To Greece

Contents

• • [covers]
  • [series]
  • [frontispiece]
  • [title page]
  • Preface
  • Contents
  • List of Illustrations
  • List of Maps
• • CHAPTER 1 — The First Echelon
  • CHAPTER 2 — The Second Echelon
  • CHAPTER 3 — Third Echelon joins the First
  • CHAPTER 4 — The First Libyan Campaign, 1940–41
  • CHAPTER 5 — Assembly and Training of the New Zealand Division
  • CHAPTER 6 — The Balkan Front
    • Britain's Policy
    • Hitler's Plans
    • Plans for Barbarity Force
    • Suggestion that New Zealand Troops be Sent to Crete
    • Cautious Attitude of British Government
    • First New Zealand Troops in Greece
    • Hitler Decides to Attack Greece
    • Britain Decides to Assist Greece
    • New Zealand Division to go to Greece
    • 1 Australian Corps to go to Greece
    • The Misunderstanding about the Aliakmon Line
    • The New Zealand Government Makes its Decision
    • The Australian Government Makes its Decision
    • Increased Confidence after the coup d'état in Yugoslavia
    • Mr Churchill and the Dominions
  • CHAPTER 7 — W Force Moves Into Position
    • Movement of New Zealand Division to Greece
    • W Force Moves into Position
    • New Zealand Division Moves up to Katerini
    • The Monastir Gap
    • The Coup d'état in Yugoslavia
    • The Problems of W Force
    • The Aliakmon Line
    • Divisional Cavalry Regiment Along the Aliakmon River
    • The Olympus Pass Defences
    • The Coastal Route and the Platamon Tunnel
    • Units Continue to Arrive
    • The Chain of Medical Evacuation
    • The Greek and Australian Divisions
    • The Supply Problem
    • Air Support
    • Final Adjustments to the Allied Line
  • CHAPTER 8 — The Germans Invade Greece
    • Hitler Prepares His Plans
    • The Invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia, 6–8 April
    • General Wilson's Defence Plans on 6 April
    • The Raid on Piræus Harbour
    • The Allied Line is Changed
    • No Greek Unit can be Transported from the Metaxas Line
    • The New Zealanders and Australians Continue to Prepare Their Positions
    • The Allied Commanders Decide to Withdraw
    • The Withdrawal Begins on 8 April: 1 Armoured Brigade
    • Fourth Brigade Group is Withdrawn
    • 21 Battalion Moves up from Athens to the Platamon Tunnel
    • Withdrawals and Adjustments during 9–10 April
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade
    • Fourth Brigade Group
  • CHAPTER 9 — The Monastir Gap
    • The Assembly of Mackay Force: 8–9 April
    • The Germans Approach the Monastir Gap
    • Mackay Force bolds up the German Advance
    • Plans for the Withdrawal of the Allied Forces
    • 11 April: Fighting in the Klidhi Pass Area
    • 12–13 April: Plans for a General Withdrawal
    • 12 April: The Fighting in Klidhi Pass and the Withdrawal of Mackay Force
    • The Situation by Nightfall, 12–13 April
    • The German Plans, 13 April
    • The Rearguard Along the Sotir Ridge, Morning 13 April
    • The Rearguard in Action: Afternoon 13 April
  • CHAPTER 10 — The Greek Front begins to Crumble
    • General Wavell visits Greece, 11–13 April
    • General Wilson decides to Withdraw to Thermopylae
    • The German Plan of Attack
    • 14 April: The Greek Front begins to Crumble
    • 1 Armoured Brigade Group, including New Zealand units, withdraws from Grevena, night 14–15 April
    • Situation at Last Light, 14 April
    • 15 April: The Situation becomes More Serious
    • Anzac Corps delays the German Advance; Withdrawal Orders are Prepared
    • Withdrawal of 1 General Hospital
    • The Withdrawal Plans have to be Changed, 16 April
    • The Withdrawal continues through Kalabaka, 16 April
    • Collapse of Greek Resistance
    • The Overall Situation
  • CHAPTER 11 — The New Zealand Division goes into Action
    • New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment Witbdraws to the Main Defence Line
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade to Elasson
    • Movements to and from Servia Pass
    • The Germans attack 21 Battalion above the Platamon Tunnel
    • 21 Battalion Withdraws through the Pinios Gorge
    • The Transfer of 16 Australian Brigade to Pinios Gorge
  • CHAPTER 12 — The Defence of the Passes, 14–17 April
    • The Positions of 5 Brigade about Olympus Pass
    • The Germans approach Olympus Pass, Night 14–15 April
    • The Main Attack, 16 April
    • 5 Brigade begins its Withdrawal, Night 16–17 April
    • The Positions of 4 Brigade about Servia Pass
    • Action in Servia Pass, 15 April
    • The German Plans are Changed, 15–16 April
    • First Moves in the Withdrawal from Servia Pass
    • The Withdrawal of 4 Brigade, 17–18 April
  • CHAPTER 13 — The Critical Days, 17–18 April
    • The Withdrawal of 5 Brigade
    • The Rearguard assembles at Elasson
    • Fourth Brigade Completes its Withdrawal, 18–19 April
    • The Rearguard at Elevtherokhorion, 18 April
    • Sixth Brigade covers the Withdrawal, 18 April
    • 26 Battalion Completes its Withdrawal—by Train
    • The Withdrawal through Volos
    • Savige Force, including some New Zealand detachments, Withdraws from Kalabaka
  • CHAPTER 14 — The Pinios Gorge
    • The Selection of the Defence Line
    • The Australian Positions
    • The Supporting Artillery
    • The Germans enter the Pinios Gorge, Afternoon 17 April
    • The Germans cross the Mountain to Gonnos, 17 April
    • Allen Force completes its Defences, Night 17–18 April
    • The Germans force the Gorge, 18 April
    • The Germans cross the Pinios River on the Australian front, 18 April
    • Allen Force is Threatened with Encirclement
    • The Orders for Withdrawal
    • The Artillery prepares to Cover the Withdrawal
    • The Rearguard Action in the late afternoon, 18 April
    • The Road Block outside Larisa, Night 18–19 April
    • The Germans enter Larisa, 19 April
    • The Escape Parties
  • CHAPTER 15 — The Preparation of the Thermopylae Line
    • The Germans approach Thermopylae
    • The Rearguard at Volos
    • The Rearguard at Dhomokos
    • Anzac Corps assembles on the Thermopylae Line
    • The New Zealand Sector
    • Adjustments to the Line, 21 April, and Night 21–22 April
  • CHAPTER 16 — The Evacuation from Greece Begins
    • The Decision to Evacuate
    • Medical and Base Units leave the Athens Area, 22–25 April
    • Formation of the Reinforcement Battalion at Voula
    • The Evacuation Plans for W Force
    • The Withdrawal from Thermopylae begins, Night 22–23 April
    • The Front Weakens
    • Withdrawals from the Thermopylae area, Night 23–24 April
  • CHAPTER 17 — The Defence of Brallos and Thermopylae Passes, 24 April
    • The Germans approach Brallos Pass
    • The German Attack is diverted towards Thermopylae
    • The Importance of the New Zealand Artillery
    • The Australian Withdrawal
    • The New Zealand Withdrawal
    • The German Occupation of Molos
  • CHAPTER 18 — The First Stages of the Evacuation
    • [section]
    • Embarkations and Movements on the night 24–25 April
    • 25 April: The Second Revision of the Evacuation Plans
    • New Zealand Division during 25 April and Night 25–26 April
    • The Evacuation from Megara, night 25–26 and day 26 April
  • CHAPTER 19 — The Corinth Canal
    • Preparations for Defence
    • The Germans Attack from the Air
    • Action is taken to prevent the Parachute Troops moving South
    • New Plans and Further Withdrawals, 26 April
    • Evacuations Continue during the Night 26–27 April
  • CHAPTER 20 — The Evacuation Continues
    • The German Advance from Thermopylae
    • Withdrawal of 4 Brigade from Kriekouki on night 26–27 April
    • The Germans enter Athens; 12 Army issues Further Orders
    • Fourth Brigade embarks at Porto Rafti
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade to Monemvasia, 27–28 April
    • Embarkation Successes and Disappointments, Night 27–28 April
    • The Embarkation of 6 Brigade from Monemvasia, 28–29 April
  • CHAPTER 21 — Kalamata
    • The Germans occupy the Peloponnese, 28–29 April
    • New Zealand Troops in Kalamata
    • The German Advanced Guard enters Kalamata
    • The German Account of the Action at Kalamata
    • Escape Parties
  • CHAPTER 22 — 2 NZEF in North Africa, April–May 1941
    • Maadi and Helwan Camps
    • New Zealand Units in the Desert
  • CHAPTER 23 — Conclusion
    • The Problems of the Campaign
    • The Attitude of the Commonwealth
    • The Importance of the Campaign
• • Appendix I — Strengths and Casualties
  • Appendix II — The Inter-Services Committee's Report
  • Appendix III — Mr Fraser's Questionnaire to the United Kingdom Chiefs of Staff on the Campaigns in Greece and Crete
    • [section]
    • NOTES ON POINTS RAISED IN MR FRASER'S QUESTIONNAIRE
      • Part I. GREECE
      • Part II. CRETE
  • Glossary
  • Bibliography
    • I. UNPUBLISHED SOURCES
      • united kingdom
      • new zealand
      • australia
      • germany
    • II. PUBLISHED SOURCES
      • OFFICIAL
      • UNOFFICIAL
  • Index
  • [backmatter]

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© 2007 Victoria University of Wellington | Contact us | Conditions of use

About this page...

Title: To Greece

Author: McClymont, W. G.

Digitisation Funded By: Mary Weston

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1959, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

Key subjects of this text:

• 2 NZEF
• Greece

Keywords: New Zealand World War II History

Conditions of use

Full details…