Monday 26 December 2011

(1940-41) Women of Pindos

Metsovo, Katara. Clearing the roadDuring the Greco-Italian war, the Greeks had the significant advantage of support from the civilians and especially the women of nearby villages.

For example, the Greek army had published instructions for knitting socks, Official instructions for knitting socks, gloves and scarvesgloves and scarves, so that they would be "official issue" and the same for all soldiers. Out of all Greek women, however, it was the women of the Pindos mountains that standed out by bringing desperately needed supplies to the front under gruelling winter conditions and above 2 km altitude.

From Argiris Balatsos's War Diary (in "Martyries 1940-1941", Hatzipera-Fafaliou, Athens, Kedros, 1982, p. 103):

"7 November 1940. ... I met women who were carrying ammunition. One was 88 years old. Another one told me that she had locked the kid in the shed, so that she could come to help the army. During the night, I saw an old woman taking care of the two kids, while their mother was baking bread for the army under the candle light. Metsovo, Katara. Clearing the roadThe snow, the ice, the dreadful cold, did not seem to bother them. They all wanted to help the army where the supply trucks couldn't reach. True wonderwomen. What a difference with the women of the cities!"

By Takis E. Papagiannopoulos (in "Martyries 1940-1941", Hatzipera-Fafaliou, Athens, Kedros, 1982, p. 104):

"... When they reached the River Voyiousa (Aoos) and the fearless women saw that the raging waters were making the bridge engineers' job difficult, they spontaneously did something that was repeated later at Kalamas and Drinos. They entered the waters, held each other firmly from the shoulders and formed a human wall to break the force of the waters where the bridge engineers were working."

The monument of the Woman of Pindos:


By Nikiforos Vrettakos ("Γυναίκες της Πίνδου", in Greek):

Painting by unknown artist"Κι οι μάνες τα κοφτά γκρεμνά σαν Παναγιές τ' ανέβαιναν.
Με την ευκή στον ώμο τους κατά το γιό πηγαίναν
και τις αεροτραμπάλιζε ο άνεμος φορτωμένες
κι έλυνε τα τσεμπέρια τους κι έπαιρνε τα μαλλιά τους
κι έδερνε τα φουστάνια τους και τις σπαθοκοπούσε,
μ' αυτές αντροπατάγανε, ψηλά, πέτρα την πέτρα
κι ανηφορίζαν στη γραμμή, όσο που μες στα σύννεφα
χάνονταν ορθομέτωπες η μιά πίσω απ' την άλλη".


In his memoirs, artillery commander Asimakopoulos mentions the names of women of the village of K. Pedina who helped his unit reach the Peak of St. Vlasis.
Young women: LEFTERIA G. THEODORIOU, GALATEIA Nap. TRIPSA, THALEIA K. OIKONOMIDOU, PANORAIA K. TSANTI, ANNA G. KASKA and others.
Women: MEROPI CHR. TOULOUPI, ISMINI TH. KALANTZI, ATHINA KYR. LEFKADITI, Clearing the snow
ARIADNI D. GOGOLOU, THOUSIA ANDREA VOGLI, LAKENA AP. ARANITI, EVRIDIKI CHR. GRAZIOU, LOUKRITIA PAN. CHACHARI, RINA K. GEORGIOU, THEODOULA D. DACHRI, NIKI TH. KOULI, MANI GRABALI, IPPOLITI SIOUSIOU, KLEIO SKEPARIOTI, SOULA CHOULIARA, POLIMNIA GABALI, KIRIAKO GABALI, VGENO SKEPARIOTI and others.


In a book on the role of women of Epirus in 1940, E. Tzialla-Mantziou mentions the following names: APERGI CHRISANTHI, VOUTZATI ANTHOULA, YIOTA EVAGELI, GRIMOTSI-KISI EVDOXIA, MOUTZOULI ATHINA (Fourka), GOUVELI ASPASIA (Fourka), ZIOGA ASPASIA (Fourka), IOANNIDI FROSO (TSEPELOVO), KARAGIANNI ANDROMACHI (Asprangeloi), KAPSALI ARTEMISIA, TZIMORANGA EVAGELI, FASOULI AGORO (LIKORACHI), FRAGOU ZOITSA (Fourka Konitsis).

From an unknown source, the following list also exists:
In Zouzouli: ADAMOU TRIANTAFYLLIA, GEORGIOU HAIDO, DIMITROU ROUSA, EVAGELOU EVAGELI, EVAGELOU GLYKERIA, KOSTARA EKATERINI, LAZOPOULOU EFTIXIA, DINOLAZOU VAGELI, PAPAVASILIOU ASIMINA, PAPATHOMA EVGENIA.
KOSTARA G. XANTHI, KOSTOPOULOU MARIGO, ZISOU RISANO, PAPADAMOU SOULTANA and VASILIKI and others.
In Eftachori: VLACHOU TRIANTAFYLLIA, ZOUTSOU ALEKSANDRA, TZIAVA SOULTANA, TSAPRAZI KIRATSO.

A diorama from the National War Museum, Athens:

A diorama from the National War Museum, Athens

And a life-size 10.6m exhibit from Vrelli Museum, Ioannina, Greece:

Sunday 25 December 2011

(1937-1941) Avia B.534

A computer model of the Greek Avia 534 for a mod of Ubisoft's IL2 SturmovikA wealthy businessman, G. Koutarellis bought two B.534 Series II aircraft (534.1001 and 534.1002) directly from Avia and donated them to the Hellenic Airforce in a consecration ceremony on 18 August 1936. The two aircraft are often listed simply as Avias, together with the four older Avia BH-33s that were supplied from Yugoslavia a year earlier. They received the serials ΔΚ1 and ΔΚ2 (in Greek: "Donation of Koutarellis").

Operational History
18 Aug. 1936 - Offered to the Hellenic Airforce by G. Koutarellis.
1937-1940 - Used for operational training.
9 Dec. 1940 - Enter operational service with 24 Mira.
24 Jan. 1941 - ΔΚ1 suffers severe damages after a forced landing and is transfered to KEA for repairs. It is not mentioned again in official records.
19 Apr. 1941 - ΔΚ2 is destroyed together with other aircraft of 24 Mira by Messerschmitt BF109Es strafing Amfikleia airfield.


Specifications
1/48 model by John GarisAvia 534 Series II
Length: 8.10 m
Height: 3.15 m
Wingspan: 9.40 m
Wing Area: 23.56 sq. m
Weight: (max) 1,913 kg, (empty) 1,385 kg
Engine: 1x Hispano Suiza 12Y-21 860 hp
Service Ceiling: 10,600 m
Range: 580 km
Speed: 394 km/h
Armament: 4x 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG, 6x 20 kg bombs
Crew: 1

For Gamers and Game designers
The B.534 was one of the fastest and most capable biplanes. Its only important weakness in comparison to the final generation of biplanes was that its undercarriage is not retractable. However, at the beginning ofWorld War II, most airforces were already using much more modern monoplanes, and these aircraft would be used by the Greeks probably only in auxiliary roles, such as army liaison.

For Modellers
As far as I am aware, there are no surviving photographs of the Greek Avia B.534 aircraft. Existing profiles are based on textual rather than photographic evidence.
Profiles showing the aircraft in pre-war colours, by Vincent Bourguignon from ww2drawings.jexiste.fr
Avia 534 profile
Profile from unknown source, presumably showing the B534 in 1940-41. However, I do not believe that this profile is anything more than speculation. Probably unreliable.
Avia 534 profile

Saturday 17 December 2011

(1929-1941) Fairey IIIF

Greek Fairey IIIF
A naval cooperation hydroplane ordered by the Naval Air Force and received by the newly unified Hellenic Air Force. It took part in the war, but in less promiment operations than the Dornier Do.22 and Avro Anson.

Operational History
1929-1931 - 10 aircraft delivered from Britain. They are assigned the serial numbers N1 - N10.
1935 - Used to maintain contact with the fleet during the 1935 movement.
3 Jun. 1940 - Three killed during training accident due to bad weather near Almyros Magnisias. The aircraft is damaged beyond repair.
18 Jul. 1940 - Two killed during training accident near Rafina, Attica.
Fairey IIIF painting by unknown artistOct. 1940-1941 - Used by the 11th Naval Cooperation Squadron for reconnaissance and convoy escort missions during the war. The squadron is based at Valtoudi.
14 Apr. 1941 - N10 (crew: Economou, Drakakis, Barbas) is returning to Moudros (Limnos) after a special operation. Around 3pm, it meets four German Ju88 fighter-bombers between St. Efstratios and Skyros. (It is claimed that) Drakakis, the gunner, forces one of the aircraft to abort, but his machine gun jams. N10 is forced to ditch at sea. The crew swims to safety (presumably to Skyros), but the aircraft is sunk and Barbas has been wounded.
20 Apr. 1941 - A Dornier Do.22 (N27, crew: Dimitriadis, Papadopoulos, Fotinatos) locates the crew of a Fairey IIIF hit by a Ju88 over Skyros Fairey IIIF formationthe previous day. Despite being attacked by new Ju88s, it manages to return to base at Paloukia Salaminas.
30 Apr. or May 1941 - All remaining Fairey IIIF hydroplanes are machinegunned after Greece's surrender to the Germans, while stationed in Monemvasia and waiting for their escape orders. It is unclear why the aircraft do not escape to Crete or Egypt.


Specifications
Fairey IIIF

Length: 10.82 m
Height: 4.27 m
Wingspan: 13.95 m
Wing Area: 40.74 sq. m
Weight: (max) 2,858 kg, (empty) 1,779 kg
Engine: 1 x Napier Lion XIA 570 hp
Service Ceiling: 6,100 m
Speed: 209 km/h
Armament: 1 fixed Vickers 7.7mm machine gun, 1 rotating Lewis 7.7mm machine gun. The bomb payload varied according to time period
Crew: 3


For Gamers and Game designers
The Navy specification heavy type radio (110 Kg) shifted the center of gravity of the airplane causing a lot of accidents. It is possible that for this reason, the radios were removed, significantly reducing the operational capabilities of the type.

For Modellers

N2
Profiles by unknown artist from ww2drawings.jexiste.fr
Fairey IIIF profile
Fairey IIIF taking off, Valtoudi Magnisias

N7
A computer model of the Fairey IIIF for MS Flight Simulator by Ted Cook and Matteo Arrotta:
Fairey IIIF for MS Flight Simulator by Ted Cook and Matteo Arrotta


Additional photographs of unidentified Greek Fairey IIIF aircraft: