The Whale Has Wings Vol 2 - Taranto to Singapore (8 page)

At 0530 Mussolini's army invades Greece. In the firm belief that they would meet little resistance from the Dictator General Metaxas's forces, Italian tanks and infantry crossed from occupied Albania into the mountains of Epirus before dawn. When Hitler was given the news he was furious, but signalled a pledge of military support if Mussolini required it.

In Hitler's opinion Mussolini is making a critical strategic blunder. To Hitler the capture of Gibraltar, with assistance from Franco and Italy's conquest of Egypt, especially the great naval base at Alexandria, would ensure Britain's collapse. Mussolini in turn was convinced that the pro-German Metaxas - who has based his Asfalia secret police on the Gestapo and abolished most democratic institutions in Greece - would succumb quickly offering little resistance. Metaxas, however, rejected the Italian ultimatum half an hour after Italian troops crossed the border.

The first Greek communiqué reads: As of 5:30 am today, the Italian armed forces are attacking our troops protecting the Greek Albanian border. Our forces are defending our native territory.

The first Italian Communiqué reads: "At dawn on the 28th October our forces stationed in Albania crossed over the Greek border and gained entrance at several places. Our advance continues"

General Visconti-Prasca the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian aerial forces has mistakenly not blocked the road to the north, thus allowing three newly-mobilised Greek divisions to move quickly to the front. The Italians are moving slowly, and the Greeks are mobilising quickly.

In Cairo, the British make long-agreed deployments to aid Greece. Air Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore Air Officer C-in-C, Air HQ Middle East (an Australian) orders three squadrons of Blenheims and one of Gladiators to Greece. General Wavell is ordered to send also two AA batteries to Athens and an infantry brigade to Suda Bay, in Crete, to assist in the defence of the Greek islands. It is intended to place Imperial troops on Crete to allow Greece to deploy their troops there on the mainland

23rd November

The Romanian Premier, Ion Antonescu, agrees to join the Tripartite Pact, paving the way for German intervention in Greece, while in Vienna, Romanian officials sign the protocol of adherence to the Axis Tripartite Pact.

In Britain, The first Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber arrives at No. 35 Squadron for familiarisation purposes.

Middle East command receives a telegram from the Chiefs of Staff:

"It has been decided that it is necessary to give Greece the greatest possible material and moral support at the earliest possible moment. Impossible for anything from UK to arrive in time. Consequently only course is to draw upon resources in Egypt and to replace them from UK as soon as possible. Aerodromes must be made ready for three Blenheim and two Gladiator Squadrons with AA protection. One battery HAA guns and one battery LAA guns should be dispatched to supplement Greek AA.

To replace aircraft 34 Hurricanes will be staged through Takoradi, 32 Wellingtons will be staged through Malta. It is intended to increase the weight of attack from Malta by bringing the number of operational Wellingtons to 24.

It is appreciated that this will leave Egypt very thin for a period, and we will endeavour to reinforce you from the UK as fast as possible."

In Albania, The Greek counterattack starts, and reaches the Korce-Peratia road.

24th November

The Governor and C-in-C Malta sends a telegram to the War Office:

"The more I think of it the more troubled I am at the withdrawal of one of our three fighter squadrons from the western desert. This is a very drastic cut and unless we can improve upon present plans, cannot be replaced for some weeks.

AOC-in-C has warned me that we are too weak to give effective support to the army in battle should a major engagement develop. Nor we can we ignore the possibility that an object of Italy's attack on Greece is to induce us to weaken ourselves in the vital theatre of Egypt. In these conditions, it would help us in Egypt if some additional Goshawk fighters could be flown out at once via Malta.

Further, while we are glad to have Wellingtons in Egypt, these cannot be used for day bombing and are not the equivalent of Blenheims in value for battle."

It is agreed to send out two squadrons of RAF-crewed Goshawk fighters (these are the ones that were helping defend Northern England and Scotland). The fighters will go by carrier through Gibraltar, the fly on to Malta. They will then use overflow tanks to fly direct to Egypt. The RAF is reluctant to release Blenheims, stating that they are needed for bombing Germany, but it is pointed out that at least two squadrons worth that are no longer considered viable in the fighter role (these were originally intended for use as night fighters, but have been replaced by faster aircraft) can be sent immediately. Churchill orders these two squadrons to be sent at once.

25th November

In Greece, Italian forces reach the river Kalamas, near Epirus. Italian aircraft also bomb Salonika and islands of Corfu and Crete. 300 people are killed in bombing attacks on Piraeus.

The Royal Navy registers its first success at sweeping the new acoustic mine; three are exploded.

In a setback to Hitler, Bulgaria responds to Soviet pressure and refuses to join the Axis pact.

26th November

Churchill telegrams to Wavell:

Re:- Operation Compass... am having a Staff study made of possibilities open to us, if all goes well, for moving troops and also reserve forward by sea in long hops along the coast, and setting up new supply bases to which pursuing armoured vehicles and units might resort.

As a result of this Wavell consults with Cunningham to get his opinion on this (he feels that staff studies in London often deal with the real situation on the ground incorrectly). In fact Cunningham is quite supportive, as he sees any action by the light units of the Italian Navy as an excuse to sink them. However he warns that there will be issues over minefields, and also air cover will be needed.

In Moscow, Stalin informs the German ambassador that Russia is prepared to join the four-power pact provided that:

1. German troops are immediately withdrawn from Finland.

2. That within the next few months the security of the Soviet Union in the Straits is assured by the conclusion of a mutual-assistance pact with Bulgaria, ... and by the establishment of a base for land and naval forces by the Soviet Union within range of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles.

3. That the area south of Batum and Baku in the general direction of the Persian Gulf is recognised as the centre of the aspirations of the Soviet Union.

4. That Japan renounces her rights to concessions for coal and oil in northern Sakhalin.

In Africa, the Belgian Congo declares war on Italy.

In the Western Desert, the British Western Desert Force begins 'Training exercise No 1', which is a dress rehearsal for Operation Compass.

28th November

A small fast British convoy which has been escorted through the Mediterranean by Force H splits; two ships enter Malta, the other is escorted by units of the Mediterranean fleet to Alexandria. In addition to supplies, the convoy delivers nearly 1,400 RAF technicians.

Less than two weeks after crossing the Greek border in strength, the Italian army is retreating in total disarray. The Italian commander, General Visconti Prasca, has been sacked and Mussolini's crack 'Julia' alpine division routed with huge losses in men and equipment. The Italians have been taken completely by surprise by the speed and ferocity of the Greeks. Six days after the Italian invasion, Greece's General Papagos ordered the first counterattack. A small Greek force crossed the Albanian frontier and took Pissoderi, a mountain near the captured town of Koritsa. The main road out of Koritsa was cut by another Greek force. With their superior knowledge of the terrain, the tough and well-trained Greeks have abandoned the valleys and taken to the mountains from whence they can infiltrate enemy positions.

Fighting at an altitude of over 5,000 feet - in the most severe winter for years - Papagos's single division has proved more than a match for the numerically superior Italians whose armour is confined to the lower ground. The Italians have paid the penalty for having allowed the Greeks to hold the mountainous centre of the front. The Julia division found itself trapped. 5,000 men have surrendered, and the Greeks are claiming a further 25,000 dead and seriously wounded. General Soddu will replace General Prasca as the head of the Italian attack on the following day.

In French Indo-China, the Royal Thai Air Force begins aerial bombing after the alleged bombing of Thai positions around Nankorn Panom by French planes. While deploring the action, the Free French commanders feel there is little that can be done to aid the Vichy-controlled colony so far from the centre of the war.

29th November

Romania is in a state of anarchy. There is shooting in the streets as the Iron Guards clash with the army and rival factions of the Guards fight among themselves. The young King Michael is reported to have fled to Yugoslavia. Among the victims of the anarchy are the former premier, Professor Jorga, and Dr Madgearu, a former minister of finance. German involvement is suspected but so far unproven.

30th November

The German merchant raider Pinguin attacks the British ship Port Wellington in the southern Indian Ocean. Unknown to the Pinguin, the Port Wellingtons sighting message has been picked up by HMAS Melbourne, who has been exercising to the north. The raider will encounter one of the light carriers search planes in a few days.

Some 3,000 British military have been ferried from Alexandria to the Piraeus; in addition, forces have been landed on Crete. It is hoped to have RAF units operating in Greece soon to support the Greek army.

3rd December

An RAF reconnaissance aircraft on a standard patrol of the North Sea off the German coast spots a German freighter heading into the North Sea (rather than staying close to the coast which is their normal route). It is marked as a potential blockade runner, and Coastal Command Beaufighters are tasked to intercept it that afternoon. They manage to put two torpedoes into the ship, which is left in a sinking condition. It is later found that the ship is not a blockade runner, but is the armed merchant cruiser Kormoran.

5th December

In the South Atlantic, the German armed merchant cruiser Thor and British armed merchant cruiser HMS Carnarvon Castle exchange 6-inch shells 300 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. HMS Carnarvon Castle was hit 27 times (4 killed, 32 wounded) while Thor was able to disengage unharmed. HMS Carnarvon Castle would receive temporary repairs at Montevideo, Uruguay.

The Royal navy does not have any available forces for raider suppression in the area, as the carriers and cruisers are needed for convoy duty and in the Mediterranean. However the battleship Prince of Wales and the light carrier HMS Theseus, with four destroyers, are just finishing their working-up off the West Indies; this group is ordered south to see if it can intercept the raider.

In Berlin, Hitler received the military plans for an invasion of the USSR. He duly approved them all, and proposed a timetable for invasion in May of the following year.

6th December

In Egypt, the British 7th Armoured Division, British 16th Infantry Brigade, and Indian 4th Infantry Division began preparing for Operation Compass. To do this the Western Desert Force begins 'Training Exercise 2', which involves a 60m march to their concentration point, 'Piccadilly', 20 miles south of Maktila. The Force will be fully concentrated for 'Compass' by the 8th.

German armed merchant cruisers Komet and Orion stopped freighter Triona with gunfire 200 miles south of Nauru in the Pacific, killing three men in the process. While there is currently no sign of action from the German fleet, the increasing operations of the merchant raiders is causing concern. However the Admiralty is reluctant to release more cruisers to hunting them because of the upcoming Operation Compass.

The Kriegsmarines latest (and currently only operational) battleship, Bismarck, completed her trials in the Baltic Sea and set sail for Hamburg, Germany. She will then join up with the Graf Zeppelin for joint exercises, safely out of range of the Royal Navy.

9th December

In Albania, Mussolini announces the occupation of Erseka by the Greek Army. Erseka is a vitally strategic point as it can cut off all communication and transport and will allow the Greeks a speedy advance into Koritsa.

In Greece, The Italians are driven back behind the River Kalamas. A third RAF fighter squadron arrives in Greece; No.80 Squadrons is the first one equipped with Hurricanes, the initial two being equipped with Gladiators.

The Western Desert Force begins Operation Compass. During the night, forces have moved through the gap between Italian camps Nibeiwa and Sofafi without being detected.

Beginning at 0500 hours, Allied artillery and aircraft bombarded the Italian camp at Nibeiwa, Egypt for two hours. At 0715 hours, ground troops began moving toward the rear of the fort for attack. Troops of the Indian 4th Infantry Division, supported by tanks of the British 7th Royal Tank Regiment, captured the camp at 0830 hours. Italian positions at Tummar West and Tummar East were also captured by dusk. Along the coast, tanks of the British 4th Armoured Brigade cut off the main road to prevent an Italian withdrawal. Meanwhile, the British monitor HMS Terror and gunboats HMS Ladybird and HMS Aphis bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani and Maktila.