Operation Manna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Manna |
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 British airborne troops of 'C' Company of the 4th Parachute Battalion descending on Megara in Greece, 12 October 1944 |
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 United Kingdom Greece |
 Germany |
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Operation Manna was a secret name for a special mission during World War II. It happened in Greece in October 1944. British and Greek soldiers worked together. They moved into Greece as German forces were leaving the country.
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Operation Manna: Taking Back Greece
This operation helped British and Greek forces return to Greece. German soldiers had been occupying Greece for a long time. In 1944, they started to leave. Operation Manna was planned to help take control of areas they left behind.
Airborne Troops Arrive
A big part of Operation Manna involved soldiers arriving by air. On October 12, 1944, the British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade took part. Soldiers from the 4th Parachute Battalion jumped from planes. They landed at the Megara airfield, which is about 28 miles outside Athens.
Bad weather stopped more parachute jumps for a few days. But on October 14, most of the rest of the brigade arrived. Only the 5th Parachute Battalion was missing. After landing, the 4th and 6th Parachute Battalions marched towards Athens.
Securing Athens
On October 16, the 5th Battalion finally arrived. The brigade's glider-borne element also landed. Gliders are planes without engines that are pulled by other planes.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade then got help from the British 23rd Armoured Brigade. This combined British force took over protecting the city of Athens.
Government Returns
The British and Free Greek navies also played a key role. They brought British and Greek troops by sea. They also transported the Greek government in exile back to Athens. This government had been forced to leave Greece during the German occupation. Their return helped Greece begin to rebuild.
