Battle of the Corinth Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of the Corinth Canal
Part of the Balkans Campaign during World War II
Nazi Germany's attack on Greece
Date 26 April 1941 Location Corinth Canal, Greece Result German victory
Belligerents
Axis  Germany	Allies  Greece  United Kingdom  Australia  New Zealand
Commanders and leaders
Alfred Sturm Hans Kroh	Edward Lillingston
Strength
Germany: 800 to 2,000 infantry. Aircraft: Bf 110 – 80–100, Ju 88 – unknown, Ju 52 – 15, Ju 87 – 20–30, gliders – unknown.	Greece: 1,450 infantry. British Commonwealth:  900+ infantry; Tanks: four.
Casualties and losses
Germany: 63 killed; 158 wounded; 16 missing. Aircraft – one glider.	Allies: unknown number killed or wounded; Greece: 1,450 prisoners British Commonwealth: 921 prisoners. Four tanks.
Many Allied personnel, approximately 10,000, were subsequently taken prisoner, while awaiting evacuation.

The Battle of the Corinth Canal took place on April 26, 1941, during World War II. It was a key part of the German invasion of Greece. German forces aimed to capture the important Corinth Canal in Greece. This canal connects the Peloponnesus peninsula to the Greek mainland. It was a vital waterway for ships.

The Allies, including British, Australian, and New Zealand troops, were trying to escape Greece. They were being pushed back by the advancing German army. Capturing the canal would allow Germany to control the Aegean Sea. It would also trap the Allied forces trying to evacuate.

Why Was the Canal Important?

Greece joined the Second World War on the side of the Allies. This happened after Italy invaded Greece from Albania in October 1940. Greece fought back and pushed the Italian forces away.

In March 1941, Italy tried to invade again but failed. To help their ally, Nazi Germany launched its own invasion. This attack, called Operation Marita, began on April 6, 1941.

Most of the Greek army was fighting the Italians. So, German troops invaded from Bulgaria, opening a second front. The Greek army was outnumbered. A strong defensive line, called the Metaxas Line, did not get enough soldiers. The Germans quickly broke through it. They then surrounded the Greek forces fighting the Italians, forcing them to surrender.

Planning the Attack

The German attack on the Corinth Canal was named Operation Hannibal. The main goal was to capture the Corinth Canal Bridge. The Germans believed that if they held the bridge, the Allied evacuation would be delayed or stopped. The Allies were planning to escape to Crete or Egypt.

British and Australian troops defended the bridge. They had placed explosives on it, ready to blow it up. This would block the canal. The defenders also had many anti-aircraft guns. These included 3.7-inch, 3-inch, and 16 Bofors guns.

The German plan was to use Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) engineers. They would land in gliders and quickly take both ends of the canal. Two battalions of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment would parachute nearby. Their job was to clear out any Allied forces.

The German air assault forces included:

• 80–100 Bf-110 fighter planes.
• An unknown number of Ju-88 bombers.
• 15 Ju-52 transport planes.
• 20–30 Ju-87 dive bombers.
• The 2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment.
• 230 gliders.
• 52 Fallschirmpionere (paratrooper engineers).

About 800 German soldiers were involved in the attack.

The Battle Begins

On the morning of April 26, 1941, the Allied defenders faced a surprise attack. German dive bombers and Bf-110 heavy fighters attacked the canal area. They fired machine guns and dropped bombs from high up. The main goal was to destroy Allied anti-aircraft weapons. This would make it safer for the German attack force.

The German gliders took off at 5 AM. Fifteen Ju-52 transport planes followed them. They arrived at the canal at 7:25 AM. The sky was clear and bright, helping the gliders descend.

Suddenly, the gliders came under enemy fire. Two Allied anti-aircraft batteries had survived the bombing. They were still firing from the southern end of the bridge. One German glider was hit and crashed from about 8 meters high.

Despite the British resistance, 54 paratrooper engineers landed near the canal. Both battalions of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment landed too. They reached their planned spots north and south of the bridge. Allied machine guns and rifles immediately opened fire. The German troops had landed a few hundred meters from the bridge in a valley. They had to quickly find cover after freeing themselves from their parachutes.

Canal of Corinth viewed from the air.

Paratroopers attacked the two working anti-aircraft batteries. Meanwhile, German engineers reached the north end of the bridge. They started removing the explosives the Allies had placed there. The attack on the bridge was quick. North of the Isthmus of Corinth, the paratroopers captured the area. Many Allied defenders were killed or captured.

General Alfred Sturm then ordered his troops to chase the enemy. They were to capture the nearby towns of Argos and Nauplia. These towns were defended by British troops. The British had three light tanks, a New Zealand company, and a New Zealander cavalry squadron. But they were no match for the Germans. The towns soon fell to the Germans.

After attacking the anti-aircraft batteries, Lieutenant Teussen's platoon used abandoned British vehicles. They drove to capture the town of Corinth. Soon after the paratroopers entered, the town's leaders surrendered. They wanted to protect the civilians. After taking Corinth, Lieutenant Teussen was ordered to push ahead towards Nauplia. The canal itself was fully under German control by noon.

The Bridge Explodes

The German paratroopers had removed the Allied explosives. They piled them in the middle of the bridge to disable them later. Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the canal. The bridge collapsed into the water. A stray bullet had hit the pile of explosives. This blew out the center of the bridge. It dragged down the engineers and paratroopers who were still on it. A war reporter was also killed in the blast.

The bridge's destruction allowed the Allies to escape without German pursuit. However, they had to leave behind valuable equipment. The British also sank a large wooden boat at the canal's western end.

What Happened Next?

The battle resulted in 158 German soldiers wounded, 63 killed, and 16 missing. Allied casualties are not fully known. However, the Germans claimed to have captured 921 British and Australian soldiers. They also took 1,450 Greek soldiers and about 12,000 other Allied troops as prisoners of war. This happened in just a few hours, despite the Allies' quick and fierce fighting.

The operation was not a complete success for Germany. The bridge was destroyed instead of being captured. Many believe this was due to the inexperience of the German engineers. Their commanding officer had ordered the explosives to be piled on the bridge. They should have been moved to a safe place. This mistake caused the charges to explode when hit by a stray bullet.

Italian and German engineers began clearing the canal on May 2. The first Italian supply ships passed through on May 16. They arrived at Pireaus. The delay in fuel delivery caused the airborne invasion of Crete to be postponed by two days. The Germans won the battle for Greece after seven days of fighting. This forced the Allies to retreat to Egypt. After this, Greece was divided and occupied by Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria.

Controlling the Corinth Canal was very important for the Axis powers. It allowed Germany and Italy to import oil from Romania. Without the canal, Axis ships would have to travel around the Peloponnese. This would expose them to Allied bombers and submarines. The canal became even more important when Germany sent troops to North Africa. Pireaus became a major supply hub for the Axis. Allied command believed that 90% of German sea reinforcements to North Africa went through the canal. Because of its importance, the canal became a target for many Allied sabotage missions.