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Battle Of Kleisoura Pass
The Battle of Kleisoura Pass ( el, Αγώνας στενωπού Κλεισούρας) took place from the evening of 13 April 1941, when first contact was made, until the midday of 14 April, when Greek organized resistance collapsed. The battle was fought over the narrow pass that crosses between Mt. Vitsi and Mt. Siniatsiko, between elements of the Greek 20th Infantry Division which were occupying the pass and the German ''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH, (german: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") began as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding ...'', a mechanized infantry unit of brigade level. The pass was strategically important for it stood on the main Allied defensive line (Verno, Mt.Vitsi– Mt. Siniatsiko– Aliakmon, river Aliakmon – Mount Olympus, Mt. Olympos), behind which passed the withdrawal route of the G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Invasion Of Greece
The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasion in April 1941. German landings on the island of Crete (May 1941) came after Allied forces had been defeated in mainland Greece. These battles were part of the greater Balkans Campaign of the Axis powers and their associates. Following the Italian invasion on 28 October 1940, Greece, with British air and material support, repelled the initial Italian attack and a counter-attack in March 1941. When the German invasion, known as Operation Marita, began on 6 April, the bulk of the Greek Army was on the Greek border with Albania, then a vassal of Italy, from which the Italian troops had attacked. German troops invaded from Bulgaria, creating a second front. Greece recei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British 1st Armoured Brigade
The 1st Armoured Brigade, raised as the 1st Light Armoured, later the 1st Armoured Brigade Group, was an armoured formation of the British Army. History At the start of the war, the brigade was based in the United Kingdom, initially as part of the 1st Armoured Division and then as part of the newly formed 2nd Armoured Division. In November 1940, it was shipped to Egypt, arriving on 1 January 1941. In March 1941, the brigade was dispatched to Greece as part of General Maitland Wilson's unsuccessful attempt at stopping the German invasion. On 29 April 1941, the brigade was evacuated to Egypt. The 1st Armoured Brigade served in the Western Desert Campaign with the 7th Armoured Division at the Battle of El Alamein. The brigade was disbanded on 21 November 1942. Order of Battle The Order of battle of the brigade during the war was:Joslen, pp.144–5. (day/month/year), units in order of precedence. Armoured Brigade Establishment * Brigade Headquarters & Signal Sectio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theodor Wisch
__NOTOC__ Theodor Peter Johann Wisch (13 December 1907 – 11 January 1995) was a high-ranking member of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a commander of the SS Division Leibstandarte (LSSAH) and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He assumed command of the LSSAH in April 1943. He was seriously wounded in combat on the Western Front by a naval artillery barrage in the Falaise Pocket on 20 August 1944, and replaced as division commander by SS-''Brigadeführer'' Wilhelm Mohnke. Awards * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (24 September 1939) & 1st Class (8 November 1939) * German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1943 as SS-'' Standartenführer'' in the 2. Panzergrenadier-Regiment SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ** Knight's Cross on 15 September 1941 as SS-''Sturmbannführer'' and commander of the II./LSSAH ** 393rd Oak Leaves on 12 Februar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fritz Witt
Fritz Witt (27 May 1908 – 14 June 1944) was a German SS commander during the Nazi era. During World War II, he served with the SS Division Leibstandarte before taking command of the SS Division Hitlerjugend. He was killed in action in June 1944. Early life and career Born in 1908 into the family of a merchant, Witt worked in the textile industry until he lost his job in June 1931. Witt joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) (Nr. 816,769) in December 1931 and the SS (Nr. 21,518). In March 1933, Witt became a member of the SS-''Stabswache'' Berlin, a bodyguard unit protecting Adolf Hitler. It was renamed to SS-''Sonderkommando'' Berlin in September and in the following month, Witt was appointed a platoon leader. This unit was the nucleus of the later SS Division Leibstandarte (LSSAH). In January 1935, Witt was appointed company commander in the SS- Standarte Deutschland, a unit that later became part of the SS Division Das Reich. World War II Witt participated in the German Invasion o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amyntaio
Amyntaio ( el, Αμύνταιο, before 1928: Σόροβιτς - ''Sorovits''; Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Суровичево, Сорович), is a town and municipality in the Florina regional unit of Macedonia, Greece. The population of Amyntaio proper is 4,306, while that of the entire municipality is 16,973 (2011). The town is named after the ancient king of Macedon and grandfather of Alexander the Great, Amyntas III. History The village mosque was destroyed and located at the site of the present Municipal Centre building. Archaeological excavations On March 4, 2007, an unknown civilization around four lakes that lasted from 6000 BC to 60 BC has been uncovered in two important excavations of a Neolithic and an Iron Age settlement in the Amyntaio district of Florina, northern Greece. A 7,300-year-old home with a timber floor, remnants of food supplies and blackberry seeds are among the findings in a Neolithic settlement near the lakes of Vegoritida, Petres, Heimatitida and Za ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind. Overview Mountain passes make use of a gap (landform), gap, saddle (landform), saddle, col or notch (landform), notch. A topographic saddle is analogous to the mathematical concept of a saddle surface, with a saddle point marking the highest point between two valleys and the lowest point along a ridge. On a topographic map, passes are characterized by contour lines with an hourglass shape, which indicates a low spot between two higher points. In the high mountains, a difference of between the summit and the mountain is defined as a mountain pas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Greece, geographic region of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains. The town is known for its many Byzantine Empire, Byzantine churches, Byzantine architecture, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, Ottoman-era domestic architecture, its lake and its fur clothing industry. Name The city is first mentioned in 550 AD, by Procopius as follows: "There was a certain city in Thessaly, Diocletianopolis by name, which had been prosperous in ancient times, but with the passage of time and the assaults of the barbarians it had been destroyed, and for a very long time it had been destitute of inhabitants; and a certain lake chances to be clo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ptolemaida
Ptolemaida ( el, Πτολεμαΐδα, Ptolemaïda, Katharevousa: Πτολεμαΐς, ''Ptolemaïs'') is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, Western Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Eordaia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is known for its coal (lignite) mines and its power stations. Name During the Ottoman period the city was called Kayılar (English: Kailar, Germanic: Kajilar), rendered into English as ''Kaïlar''. This name was retained in Greek as ''Kailaria'' (Καϊλάρια) until 1927. Kailar refers to the Kayı tribe, the tribe of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The modern name Ptolemaida was introduced by decree on January 20, 1927, honoring Ptolemy I Soter, son of Lagus, comrade-in-arms of Alexander the Great and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and his daughter Ptolemaïs, who are said to originate from that region. His statue stands in the central square of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Komnina, Kozani
Komnina ( el, Κομνηνά) is a town in the Kozani regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece. It was the seat of the municipality of Vermio. As of 2011, it had a population of 690 permanent residents. The town's altitude is 688 meters (2260 feet) above sea level. In the square of the village exists a splendid park with the Monument of the Fallen and the Municipal School. The vast majority of the population is Pontian. The predominant language of the area is the Pontian language, a dialect of ancient Greek that was spoken in Pontus. Between the 1950s and 1990s about half of the population emigrated abroad, mostly to Germany, Australia, and the United States. The name Komnina refers to the residents, who are considered descendants of Emperor Komninos of Trapezounta (Trabzon). Previously, Komnina was referred to as Paleohori in the Byzantine era, before it was destroyed after the conquest of region by the Ottoman Turks. During the Ottoman rule, Komnina was known as Utsena or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Vevi (1941)
The Battle of Vevi (or Veve, el, Μάχη της Bεύης), in Greece, also known as the Battle of the Klidi Pass, was part of the Greek campaign of World War II. It took place on 11–12 April 1941, north of the town of Amyntaion, close to the northwestern Greek border. Allied troops fought forces from Nazi Germany. Background German forces invaded Greece and southern Yugoslavia from Bulgaria in the first week of April 1941. Following the collapse of resistance in Yugoslavia, the left flank of the Vermion line held by Greek and British Empire forces became exposed. A new plan intended that Imperial British forces would hold off Germans forces in western Macedonia, until non-motorised Greek infantry units had withdrawn on foot from Mount Vermion to Mount Siniatsiko, and a new defensive line had been formed between Mount Olympus and the Aliakmon River. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iven Giffard Mackay
Lieutenant General Sir Iven Giffard Mackay, (7 April 1882 – 30 September 1966) was a senior Australian Army officer who served in both world wars. Mackay graduated from the University of Sydney in 1904 and taught physics there from 1910 until 1914, when he joined the Australian Imperial Force shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. He served with the 4th Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli, where he distinguished himself in hand-to-hand fighting at the Battle of Lone Pine. In April 1916, he assumed command of the 4th Infantry Battalion on the Western Front and led it at the Battle of Pozières, Battle of Bullecourt and Battle of Broodseinde. He was promoted to brigadier general in June 1918, and led the 1st Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Hazebrouck, the Battle of Amiens and in the attack on the Hindenburg Line. After the war, Mackay studied physics at the University of Cambridge under Ernest Rutherford before returning to Australia and his old job a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
