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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275: War at Sea '41 Pt. 13 - Lucky Strike

After Bismarck slips away from her British pursuers, the Royal Navy launches a desperate search before dwindling fuel supplies force the chase to end. This episode follows the intelligence breakthroug...

16 Sep 29min

Listener Questions. Pt 7

Greece, First World War Blockade Breaking, Crete, and WW2 Main Battery shell reliability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Sep 25min

274: War at Sea '41 Pt. 12 - On a Wing and a Prayer

With Bismarck damaged and making for France, the Royal Navy concentrated an enormous collection of ships to contain and destroy her while Admiral Lütjens worked to release Prinz Eugen and escape his p...

9 Sep 24min

273: War at Sea '41 Pt. 11 - The End of the Mighty Hood

The Battle of the Denmark Strait opened with British fire directed at the wrong German ship before Bismarck and Prinz Eugen concentrated their guns on Hood. This episode follows Hood’s catastrophic de...

2 Sep 24min

272: War at Sea '41 Pt. 10 - On the Eve of Battle

As Hood and Prince of Wales raced toward Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, worsening weather, uncertain contact reports, and the limitations of Hood’s armor shaped Admiral Holland’s plan of attack. This episo...

26 Aug 25min

271: War at Sea '41 Pt. 9 - Found and Followed

As Bismarck and Prinz Eugen entered the Denmark Strait, the cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk made contact and began the difficult task of shadowing them through fog, ice, and dangerous proximity to the Ge...

19 Aug 22min

270: War at Sea '41 Pt. 8 - The Operation Begins

As Bismarck and Prinz Eugen departed for the Atlantic, British reconnaissance exposed their presence in Norway and set the Royal Navy’s response in motion. This episode follows the German ships throug...

14 Aug 27min

269: War at Sea '41 Pt. 7 - This Seems Risky

In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck prepared for its first and only wartime cruise into the Atlantic. This episode examines the strategic pressures behind Operation Rheinübung, the compromises...

6 Aug 24min