The Battle of Height 731
by Valtrex
The Italian plan anticipated an offensive action with a front of 6 km/4 miles, by their entire XIX Corps under General Gastone Gambara
General Gastone Gambara
Greek forces were rather prepared to stop the advance of the enemy. The Italian preparations had been known for some time to the B' Corps HQ and counter-preparations had already begun. The orders given to the B' Corps units included the following suggestions:
Major General Vassilios Vrachnos
with 6 frontline battalions and 3 in reserve, divided into 2 sectors with 2 subsectors each:
A' SECTOR (Colonel Georgoulas)->Ketseas' Subsector (3 Battalions of the 5th "Trikala" Rgt), under Lt.Col Themistocles Ketseas
Lt.Col Themistocles Ketseas
II/5 Btn was on 731, under Major Demetrios Kasslas
Major Kasslas (right) on 731
III/5 Btn was on Breghu-Rapit, under Major Chimariotes
Major Chimariotes
THE BATTLE
Itallian assault
March 9th:
The Italian attack begins at 06:00 with Mussolini observing the battlefield. Within the next two-three hours, tens of thousands of artillery shells are fired against the Greek positions. 190 planes also bombed the Greek entrenchments. At 08:00, the Italians launch a primary attack on the Ketseas sector and a secondary attack on the Baldoumis & Papadopoulos subsectors.
At 09:00 the main offensive begins against 731 & Breghu-Rapit Heights. Despite the intense Greek artillery fire, Italian troops manage to reach the steep slopes of both heights (II/63 Battalion of the CAGLIARI Division). The Greeks after an initial attempt to stop the Italian attack by firing against them with their rifles and machine guns, they counter-attacked the upcoming Italians with fixed bayonets, under the cover of dense smoke. By late afternoon, the Italians had launched four consecutive attacks, all repulsed by the Greeks. Height 717, ("731's watch-dog" according to major Tzanetis), was finally captured by the Italians, despite a series of Greek atempts to recapture it (attacks organized by Major Tzanetis). A new Italian attack is launched on the heights 1308 (Trebeshin) & 1030 (Qjafe-Luzhit), to no avail. At the same time, a diversionary Italian assault on heights 709 & 710 was also repeled by the Greeks.
March 10th:
The Italians (BARI Division), tried to break the Greek defence line at Trebeshin & Sendeli mountains. Almost simoultaneously they launched three consecutive attacks on 731. The first 2 days, Greek losses accounted for 98 KIA and 357 WIA .
March 11th:
Activity continued all day along the front-line with barrages of artillery fire. In the night, 2 battalions of the 26th Blacksuit Legion advanced through the gorge between the Proi-Math & Qjafe-Luzhit heights, creating a really dangerous situation for the defenders on 731. Their advance, accidentally, was noticed by the Greeks (some Greek fighters later explained that the blacksuits attracted their attention by an accidental rifle or pistol shot), who began firing at them by the neighboring heights (the Italians were caught between two fires). By the morning, both battalions had been completely annihilated: 250 blacksuits were dead, 501 were captured alive (20 officers-3 majors-among them). Italian frontal attacks were launched, to help the blacksuits evade the slaughter, but failed. In this encounter, the men of the Greek III/19 (of the 19th "Serres" Regiment) Battalion under Captain Koutrides, distinguished themselves. This battalion, had been deployed at the entrance of the gorge on the day before, as a reserve unit to the troops fighting on 731. This blacksuit effort, was a "forerunner" of an Italian effort to by-pass 731. This plan, foresaw a speedy conclusion of the battle by sending the 72nd Regiment (PUGLIE Division) and elements of the 26th Blacksuit Legion to infiltrate into the gorge, surrounding 731 and by-passing it.
By the end of March 11th, I Division had 144 men KIA and 492 WIA.
March 12th:
At early dawn, elements of the BARI Division, launched attacks on heights 709, 710, Breghu-Rapit, Qjafe-Luzhit and 731. Ketseas' men repeled the Italians and in some cases, counter-attacked them. In the morning, the Italians concentrated their main effort on 731. They failed again. At Trebeshin (heights 1030-1060) after an initial Italian artillery barrage, the attacking troops reached the steep slopes. The Greeks counter-attacked and a hand-to-hand fight commenced. Men were fighting each other with every weapon possible: Bayonets, pistols, rocks. In the afternoon, B' Corps, sent at the area the entire 19th "Serres" Regiment (Colonel Balis) to relief Ketseas' troops. One battalion from the XVII Division (Major Elephtheriades) was also sent on 731. By the end of the day, I Division had 243 men KIA & 805 WIA.
March 13th:
The Italian effort begins with a heavy artillery barrage. On this day, the Italian attacks were almost entirely concentrated on 731. A series of Italian attacks on the hill, were repeled by the Greeks. In one case, elements of the III/19 Battalion ( 9th Company under 1st Lt Isaac Lavrentides)
Lt Isaac Lavrentides
counter-attacked with fixed bayonets & expeled the advancing Italians.
March 14th:
The Italians launched a new assault on 731. The Greeks under Captain Koutrides & Reservist 2nd Lieutenant Hatzikyriakos counter-attacked with such a fury on the Italians that the Italian troops named this assault "Contrataccato dei Animali" (Counter-attack of the beasts). When the Greek troops runned short of ammunition, they threw away their rifles and attacked the Italians with their bayonets. Shortly, more Italian & Greek units arrived at the scene & the hand-to-hand combat was generalized. Koutrides who was leading the assault, was injured twice but he did not stop giving orders to his troops. Hatzikyriakos was killed in the clash.
March 15th:
On this day, the Italians switched to new methods. They launched a series of night attacks. Yet again, they were forced to withdraw the battlefield.
March 19th:
On this day, the Italians threw in the battle, elements of an elite assault unit of the SIENA Division, the ARDITI D'ITALIA
(Italian STURMTRUPPEN) with the support of 4 tanks. The Greek troops on 731 were caught by surprised and despite the effective fire of the Greek artillery, the first tank accompanied by the Arditi troops, managed to step on 731.
The troops of a Greek small unit under 2nd Lt Mademles, were forced to leave their positions, under the Italian pressure. Shortly later, a platoon from the 10th company under Reservist 2nd Lt Georgios Tzathas
2nd Lt Georgios Tzathas
with grenades & bayonets, supressed the Italians, "buying" time for the Greeks to launch a counter-attack.
The main Greek attack was launched by the 9th Company under Lieutenant Isaac Lavrentides. Greek troops carrying just 20 rounds each, attacked with fury the Italians. Soon, the Greek troops runned short of ammunition & used their bayonets. With incredible vehemence, 2nd Lt Tzathas, climbed on an enemy tank with two soldiers & tried to destroy it by throwing a couple of grenades through the hatch. Two long hours had passed, when Captain Koutrides threw in the battle his remaining units, hitting the Italians with the Mademles' reorganized unit. Again, the bayonet proved to be the lethal weapon in the hands of the Greeks. A fact which shows the fierceness of the Greek attack is that, from the about 300 Italians who originally stepped on 731, just 4 survived. The Greeks on that day lost 150 men.
March 21st:
A group of Italian stretcher bearers escorted by Catholic clergy men, holding a white flag, reached the foothill of 731, seeking for a short cessation of hostilities, to bury their dead. The sight of the battle field exceeded the limits of human imagination: Human limbs scattered everywhere, weapons, rocks, close-cropped trees. The stench caused big problems on both sides: When the breeze was carrying it toward the enemy position, either Italian or Greek, the troops were celebrating.
March 22nd:
The last large scale Italian attack was launched on that day, on Goliko mountain (behind 731) , defended by the Greek II "Athens" Division . The Italians concentrated their effort on height 1615 & on a hill named "Donti" (Tooth). 2,000 artillery shells hit Donti on this morning.
March 25th: Heavy artillery barrages aimed at 731. 2nd Lt Mademles was killed on that day.
March 26h: At sunrise of March 26th, Greeks troops climbed on height 717. When they reached the top, they encountered with no enemy troops. 717 was abandoned by the Italians. The battle was over.
The I Infantry Division during the 17-day battle for 731, had 27 Officers dead, 59 WIA, 531 men KIA, 2,028 WIA. After this battle, I Infantry Division was named "the Iron Division"
In March 1941 , the Italian HQ launched a last & helpless assault to break the Greek resistance on the Albanian front. This offensive known as "Operazione Primavera" (Operation Springtime) was planned to its last detail and was supervised by Mussolini himself who arrived to Albania on March 2. For 17 days, a number of intense attacks were launched on the Greek positions. For 17 days, the attacks were repeled by the Greeks. The strategic importance Height 731, stood at the center of the Italian effort. The Italians made every attempt possible to step on the hill. The Greeks, exceeded all hopes and stopped the enemy.
The Italian plan anticipated an offensive action with a front of 6 km/4 miles, by their entire XIX Corps under General Gastone Gambara
General Gastone Gambara
- The primary assault was launched by 3 infantry divisions and 2 blacksuit battalions, with 2 more divisions in reserve.
- The secondary assault was launched by 3 infantry divisions with 2 more in reserve. There were also, 15 independent battalions of Bersaglieri, Alpini and blacksuits at the General's disposal. The Italians aimed at the breaking of the Greek defence line held by the men of the Greek I "Thessaly" Infantry Division, between Trebeshin-Bubeshi, at the area of 731 and Breghu-Rapit
Greek forces were rather prepared to stop the advance of the enemy. The Italian preparations had been known for some time to the B' Corps HQ and counter-preparations had already begun. The orders given to the B' Corps units included the following suggestions:
- -To hold the captured territory
- -To conduct offensive activities and mostly launch counter-attacks if possible
- -To motivate the fighting troops .
- I "Thessaly" Infantry Division under Major General Vassilios Vrachnos
Major General Vassilios Vrachnos
with 6 frontline battalions and 3 in reserve, divided into 2 sectors with 2 subsectors each:
A' SECTOR (Colonel Georgoulas)->Ketseas' Subsector (3 Battalions of the 5th "Trikala" Rgt), under Lt.Col Themistocles Ketseas
Lt.Col Themistocles Ketseas
II/5 Btn was on 731, under Major Demetrios Kasslas
Major Kasslas (right) on 731
III/5 Btn was on Breghu-Rapit, under Major Chimariotes
Major Chimariotes
I/5 Btn was in reserve (stationed at Spi-kamarate under Major Perrakis).
B' SECTOR (Colonel Papadopoulos)->Katsimetros' Subsector (under Lt.Col Katsimetros), Ioannou's Subsector (under Lt.Col Ioannou). I/51 Btn (under Major Tzanetis) of the 51st "Trikala" Rgt was in reserve.
B' SECTOR (Colonel Papadopoulos)->Katsimetros' Subsector (under Lt.Col Katsimetros), Ioannou's Subsector (under Lt.Col Ioannou). I/51 Btn (under Major Tzanetis) of the 51st "Trikala" Rgt was in reserve.
THE BATTLE
The order issued by Lt.Col. Ketseas on March 9:
"Hold your positions at all costs. I'm expecting reports, either by liaison or by phone, for the tactical situation to your left, to your right and upfront. Nobody will abandon his position or move to the rear. We shall all die here.
The Battalion CO"
"Hold your positions at all costs. I'm expecting reports, either by liaison or by phone, for the tactical situation to your left, to your right and upfront. Nobody will abandon his position or move to the rear. We shall all die here.
The Battalion CO"
Itallian assault
March 9th:
The Italian attack begins at 06:00 with Mussolini observing the battlefield. Within the next two-three hours, tens of thousands of artillery shells are fired against the Greek positions. 190 planes also bombed the Greek entrenchments. At 08:00, the Italians launch a primary attack on the Ketseas sector and a secondary attack on the Baldoumis & Papadopoulos subsectors.
At 09:00 the main offensive begins against 731 & Breghu-Rapit Heights. Despite the intense Greek artillery fire, Italian troops manage to reach the steep slopes of both heights (II/63 Battalion of the CAGLIARI Division). The Greeks after an initial attempt to stop the Italian attack by firing against them with their rifles and machine guns, they counter-attacked the upcoming Italians with fixed bayonets, under the cover of dense smoke. By late afternoon, the Italians had launched four consecutive attacks, all repulsed by the Greeks. Height 717, ("731's watch-dog" according to major Tzanetis), was finally captured by the Italians, despite a series of Greek atempts to recapture it (attacks organized by Major Tzanetis). A new Italian attack is launched on the heights 1308 (Trebeshin) & 1030 (Qjafe-Luzhit), to no avail. At the same time, a diversionary Italian assault on heights 709 & 710 was also repeled by the Greeks.
March 10th:
The Italians (BARI Division), tried to break the Greek defence line at Trebeshin & Sendeli mountains. Almost simoultaneously they launched three consecutive attacks on 731. The first 2 days, Greek losses accounted for 98 KIA and 357 WIA .
March 11th:
Activity continued all day along the front-line with barrages of artillery fire. In the night, 2 battalions of the 26th Blacksuit Legion advanced through the gorge between the Proi-Math & Qjafe-Luzhit heights, creating a really dangerous situation for the defenders on 731. Their advance, accidentally, was noticed by the Greeks (some Greek fighters later explained that the blacksuits attracted their attention by an accidental rifle or pistol shot), who began firing at them by the neighboring heights (the Italians were caught between two fires). By the morning, both battalions had been completely annihilated: 250 blacksuits were dead, 501 were captured alive (20 officers-3 majors-among them). Italian frontal attacks were launched, to help the blacksuits evade the slaughter, but failed. In this encounter, the men of the Greek III/19 (of the 19th "Serres" Regiment) Battalion under Captain Koutrides, distinguished themselves. This battalion, had been deployed at the entrance of the gorge on the day before, as a reserve unit to the troops fighting on 731. This blacksuit effort, was a "forerunner" of an Italian effort to by-pass 731. This plan, foresaw a speedy conclusion of the battle by sending the 72nd Regiment (PUGLIE Division) and elements of the 26th Blacksuit Legion to infiltrate into the gorge, surrounding 731 and by-passing it.
By the end of March 11th, I Division had 144 men KIA and 492 WIA.
March 12th:
At early dawn, elements of the BARI Division, launched attacks on heights 709, 710, Breghu-Rapit, Qjafe-Luzhit and 731. Ketseas' men repeled the Italians and in some cases, counter-attacked them. In the morning, the Italians concentrated their main effort on 731. They failed again. At Trebeshin (heights 1030-1060) after an initial Italian artillery barrage, the attacking troops reached the steep slopes. The Greeks counter-attacked and a hand-to-hand fight commenced. Men were fighting each other with every weapon possible: Bayonets, pistols, rocks. In the afternoon, B' Corps, sent at the area the entire 19th "Serres" Regiment (Colonel Balis) to relief Ketseas' troops. One battalion from the XVII Division (Major Elephtheriades) was also sent on 731. By the end of the day, I Division had 243 men KIA & 805 WIA.
March 13th:
The Italian effort begins with a heavy artillery barrage. On this day, the Italian attacks were almost entirely concentrated on 731. A series of Italian attacks on the hill, were repeled by the Greeks. In one case, elements of the III/19 Battalion ( 9th Company under 1st Lt Isaac Lavrentides)
Lt Isaac Lavrentides
counter-attacked with fixed bayonets & expeled the advancing Italians.
March 14th:
The Italians launched a new assault on 731. The Greeks under Captain Koutrides & Reservist 2nd Lieutenant Hatzikyriakos counter-attacked with such a fury on the Italians that the Italian troops named this assault "Contrataccato dei Animali" (Counter-attack of the beasts). When the Greek troops runned short of ammunition, they threw away their rifles and attacked the Italians with their bayonets. Shortly, more Italian & Greek units arrived at the scene & the hand-to-hand combat was generalized. Koutrides who was leading the assault, was injured twice but he did not stop giving orders to his troops. Hatzikyriakos was killed in the clash.
March 15th:
On this day, the Italians switched to new methods. They launched a series of night attacks. Yet again, they were forced to withdraw the battlefield.
March 19th:
On this day, the Italians threw in the battle, elements of an elite assault unit of the SIENA Division, the ARDITI D'ITALIA
(Italian STURMTRUPPEN) with the support of 4 tanks. The Greek troops on 731 were caught by surprised and despite the effective fire of the Greek artillery, the first tank accompanied by the Arditi troops, managed to step on 731.
The troops of a Greek small unit under 2nd Lt Mademles, were forced to leave their positions, under the Italian pressure. Shortly later, a platoon from the 10th company under Reservist 2nd Lt Georgios Tzathas
2nd Lt Georgios Tzathas
with grenades & bayonets, supressed the Italians, "buying" time for the Greeks to launch a counter-attack.
The main Greek attack was launched by the 9th Company under Lieutenant Isaac Lavrentides. Greek troops carrying just 20 rounds each, attacked with fury the Italians. Soon, the Greek troops runned short of ammunition & used their bayonets. With incredible vehemence, 2nd Lt Tzathas, climbed on an enemy tank with two soldiers & tried to destroy it by throwing a couple of grenades through the hatch. Two long hours had passed, when Captain Koutrides threw in the battle his remaining units, hitting the Italians with the Mademles' reorganized unit. Again, the bayonet proved to be the lethal weapon in the hands of the Greeks. A fact which shows the fierceness of the Greek attack is that, from the about 300 Italians who originally stepped on 731, just 4 survived. The Greeks on that day lost 150 men.
March 21st:
A group of Italian stretcher bearers escorted by Catholic clergy men, holding a white flag, reached the foothill of 731, seeking for a short cessation of hostilities, to bury their dead. The sight of the battle field exceeded the limits of human imagination: Human limbs scattered everywhere, weapons, rocks, close-cropped trees. The stench caused big problems on both sides: When the breeze was carrying it toward the enemy position, either Italian or Greek, the troops were celebrating.
March 22nd:
The last large scale Italian attack was launched on that day, on Goliko mountain (behind 731) , defended by the Greek II "Athens" Division . The Italians concentrated their effort on height 1615 & on a hill named "Donti" (Tooth). 2,000 artillery shells hit Donti on this morning.
March 25th: Heavy artillery barrages aimed at 731. 2nd Lt Mademles was killed on that day.
March 26h: At sunrise of March 26th, Greeks troops climbed on height 717. When they reached the top, they encountered with no enemy troops. 717 was abandoned by the Italians. The battle was over.
The I Infantry Division during the 17-day battle for 731, had 27 Officers dead, 59 WIA, 531 men KIA, 2,028 WIA. After this battle, I Infantry Division was named "the Iron Division"
731 after the battle
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