Accession Number | RCDIG1070201 |
---|---|
Collection type | Digitised Collection |
Record type | Volume |
Item count | 1 |
Object type | Book |
Maker |
Long, Gavin Merrick |
Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Volume II – Greece, Crete and Syria (1st edition, 1953)
Second World War Official Histories
- Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army
< Previous Record | Next Record >This second volume of the army series of the official history of Australia in the war of 1939-1945 describes the campaigns in Greece, Crete and Syria in 1941. In Greece the main British force in the field was the Anzac Corps, commanded by Sir Thomas Blamey and including the 6th Australian Division, the New Zealand Division, and a British brigade. A number of Australian units took part in the fight for Crete in May 1941. The 7th Australian Division and some units of the 6th fought in Syria as part of the I Australian Corps commanded by General Lavarack. Examination of German and French documents has made it possible now to tell what was happening on "the other side of the hill" in these operations. It is now possible to examine the decision to send all available forces to the aid of Greece and the decision to invade Vichy-French Syria with full knowledge of the plans and deployment of the enemy forces.
These campaings raised new problems of wartime cooperation and consultation between the British Government and the Australian Government, and in this period Australian Ministers and Australian commanders were required to take greater strategical and tactical responisbilities than at any earlier time.
- Contents, Illustrations, Maps, Sketch Maps, Preface, and List of Events (pages i - xiv )
- Chapter 1 – Britain and Greece (pages 1 - 28 )
- Chapter 2 – The German Attack Opens (pages 29 - 52 )
- Chapter 3 – The Rearguard Actions in the Florina Valley (pages 53 - 71 )
- Chapter 4 – The Olympus–Aliakmon Line (pages 72 - 94 )
- Chapter 5 – The Critical Days (pages 95 - 130 )
- Chapter 6 – The Thermopylae Line (pages 131 - 159 )
- Chapter 7 – The Embarkation From Greece (pages 160 - 184 )
- Chapter 8 – Escapes to Crete and Turkey (pages 185 - 190 )
- Chapter 9 – Retrospect (pages 191 - 196 )
- Chapter 10 – The Problem of Crete (pages 197 - 220 )
- Chapter 11 – The Loss of Maleme Airfield (pages 221 - 255 )
- Chapter 12 – Defence of Retimo (pages 256 - 278 )
- Chapter 13 – Heraklion – Defence and Embarkation (pages 279 - 294 )
- Chapter 14 – Retreat and Embarkation (pages 295 - 319 )
- Chapter 15 – Political Decisions (pages 320 - 332 )
- Chapter 16 – The Syrian Plan (pages 333 - 344 )
- Chapter 17 – The First Day (pages 345 - 359 )
- Chapter 18 – Across the Litani (pages 360 - 374 )
- Chapter 19 – Pressing On: To Sidon, Merdjayoun and Jezzine (pages 375 - 392 )
- Chapter 20 – The French Counter–Attack (pages 393 - 414 )
- Chapter 21 – Damascus Falls (pages 415 - 442 )
- Chapter 22 – More Attacks Round Merdjayoun (pages 443 - 451 )
- Chapter 23 – Hard Fighting at Jezzine (pages 452 - 466 )
- Chapter 24 – Preparing a Final Blow (pages 467 - 481 )
- Chapter 25 – The Battle of Damour (pages 482 - 514 )
- Chapter 26 – Administering the Armistice (pages 515 - 522 )
- Chapter 27 – Debit and Credits (pages 523 - 529 )
- Chapter 28 – On the Northern Flank (pages 530 - 550 )
- Chapter 29 – The End of a Period (pages 551 - 562 )
- Appendix 1 – Abbreviations (pages 563 - 564 )
- Index (pages 565 - 587 )