"Don't Need No Stinkin' Passports," said the Italian.
"Too Many Damn Tourists," said the Greek.

"Fuhrer, we are on the march." With these words Mussolini greeted Hitler on October 28th as his armies invaded Greece. Italy had been planning adventures in Greece since 1923 and the string of German victories since 1939 added fuel to Mussolini's hunger for glory. He decided to attack Greece on the anniversary of the fascist march on Rome, despite strong German pleas not to make a battleground of the Balkans.

The Italian plan was to make the main punch of the attack in Epirus, along the coastal plain. The Tsamouria Army Corps (23, 51 Infantry and 131 Lt Armored Divisions) was to attack Kalpaki and advance on Ioannina, while the 26th Corps (29 and 49 Infantry Divisions) drew off Greek troops near Kastoria. The Coastal Littoral Group (3 Grenadier Infantry Regiment and several cavalry regiments) would advance down the road to Prevesa. The Julia Alpini Division maintained contact between the two corps and would attempt to force a passage between the mountains. 19 and 53 Infantry Divisions were in reserve, while the 47th was detailed to attack Kerkyra with a battalion of the San Marco Marines. Approximately 55,000 men attacked in Epirus and 32,000 were in the Koritsa sector. The Italian objectives were Thessalonike and eventually Athenai.

The attack started on 28 October, with the Centauro Armored Division achieving the only real success. The other sectors achieved little if anything at all. The plan for Kerkyra was soon scrapped and the troops allocated to it were sent to the main front, as was the 53d Division.

The Greek army counterattacked on 2 November and retook everything it had lost, mauling the Julia Alpini Division and forcing the abandonment of Centauro's tanks as they were mired in the mud. Some Albanian troops mutinied and fired on Italian troops. The new Roman legions were completely out of Greece by 23 November and the Greeks carried their counterattack into Albania itself. Italian losses were very high as the poorly-equipped troops struggled to escape the Greeks and the bitter weather.

Italy poured troops into Albania in a desperate attempt to stabilize the line. In early January a new assault by the Italians was pushed back and the Greeks began their own drive on the port of Valona. It was stopped as much by the weather as by the stiffening Italian resistance. After additional high command shuffling, the Italians began to construct what they called "the wall," a solid line of divisions across the entire front. By March, there were over 25 divisions in Albania and the Italians launched a spring offensive with seven of these, with another 5 marginally involved. It achieved little and the eyes of the Italians turned northward with the deployment of troops in northern Albania. The stage was set for Operation Marita.

Italian Deployment 28 October 1940

Forces not specifically listed here deploy as per Balkan Front. All locations are on Map 14A unless otherwise specified.

Hex	Units and ID
4521	1x 3-6 Inf XX 47 Bari 1x 2-6 Inf III 3 GdS 1x 1-6 Marine II III/SM 2x 1-8 Cav III 6 Ao, 7 Mil
4520	1x 3-6 hif XX 51 Si 1x 1-6 Inf X 3 (Alb) 1x 1-8 Cav III 19 Gde 1x 2-1-8 Art III GaF/Sud
4420	1x 5-8 Lt Arm XX 131 Cn
4419	1x 3-4-6 Inf XX 23 Fer 1x 1-0-5 Static X CCNN (Alb)
4418	1x 5-8 Alpine XX 3 Julia
4317	1x 34-6 Inf XX 49 Par 1x 1-6 Inf X 2 (Alb) 1x 3-2-6 Art X 26 C
4217	1x 4-6 Inf XX 19 Vnz
4216	(Koritsa) 1x 3-4-6 Inf XX 29 Pie
3618	1x 4-6 hif XX 53 Arz 1x 1-6 Inf X 1 (Alb)

Anywhere in Albania: 4 pts position AA

Greek Deployment 28 October 1940

Forces not specifically listed here deploy as per Balkan Front. All locations are on Map 14A unless otherwise specified.

Border Forces

Hex	Units and ID
4618 (Ioannina)	1x 5-6 Mtn XX 8
4515 (Kozane)	1x 5-6 Mtn XX 9
A Corps (Map 15B)
0911 (Athenai)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cadre 2
0517 (Patrai)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cadre 3
0915 (Nauplion)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cadre 4
0610 (Khalkis)	1x 2-6 Mtn X 3
0318 (Agrinion)	1x 3-2-8 Mtn III 39 Ev
B Corps
4913 (Larisa)	1x 5-6 Mtn XX 1
4314 (Phlorina)	1x 3-6 Mtn X 4
4815 (Trikkala.)	1x 3-6 Mtn X 5
15B:0314 (Lamia)	1x 3-6 Mtn X 16
G Corps
4408 (Serrai)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cdr 6
4513 (Veroia)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cdr 10
4510 (Thessalonike)	1x 2-6 Mtn Cdr 11
D Corps
4406 (Drama)	1x 4-6 Inf XX 7
4504 (Xanthe)	1x 4-6 Inf XX 14
E Corps
4601 (Komotene)	1x 1-6 Mtn Cdr 12
20:0732 (Lesbos)	1x 6 Mtn XX HQ 13
Crete (Map 15B)
2114 (Khania)	1x 6 Mtn XX HQ 5 1x 2-6 Mtn III 5/14
2212 (Rethymnon)	1x 1-6 Mtn III 5/43
2310 (Erakleion)	1x 1-6 Mtn III 5/44

Greek Reinforcements

Only new units are listed here; conversions are not shown.

Hex Units ID

Nov II 40
15B:2114 (Khania) 1x 1-4 Static X Khania
3BA832 (Alexandroupolis) 1x 1-2-6* Inf III Dodek

Dec II 40
15B:2310 (Erakleion) 1x 1-4 Static X Erak

Jan II 41
15B:2210 (Rethymnon) 1x 1-4 Static X Reth
14A:4209 1x 4-6 Inf XX 18

Feb I 41
3BA832 (Alexandroupolis) 1x 2-4 Fort X Alex
3B:4631 1x 2-4 Fort X Evros
20:0732 (Lesbos) 1x 1-4 Static X Lesbos

Feb II 41
14A:4504 (Xanthe) 1x 2-4 Fort X Nest