To Greece

Contents

• • [covers]
  • [title page] p. i
  • [frontispiece] p. ii
  • [title page] p. iii
  • Preface p. v
  • Contents p. vii
  • List of Illustrations p. viii
  • List of Maps p. xi
• • CHAPTER 1 — The First Echelon p. 1
  • CHAPTER 2 — The Second Echelon p. 25
  • CHAPTER 3 — Third Echelon joins the First p. 43
  • CHAPTER 4 — The First Libyan Campaign, 1940–41 p. 62
  • CHAPTER 5 — Assembly and Training of the New Zealand Division p. 79
  • CHAPTER 6 — The Balkan Front
    • Britain's Policy p. 86
    • Hitler's Plans p. 87
    • Plans for Barbarity Force p. 88
    • Suggestion that New Zealand Troops be Sent to Crete p. 89
    • Cautious Attitude of British Government p. 90
    • First New Zealand Troops in Greece p. 91
    • Hitler Decides to Attack Greece p. 92
    • Britain Decides to Assist Greece p. 94
    • New Zealand Division to go to Greece p. 103
    • 1 Australian Corps to go to Greece p. 104
    • The Misunderstanding about the Aliakmon Line p. 105
    • The New Zealand Government Makes its Decision p. 112
    • The Australian Government Makes its Decision p. 114
    • Increased Confidence after the coup d'état in Yugoslavia p. 115
    • Mr Churchill and the Dominions
  • CHAPTER 7 — W Force Moves Into Position
    • Movement of New Zealand Division to Greece p. 117
    • W Force Moves into Position p. 121
    • New Zealand Division Moves up to Katerini p. 123
    • The Monastir Gap p. 128
    • The Coup d'état in Yugoslavia p. 131
    • The Problems of W Force p. 134
    • The Aliakmon Line p. 136
    • Divisional Cavalry Regiment Along the Aliakmon River p. 140
    • The Olympus Pass Defences p. 141
    • The Coastal Route and the Platamon Tunnel p. 146
    • Units Continue to Arrive p. 147
    • The Chain of Medical Evacuation p. 148
    • The Greek and Australian Divisions p. 149
    • The Supply Problem p. 151
    • Air Support p. 153
    • Final Adjustments to the Allied Line p. 155
  • CHAPTER 8 — The Germans Invade Greece
    • Hitler Prepares His Plans p. 157
    • The Invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia, 6–8 April p. 159
    • General Wilson's Defence Plans on 6 April p. 160
    • The Raid on Piræus Harbour p. 161
    • The Allied Line is Changed p. 162
    • No Greek Unit can be Transported from the Metaxas Line p. 163
    • The New Zealanders and Australians Continue to Prepare Their Positions p. 164
    • The Allied Commanders Decide to Withdraw p. 165
    • The Withdrawal Begins on 8 April: 1 Armoured Brigade p. 169
    • Fourth Brigade Group is Withdrawn p. 171
    • 21 Battalion Moves up from Athens to the Platamon Tunnel p. 173
    • Withdrawals and Adjustments during 9–10 April p. 177
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade p. 181
    • Fourth Brigade Group p. 184
  • CHAPTER 9 — The Monastir Gap
    • The Assembly of Mackay Force: 8–9 April p. 189
    • The Germans Approach the Monastir Gap p. 192
    • Mackay Force bolds up the German Advance p. 194
    • Plans for the Withdrawal of the Allied Forces p. 196
    • 11 April: Fighting in the Klidhi Pass Area p. 198
    • 12–13 April: Plans for a General Withdrawal p. 200
    • 12 April: The Fighting in Klidhi Pass and the Withdrawal of Mackay Force p. 204
    • The Situation by Nightfall, 12–13 April p. 209
    • The German Plans, 13 April p. 210
    • The Rearguard Along the Sotir Ridge, Morning 13 April
    • The Rearguard in Action: Afternoon 13 April p. 212
  • CHAPTER 10 — The Greek Front begins to Crumble p. 215
    • General Wavell visits Greece, 11–13 April p. 215
    • General Wilson decides to Withdraw to Thermopylae p. 216
    • The German Plan of Attack p. 218
    • 14 April: The Greek Front begins to Crumble p. 219
    • 1 Armoured Brigade Group, including New Zealand units, withdraws from Grevena, night 14–15 April
    • Situation at Last Light, 14 April p. 222
    • 15 April: The Situation becomes More Serious p. 223
    • Anzac Corps delays the German Advance; Withdrawal Orders are Prepared p. 226
    • Withdrawal of 1 General Hospital p. 228
    • The Withdrawal Plans have to be Changed, 16 April p. 229
    • The Withdrawal continues through Kalabaka, 16 April p. 231
    • Collapse of Greek Resistance p. 233
    • The Overall Situation p. 234
  • CHAPTER 11 — The New Zealand Division goes into Action p. 235
    • New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment Witbdraws to the Main Defence Line p. 235
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade to Elasson p. 237
    • Movements to and from Servia Pass p. 238
    • The Germans attack 21 Battalion above the Platamon Tunnel p. 244
    • 21 Battalion Withdraws through the Pinios Gorge p. 248
    • The Transfer of 16 Australian Brigade to Pinios Gorge p. 252
  • CHAPTER 12 — The Defence of the Passes, 14–17 April
    • The Positions of 5 Brigade about Olympus Pass p. 254
    • The Germans approach Olympus Pass, Night 14–15 April p. 260
    • The Main Attack, 16 April p. 262
    • 5 Brigade begins its Withdrawal, Night 16–17 April p. 266
    • The Positions of 4 Brigade about Servia Pass p. 269
    • Action in Servia Pass, 15 April p. 272
    • The German Plans are Changed, 15–16 April p. 280
    • First Moves in the Withdrawal from Servia Pass
    • The Withdrawal of 4 Brigade, 17–18 April p. 282
  • CHAPTER 13 — The Critical Days, 17–18 April
    • The Withdrawal of 5 Brigade p. 285
    • The Rearguard assembles at Elasson p. 293
    • Fourth Brigade Completes its Withdrawal, 18–19 April p. 296
    • The Rearguard at Elevtherokhorion, 18 April p. 299
    • Sixth Brigade covers the Withdrawal, 18 April p. 303
    • 26 Battalion Completes its Withdrawal—by Train p. 308
    • The Withdrawal through Volos p. 310
    • Savige Force, including some New Zealand detachments, Withdraws from Kalabaka p. 312
  • CHAPTER 14 — The Pinios Gorge
    • The Selection of the Defence Line p. 315
    • The Australian Positions p. 319
    • The Supporting Artillery p. 320
    • The Germans enter the Pinios Gorge, Afternoon 17 April
    • The Germans cross the Mountain to Gonnos, 17 April p. 322
    • Allen Force completes its Defences, Night 17–18 April p. 323
    • The Germans force the Gorge, 18 April p. 324
    • The Germans cross the Pinios River on the Australian front, 18 April p. 329
    • Allen Force is Threatened with Encirclement p. 330
    • The Orders for Withdrawal p. 332
    • The Artillery prepares to Cover the Withdrawal p. 334
    • The Rearguard Action in the late afternoon, 18 April p. 335
    • The Road Block outside Larisa, Night 18–19 April p. 340
    • The Germans enter Larisa, 19 April p. 343
    • The Escape Parties
  • CHAPTER 15 — The Preparation of the Thermopylae Line p. 347
    • The Germans approach Thermopylae p. 347
    • The Rearguard at Volos
    • The Rearguard at Dhomokos p. 349
    • Anzac Corps assembles on the Thermopylae Line p. 352
    • The New Zealand Sector p. 355
    • Adjustments to the Line, 21 April, and Night 21–22 April p. 359
  • CHAPTER 16 — The Evacuation from Greece Begins
    • The Decision to Evacuate p. 362
    • Medical and Base Units leave the Athens Area, 22–25 April p. 367
    • Formation of the Reinforcement Battalion at Voula p. 370
    • The Evacuation Plans for W Force p. 371
    • The Withdrawal from Thermopylae begins, Night 22–23 April p. 375
    • The Front Weakens p. 377
    • Withdrawals from the Thermopylae area, Night 23–24 April p. 381
  • CHAPTER 17 — The Defence of Brallos and Thermopylae Passes, 24 April p. 384
    • The Germans approach Brallos Pass p. 384
    • The German Attack is diverted towards Thermopylae p. 387
    • The Importance of the New Zealand Artillery p. 391
    • The Australian Withdrawal p. 394
    • The New Zealand Withdrawal p. 395
    • The German Occupation of Molos p. 398
  • CHAPTER 18 — The First Stages of the Evacuation p. 400
    • [section] p. 400
    • Embarkations and Movements on the night 24–25 April p. 402
    • 25 April: The Second Revision of the Evacuation Plans p. 405
    • New Zealand Division during 25 April and Night 25–26 April p. 407
    • The Evacuation from Megara, night 25–26 and day 26 April p. 408
  • CHAPTER 19 — The Corinth Canal p. 413
    • Preparations for Defence p. 413
    • The Germans Attack from the Air p. 417
    • Action is taken to prevent the Parachute Troops moving South p. 422
    • New Plans and Further Withdrawals, 26 April p. 424
    • Evacuations Continue during the Night 26–27 April p. 426
  • CHAPTER 20 — The Evacuation Continues p. 432
    • The German Advance from Thermopylae p. 432
    • Withdrawal of 4 Brigade from Kriekouki on night 26–27 April p. 433
    • The Germans enter Athens; 12 Army issues Further Orders p. 439
    • Fourth Brigade embarks at Porto Rafti p. 440
    • The Withdrawal of 6 Brigade to Monemvasia, 27–28 April p. 442
    • Embarkation Successes and Disappointments, Night 27–28 April
    • The Embarkation of 6 Brigade from Monemvasia, 28–29 April p. 444
  • CHAPTER 21 — Kalamata p. 448
    • The Germans occupy the Peloponnese, 28–29 April p. 448
    • New Zealand Troops in Kalamata
    • The German Advanced Guard enters Kalamata p. 451
    • The German Account of the Action at Kalamata p. 460
    • Escape Parties
  • CHAPTER 22 — 2 NZEF in North Africa, April–May 1941 p. 464
    • Maadi and Helwan Camps p. 464
    • New Zealand Units in the Desert
  • CHAPTER 23 — Conclusion p. 471
    • The Problems of the Campaign p. 471
    • The Attitude of the Commonwealth p. 474
    • The Importance of the Campaign p. 477
• • Appendix I — Strengths and Casualties p. 486
  • Appendix II — The Inter-Services Committee's Report p. 489
  • Appendix III — Mr Fraser's Questionnaire to the United Kingdom Chiefs of Staff on the Campaigns in Greece and Crete
    • [section] p. 491
    • NOTES ON POINTS RAISED IN MR FRASER'S QUESTIONNAIRE
      • Part I. GREECE
      • Part II. CRETE p. 502
  • Glossary p. 515
  • Bibliography p. 519
    • I. UNPUBLISHED SOURCES p. 519
      • united kingdom p. 519
      • new zealand
      • australia p. 520
      • germany
    • II. PUBLISHED SOURCES
      • OFFICIAL
      • UNOFFICIAL p. 522
  • Index p. 525
  • [backmatter] p. 539

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