The battle of Konitsa was not a simple event in the three-year war, now known as the Greek Civil War. It was a conflict of catalytic importance, mainly on a political level. The heroic resistance of the small and isolated garrison for more than a week led to the wreck of the grandiose and utopian plans of Zachariadis, who had just formed the "temporary democratic government" and was anxiously seeking its seat, and through it recognition by the "sister" regimes.
But Konitsa was the beginning of the end of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE). The "democratic" regimes, first of all the Stalinist Soviet Union, refused to recognize the provisional government of Zachariadis - a policy they followed until the end - leaving him exposed to his comrades, but also to the entire Greek people, who in the overwhelming majority did not share his "populist" vision.
1947 was one of the critical years of the Civil War. It was a year of failures for the Greek Army, both due to the inexperience of its leadership - at least in terms of the form of the fight it had to fight - and due to serious shortages in war material. Marco's guerrilla groups had grown strong enough to begin turning into a real army. An important power multiplier of the DSE was the securing of business bases in Pindos.
In this way, the lines of communication with the Albania of the murderer of the Greeks Hoxha (Rubik base), the Yugoslavia of the claimant of Macedonia Tito (Bulkes base) and the still weak Bulgaria (Bekovitsa base) were secured. Even if, after all, the forces of the DSE were pressed, they could always take refuge in the territories of these states and reorganize where the Greek Army could not follow them.
These countries were also the main supplier of war material for the DSE, whose action - although it had not yet received this name - extended to the entire Greek area in 1947. The Greek Army then launched Operation "Terminus" , which however did not have the intended results. In 1947, the strength of the DSE throughout Greece was estimated at 20,000 fighters.
The leadership of the DSE and the then KKE after the failure of the "Terminus" operation were overoptimistic. He calculated that within 1947 the war could end with her victory, due to the constant attrition of the enemy and above all, due to his inability to inflict serious blows on the DSE.
At the same time, on a political level, in December 1947, the Belgrade and Tirana radio stations announced the establishment of the "temporary democratic government" with Markos Vafiadis as "prime minister". The idea for the formation of the "temporary democratic government" was Tito's brainchild, "thrown" on the table before the infamous Bled meeting (August 2, 1948), where Tito and Dimitrov effectively divided Macedonia.> The idea was adopted by Zachariadis, who believed that it would win the immediate recognition of the "socialist" states.
On December 23, the formation of the "temporary democratic government" was first announced by the Belgrade radio station, and the following day, the day the battle of Konitsa began, Vafiadis addressed the Greek people. Greece then found itself literally with its back against the wall.
The forces of the DSE open their action plan
The forces of the DSE within 1947 had begun to be organized on a regular basis. Battalions, brigades and later divisions were formed. The basic maneuver formation was the brigade. For the operation against Konitsa, Markos allocated two of his strong brigades, the 32nd brigade of Sofianos and the 16th brigade of Palaiologos, reinforced with two mountain artillery brigades.
A battalion reinforced with a saboteur section was allocated to cover the main operation from the Kalpaki - Grabala direction. Also, the Brigades of Agrafon, Lefteris, Ypsilantis and Heimarros undertook the isolation of the battlefield from the south and southwest, from Pogoni, Mourgana, Megali Rachi.
The Sofian Brigade entered the battle with 4 battalions, to be reinforced by one more on the 26th of December and one more on the 27th. It was also assigned the two 75k mountain artillery battalions. Another 10 battalions were assigned to cover missions. In total, therefore, the DSE in the battle of Konitsa killed about 6,000 fighters, with good and rich armament.
Marcos' plan of action provided for the occupation of the Burazani bridge by the Palaiologos Brigade in the first phase, in order to isolate the city and then its promotion to the southwest, with the aim of occupying the line of Vigla - Pelekana - Vasilika heights, with the aim of countering of any possible reinforcement of the besieged garrison of Konitsa.
The Sofian Brigade would attack the city from the northwest with the aim of capturing it. The other units would strengthen the detachment forces on the public road Kalpaki - Vigla - Burazani bridge - Konitsa and would cover the front on the Voidomatis river with a support point at the heroic Grabala - where Katsimitros defeated the Italians in 1940.
Having completed the preparations, the DSE leadership decided to carry out a surprise attack against Konitsa, after the city would have been isolated by occupying current positions in the surrounding area.
The chosen plan was based for its success on the excellent coordination between the units that would participate, a coordination that presupposed at least a tolerable transmission network, which existed, the constant supervision of the operation by the administration, so that it could intervene decisively in the struggle and to impose its authority and, above all, at least a relative ability to manage from the local commanders - executors.
DSE suffered dramatically in the last two points. The high command showed from its actions during the battle that it was not able to impose its will, being too far from the battlefield, while in terms of the quality of the commands, despite the pompous nicknames of the commanders, there were serious problems .
The forces of the Greek Army
For E.S. the battle of Konitsa developed into a severe test. In the beautiful mainland town itself the garrison was limited. The garrison of Konitsa was made up of the 75th Brigade under Colonel Konstantinos Dovas, with the 582 (Major Perridis) and 584 (Major Pallandas) Infantry Battalions (TP), a MAU company, 2 machine guns of the 530 Company, 2 25-pound field guns of 105 Field Artillery Regiment and 2 4.2in mortars of the 132nd Mortar Squadron. The support weapons were placed under the command of Major Vassiliou Gennimaras. These meager forces covered the city itself and the strategically important Aoos River bridge in Burazani.
Attack
Christmas dawned. The cold was bitter, continental. In Konitsa, with its 5,000 inhabitants, the churches shortly before had spread the joyful message of the Nativity of Christ with their bells. Around the city the watchtowers stood vigil. The 75th Brigade spread from Burazani to the northern and northwestern heights of the city with only 1,000 men at its disposal gave a feeling of security to the residents.
However, during the night the DSE forces had already taken their positions. Before dawn, the first attacks had taken place against the Ioannina - Kalpaki public road. Part of the road had been cut off and mined. At the same time, attacks took place on the heights of Vassiliko, Pelekana and Vigla. At the same time, pressure began to be exerted on the forces of the E.S. in Kalpaki.
At 06:00 on December 25, the general attack of the DSE against Konitsa itself began. The Sofianos Brigade, reinforced with the two mountain artillery brigades and several mortars, began to bombard the positions of the 582TP on the heights of Prophet Elias and Agios Athanasios, as well as the city itself. At the same time, an attack was launched against the exposed right of the 75th Brigade of the 584th Infantry Division both on the hill of Itia and Cherniko and on the Burazani bridge, which was guarded by a single company of the 584th Infantry Division.
This company was attacked by the Palaiologos Brigade and after a resistance of one and a half hours it finally yielded and retreated. The important bridge soon and easily fell into the hands of the attackers and the city was cut off from the rest of Greece already in the first hours of the battle. At the same time, the pressure on the 584TP gradually became unbearable and the battalion was forced to retreat to hill 915. There it would have to defend itself until the end.
Sofianos' battalions continued the attack and succeeded in penetrating the site of Hill 915. However, their success was temporary. By direct counter-attack with the bayonet and grenades, the men of the 584TP overthrew the infiltrating forces and restored the front as a whole. On the right of the 75th Brigade, the situation developed more unfavorably for the DSE.
Initially, very strong fanatical attacks were launched against the 582TP, but they were all repulsed with losses. After this, the attacks at this point ceased and the attackers contented themselves with harassing the defenders with artillery and mortar fire. At 12.30, as the battle was at its peak, the commander of the 75th Brigade, Colonel Dovas, was wounded. Major Georgios Pallandas, commander of the 584th Infantry Division, immediately assumed command, which he maintained.
Pallandas, judging that the situation was particularly serious on his left flank, remained next to the hard-fought 584TP, and even spent the night in the advanced trenches at Ht. 915. As soon as darkness fell, Sofianos' forces launched fierce night attacks, mainly against 915, but also against Ag. Athanasiou.
However, all their attacks were repelled. After 21.00 the attacks stopped and relative quiet prevailed around the city. Until then, the account of the battle was clearly in favor of the DSE. He had cut off the city and was suffocatingly besieging it.
The defenders had also suffered significant losses especially in officers, who commanded from close range. In total on 25 December the 75th Brigade had 12 killed (the 2 officers), 40 wounded (the 5 officers) and 30 missing (the 2 officers).
The initial failure of the Sofianos Brigade to capture the city troubled the DSE leadership, who decided to allocate another battalion to it. Thus, on December 26, he extended the Hermes, Karaperis, Kolia, Orestes and Lampi battalions.
From the dawn of December 26, the reinforced forces of Sofianos launched new attacks against Konitsa, concentrating their efforts on the heights. 915 and Ag. Athanasius. Despite their impetuous attacks, they were unable to penetrate the defensive position of the besieged. However, the Division, fearing a breach of the 584TP, ordered the 75th Brigade to withdraw behind the 915 and defend without any idea of retreat on the heights of Prophet Ilias – Panagitsa.
So it happened. After repelling all attacks against it throughout the day, the 584th Infantry Division withdrew as soon as darkness fell on the outskirts of the city. At 22.00 the DSE forces attacked after a strong artillery preparation against the 915 gap and occupied it without a fight. Further south, however, the situation was much more critical. The 581TP attacked, but did not succeed in overturning the opponents fortified on the heights of Vigla.
An iron ring had already formed around Konitsa, and nothing seemed capable of saving the besieged garrison. However, the commands of both the Division and the Second Army Corps and the Army had been drastically mobilized and were planning the big counterattack.
An important role was also played by the Air Force, which with continuous attacks - when the weather conditions allowed it and despite the absolute unsuitability of its material - threw itself enthusiastically into the battle.
Street fights
On December 27, a change was observed in the way the DSE operates. The main points of support of the defense of Konitsa on the heights of Prophet Ilias and Agios Athanasios received only harassing fire. Fires were also fired at the city itself with casualties among the civilian population. However, no infantry attack took place until 20.45 at night.
At that time, strong forces of the Sofianos Brigade - which now had 6 battalions - attacked, however, not against the heights, but against the city itself from the west, based on the Vasi and Plaka heights. A DSE battalion managed to infiltrate the city and occupy several houses on its southwestern outskirts.
The men of the 584TP, however, managed to limit the penetration and keep the attackers under control throughout the night. That night there were fierce hand-to-hand clashes within the city. Anti-tank launchers became the favorite weapons of the warriors, since their projectiles easily knocked down the walls of the houses behind which the enemy was hiding.
All night the explosions of anti-tank guns and grenades lit up the darkness. The inhabitants of Konitsa, who were not able to fight, had taken refuge in the churches and were praying with tears. The rest helped the soldiers who were fighting in every way.
December 28 dawned with the situation remaining favorable for the DSE. The siege of Konitsa continued, part of it had been occupied and the first attempts to break the cordon had been repulsed. All that remained was to capture the city as such.
The 75th Brigade, however, was not determined to submit to its fate. Instead of waiting for the new attack of the Battalions of Sophianos, he formed two assault divisions from among them, which counterattacked with ferocity , in order to recover the part of the city that had been taken over by the opponents.
From the dawn of the 28th the two divisions attacked with unimaginable speed. Wild scenes followed, with deadly street fights. Every house was carefully cleared with grenades and bursts of machine guns. Cursing and cursing could be heard everywhere. Through the smoke of the explosions, huddled opponents leaped out, holding knives in their hands. There were cases when a soldier who ran out of ammunition started throwing stones at opponents.
This time it was the turn of Sofianos' men to be surprised. The two platoons of the 584TP did a good job. In a relatively short time they managed to clear most of the city that had been taken over, except for a few houses in the SE end of the city.
Thus the penetration into the city failed, but in response Sofianus threw his forces into the attack against the heights NW of the city, which managed to capture the Mavrovouni redoubt after a four-hour battle.
The 1/582nd Company holding the redoubt collapsed normally at the main resistance site on the heights of Prophet Ilias. The command of the 75th Brigade was then forced to stop clearing operations in the western districts of the city and redeploy its meager reserves. By the morning of December 29 the brigade's front had been fully restored.
In the meantime, the pressure from the South against the perimeter of the DSE forces had started to pay off. Also, the action of the Air Force that day was important. In addition to the great damage it caused to the DSE with its constant insults, it also carried out two drops of ammunition and medicine on the besieged garrison of Konitsa , dramatically boosting the morale of the men of the 75th Brigade.
Countdown
Having fully restored the continuity of its front, the 75th Brigade resumed clearing operations on 29 December and finally drove the DSE units out of the city. The complete failure of the operation to penetrate the city, along with the failures to capture the defense strongholds on the surrounding heights, caused a steep drop in the morale of the command and the men of the Sofianos Brigade.
In the meantime, however, the liberating forces were approaching. December 30 dawned more optimistic in Konitsa. Until 10:30 in the morning, the DSE forces continued the harassing fire. At this time, however, there was a fierce attack against the 582TP, with the objective of capturing the Prophet Elias. The battle soon became very fierce. Every trench and trench won by the attackers was immediately recaptured by impetuous counter-attacks with spears and grenades.
The earth was boiling from the shells. Οι στρατιώτες πολλές φορές στη ορμή τους ξεπερνούσαν τα κατεστραμμένα τους συρματοπλέγματα και κυνηγούσαν τους επιτιθέμενους στην πλαγιά. Νέες επιθέσεις προκαλούσαν νέες αντεπιθέσεις. Η ιαχή «Αέρα» ακουγόταν από τα χαρακώματα της πρώτης γραμμής. «Δεν θα περάσουν» ήταν το σύνθημα.
Οι τρομερές λόγχες των Lee Enfield δούλευαν ασταμάτητα. Οι επικεφαλής των τμημάτων του ΔΣΕ, όμως, δεν σταματούσαν τις επιθέσεις, συνεχώς διέταζαν νέες. Η μάχη κράτησε από τις 10.30 το πρωί της 30ής Δεκεμβρίου έως τις 03.00 τα ξημερώματα της 31ης ασταμάτητα, με την ίδια ένταση. Οι άνδρες του 582ΤΠ με δυσκολία μπορούσαν να κρατήσουν τα όπλα τους από την κούραση. Παρόλα αυτά άντεξαν, οι αντίπαλοι «δεν πέρασαν».
Ήρθε η παραμονή της Πρωτοχρονιάς. Η πάντα πολιορκημένη 75η Ταξιαρχία, παρά τα προβλήματα, εξακολουθούσε να αντέχει. Στο άλλο στρατόπεδο, η αδυναμία κατάληψης της πολιορκημένης πόλης με τη μικρή φρουρά είχε προκαλέσει αναταράξεις. Αποφασίστηκε η εκτόξευση νέας μεγάλης επίθεσης κατά του Αγ. Αθανασίου-Προφήτη Ηλία, η οποία εκδηλώθηκε κατόπιν προπαρασκευής πυρών πυροβολικού και όλμων.
Οι επιτιθέμενοι πέτυχαν αρχικά μικρή διείσδυση στην περιοχή Αγ. Αθανασίου, αλλά με ορμητική αντεπίθεση των αμυνομένων το μέτωπο αποκαταστάθηκε. Νέα σφοδρή επίθεση κατά του Προφήτη Ηλία και πάλι αποκρούστηκε εκ του συστάδην με τις χειροβομβίδες, μα και άγρια πάλη σώμα με σώμα. Τελικά, η επίθεση «έσπασε» και οι επιτιθέμενοι αποσύρθηκαν με βαριές απώλειες.
Ήταν η έσχατη επίθεση. Η αποτυχία της σήμανε ουσιαστικά και το τέλος της μάχης καθώς οι απελευθερωτικές δυνάμεις άνοιγαν διάδρομο ζωής προς την πολιορκημένη κωμόπολη.