitler” message
By Pierre Kosmidis By Trevor Solley Imprisoned by the old enemy for four years during World War Two, Major Alexis Casdagli never lost his fighting spirit up with his own cheeky form of resistance, adding the secret messages to his needlework which were never spotted by his Nazi captors. Pinching red and blue thread from […]
Thursday 14 November 1940: The day the Greek counter-offensive against the Italians started
By Pierre Kosmidis On 14 November 1940, three hundred German bombers dropped 500 tons of explosives, 33,000 incendiary bombs and dozens of parachute mines on the industrial city of Coventry. During the raid, 507 civilians were killed and 420 seriously injured. Europe was under the nazi boot, with the exception of the neutral countries like […]
Bunker Archaeology: The German WW2 “Hohlgangsanlage” bunkers of Aegina island, Greece, by Konstantinos Kirimis
By Pierre Kosmidis Research and photos by Konstantinos Kirimis, submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission Among the various bunkers and fortifications built by the German occupation forces all over Greece during World War 2, this specific “cave-shelter” (Hohlgangsanlage, according to the German technical terminology of the time) is located in the Northern Fortress of Aegina (see Note 1, […]
FOUND! “Votrys”, the first true sea-going ship with diesel propulsion worldwide, sunk in 1940
By Pierre Kosmidis Research and photos by George Karelas December 1940 was a month of glory for the Greek Army. The Italians were promptly ousted from Greece, after their failed invasion, which was initiated on October 28, 1940. This aggressive campaign of Mussolini’s army meant the start of World War 2 for Greece. Shortly after […]
The truth behind the myths: How many aircraft were shot down in 1940-41 during the Italian campaign against Greece
By Pierre Kosmidis Captioned photos by Lt. (GM) Nikolaos Christofilis HN, Author and Independent Researcher Wartime propaganda mechanisms are generally inflating the numbers of enemy aircraft shot down, while downgrading the numbers of their own losses. This general rule applies to every nation at war and as time goes by, many myths are shrouding the truth and […]
Postcards celebrating Greek victories against the Italians in 1940-41
By Pierre Kosmidis A series of postcards issued in 1945, celebrated the Greek victory against the fascist hordes of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Each of these postcards marks a specific date, related to some of the events of the Greco-Italian war of 1940. The Italians initiated their offensive against the northern borders of Greece from […]
WW2 bunkers in Greece: Lt. Colonel (ret.) Ilias Kotridis and the “Metaxas line” that stopped the nazis in 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis Lt. Colonel (ret.) Ilias Kotridis has dedicated his life and efforts unearthing the lost secrets of the “Metaxas Line”, a complex of concrete bunkers and fortresses that withstood the German invasion. The Germans launched their attack on April 6, 1941 and the Greek army stationed at the bunkers caused a significant number […]