Κalpaki : First Victory against the invader

The battle of Kalpaki-Kalamas river, October 28-November 8, 1940

by Valtrex



The river Kalamas or Thyamis (its ancient Greek name) springs from Mt. Merope of the prefecture of Ioannina, Epirus. Near the village Lithinon it passes under a natural bridge called Theoghefyron , then it crosses the plain of Mazaraki , outside Ioannina and finally empties into the Ionian Sea opposite to Corfu, between the bays of Sayiada and Igoumenitsa.
By October 28, 1940 , Albania has already been conquered by Italy. The Italians since the summer of 1940 have been preparing for the attack on Greece.

Band and cannons under review by Mussolini in preparation for Greek invasion.

On the Greek side, in the Epirotic sector, where Greeks had to face the Italian invasion, Epirotan volunteers under the guidance of Colonel Panayotes Mavroyiannes , an outstanding artillery man, built fortifications along the border to make the Kalpakis' narrow passage impregnable.
The Army HQ sent Major Georgios Grivas to Ioanina (Epirus' capital), to advise the Epirotan army commander (VIII "EPIRUS" Infantry Division) Maj. General Charalambos Katsimitros


about their plans in case of an Italian attack. The orders were:

1. -Mobilization of the youth of Epirus;
2. -if attacked, the Epirus army was to withdraw its units for a two fold purpose; part of the army was to occupy Zygos passage near Metsovon and block the eastern advance of the Italians towards Thessaly and the other half of the army was to withdraw east of Arta and block the passages of the Pindus Mountain in order to stop the Italian advance towards Acarnania and capture it;
3. -any deviation from these orders of the general staff was left to the commanders of the Epirus army, their discretion and judgment.

Maj.Gen. Katsimitros had a hard choice to make, following orders or his own conscience, as Greece's destiny was up to his decision. He decided to follow his instincts and decided to fight at the Kalpaki pass . He foresaw Italy's plans which were to capture loannina, Epirus' capital. To do this, the Italian army had to go through the Kalpaki pass, crossing the Kalamas river. This pass was suitable to be defended with small forces. Katsimitros had just two infantry regiments under his command.
When October 28, 1940 arrived, at 5:30 a.m. , on the left of the border, Colonel Siapence's first Italian contingent is deployed at the left edge of the borderline near Pepeli Village . Near the village Hepiskopi the second contingent of General Giannini is stationed. Near the village Sopini the third contingent of Colonel Trizzio is deployed. Finally on the right edge in Leskovik Area , the fourth contingent of Colonel Solina is stationed .
The Greek front line forces are deployed on their battle positions near the border. From the village Kastaniani at Mourgana until the village Stratsani at Konitsa there are four battalions.

The Italian army attacked the Greek border soldiers who retreated, according to plans to positions along the Kalpaki pass. In less than 24 hours, the Italian army appeared before the Greek line at Kalpaki . The Italians, despite fierce assaults for four days, failed to break the Greek line. On November 2, the fifth day , an Italian infantry battalion managed to climb the Grambala, a steep mountain 1,219/4,000 feet high.
They reached the top and occupied it. This barren mountain to the right of Kalpaki was not fortified and was left unprotected by the Greeks. It was a great chance for the Italians to outflank the entire Greek army, but they could not get additional troops so they could cut off the Greek army's only road of escape to Ioannina and Metsovon.
After a violent bombardment by field artillery and Air Force, the Italian forces started attacking on the Kalamas area.

From the left, the Italians of Colonel Siapence advanced to Haravghi, Stratinista, Kala-Dendra hill . The second contingent of General Giannini advanced following the paths to Argirohori, Stavrodromi, Hani-Delvinaki, Limni hill . The third of Colonel Trizzio had been forwarded to Drimades, Merope, Roupsia, Ano Ravenia . The fourth contingent of Colonel Solina moved on the right edge to Aedonohori and the hill Scopia . Until the night, the Italian FERRARA Division, had achieved its objectives.

Italian Assault

Italian Machine-gunners in Greece

Blackshirts operating a 47mm gun

At four o'clock in the afternoon of Novenber 3rd , the CENTAURO Division entered the battle with about 80 tanks.

• 131st Centauro Armoured Division (Generale Giovanni Magli)

1. -31st Armoured Regiment
2. -5th Bersaglieri Regiment
3. -14th Motorized Battallion
4. -22nd Motorcycle Battalllion
5. -24th Motorized Battallion
6. -131st Artillery Regiment
7. -131 other Units (including two Albanian battalions)

They concentrated their attacked on the Kalpaki hills. The tanks were targeted and destroyed by the Greek artillery, also being impeded by anti-tank obstacles. So some of them stopped their movement, some were destroyed and the others withdrew in disturbance.

Italian Advance

This was the first important success for the Greeks, a hope for the final battle. In the night of November 3rd to 4th , the Aghios Athanasios hill was occupied by the Italians, until then held by the Greeks. The unique and incomparable bravery of the Greek forces continued during the next two days too. The general attack of the Italian Forces anticipate for the 4th November, was finally postponed for the next day.

The main burden of the attack was undertaken by the CENTAURO Division, assisted by the FERRARA Division. In the night of 4th to 5th November , the Greek units deployed north to Kalamas withdrew in the South, in order to avoid the enemy tanks. On November 5th at about 10:00 o' clock in the morning a strong enemy attack was launched against the hills Koumata, Palaiokastro and Velas Convent without any result. An attempt to cross Kalamas river near the village Parakalamos by at least 60 enemy tanks failed, while 15 of them were trapped and stuck inside the swampy area. The battle got intensified every day, every hour. The Greeks fought more decisively.



On November 6th , a new attack was launched by the Italians on the sub-sectors of Kalpaki and Vrontismeni without any success due to the strong resistance of the Greek troops. By the morning of November 7th a new bombing began on the whole sector. At about 10:30 o'clock in the morning the enemy attacked on the hills of Assonisi, Psilorachi.

The battle was intensified but the Italians were succesfully pushed back by the Greek forces. Elements of the Italian cavalry rode on the Vrontismenis' hill, but were dispersed by accurate firing of the Greek artillery. By the evening, the north side of Grambala's hill was occupied by the enemy, but soon was recovered by Greek troops. By November 8, 1940 the enemy pressure is limited, as well as the activity of the Air-Force and artillery. The Italian forces started getting defensive deployment. The Greek troops crossed Kalamas river and recovered the Siasti hill and Sossinos Convent . Then they counter attacked the Italians and threw them out at the border line. So the Kalpaki-kalamas battle finished with an absolute triumphant victory for the Greeks. On November 14, the Greek counter-attack commenced. By early January 1941, the Italians are driven off the Greek soil.

"They have chosen to die resisting, rather than to live submitting"

Pericles' Funeral Oration, 431 BC