Hellenic Army VIII Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 8th Infantry Division is one of the most historic units of the Hellenic Army
. It is based at Ioannina
, and has traditionally garrisoned the area of Epirus
. Active since the Balkan Wars
, the division is most notable for its decisive role during the first days of the Greco-Italian War
, when it successfully stopped the initial Italian offensive, and bought time for the Greek reinforcements to arrive and turn the tide. This fact is reflected in the division's motto, "Okhi
".
, out of the 15th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Evzones
Regiment and the Independent Cretan
Regiment. It participated in the operations for the capture of Ioannina
and the subsequent push into Northern Epirus
. In December it was placed on garrison duties, with its regiments dispersed at Preveza
, Corfu
and Lefkada
. The division fought in the Macedonian Front
of the First World War and the operations for the occupation of Western Thrace
in 1920. Following the Greek defeat, it returned to Epirus, with its new headquarters at Ioannina. Its subordinate units throughout the subsequent period were: the 15th Infantry Regiment at Ioannina, the 10th Infantry Regiment a Corfu, and the 24th Infantry Regiment (later reorganized as the 3/40 Evzone Regiment) at Preveza and later Arta.
Since 1930, the division bore sole responsibility for the defense of the Epirus sector of the Greco-Albanian border. Due to the relative military weakness of Albania, the sector was "quiet" and far less vital than the border with Bulgaria
. This changed in April 1939, when Fascist Italy invaded and occupied Albania
. Under its commander, Maj Gen Charalambos Katsimitros
, the division engaged in a feverish activity of constructing fortifications and laying out defensive plans. With the Italian invasion looming from August 1940 onwards, a limited mobilization was carried out, which brought the division up to strength and even allowed for the reconstitution of the 24th Regiment as a separate unit. This fact, combined with Katsimitros' decision to insist on forward defense, would prove decisive factors in the rapid containment of the initial Italian main thrust into Epirus. The division was deployed in a defensive position stretching from the village of Elaia (Kalpaki) to the line of the river Kalamas, and for six days, from November 2 to November 8, successfully repelled the successive attacks by the XXV Italian Corps. By that point, the mobilization of the Greek reserves had been completed, and in conjunction with the Greek victory in the Battle of Pindus
, the division's victory at the Battle of Elaia-Kalamas signalled the failure of the Italian attack.
The division fought throughout the subsequent Albanian campaign, but was dissolved along with the rest of the Greek Army after the German invasion
in April 1941. During the Axis Occupation of Greece, the ELAS partisan army created an 8th Division, but this too was disbanded in early 1945. The 8th Division was formally reconstituted only in 1946, as the Hellenic Army started being rebuilt, from the forces of the Epirus Military Command, comprising the 74th, 75th and 76th brigades. Until 1949, the division took part in the operations of the Greek Civil War
as a part of the governmental National Army.
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
. It is based at Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, and has traditionally garrisoned the area of Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
. Active since the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, the division is most notable for its decisive role during the first days of the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
, when it successfully stopped the initial Italian offensive, and bought time for the Greek reinforcements to arrive and turn the tide. This fact is reflected in the division's motto, "Okhi
Okhi Day
Ohi Day is celebrated throughout Greece, Cyprus and the Greek communities around the world on October 28 each year, to commemorate Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas' rejection of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on October 28,...
".
History
The 8th Infantry Division, initially named the Epirus Division, was formed in January 1913, during the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, out of the 15th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Evzones
Evzones
The Evzones, or Evzoni, is the name of several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it refers to the members of the Proedriki Froura , an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , the Hellenic Parliament and the Presidential...
Regiment and the Independent Cretan
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
Regiment. It participated in the operations for the capture of Ioannina
Battle of Bizani
The Battle of Bizani took place in Epirus on March 4–6, 1913. The battle was fought between the Greek and the Ottoman forces during the last stages of the First Balkan War, and revolved around the forts of Bizani, which covered the approaches to Ioannina, the largest city in the region.At the...
and the subsequent push into Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albania. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
. In December it was placed on garrison duties, with its regiments dispersed at Preveza
Preveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
, Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
and Lefkada
Lefkada
Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,...
. The division fought in the Macedonian Front
Macedonian front (World War I)
The Macedonian Front resulted from an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The expedition came too late and in insufficient force to prevent the fall of Serbia, and was complicated by the internal...
of the First World War and the operations for the occupation of Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
in 1920. Following the Greek defeat, it returned to Epirus, with its new headquarters at Ioannina. Its subordinate units throughout the subsequent period were: the 15th Infantry Regiment at Ioannina, the 10th Infantry Regiment a Corfu, and the 24th Infantry Regiment (later reorganized as the 3/40 Evzone Regiment) at Preveza and later Arta.
Since 1930, the division bore sole responsibility for the defense of the Epirus sector of the Greco-Albanian border. Due to the relative military weakness of Albania, the sector was "quiet" and far less vital than the border with Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. This changed in April 1939, when Fascist Italy invaded and occupied Albania
Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...
. Under its commander, Maj Gen Charalambos Katsimitros
Charalambos Katsimitros
Charalambos Katsimitros was a Greek general who distinguished himself during the Italian invasion of Greece.-Early life and career:He entered the Army in 1904. He participated in the Balkan Wars as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1913 and fought in the Macedonian Front with the rank of Captain, in 1917-1918,...
, the division engaged in a feverish activity of constructing fortifications and laying out defensive plans. With the Italian invasion looming from August 1940 onwards, a limited mobilization was carried out, which brought the division up to strength and even allowed for the reconstitution of the 24th Regiment as a separate unit. This fact, combined with Katsimitros' decision to insist on forward defense, would prove decisive factors in the rapid containment of the initial Italian main thrust into Epirus. The division was deployed in a defensive position stretching from the village of Elaia (Kalpaki) to the line of the river Kalamas, and for six days, from November 2 to November 8, successfully repelled the successive attacks by the XXV Italian Corps. By that point, the mobilization of the Greek reserves had been completed, and in conjunction with the Greek victory in the Battle of Pindus
Battle of Pindus
The Battle of Pindus took place in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus and West Macedonia, Greece, in the autumn of 1940, between October 28 – November 13. The battle was fought between the Greek and the Italian armies during the first stages of the Greco-Italian War...
, the division's victory at the Battle of Elaia-Kalamas signalled the failure of the Italian attack.
The division fought throughout the subsequent Albanian campaign, but was dissolved along with the rest of the Greek Army after the German invasion
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
in April 1941. During the Axis Occupation of Greece, the ELAS partisan army created an 8th Division, but this too was disbanded in early 1945. The 8th Division was formally reconstituted only in 1946, as the Hellenic Army started being rebuilt, from the forces of the Epirus Military Command, comprising the 74th, 75th and 76th brigades. Until 1949, the division took part in the operations of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
as a part of the governmental National Army.
Divisional HQ and support units
- HQ Company (ΛΣ/VΙΙΙ ΜΠ)
- 708th Engineer Battalion (708ο ΤΜΧ)
Combat elements
- 628 Infantry Battalion (628 ΤΠ)
- 583 Infantry Battalion (583 ΤΠ)
- 3/40 Evzones Regiment "Koutsi"3/40 Evzone RegimentThe 3/40 Evzone Regiment or 40th Regiment was an elite regiment of Evzones of the Hellenic Army, recruited in Epirus and headquartered in Arta. It was formed in 1913 after the Balkan Wars. In 1920, it was the first Greek unit to enter Adrianople, the capital of Eastern Thrace which had been ceded...
(3/40 ΣΕ Κούτσι) - 8th Reconnaissance Battalion (8η ΕΑΝ), based at Kalpaki, EpirusEpirus (region)Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
- 625 Recruitment Battalion (625 KEN)