What if Greece, stopped the german invasion

What if Greece, stopped the german invasion???

 

G-Banger,

like in 1941 operation Marita?? IS that what you mean?

 

I think that it is really very difficult to answer this one, because it keeps quiet. I would like to answer, but I don't know enough about sthrenghts of the troops of both sides to make a judgment.

 

They couldn't have.

Marshal List's XII Army was too strong to beat. And also, the Hungarian and Italian troops helped. Greece had to defend a long border and defend itself against very strong German forces. The ill-equipped Greek Army just couldn't beat German mountain or Panzer divisions. Add to this the Luftwaffe. Nor the RAF in Greece nor the Greek Air Force could match it...

 

Likewise, I don't think it was very likely they could have, and even if they did stop the first invasion there would probably be a second, and a third, and a fourth.

If they somehow held the Germans indefinitely, then they would either have not invaded the Soviet Union or they would have bypassed Greece.

 

with which forces? over 80% of greek army was standing against italians in albania. the defence of greece against germans lied mainly on commonwealth forces...

 

If by some act of sheer bravery, tactically genius and total luck, the first german wave was repelled then Greece would of shocked the world. Politically the axis will be humanilated and Hitler, in rage, will no doubt order a mass bombing as he readies more troops for a second invasion. This will severely weaken the Eastern front and delay it even further.

Also, the British may pour in reinforcements and wil strength the Greek front, Italy will retreat further and will even be endanger of being pushed back to the sea.

Although Greece will no doubt fail as the German hammer blow eventually falls, this will delay the Russian ivnasion so much it may be post-poned till after winter, this will have alot of changes, the Russians will be better prepared, but on that same note the Germans will have almost a whole year to take Moscow, and by then the high command could of also changed they plans for the better, as Manstein did at the invasion of France.

On another note, the Soviets could of been alot more prepared, and even push the Germans back very quickly, ending the war rapidly.

Or the allies will take stock of this and use Greece as a major landing point, strengthing its defenses and even making probing attacks in Yugoslavia as Hitler turns his eyes east, but then again this would of weakened the Africa and home front.

The list goes on and on...

 

Interesting Italian airborne drop against Greece as an aside here:


Setting

What is normally thought to be the first and only larger Italian combat drop of WWII took part on 30 April 1941. By that time, the battle for mainland Greece had already been won by the Axis. The last Commonwealth troops had been evacuated on 27 April from the ports in southern Pellopones, to which the Germans arrived three days later, on 30 April. this left the outlying islands to be conquored.

The Pellopones is a large landmass to the south of mainland Greece, mostly separated from what could be called "mainland" Greece by the Gulf of Korinth. At the mouth of the Gulf of Korinth lies the southen portion of the Ionian Islands, and it was this group, contrilling access to the Gulf, that the Italians were afraid that the Germans might seize. To prevent them from doing so, it was decided to use the fledgling Italian parachute arm.

On the Tarquinia Paratroop School, two companies of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, in all only about 80 men, were selected to make the drop. The mission was under the command of Major Zanninovich, the commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, and the two companies (5th and 6th) were commanded by Captains Avogadro and Macchiato.
They took off from Galatina Airport, Puglia province on 30 April 1941, at 12.30pm with the task to land on the island of Cephalonia, seize the town of Argostoli and capture its Greek police garrison. Thereby the entire island, in which Argostoli was the largest town, would come under Italian control.


The drop

The drop went well, although some paratroopers received broken legs, and the battalion radio gear ended in the sea due to the blowing of a strong wind. No resistance on the part of the Greeks was encountered, though.
Arrived on the island, the paratroopers next stopped a bus carrying civilians. It was emptied, and instead laden with paratroopers, that were taken to the town of Argostoli. There, the Greek police garrison of 250 men immediately surrendered, as the only regular Greek troops still fighting on were on Crete, far away.

During a conversation with the mayor in the evening of the same day, he told the officers of the paratroopers, that the Germans intended to occupy the island of Zante, lying some 20 kilometres to the south of Cephalonia, and it was decided to land on both Zante and the nearby island of Ithaca to "show the flag". About the latter small island, lying only a few kilometres east of Cephalonia, It might be mentioned, that it is supposed to be the home of Odysseus, the hero of the famous Greek legend named after him.

The next day, 1 May 1941, 60 of the paratroopers borded two fishing vessels, and landed on Zante, where the British consul was promptly arrested. He was supposedly keeping contact with Malta through a radio, that he owned.
Only remaining on the island for a few days, they left it again on 5 May 1941, thus ending what is generally considered to be the only conventional para drop of the Italians in WWII.

 

Well, the Greeks beat the Italians, but then again, who couldn't? The Italian army SUCKED at that time. Although they did counquer Ethiopia(makes you wonder..). All in all, I agree that greek couldn't defend itself against the Germans, although they did put up one hell of a fight. Mountain fighting is a bit tough, especially for tanks.

 

Yeah... yeah... but the list simply couldn't go on and on. The 80% of the Greek forces were in Albania chasing the Italians. So, what were a few Greek divisions and even the 'Metaxas Line' going to do against marshal List 12 divisions and thousands of aeroplanes?! The brave but ill-equipped Greeks were going to stop the German Panzers with a few captured M-13s? I don't think so. And of course Great Britain DIDN'T have the resources for reinforcing Greece. They had quite severe problems defending their own island and the whole Middle East from the Axis attack...

And contrary to what people believes, the invasion of Greece and Jugoslavia didn't interfere at all with 'Barbarossa'. Operation 'Marita' didn't delay operation 'Barbarossa' at all. The snow in Russia melted until the last weeks of May and dried by half June. The Balcans campaign delaying 'Barbarossa' and causing German defeat is a myth...

 

Armour being Germanies strongest suit at the time, the Mountains slowed them down quite a bit.
Note SLOWED, I think it would have been virtually impossible to stop the German advance, unless some other country got involved, and UK didn't have the resources so then who would it be? No-one.
The Italian army did suck, a lot, at this time so I think you can pretty much waive whatever forces they contributed. The Greeks already proved they could not only beat the Italian army, but they could destroy it and drive it back.
The Greeks most definately were brave, and they fought fiercely, but you also need to have the resources and the military power. There were many brave warriors in WWII, but it is hard to stop hundreds of tanks when all you have is a handfull of your own, weaker tanks, and rifles.

 

Couldnt have said it better myself!!

 

What did you do you to call this thread back from the dead? Voodoo?

 

Something tells me this thread doesn't have much of a future.

Sorry G-Banger,(nice screen name) I like this part of the European theater, but it is pretty preposterous to think that the Greeks could stop the German invasion without some serious outside assistance.