Brief Military History of Leros
and the Dodecanese (1911 - 1947)
A timeline through history
- 1911Italo-Turkish War
September 1911: Beginning of the Italo-Turkish War (1911 -1912).
- First Italians arrive in Leros1912
May 1912: The first Italians arrive in Leros.
Read More - 1923Treaty of Lausanne
July 24, 1923: The Treaty of Lausanne is signed, according to which the Dodecanese become definitive possession of the Italians.
- Italy Surrenders1943
September 8, 1943: Italy unconditionally surrenders to the Allies, who begin to claim the Dodecanese alongside Germany
- 1943Occupation of Kastelloriso
September 10, 1943: British troops occupy the island of Kastelloriso
Photo: British anti-aircraft unit in Pera Meria, the western quay of Kastelloriso’s main port, taking aim at passing German aircraft
- Occupation of Rhodes1943
September 11, 1943: German troops occupy the island of Rhodes
- 1943British occupation of Kos
September 13 – 15, 1943: British troops land on Kos island.
Photo: Allied landing party, probably on their way to meet the Italian commander, Colonello Felice Leggi. Second from left is SBS Major David Sutherland, to his left is Lieutenant Commander Frank Ramseyer, RNVR
- British land on Samos1943
September 16, 1943: British troops land on Samos island.
- 1943British land on Leros
September 17, 1943: British troops begin landing on Leros and Symi island.
- Germans prepare their attacks on Kos and Leros.1943
September 22–October 3, 1943: Germans prepare their attacks on Kos and Leros.
- 1943Vasilissa Olga (Queen Olga)
September 26, 1943: The Germans bomb and sink the Greek destroyer "Vasilissa Olga (Queen Olga)" and the British "Intrepid" in the port of Portolago, Leros. The air battle of Leros and the 52-day bombardment begins.
Photo: ML 351 witnessing Vasilissa Olga sinking
- Operation "Eisbär"1943
October 3, 1943: Germans land on Kos island.
- 1943German occupation of Kos
October 4, 1943: Germans occupy the island of Kos.
- Occupation of Kalymnos1943
October 7, 1943: Germans occupy the island of Kalymnos.
- 1943British evacuate Symi
October 11, 1943: British troops evacuate Symi island.
- Occupation of Astypalaia1943
October 22, 1943: Germans troops occupy the island of Astypalaia.
- 1943Robert Tilney
November 5, 1943: Brigadier General Robert Tilney replaces his predecessor in Command of the Leros Fortress.
- Operation “Taifun”1943
November 12, 1943: The Germans start Operation “Taifun”, the conquest of Leros, with sea landings on the northern shores and paratrooper drops into the center of the island, which was split in two by the German forces.
- 1943German reinforcements, Leros
November 13, 1943: The Germans land reinforcements in Leros. Great battles on Mount Apitiki and in the area of Aghios Kirikos.
- Night operation by the British1943
13 – 14 November 1943: The British carry out an unsuccessful night operation to recapture Mount Apitiki.
Photo: LIEUTENANT TED JOHNSON’S ASSAULT ALONG RACHI RIDGE, MORNING OF 14 NOVEMBER 1943 (Anthony Rogers archive)
- 1943Recapture of Clidi by the British
November 14, 1943: The British recapture Mount Clidi, while the fighting continues in Rachi ridge and Aghios Kirikos. British and Germans land reinforcements in Leros.
- PL211 Rachi ridge1943
November 15, 1943: Fighting continues in the vicinity of Rachi. Germans and British land more reinforcements.
This image by Propagandakompanie photographer Schilling appeared in the Wehrmacht newssheet Wacht im Südosten - PL211 Rachi ridge
- 1943Surrendering Leros to Germans
November 16, 1943: Brigadier General Tilney is taken prisoner at the British Headquarters on Mount Meraviglia and surrenders the island of Leros to the Germans.
- 1943
November 19, 1943: The British troops evacuate Samos island.
- 1943
November 22, 1943: The Germans occupy the island of Samos. All the Dodecanese, except Kastelloriso, are now in German hands.
- The surrender of German troops1945
May 8, 1945: The German commander of the military forces of the Dodecanese, Commander-in-Chief Otto Wagener signs, in Symi, the surrender of the German troops in the south-eastern Mediterranean and hands over the Dodecanese to the British Brigadier General James Moffat.
- 1947The Integration Of The Dodecanese With Greece
31 March 1947: The British commander of the Dodecanese Occupation Forces, Brigadier General A.S. Parker hands over the Military Command to Rear Admiral Pericles Ioannidis.
The official ceremony for the Union of the Dodecanese with Greece took place on March 7, 1948.