254: Greece Pt. 6 - The Invasion Begins

On April 6th, 1941, Germany launched Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece, with the 12th Army under General List striking primarily through the newly conquered territory of Yugoslavia to outflank the well-prepared Greek Metaxas Line. The opening days of the attack were harder than the Germans expected — the Greeks defended stubbornly along the Metaxas Line, particularly at the Rupel Pass, but flanking movements soon made those positions untenable, and the vital port of Salonika fell after just three days of fighting. Meanwhile, the British were dealt a serious blow when a Luftwaffe raid on the port of Piraeus set off an ammunition ship, closing the harbor for two critical days, while intelligence intercepts revealed German forces pushing through the Monastir Gap to envelop the British Aliakmon Line. What followed was a grinding fighting retreat southward by Allied forces through the Servia and Olympus passes toward the historic pass at Thermopylae, with ANZAC troops buying time against an advancing German army that was better supplied, better supported from the air, and ultimately impossible to stop — raising the alarming question of whether any evacuation from Greece could even be arranged. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Listener Question Pt. 5

Start off this one with a few quick hitters, then a question that takes 15 minutes to answer. Allied invasion of France in 1942? That Churchill guy you may have heard of? How did occupied economies wo...

2 Heinä 23min

264: War at Sea '41 Pt. 2 - Cruisers Attack

This episode examines Germany's auxiliary cruisers and the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper as they carried the commerce war into distant shipping lanes during 1940 and early 1941. It follows the disguise...

1 Heinä 24min

263: War At Sea '41 Pt. 1 - The Surface Raiders

This episode begins a new look at the German surface raiding campaign of late 1940 and early 1941, when the Kriegsmarine tried to use cruisers and battleships to threaten Britain's Atlantic lifelines....

25 Kesä 25min

262: Crete Pt. 7 - Another Defeat; Another Victory

The evacuation from Crete reaches its final stage as British, Commonwealth, and Greek forces try to escape through Sphakia while others are left behind at Rethymno and across the island. This episode ...

17 Kesä 25min

261: Crete Pt. 6 - Stick It Out

The battle for Crete shifts toward evacuation as the Royal Navy absorbs severe losses while trying to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the island by sea. This episode follows the aftermath ...

11 Kesä 22min

260: Crete Pt. 5 - Failed Counterattacks

The Royal Navy's success in turning back the German invasion convoys in the waters north of Crete on the night of May 21st removed the threat of a seaborne landing, but it could not undo the damage do...

3 Kesä 20min

Listener Questions Pt. 4

War Aims and Strategic Bombing History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about y...

31 Touko 24min

259: Crete Pt. 4 - Naval Victory, Naval Disaster

As the first day of the German invasion of Crete drew to a close on May 20th, 1941, neither side held the clear advantage they had hoped for — the Germans had failed to secure their primary objectives...

27 Touko 25min