National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

o ya l He l l e n i C air fo r C e (rHaf) d u r i n g wo r l d wa r ii. or g a n i z at i o n a n d op e r at i o n s 125
Fi g u r e 3: Dornier Do 22 seaplane (Archive of the History Museum, HAF).
Hellenic-Italian War
The German policy, aiming at breaking up the borders all over Europe had an
inevitable impact all across the Balkan peninsula. Hitler envisaged a rapid solution
to the Balkan conundrum so as to have all his forces available for the “Barbarossa”
operation against the Soviet Union. It seems that Hitler had entrusted the subjugation
of Greece and Yugoslavia to Mussolini, so as to satisfy the Duce’s Mediterranean
aspirations.
It seems that the invasion and outright annexation of Albania in April 1939 was
only a stepping-stone for invading Greece. The Italian provocation reached its peak
when they torpedoed frigate ELLI on the 15 th of August 1940. The attack against
Greece had become imminent. On October 25 th , 1940, Prime Minister I. Metaxas
announced that according to available information, the Italian attack would unfold
sometime during the next three days. It was indeed launched at early dawn on the
28 th of October 1940. Early in the morning of October 28, 1940, Patras and Athens
were bombed by Regia Aeronautica.
The first engagement took place two days later over Korytsa between 3 Fiat GR.
42 Falcos and 2 RHAF reconnaissance aircrafts. The latter managed to escape. The
first loss of life occurred on October 30, 1940 when 5 Italian Fiat GR. 42 fighters
were involved in a dogfight with two Henschel Hs 126s. The Italians managed to
damage the engine of one Henschel which was forced to land. The observer, Pilot