The Resistance (1939-1945) in a few documentaries (4)
Every year in Greece several days in the month of November are observed as significant, one of them being the 25th November or National Resistance Day. This is the story behind it, or rather why the proud Greeks are commemorating on this day their resistance to German and Italian occupation.
In short, it's the story of the only major joint military operation between the communist-led ELAS and the monarchist EDES during WWII, Operation Harling on November 25, 1942. In essence it was the destruction of the Gorgopotamos railway viaduct severing the rail line connecting Thessaloniki to Athens.
The Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberation Front (EAM) until February 1945, when, following armed clashes and the Varkiza Agreement, it was disarmed and disbanded. It was the largest and most significant of the military organizations of the Greek resistance.
The National Republican Greek League (EDES) was the largest of the non-communist resistance groups, its military wing, the National Groups of Greek Guerrillas (ΕΟΕΑ) and concentrated in Epirus. From 1943 onwards, EDES fought with ELAS, beginning a series of civil conflicts that would lead to the Greek Civil War (1946 to 1949).
Back in 1942 though British SOE commandos mediated a truce between ELAS and EDES in order to cripple Axis supply lines heading to North Africa. The Special Operation Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe with local local resistance movements.
SOE personnel operated in all territories occupied or attacked by the Axis powers, except where demarcation lines were agreed upon with Britain's principal allies, the United States and the Soviet Union. SOE made use of neutral territory on occasion or made plans and preparations in case neutral countries were attacked by the Axis.
Operation Harling was conceived in late summer 1942 as an effort to stem the flow of supplies through Greece to the German forces under Rommel in North Africa. To this end, the Cairo office of the SOE decided to send a sabotage team to cut the railway line connecting Athens with Thessaloniki.
Three viaducts were considered as potential targets, all in the Brallos area: the Gorgopotamos, Asopos and Papadia bridges. The destruction of the Asopos viaduct was preferable, since it would take longer to rebuild, but the choice would be ultimately left to the mission's leader.
The SOE team would be under the command of Lt. Col. Myers of the Royal Engineers, so-called "the only parachute-trained professional sapper officer in the Middle East". After completion of the mission, most of the team would be evacuated, leaving only one British and one Greek officer, and two radio operators to stay behind.
The sabotage mission became the first major success for SOE, and although its original military objective, the disruption of supplies for Rommel's troops, had been rendered obsolete by the Allied victory at El Alamein, it did display the potential for major guerrilla actions in serving Allied strategic objectives.
In its aftermath, the Harling mission was not withdrawn, but was instructed to remain on spot and to form the British Military Mission to Greece. Because of fiercely opposing post-war political visions, the historic sabotage of the Asopos viaduct was both the first and the last time that the two rival groups ever cooperated on the battlefield.
[media=https://youtu.be/FLVrp40A_J8]
In short, it's the story of the only major joint military operation between the communist-led ELAS and the monarchist EDES during WWII, Operation Harling on November 25, 1942. In essence it was the destruction of the Gorgopotamos railway viaduct severing the rail line connecting Thessaloniki to Athens.
The Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberation Front (EAM) until February 1945, when, following armed clashes and the Varkiza Agreement, it was disarmed and disbanded. It was the largest and most significant of the military organizations of the Greek resistance.
The National Republican Greek League (EDES) was the largest of the non-communist resistance groups, its military wing, the National Groups of Greek Guerrillas (ΕΟΕΑ) and concentrated in Epirus. From 1943 onwards, EDES fought with ELAS, beginning a series of civil conflicts that would lead to the Greek Civil War (1946 to 1949).
Back in 1942 though British SOE commandos mediated a truce between ELAS and EDES in order to cripple Axis supply lines heading to North Africa. The Special Operation Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe with local local resistance movements.
SOE personnel operated in all territories occupied or attacked by the Axis powers, except where demarcation lines were agreed upon with Britain's principal allies, the United States and the Soviet Union. SOE made use of neutral territory on occasion or made plans and preparations in case neutral countries were attacked by the Axis.
Operation Harling was conceived in late summer 1942 as an effort to stem the flow of supplies through Greece to the German forces under Rommel in North Africa. To this end, the Cairo office of the SOE decided to send a sabotage team to cut the railway line connecting Athens with Thessaloniki.
Three viaducts were considered as potential targets, all in the Brallos area: the Gorgopotamos, Asopos and Papadia bridges. The destruction of the Asopos viaduct was preferable, since it would take longer to rebuild, but the choice would be ultimately left to the mission's leader.
The SOE team would be under the command of Lt. Col. Myers of the Royal Engineers, so-called "the only parachute-trained professional sapper officer in the Middle East". After completion of the mission, most of the team would be evacuated, leaving only one British and one Greek officer, and two radio operators to stay behind.
The sabotage mission became the first major success for SOE, and although its original military objective, the disruption of supplies for Rommel's troops, had been rendered obsolete by the Allied victory at El Alamein, it did display the potential for major guerrilla actions in serving Allied strategic objectives.
In its aftermath, the Harling mission was not withdrawn, but was instructed to remain on spot and to form the British Military Mission to Greece. Because of fiercely opposing post-war political visions, the historic sabotage of the Asopos viaduct was both the first and the last time that the two rival groups ever cooperated on the battlefield.
[media=https://youtu.be/FLVrp40A_J8]
