BigDuke66
Posts: 2013
Joined: 2/1/2001
From: Terra
Status: offline
|
First from some map material and status reports of 12. Armee and its divisions from "Kartenmaterial 2. Weltkrieg Band 4: Der Balkanfeldzug 1941". Not as detailed as I wish but gives a general clue, of where the units where and sums up the actions.
The 72. ID tip was in Saloniki on the 14th and seems to have gathered and stayed there over the next 2 days(15th-16th) and than started to move slowly West till its foot elements reached Megali-Gefira 50km north of Katerini on the 20th evening, on the 20th it was noted that movement of 72. ID was stopped but no reason is given, and on 21st that it reached the area between Katerini and Jida, the last entry on the 25th still mentions it at Katerini.
The 2. PD was east of the mountains on the 14th and was advancing with its mass from Katerini to Elasson and had reach the monastery Moni Petras(15km North-East of Livadion) at 14.00 other elements had reach Litochoron(south of Katerini) at 16.00.
An entry on the 15th mentions the top of the division on the north edge of the Kleidi pass(that can be seen in the scenario "First Clash at Veve"), so while not impossible to see it coming in from the north I really wonder how much of the division took that way as the 9. Panzer Division was also coming down on these roads and the 2. PD was already fighting on the coastal road and on the ways from Katerini to Elasson, maybe the parts coming down there swung again to the coast.
Besides that the entry on 16th don't mention the 2. PD fighting were the 9. PD was fighting (South-East of Servia) but have it again fighting at M Petras(somewhere between Katerini and Elasson) and again on the coastal road.
And on 17th it's mentioned at Gonos(parts are fighting with 6. Gebirgs-Division what is depicted in the "Tempe Gorge Crisis" scenario) and Dimitrios(on the road from Katerini to Elasson)
And on 18th it's mentioned going over the Menksos pass(8km South-East of Elasson) while 9. PD is coming down from Servia to Elasson.
From there it moved further south over Larissa but seems to have stayed in that area till it ended up at Volos, on the 23rd it's mentioned that its Krad-Schützen Bat. prepares to land on the island Euboa but I'm not sure if that was really conducted, anyhow the 2. PD seems to have stayed at Volos till it started to follow the other units south on 27th.
Of course it could be that the same elements that fought with the 6. Gebirgs-Division(in the "Tempe Gorge Crisis" scenario) kept on moving with that division south
Now the 5. Panzer Division had already reach the Thermopylae with its forward elements on the 22nd what makes it likely that some of it has to be involved here but so far I only see the Kradschützen-Bataillon 55 and the rest seems to be from the 2. PD.
23rd has 5. PD enter the Thermopylae with it's forward elements, with Delphinin and Mustafabei taken.
24th notes the pass taken by an envelopment attack, a bypass group of 6. Gebirgs-Division near Gardi Kuki and foot elements of 5. PD take Skamos by 12.00, and a battel group called "Gruppe Schörner" with elements from 5. PD and 6. GD fight near Katama.
From the diary of the OKW from the "Kriegstagebuch des OKW 1940-41" I have this:
The entry on 17th April notes that against the British position at Olympus two Panzer Divisions + one Gebirgs-Division are pushing, the tank divisions must be 9. and 2. and I would bet on the 5. Gebirgs-Division as the maps shown its forward elements coming into the area on the 17th at 14.00.
Another entry from the 25th mentions that 6. Gebirgs-Division and 5. Panzer-Division were moving over the Thermopylae pass.
Altogether nothing really detailed, I guess best would be to check the involved divisions history in the hope of finding more detail, surely the battles fought in Greece would be mentioned in such sources especially at location near Mount Olympus and the Thermopylae.
I see if I can find more material.
_____________________________
|
Printable Version
Battles for Greece - Scenario Feedback - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread