Reliving the past: Operation Marita and the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, through the eyes or reenactors

By Pierre Kosmidis Photos submitted by Kampfgruppe “Süden” Hellenic Reenactment Group, Kampfgruppe ”Bulgarien”, Asociaţia Deutsches Freikorps and used by permission The German invasion of Greece, codenamed “Operation Marita”, was initiated in the early hours of Sunday, April 6, 1941. The German forces attacked “Metaxas Line”, a series of concrete fortifications, located mainly along the border with […]

Then and Now: 1941-2018 a Luftwaffe Dornier Do 215 over Olympus

By Pierre Kosmidis Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece with its highest peak at 2,918 metres, was considered to be the home of the ancient Greek gods. On April 6 1941, the German offensive against Greece, codenamed “Operation Marita” resulted in the capitulation of the Greek Army on April 20, 1941. The Greek Army, which had […]

Then and Now: 1941-2018, the Germans in front of the Greek Parliament

By Pierre Kosmidis With the conclusion of Operation Marita, the conquest of mainland Greece and a couple of weeks before Operation Merkur, the airborne invasion of the island of Crete, the Germans held a victory parade in Athens, on May 5, 1941. The Royal Palace in 1941, which is the Greek Parliament today, was a […]

Then and Now, 1941-2019: The “Guns of Navarone” in Crete

By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, documentation and information provided by Mr. Nikolaos Suladakis Black and white photo and photo of shell case by Mr. Nikolaos Melakis A well-known WW2 movie, the Guns of Navarone, starring Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, about  the efforts of an Allied commando unit to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress […]

27 January 1944: A unique photo of four downed Luftwaffe aircraft in Mykonos, Greece

By Pierre Kosmidis Photo by Manolis Bardanis Research by Manolis Bardanis and George Karelas The serene beaches of Rinia, close to Mykonos island, have a tragic past, which was unveiled thanks to the combined efforts of Greek researchers Kostas Koukovinis and Thanos Antonelos  Now, thanks to respected researcher Manolis Bardanis, who searched the archives of […]

Then and now: Arpalouki bunker complex, April 1941 – April 2019

By Pierre Kosmidis Lt. Colonel (ret.) Ilias Kotridis has positively identified a photo of a Greek bunker, which was shot by an unnamed German soldier back in April 1941. Arpalouki Bunker Complex, located at 41°20’54″N  23°15’35″E By comparing the black and white photo with a colour photo Lt. Colonel (ret.) Ilias Kotridis shot recently, it is […]

Battle for Caen: Before and After, 1944

By Pierre Kosmidis Photos: Editions Lecoq Caen is about 9 mi (14 km) inland from the Calvados coast and is astride the Orne River and Caen Canal at the junction of several roads and railways, which made it an important operational objective for both sides. Caen and the area to the south was flatter and […]

Η πυροβολαρχία των 178 χιλ. του Ναυτικού Οχυρού Φλεβών, από τον Κωνσταντίνο Κυρίμη

By Pierre Kosmidis Φωτογραφίες: Κωνσταντίνος Κυρίμης, δημοσίευση κατόπιν αδείας Ο κύριος οπλισμός του «Ναυτικού Οχυρού Φλεβών (Ν.Ο.Φ.)» ήταν μια πυροβολαρχία (τεσσάρων πυροβόλων) των 178 χιλιοστών, εγκατεστημένη σε δεσπόζον ύψωμα, στο μέσο του νησιού. Τα πυροβόλα (όλα είχαν αφαιρεθεί από το παροπλισμένο θωρηκτό «Λήμνος») βρίσκονταν εδραιωμένα σε μεγάλες τσιμεντένιες βάσεις, με διάμετρο 9 μέτρων. Ο σύγχρονος επισκέπτης, […]