Dodecanese campaign facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dodecanese campaign |
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| Part of the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II | |||||||||
 Location of the Dodecanese Islands (in red) in relation to Greece |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Italy United KingdomNaval Support:
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 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Inigo Campioni (POW) Luigi Mascherpa (POW) Felice Leggio   Robert Tilney (POW) L.R.F. Kenyon (POW) |
Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller Ulrich Kleemann |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 55,000 Italians 5,300 British |
7,500 Germans | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Italian: 5,350 killed and wounded 44,391 captured British: 4,800 casualties 113 aircraft destroyed 1 cruiser crippled 3 cruisers damaged 6 destroyers sunk 4 destroyers damaged 3 submarines sunk 4 submarines damaged 10 minesweepers and coastal defence ships sunk |
1,184 casualties 15 landing craft destroyed |
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The Dodecanese campaign was a series of battles during World War II. It took place in the Aegean Sea from September to November 1943. The Allied forces tried to capture the Dodecanese islands from German control. They wanted to use these islands as bases to attack the German-held Balkans.
However, the Allies lacked enough air support. This made their effort a very costly failure. The Germans managed to take control of all the Dodecanese islands within two months. This campaign was one of the last major victories for Germany in the war.
Contents
Why the Dodecanese Islands Were Important
The Dodecanese island group is located in the south-eastern Aegean Sea. These islands had been under Italian control since 1911. They were very important because of their location. Italy wanted to expand its power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Rhodes, the largest island, was a big military and air base. The island of Leros had an excellent deep-water port called Lakki. Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, even called Leros "the Corregidor of the Mediterranean." This showed how strongly it was fortified.
In 1941, the British tried to take control of the Dodecanese. This plan was called Operation Abstention. But Italian forces quickly recaptured the island of Kastellorizo from British soldiers.
After battles in Greece and Crete in 1941, Greece and its islands were taken over by the Axis powers. By May 1943, the Axis forces were defeated in North Africa. This made Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, think about capturing the Dodecanese and Crete. He wanted to remove these important bases from Axis control. He also hoped it would encourage neutral Turkey to join the war.
Churchill believed this would open a new route to Russia through the Dardanelles. This would be an alternative to the dangerous Arctic convoys. At the Casablanca Conference, his plan was approved. Churchill ordered his commanders to prepare for an attack by January 1943.
The plan, called Operation Accolade, involved a direct attack on Rhodes and Karpathos. It would use three infantry divisions and an armored brigade. Attacking Crete was ruled out because it was too heavily defended by German troops.
A big problem for the planners was the lack of air support. German planes from Fliegerkorps X were a threat. British and American planes were based far away in Cyprus and the Middle East. This problem got worse because many planes were needed for the upcoming Allied invasion of Sicily.
The Americans were not keen on this operation. They thought it was mainly for Britain's political goals after the war. They also saw it as a distraction from the main Italian campaign. They refused to help, telling the British they would have to do it alone.
As Italy's surrender seemed more likely, the British prepared a smaller version of Accolade in August 1943. They hoped to take advantage of a split between Italy and Germany. They gathered forces, including the 8th Indian Infantry Division. They also asked for American P-38 Lightning fighter planes.
But after the Quebec Conference, the US still refused to support the British plans. So, the troops and ships meant for Accolade were sent elsewhere. This happened just a week before Italy surrendered in the Armistice of Cassibile on September 8.
The Fight Begins
Rhodes Falls to Germany
When Italy announced its surrender, the Italian soldiers on most Dodecanese Islands wanted to switch sides and fight with the Allies. Or they simply wanted to go home. But German forces, mostly from mainland Greece, quickly moved to many islands. They wanted to keep control.
These German forces were part of Army Group E, led by General Alexander Löhr. The most important German group in the Dodecanese was the 7,500-strong Sturm-Division Rhodos. This division was led by Lieutenant-General Ulrich Kleemann. It was formed on Rhodes, which was the main center of the Dodecanese and had three airfields. Because of this, Rhodes was a key target for both sides.
On September 8, 1943, the Italian soldiers on Kastelorizo island surrendered to a small British group. More Allied ships arrived in the following days. The next day, a British team, led by George Jellicoe, parachuted onto Rhodes. They hoped to convince the Italian commander, Admiral Inigo Campioni, to join the Allies.
But the Germans acted fast. Kleemann attacked the 40,000 Italian soldiers on September 9. He forced them to surrender by September 11. Losing Rhodes was a huge blow to Allied hopes. Many Italian soldiers in the Aegean were tired of the war. Some had even started to oppose Mussolini. However, Italian Fascist supporters remained loyal to Germany. German forces in Greece convinced 10,000 Italians in the Aegean to keep fighting with them.
Despite this setback, the British continued to try and occupy other islands. They especially wanted Kos, Samos, and Leros. The Germans were spread thin in the Aegean. The Allies had stronger navies. Air cover from 7 Squadron, SAAF and 74 Squadron, RAF (Supermarine Spitfires) at Kos was thought to be enough.
The Allies hoped that from these islands, with Italian help, they could eventually attack Rhodes. From September 10 to 17, the 234th Infantry Brigade (led by Major-General Francis Brittorous) arrived from Malta. They were joined by soldiers from the Special Boat Service, Long Range Desert Group, 11th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, and Greek Sacred Band.
They secured the islands of Kos, Kalymnos, Samos, Leros, Symi, Castellorizo, and Astypalaia. Ships from the Royal Navy and Royal Hellenic Navy supported them. By September 19, Karpathos, Kasos, and other Italian-held islands were in German hands. On September 23, the 22nd Infantry Division, led by Lieutenant-General Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, was ordered to take Kos and Leros.
Island Battles
Battle for Kos
The Germans knew that the Allies' only airfield was on Kos. So, from September 18, Fliegerkorps X bombed it and other Allied positions on the island. By October 1, the Germans had 362 planes ready for action in the Aegean.
The British forces on Kos had about 1,500 men. Most were from the 1st Durham Light Infantry and RAF personnel. There were also about 3,500 Italian soldiers from the 10th Regiment.
On October 3, the Germans launched an attack called Unternehmen Eisbär (Operation Polar Bear). They landed troops by sea and air. By the end of the day, they reached the edge of Kos town. The British retreated during the night and surrendered the next day.
Losing Kos was a big blow for the Allies. It meant they no longer had air cover. The Germans captured 1,388 British and 3,145 Italian soldiers. On October 4, German troops committed a terrible act. They killed the captured Italian commander of the island, Colonel Felice Leggio, and nearly 100 of his officers.
Battle for Leros
After Kos fell, the Italian soldiers on Kalymnos surrendered. This gave the Germans a useful base to attack Leros. The German plan, Unternehmen Leopard (Operation Leopard), was set for October 9. But on October 7, the Royal Navy stopped and destroyed the German ships heading for Kos.
Hundreds of German soldiers and most of their large landing craft were lost. Replacements had to be brought by train. It took until November 5 for the Germans to gather a fleet of 24 light landing craft. To avoid being caught by Allied navies, these boats were spread out among several islands and hidden.
Despite Allied efforts to find and sink the invasion fleet, the Germans had few losses. They were able to gather their invasion force, led by Lieutenant-General Müller. This force launched Unternehmen Taifun (Operation Typhoon) on November 12.
The German invasion force included soldiers from all parts of their military. There were veterans from the 22nd Infantry Division, a paratrooper battalion (Fallschirmjäger), and special forces called Küstenjäger (Coast Raiders).
The Allied soldiers on Leros were mostly from the 234th Infantry Brigade, about 3,000 men. They included soldiers from the 2nd The Royal Irish Fusiliers, the 4th The Buffs (The Royal East Kent Regiment), 1st The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), and the 2nd Company, 2nd Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. Brigadier Robert Tilney took command on November 5. There were also about 8,500 Italians, mostly navy personnel, led by Admiral Luigi Mascherpa.
Leros had been bombed by the German air force (Luftwaffe) since September 26. These attacks caused many casualties and damage to the island's defenders and supporting naval ships. In the early hours of November 12, the German invasion force approached the island from the east and west.
Even with some problems, the Germans managed to create a foothold. Paratroopers landed on Mt. Rachi, in the middle of the island. The Allies tried to counter-attack, but the Germans were reinforced the next night. They quickly cut the island in two. The Allies surrendered on November 16. The Germans lost 520 soldiers. They captured 3,200 British and 5,350 Italian soldiers.
The Dodecanese campaign involved many islands. Both sides relied on ships to bring in soldiers and supplies. So, naval battles were very important. At first, there were not many warships on either side. Most Allied ships were in the central Mediterranean, supporting operations in Italy. The Germans did not have a large navy in the Aegean.
However, the Germans had control of the skies. This caused the Allies to lose many ships. Vice Admiral Werner Lange, the German Naval Commander in the Aegean, tried to reinforce German bases and attack Allied ones. He also transported Italian prisoners of war to the mainland. Allied ships tried to stop the German ships, leading to heavy losses.
On September 23, HMS Eclipse damaged the German torpedo boat TA10. It also sank the steamer Gaetano Donizetti, which had 1,576 Italian prisoners on board. Another disaster happened a month later. American B-25 Mitchells and British Beaufighters sank the cargo ship Sinfra. This ship had 2,389 Italian prisoners, 71 Greek prisoners, and 204 German guards. Only 539 people survived.
On September 14, the first Allied ship was lost. The Greek submarine RHN Katsonis was rammed and sunk by a German U-boat hunter. The Luftwaffe also attacked on September 26. Twenty-five Junkers Ju 88 planes sank the RHN Vasilissa Olga and HMS Intrepid at Lakki Bay, Leros.
On October 1, the Italian destroyer Euro was sunk. On October 9, HMS Panther was sunk, and the cruiser HMS Carlisle was badly damaged. At the same time, British and Greek destroyers could not stop the German ships heading for Kos.
More losses followed for both sides. After Kos fell and friendly air cover was gone, Allied navies focused on supplying Leros and Samos. They mostly did this at night. From October 22 to 24, HMS Hurworth and Eclipse sank in a German minefield east of Kalymnos. The Greek destroyer RHN Adrias lost its front part. Adrias managed to escape to the Turkish coast. After quick repairs, it sailed to Alexandria.
On the night of November 10/11, Allied destroyers bombarded Kalymnos and Kos. German forces were gathering there for the attack on Leros. The German ships reached Leros on November 12. They were protected by over 25 ships, including submarine chasers and minesweepers.
During the following nights, Allied destroyers could not find and destroy the German ships. They only managed to bomb German positions on Leros. With Leros falling on November 16, the Allied ships pulled back. They evacuated the remaining British soldiers. By then, the Germans had also used Dornier Do 217 planes with new radio-controlled missiles. One missile badly damaged HMS Rockwood on November 11. Another sank HMS Dulverton two days later. The Allies lost six destroyers sunk and two cruisers and two destroyers damaged between September 7 and November 28, 1943.
What Happened Next
After Leros fell, Samos and the other smaller islands were evacuated. The Germans bombed Samos with Ju 87 (Stukas) planes. This made the 2,500 Italian soldiers there surrender on November 22. The Germans also took over Patmos, Fournoi, and Ikaria on November 18. This completed their control of the Dodecanese. They held these islands until the end of the war. Only the island of Castellorizo, off the Turkish coast, remained in British hands and was never threatened.
The Dodecanese campaign was one of the last British defeats in World War II. It was also one of the last German victories. Some people called it a "fiasco" because it was poorly planned and carried out. The German victory was mainly because they had control of the air. This caused great losses for the Allies, especially in ships. It also allowed the Germans to supply their forces.
Many people at the time criticized the operation. They saw it as another useless disaster, like the Battle of Gallipoli. They blamed Churchill, but perhaps unfairly. He had wanted these efforts to happen much sooner, before the Germans were ready.
The British failure to capture the Dodecanese had a tragic impact on the Jewish people living there. While Italy had anti-Jewish laws, Jewish people on the Dodecanese islands faced less danger than in German-controlled areas of Greece. In March 1943, many Jewish people from other parts of Greece were sent to terrible camps. But the Italian surrender, the German takeover, and the Allied defeat meant this safe place disappeared.
Many Jewish people from the Dodecanese were tragically captured by the Germans. About 1,700 members of the old Jewish community of Rhodes were rounded up in July 1944. Only about 160 of them survived the camps. Out of 6,000 Ladino-speaking Jewish people in the Dodecanese, about 1,200 survived by escaping to nearby Turkey.
Italian prisoners of war were sent to the mainland by the Germans. They were put on crowded, unsafe ships. This led to several accidents. The sinking of the SS Oria on February 12, 1944, was the deadliest. More than 4,000 Italians died when the ship sank in a storm. Other ships were sunk by British forces.
The German success in the eastern Mediterranean helped restore Francisco Franco's confidence in Germany's war effort. This confidence had been shaken by Allied landings in North Africa and Italy. It also ensured that Spain continued to export tungsten (a metal used in war industries) to Germany for several months.
Learn More
- The Guns of Navarone (1957), a novel
- The Guns of Navarone (1961), a film
