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The Battle of Pavliani (Greek: Μάχη της Παύλιανης, romanized: Machi tis Pavlianis) was fought on 3 June 1943 at the village of Pavliani in Central Greece between the Royal Italian Army and the partisans of the Greek People's Liberation Army.

Background

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During the winter and early spring of 1943, the Greek Resistance scored a number of successes against the Italian occupation troops in the mountainous areas of continental Greece, with battlefield victories like Fardykambos, and the liberation of towns like Karditsa (12 March), Grevena (24 March), and Metsovo (22 April).[1][2] By 16 April an Italian report noted that "control throughout the north-east, centre and south-west of Greece remains very precarious, not to say nonexistent".[3]

As a result, the Italian high command, the 11th Army in Athens, decided to mount a large-scale and concerted anti-partisan effort, aimed at hemming in the partisan forces in the Pindus mountain massif, and then launching coordinated and concentric attacks in Thessaly, Central Greece, and Epirus to clear the area.[4] The operation would begin after 20 May, the deadline set by the new collaborationist government under Ioannis Rallis for partisans to surrender in exchange for a full amnesty.[5]

Preparations

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Consequently, the newly established General Headquarters of the leftist Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) issued orders to its regional partisan headquarters to prepare for the attack, gathering the bulk of its forces in the Pindus massif, while leaving behind rear guards to obstruct the Italians.[4][6] In eastern Continental Greece, ELAS GHQ appointed the former Army captain Fotis Vermaios as commander of the Eastern Continental Greece Group (Συγκρότημα Ανατολικής Στερεάς), some 1,800 strong, with orders to conduct mobile defence against any Italian attempts to penetrate the mountains and threaten the liberated areas.[4][7] Already at the end of May, a first clash took place between the forces of the ELAS Thebes command under Kostas Antonopoulos (nom de guerre "Kronos") and an Italian column at the pass of the 51st kilometre of the Lamia–Amfissa road took place, ending in a victory for the Greek partisans.[7]

To resist the Italians, over 8,000 men with ample artillery and air support, the ELAS Eastern Continental Greece Group had about 1,500 armed men at their disposal, chiefly due to lack of weapons and ammunition.[8] The partisans resorted to manning a continuous line covering the Italian staging areas and the main approaches to the mountainous interior:[9][10]

  • To the south, Sotiris Tsitsipis ("Lokros") with 100–150 men from Locris and the village of Dremissa, was placed at Mount Giona, overlooking the 51st km.
  • The southeastern flank, covering the approaches of Mount Oeta from the 51st km and Diplopittes, was held by Miltos Papathanasiou ("Huarez") with 150–180 men from the 2nd Company of the Parnassus Headquarters and Reserve ELAS forces of the area.
  • At the central eastern flank, men from Locris under Colonel Ioannis Papathanasiou, and captains Mylonas and Karalivanos, took over the village of Koukouvista, while a platoon from the Thebes Headquarters under Kronos covered the road leading to Koukouvista from the village of Kastellia, numbering about 350 men in total.
  • At the northeastern flank, at Pavliani and Koumaritsi, 80 men from the 1st Company of the Parnassus Headquarters under Charalambos Mokos ("Kallias") along with the Reserve ELAS company of the sector, in total some 200 men, took over the defence against an attack from Lamia.
  • To the west the Doris Headquarters at Mousounitsa with local forces, some 150 men in tital, undertook to block the Mornos River valley from the direction of Lidoriki.
  • Patrols were also set up on the northern slopes of Oeta, towards Ypati and Kombotades, to guard against an attack from there. Finally, a central reserve of 300–400 men (3rd and 4th Companies of Parnassus Headquarters and local forces) was gathered at the village of Mavrolithari.

The civilian population was mobilized to prepare multiple defensive positions at each place, supply the partisans with food, and improve the telephone connections with the forward lookouts and the defensive positions at Kastellia, Gardikaki, Koukouvista and Pavliani on the one hand, and to the seat of the General Headquarters at Gardiki Omilaion on the other.[11][12]

Battle

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On 3 June, a strong Italian force, with artillery and air support, began moving to enter the mountains, by attacking from two directions in converging movements: in the Oeta–Giona area from the east with one battalion and an artillery squadron and in the Parnassus–Giona area from the south with three battalions.[13][14] The Italians advanced slowly, with the ELAS partisans keeping close contact with them.[14] The southern column, some 1,500 men, set out from the 51st km to the direction of Gravia. Assuming this to be the main Italian effort, the ELAS commanders Dimitris Dimitriou [el] ("Nikiforos") and Giannis Alexandrou [el] ("Diamantis") were preparing to ambush it, when it stopped and began setting up camp at Paliochlomos.[15][16]

In the meantime, the eastern column of some 1,100 men had been engaged by the local ELAS men under Kallias on the road from the village of Gardikaki to Pavliani.[15] With the Italian artillery and mortars shelling his positions, over the phone Kallias informed Nikiforos and Diamantis of the situation and asked them to come with all haste and reinforce him. Some 280 men gathered at Mavrolithari under Vermaios, Nikiforos, and Diamantis and moved with great speed over the Agia Triada–Vrizes plateau to Pavliani.[17] The Doris command at Mousounitsa was also notified, but despite orders to the contrary its men had left the village to tend to their flocks, so that a messenger had to be sent to recall them to action.[18]

Moving as fast as possible, the reinforcements had become scattered; Nikiforos arrived first with his men, but waited until the others had arrived before going over into the offensive.[19] Led by the teacher Stathis Agorianitis (commander of the local Reserve ELAS battalion) and the political officer Kostas Kriaras, who knew the ground well, the newly arrived ELAS companies moved west, behind Kallias' men, through the forested heights overlooking the narrow mountain road, and emerged behind the Italian lines. Nikiforos led the first company into a charge towards the right, so as to prevent the Italians from outflanking the partisans, while the other two companies followed behind; the second company, under Diamantis and Vermaios, attacked in the centre, while the third company attacked to the left, maintaining contact with Kallias' positions to the east.[20] Despite occasionally fierce resistance, the Italian column quickly broke and fled.[21]

The partisans suffered six dead, including four young and inexperienced members of the United Panhellenic Organization of Youth (EPON), as well as a few wounded.[22] On the field of battle, the partisans counted some 45 Italian dead and 25 prisoners, along with a horse, 25–30 pack animals, and large quantities of clothing, weapons, and ammunition, including mortars and artillery—although the Italians had rendered the latter inoperable by removing their sights.[23] The Italians suffered more casualties later, when during the night they came on the German guard-posts of the Athens–Lamia railway. Thinking they were under partisan attack, the Germans fired on them and killed several.[14] Post-war Greek sources place the total Italian casualties in the battle at 80 killed and 23 prisoners, and the captured equipment at 2 mountain guns, 1 heavy and 3 light mortars, 10 light machine guns, 2 heavy machine guns, as well as many rifles, ammunition, 14 pack animals, and supplies.[24][25][26] The most important result of the battle, however, was that this was the last Italian attempt to penetrate into the mountainous interior of Central Greece from this direction.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Eudes 1973, pp. 42–49.
  2. ^ Grigoriadis 1982, pp. 215, 218–219.
  3. ^ Mazower 1993, pp. 135–136.
  4. ^ a b c Grigoriadis 1982, p. 244.
  5. ^ Ballis 1981, p. 100.
  6. ^ Sevastakis 1978, p. 386.
  7. ^ a b Dimitriou 1965, p. 302.
  8. ^ Η Μάχη της Παύλιανης, p. 5.
  9. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 310–311.
  10. ^ Η Μάχη της Παύλιανης, pp. 6–7.
  11. ^ Dimitriou 1965, p. 311.
  12. ^ Η Μάχη της Παύλιανης, p. 7.
  13. ^ Grigoriadis 1982, pp. 244–245.
  14. ^ a b c Hatzis 1983, p. 108.
  15. ^ a b Dimitriou 1965, p. 313.
  16. ^ Η Μάχη της Παύλιανης, p. 9.
  17. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 313–315.
  18. ^ Dimitriou 1965, p. 314.
  19. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 314–315.
  20. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 315–316.
  21. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 317–318.
  22. ^ Dimitriou 1965, p. 322.
  23. ^ Dimitriou 1965, pp. 321–322.
  24. ^ a b Grigoriadis 1982, p. 245.
  25. ^ Zoidis et al. 1974, p. 151.
  26. ^ Glezos 2011, p. 940.

Sources

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  • Ballis, Dimitrios E. (1981). Ο ΕΛΑΣ στη Θεσσαλία [ELAS in Thessaly] (in Greek). Athens: Synchroni Epochi.
  • Dimitriou, Mitsos N. (1965). Αντάρτης στα βουνά της Ρούμελης. Χρονικό 1940-44 [A Partisan in the Mountains of Roumeli. A Chronicle, 1940-44] (in Greek). Vol. B. Athens.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Eudes, Dominique (1973). The Kapetanios: Partisans and Civil War in Greece, 1943-1949. Translated by John Howe. New York and London: Monthly Review Press. ISBN 978-0-85345-275-1.
  • Gatos, Georgios (2015). Η Εθνική Αντίσταση στη Φωκίδα. ΕΑΜ – ΕΛΑΣ – ΕΠΟΝ [The National Resistance in Phocis. EAM — ELAS — EPON] (in Greek). Vol. I. Athens: Pedio. ISBN 978-960-546-449-3.
  • Grigoriadis, Solon (1982). Συνοπτική Ιστορία της Εθνικής Αντίστασης, 1941-1944 [Concise History of the National Resistance, 1941-1944] (in Greek). Athens: Kapopoulos. OCLC 165816421.
  • Hatzis, Thanasis (1983). Η νικηφόρα επανάσταση που χάθηκε [The Victorious Revolution That Was Lost] (in Greek). Vol. II. Athens: Dorikos.
  • Mazower, Mark (1993). Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941–44. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-06552-3.
  • Pavliani Community Council (1988). Η Μάχη της Παύλιανης (3-6-1943) [The Battle of Pavliani (3-6-1943)] (in Greek).
  • Sarafis, Stefanos (1951). Greek Resistance Army: The Story of ELAS. London: Birch Books. OCLC 993128877.
  • Sevastakis, Alexis (1978). Καπετάν Μπουκουβάλας: Το αντάρτικο ιππικό της Θεσσαλίας [Kapetan Boukouvalas: The Partisan Cavalry of Thessaly] (in Greek). Athens: Diogenis.
  • Zoidis, Giorgis; Kaïlas, Mitsos; Mamatsis, Takis; Athanasiou, Fotis; Asouras, Giorgis (1974). Ιστορία της Εθνικής Αντίστασης 1940-1945: Δοκίμιο [History of the National Resistance 1940-45: An Essay] (in Greek). Νέα Βιβλία.


[[Category:1943 in Greece]] [[Category:Conflicts in 1943|Pavliani]] [[Category:June 1943 events]] [[Category:Battles and operations involving the Greek People's Liberation Army|Pavliani]] [[Category:Battles and operations of World War II involving Italy|Pavliani]] [[Category:Italian occupation of Greece during World War II]]

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