Air Power, Insurgency and the “War on Terror” - Prof. Joel Hayward's ...

Chapter 6
feeding to any portion of <strong>the</strong> population as soon as it was liberated”. This was ano<strong>the</strong>r
highly successful information operations coup for British forces because this principle was
adhered to over successive weeks. However, it was observed that l<strong>and</strong> forces had difficulty
maintaining offensive operations while simultaneously undertaking humanitarian relief
<strong>and</strong> “hearts <strong>and</strong> minds” activity, as troop levels were not sufficiently large. General Scobie
felt that he required ano<strong>the</strong>r Division <strong>and</strong> a half to be able to perform both activities
<strong>and</strong> he called for <strong>the</strong> establishment of a Greek National Guard. This is when <strong>the</strong> “force
multiplier” effects of air power became apparent again. The tempo of operations could be
sustained through <strong>the</strong> use of aircraft, <strong>and</strong> during <strong>the</strong> first week of January 1945, Spitfires
<strong>and</strong> Beaufighters were used for Armed Reconnaissance <strong>and</strong> attacks on ELAS motorised
transport <strong>and</strong> troop concentrations. Conservative estimates done at <strong>the</strong> time suggest that
118 motor vehicles were destroyed in <strong>the</strong>se attacks, <strong>and</strong> ELAS forces were compelled to
move on foot. Meanwhile, Wellingtons, which had been employed for night illumination
over <strong>the</strong> city, were now tasked with leaflet dropping, both to reassure <strong>the</strong> local populace
that <strong>the</strong> insurgents were in retreat <strong>and</strong> to put psychological pressure on ELAS forces. By 5
January, <strong>the</strong> insurgency was broken <strong>and</strong> ELAS withdrew wholesale to <strong>the</strong> hills north <strong>and</strong>
west of A<strong>the</strong>ns.
As <strong>the</strong> most bitter fighting occurred in <strong>and</strong> around A<strong>the</strong>ns, <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> ELAS uprising
was widespread throughout Greece is often overlooked. ELAS forces had ei<strong>the</strong>r captured
or threatened to capture a number of o<strong>the</strong>r urban centres, including Patras <strong>and</strong> Salonika.
After it was deemed safe, some l<strong>and</strong> forces were diverted from A<strong>the</strong>ns to <strong>the</strong>se o<strong>the</strong>r centres.
<strong>Air</strong>craft continued to support <strong>the</strong>se l<strong>and</strong> forces by performing armed reconnaissance <strong>and</strong>
cover to armoured units. Most aircraft were connected to <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong> forces via VHF radio,
<strong>and</strong> aircrews provided valuable advanced warning of ELAS ambushes <strong>and</strong> dispositions.
By 12 January, British l<strong>and</strong> forces were still engaging with ELAS units as far south as
<strong>the</strong> Peloponnese <strong>and</strong> as far north as Lamia. However, <strong>the</strong> fighting fell off rapidly during
successive days, <strong>and</strong> on 15 January, a general ceasefire was declared. Under <strong>the</strong> terms of a
truce signed at Varkiza, ELAS was to withdraw completely from Attica, <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn part
of <strong>the</strong> Peloponnese <strong>and</strong> out to thirty miles beyond Salonika. There was to be an exchange
of prisoners, <strong>and</strong> ELAS was to h<strong>and</strong> in all its weaponry <strong>and</strong> disb<strong>and</strong>. Meanwhile, Britain
agreed to maintain a garrison force in Greece, sufficient to guarantee law <strong>and</strong> order, until
such time as <strong>the</strong> Greek National Army, <strong>the</strong> Royal Hellenic <strong>Air</strong> Force <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gendarmerie
could be brought up to strength. 227
The Army’s verdict on <strong>Air</strong> Support <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> RAF, generally, was effusive. General Scobie
wrote to <strong>the</strong> AOC in <strong>the</strong>atre, <strong>Air</strong> Commodore Tuttle, in <strong>the</strong> following terms:
The rebels in Attica have now been completely routed. The success
<strong>the</strong> Army has achieved in <strong>the</strong>se operations is due very largely to
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong>, <strong>Insurgency</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror” 109