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Battle of the Metaxas Line
Part of the Battle of Greece
German tank set on fire by Greek artillery, April 1941.
Date
6–9 April 1941
Location
Greek-Bulgarian border
Result
German victory
Belligerents
Germany
Greece
Commanders and leaders
Wilhelm List
Konstantinos Bakopoulos
Strength
2nd Panzer Division XVIII Army Corps 6th Mountain Division 5th Mountain Division 2 armored divisions 5 infantry divisions 2 independent enhanced infantry regiments 650 aircraft
1400+ killed 192+ missing 2,403+ wounded Total 3,995+
Unknown
v
t
e
Greek campaign
Greco-Italian War
Pindus
Elaia–Kalamas
Morava–Ivan (Korytsa)
Saranda
Himara
Klisura Pass
Trebeshina
Hill 731
German Invasion
Metaxas Line
Pisoderi Pass
Vevi
Ptolemaida
Kleisoura Pass
Siatista Pass
Lake Kastoria
Servia
Olympus
Tempe Gorge
Athens
Thermopylae
Corinth Canal
Crete
Maleme
Rethymno
Heraklion
42nd Street
The Battle of the Metaxas Line (German: Kampf um die Metaxas-Linie), also known in Greece as the Battle of the Forts (Greek: Μάχη των Οχυρών), was the first battle during the German invasion of Greece in World War II. The Germans succeeded in capturing several individual forts but failed to breach the fortified Metaxas Line in general. The 2nd Panzer division (XVIII Mountain Corps) with an enveloping move crossed the Yugoslavian borders, overcame Yugoslav and Greek resistance and captured Thessaloniki on the 9th of April. The capture of Thessaloniki forced the Greek East Macedonia Army Section to surrender on the 10th of April and the Metaxas Line battle was over.
German General Wilhelm List, commander of the German forces attacking Greece, admired the bravery and courage of these soldiers. He refrained from taking the Greek soldiers prisoner and declared that the army was free to leave with their war flags, on condition that they surrender their arms and supplies. He also ordered his soldiers and officers to salute the Greek soldiers (Beevor 2005, p. 20). At the time, the Metaxas line was poorly manned, as most of the Greek Army was involved in the Greco-Italian War on the Albanian front.
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Global Information
Germany
Greece