Battle of Chora - Agorelitsa (1944)

Last updated
Battle of Chora - Agorelitsa (1944)
Part of Second World War, Greek Resistance
DateJuly 19, 1944
Location
Between Chora, Messinia and Ampelofyto, Messinia (also called Agorelitsa)
Result ELAS victory
Belligerents
ELAS Nazi occupation forces
Casualties and losses
18 dead, 8 wounded 78 dead Germans, 30 captured, war material captured or destroyed

The Battle of Chora - Agorelitsa was fought on July 19, 1944 between Greek Peoples' Liberation Army (ELAS) against the Nazi occupation forces.

Contents

Broader Context

After Aris Velouchiotis' descend to Peloponnese (based on commands of the Political Committee of National Liberation), the Greek Resistance became more active in central and southern Peloponnese to the extent that Peloponnese was considered war zone by the Nazis. [1]

The battle

The National Liberation Front's political organization had informed ELAS that a battalion of the German occupiers would leave Pylos and head towards Gargalianoi - Kyparissia. [2] Based on this information, ELAS forces hid on July 17 between Ampelofyto (Agorelitsa) and Chora to ambush the Nazi forces. On July 19, the German military left Pylos and when they reached the location of ELAS forces, the battle started. [3] The victory of ELAS was decisive: ELAS suffered 18 casualties and 8 wounded while the Germans suffered 78 casualties (according to some 180 [4] ), 30 Germans where taken prisoners and vehicles and war material was captured or destroyed by ELAS. Among the casualties of ELAS was Ilias Sfakianakis, the leader of the battalion that made the ambush. [5] [6]

Commemoration

Each year an event in memory of the fallen of ELAS takes place. The names of ELAS' casualties are: [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Army of Greece</span> Military force of the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946-49)

The Democratic Army of Greece was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946–1949). At its height, it had a strength of around 50,000 men and women.

The Greek football PSAP awards are a number of awards given annually by the Greek Union of Professional Football Players (PSAP) (Greek: Πανελλήνιος Σύνδεσμος Αμειβομένων Ποδοσφαιριστών). These awards are given annually to players playing in the Super League Greece, Super League Greece 2 and Gamma Ethniki. Managers and referees are also awarded by the PSAP on an annual basis.

Giorgos Fountas was a Greek actor in film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greek Civil War</span> 1946–1949 civil war in Greece

The Greek Civil War took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a communist-dominated uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The opposition declared a people's republic, the Provisional Democratic Government of Greece, which was governed by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and its military branch, the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE). The rebels were supported by Albania and Yugoslavia. With the support of the United Kingdom and United States, the Greek government forces ultimately prevailed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chora, Messenia</span> Community in Greece

Chora is a small town in the western part of Messenia, in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. With a population of 2,609 inhabitants as of 2021, it is the largest settlement in the municipality of Pylos-Nestoras and the sixth largest settlement in Messenia. Chora is renowned for its long history. It houses an archeological museum and it is located 3 kilometers away from the Palace of Nestor.

The Battle of Meligalas took place at Meligalas in Messenia in southwestern Greece, on 13–15 September 1944, between the Greek Resistance forces of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) and the collaborationist Security Battalions.

Major General (Generalmajor) Franz Krech was the German commander of the 41st Fortress Division of the Wehrmacht during the World War II Axis occupation of Greece. He was ambushed and killed by a platoon of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) in Molaoi, Laconia. It led to harsh reprisals by the occupying forces and contributed to the declaration of the Peloponnese as an "operational zone", i.e. a war zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Party – Greeks</span> Greek political party

National Party – Greeks, formerly Greeks for the Fatherland, is a Greek far-right political party founded on 4 June 2020, by Ilias Kasidiaris, a former MP and spokesperson of Golden Dawn, who is currently serving a 13-year prison term for his involvement in the criminal organisation run by Golden Dawn, allegations for which he maintains his innocence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Zorbas</span>

Cyclone Zorbas, or Medicane Zorbas, was the first officially documented Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, or medicane, since Cyclone Numa in 2017. Zorbas originated as an extratropical cyclone in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Warm sea surface temperatures allowed the system to quickly deepen and transition into a tropical cyclone. Zorbas intensified as it headed northward towards Greece, finally reaching its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 987 mbar (29.15 inHg) on September 29.

The Nova Supersports Cup was an association football friendly tournament competition hosted by Greek premium sports network Nova Sports between 1999 and 2001, held in Athens.

The 1999 Nova Supersports Cup was an association football friendly tournament competition hosted by Greek premium sports network Nova Sports in 1999, held in Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kalavryta</span> Battle of the Greek Civil War (1948)

The Battle of Kalavryta took place between 11 and 12 April 1948. It was fought as part of the Greek Civil War, pitting forces of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) led by Stephanos Giouzelis against the government garrison of Kalavryta under Nikolaos Arvanitakis.

The 2021–22 Super League 2, known as Super League 2 betsson for sponsorship reasons, is the third season of the Super League 2, the second-tier Greek professional league for association football clubs, since the restructuring of the Greek football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loutra, Kythnos</span> Port on the island of Kythnos, Greece

Loutra is a traditional seaside settlement and a port in Kythnos, Greece. It is located on the NE part of the island, 5km away from Chora, and 11km from the port of Merihas. Loutra is home to 81 people. The main occupations of the residents are tourism-related services and fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aigaleo massacre</span> German reprisal operation in Greece, 29 September 1944

The Aigaleo Massacre was a mass execution carried out by the Nazi occupation forces on September 29, 1944 in Agios Georgios neighborhood of Aigaleo, Attica, Greece. The official number of victims is 65, however some estimations raise the number of victims to about 100 or 150. In the site of the executions the local community has built a memorial for the victims.

The Battle of Amfilochia began on the evening of July 12, 1944 and lasted until the afternoon of the following day, involving guerrilla forces of the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) against occupation forces of the 104th Jäger Division and local Gendarmerie forces. It resulted in a victory for ELAS and was one of the largest tactical operations of ELAS throughout the Axis occupation of Greece, both in terms of forces involved and result.

Georgios Moschos was a Greek professional basketball player. He played for Panellinios Athens, Iraklis Salonica, and AEK Athens basketball clubs and died from lymphoma at the age of twenty-nine. He was nicknamed Piccolino.

The Battle of Karoutes, was fought on August 5, 1944, between the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) and the 18th SS Mountain Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilias Mavromichalis</span>

Ilias Mavromichalis or Bezande-Ilias was a fighter of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and scion of the historic family of Mavromichali. He went down in history as the "Fairyborn" chieftain due to his beauty - which according to popular tradition he inherited from his grandmother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosmos (political party)</span> Political party in Greece

Kosmos is a green political party in Greece, founded in 2024 by MEP Petros S. Kokkalis, Maria Vassilakou and Lefteris Papagiannakis.

References

  1. MEYER HERMANN-FRANK (2022). ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΒΙΕΝΝΗ ΣΤΑ ΚΑΛΑΒΡΥΤΑ (in Greek). p. 578.
  2. "19/7/1944: Η Μάχη στου Μανούσου το Γεφύρι". ethniki-antistasi-dse.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  3. MEYER HERMANN-FRANK (2022). ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΒΙΕΝΝΗ ΣΤΑ ΚΑΛΑΒΡΥΤΑ (in Greek). p. 579.
  4. "19/7/1944: Η Μάχη στου Μανούσου το Γεφύρι". ethniki-antistasi-dse.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  5. "1944: Μάχες του ΕΛΑΣ στην υπόδουλη Ελλάδα | Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών | online έκδοση". 2014-08-18. Archived from the original on 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2022-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. MEYER HERMANN-FRANK (2022). ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΒΙΕΝΝΗ ΣΤΑ ΚΑΛΑΒΡΥΤΑ (in Greek). p. 577.
  7. "Η μάχη Χώρας - Αγορέλιτσας". Αυγή (in Greek). 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  8. "ΜΕΤΑΞΥ ΧΩΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΜΠΕΛΟΦΥΤΟΥ Εκδήλωση της ΠΕΑΕΑ – ΔΣΕ Μεσσηνίας στο Γεφύρι του Μανούσου". Archived from the original on 2013-09-19. Retrieved 2014-02-01.