Dodecanese Campaign.Maritime Operations

DATE: 05/04/2026

TIME (GMT): 18:00

ERA: WW2

MAP(S): Altis

TYPE: PvP

TEAMSPEAK: ts1.biaarma.com

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Aris and Lord for Brothers in Arms

SLOTS: 79 / 98

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RATING: (36)

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The Dodecanese campaign was the capture and occupation of the Dodecanese islands by German forces during World War II. Following the signing of the Armistice of Cassibile on 3 September 1943, Italy switched sides and joined the Allies. As a result, the Germans made plans to seize control of the Dodecanese, which were under Italian control. The Allies planned to use the islands as bases to strike against German targets in the Balkans, which the Germans aimed to forestall.

Beginning in early September 1943, invading German troops defeated both the Italian garrison in the Dodecanese and British forces sent to support them, aided by the fact that Allied units were operating without sufficient air cover. Most of the Dodecanese

islands fell to German forces within two months, resulting in one of Germany s last major victories during the conflict.The Germans continued to occupy the Dodecanese islands they had captured until the end of the war in 1945, when they surrendered to British forces.

 

The Aegean Sea is part of the Mediterranean from Greece to the western coast of Turkey. The Sporades are in the north, the Cyclades in the south and the twelve islands of the Dodecanese are in the south-eastern Aegean, most close to the Turkish shore and usually grouped with Rhodes and Kastellorizo.[2][a] The islands had been under Italian control since the Italo-Turkish War in 1911. During Italian rule, the islands became a focus of Italian colonial ambitions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rhodes, the largest of the islands, was a military and air base. The island of Leros, with its excellent deep-water port of Portolago (now Lakki) was developed into a fortified air base, "the Corregidor of the Mediterranean" (Benito Mussolini) but these developments were mostly a bluff to deter the Greeks from attacking the archipelago and served as a latent threat to Greece and Turkey. As Italian colonial ambitions developed in the 1930s, the naval and air bases on the islands became a military threat to the Egyptian coast. The Italians made little use of the islands during the war and their supply became a liability. A British attempt to contest Italian control of the Dodecanese, Operation Abstention (25–28 February 1941) was thwarted, when Italian forces recaptured Kastellorizo from the Royal Marines and No. 50 Commando.

 

Kos is an island that is 42.6 km long and 1 to 1.6 wide. The south coast of the island is steep and hills from Cape Foca in the east, westwards to Pili and further on, Mt. Dicheo is the highest hill at 846 m. The hills decline in height to the west end of the island. The steep southern slopes are rocky and the northern slopes, less steep, descend to pine forests and farmland.

 

Leros is at the northern end of the Dodecanese, with Kalymnos to the south. The island is about 9 mi (14 km) long and varies from .65 to 4 mi (1.05 to 6.44 km) wide with islets off the coast. The island is rocky with narrow valleys and hills, the highest being Mt Scumbarda at the south end at 1,096 ft (334 m). The coast is indented and has steep cliffs with several sandy beaches in the centre of the island in Grifo, Alinda and Gurna bays. The capital is Leros (now Platanos) is in a narrow valley in the north-central part of the island, with the Appetici promontory (590 ft (180 m) and Meraviglia to the south at 669 ft (204 m). There is a road from Leros town to the main port of Portolago (now Lakki) with side-roads to Italian gun-positions on the high ground.The Italian colonial forces lived in houses and the Greek inhabitants farmed terraces on the slopes of the hills, herded goats and as fishermen.

By May 1943, Adolf Hitler had begun to contemplate the possibility of Italian defection from the Axis. The high command of the German armed forces, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) prepared an assessment of the situation if Italy made a separate peace and planned the reinforcement of German troops in Italy (Unternehmen Alaric) and the Balkans (Unternehmen Constantine) that were combined into Unternehmen Achse (Operation Axis) after the overthrow of Mussolini and the Allied invasion of Sicily, the orders being promulgated from 28 to 30 July. On the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile (3 September 1943) announced on 8 September, the operation began with a weeks notice. Italian troops were to be disarmed and made to choose between disbandment and fighting on with the Germans.

 

Transport infrastructure such as the passes in the Apennines, railways, ports and the ships of the Regia Marina, merchant ships, aircraft and airfields of the Regia Aeronautica, military bases and equipment were to be taken under German military control.The German army in the Mediterranean was reinforced to 38 divisions and a new Army Group F (Field Marshal Maximilian von Weichs) created in the Balkans, with the former commander in chief, Generaloberst Alexander Löhr, taking over the subordinate Army Group E in Greece and the Aegean. The 22nd Air Landing Division was occupying most of Crete and Sturm Division Rhodos (Assault Division Rhodes, Generalleutnant (Lieutenant-General) Ulrich Kleemann) had been built up on the island of Rhodes since January 1943.

After the disappointments over American support, the British prepared small operations. A detachment of the Special Air Service was to go to Kastellorizo, close to Turkey and about 80 mi east of Rhodes to rally the Italian garrison and establish a base for small craft. Other groups were to go further afield, Kos in particular because it had an airfield and room for more, as did Scarpanto (now Karpathos). A mission was to go to Rhodes to contact Major General Michele Scaroina and Admiral Inigo Campioni and see if they would begin hostilities against the German garrison.If the mission succeeded, the 234th Infantry Brigade (Major-General Francis Brittorous) and tanks would sail to Rhodes in three merchant ships, that were available but not built for assault loading and would need the harbour to unload. Despite Turnbull flying to Rhodes and Jellicoe and a companion parachuting on 10 September, Kleemann arrested Scaroina and attacked the Italian garrison. When Campioni was told that British troops could not arrive before 15 September, he ordered the Italians to surrender on 11 September.

Despite being forestalled on Rhodes, the British decided to occupy Kos, 60 mi north west of Rhodes and use the airfield at Antimachia and to take Leros, another 35 mi to the north-west of Kos. Leros had a good anchorage and some port facilities but no airfield. Samos, 40 mifurther on than Leros, separated from Turkey by a narrow channel and on the route to Smyrna (Izmir) was also to be occupied and the islands would be bases for a piratical war on enemy communications in the Aegean. Parties were to land on other islands to reconnoitre, encourage Italian garrisons to side with the Allies and to resist German pressure. Domination of the Dodecanese would need Rhodes that was to be taken and on 1 October plans to capture Rhodes were accepted, using the part-assembled 8th Indian Infantry Division and the 9th Armoured Brigade. Eisenhower had offered four warships, three LSI and transport aircraft, any more being found by the British. Intelligence revealed that the Luftwaffe in the Aegean was being reinforced and that to hold Kos, these aircraft must be destroyed, as short-range fighters needed the airfield at Antimachia.

The large number of islands in the Aegean Sea forced the Allies and Germans to rely on naval vessels for reinforcements and supplies. At first the naval effort by both sides was small, most of the Allied shipping and warships had been transferred to the central Mediterranean for the invasion of Italy, while the Germans did not have a large naval force in the Aegean. Vice-Admiral Werner Lange, the German Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Aegean, tried to reinforce German garrisons and carry out offensive operations against Allied garrisons and transport Italian prisoners of war to the mainland.

On 14 September, the Greek submarine Katsonis, was rammed and sunk by the Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessel UJ 2101. On 16 September, eight Beaufighter VIs of 227 Squadron and 252 Squadron (acting as fighters) from Cyprus, found a German convoy south-west of Naxos with two merchant ships, the escort UJ 2104 and three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes. One of the Arados was forced down and the crew rescued by the escort. The ships were bombed and strafed against considerable return-fire. The smaller ship was near-missed, sank quickly and the Beaufighters returned, three having been damaged and crash-landing at their base.The 8th Destroyer Flotilla with its longer-ranged fleet destroyers, HMS Echo, HMS Eclipse, HMS Faulknor, HMS Intrepid, HMS Raider and the Greek Vasilissa Olga, arrived at Alexandria from the central Mediterranean to reinforce the ships operating in the Aegean.

On 17 September Eclipse, Faulknor and the Greek Vasilissa Olga departed Alexandria at 8.00 a.m. to sweep between Rhodes and Stampalia (Astypalaia). At 7.30 p.m. the flotilla received a reconnaissance aircraft report of a convoy of the merchant ships Paula (3,754 GRT) and Pluto (1,156 GRT) from Piraeus bound for Rhodes. The destroyers planned to attack the ships between Astypalaia and Kandeliusa near Kos. At 00.17 a.m. the merchant ships and their escort, UJ2104 (Darvik) were spotted and the flotilla manoeuvred to silhouette the ships against the moon. At 00.39 a.m. the destroyers opened fire at 2,000 yd (1,800 m), Eclipse and Faulknor engaged Paula and Faulknor hit the target with its first salvo and after the third salvo, changed target to UJ 2104 hitting it at once. Vasilissa Olga engaged Pluto and both merchant ships caught fire, Faulknor sank Paula by torpedo and Paula exploded soon afterwards. The destroyers raced south at 29 kn for the Scarpanto (now (Karpathos) Strait, got beyond the range of Luftwaffe bombers by dawn and returned to port at Haifa.

On 19 September, German aircraft sank the Italian motor torpedo boat MS 1 at Stampalia. During the night of 22 September, HMS Eclipse delivered 1,200 men with stores to Leros and then sailed southwards searching for U-boats. SS Gaetano Donizetti (2,424 GRT) requisitioned by the Germans, carrying 220 crew and guards, with 1,576 Italian prisoners of war, departed Rhodes and passed Cap Prasonisi on the south-west tip of Rhodes. Eclipse came upon and sank the steamer; about 1,200 of the crew and passengers were killed and then Eclipse damaged the torpedo boat TA10 that was beached by the crew. Three ships and two escorts en route to Heraklion in Crete were attacked near Milos by four 38 Squadron Wellingtons. SS Dithmarschen (1,171 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk against fairly intense Flak. The rest of the convoy reached Heraklion and the Wellingtons returned by 6:55 a.m.

The large number of islands in the Aegean Sea forced the Allies and Germans to rely on naval vessels for reinforcements and supplies. At first the naval effort by both sides was small, most of the Allied shipping and warships had been transferred to the central Mediterranean for the invasion of Italy, while the Germans did not have a large naval force in the Aegean. Vice-Admiral Werner Lange, the German Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Aegean, tried to reinforce German garrisons and carry out offensive operations against Allied garrisons and transport Italian prisoners of war to the mainland.

On 14 September, the Greek submarine Katsonis, was rammed and sunk by the Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessel UJ 2101. On 16 September, eight Beaufighter VIs of 227 Squadron and 252 Squadron (acting as fighters) from Cyprus, found a German convoy south-west of Naxos with two merchant ships, the escort UJ 2104 and three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes. One of the Arados was forced down and the crew rescued by the escort. The ships were bombed and strafed against considerable return-fire. The smaller ship was near-missed, sank quickly and the Beaufighters returned, three having been damaged and crash-landing at their base.The 8th Destroyer Flotilla with its longer-ranged fleet destroyers, HMS Echo, HMS Eclipse, HMS Faulknor, HMS Intrepid, HMS Raider and the Greek Vasilissa Olga, arrived at Alexandria from the central Mediterranean to reinforce the ships operating in the Aegean.

On 17 September Eclipse, Faulknor and the Greek Vasilissa Olga departed Alexandria at 8.00 a.m. to sweep between Rhodes and Stampalia (Astypalaia). At 7.30 p.m. the flotilla received a reconnaissance aircraft report of a convoy of the merchant ships Paula (3,754 GRT) and Pluto (1,156 GRT) from Piraeus bound for Rhodes. The destroyers planned to attack the ships between Astypalaia and Kandeliusa near Kos. At 00.17 a.m. the merchant ships and their escort, UJ2104 (Darvik) were spotted and the flotilla manoeuvred to silhouette the ships against the moon. At 00.39 a.m. the destroyers opened fire at 2,000 yd (1,800 m), Eclipse and Faulknor engaged Paula and Faulknor hit the target with its first salvo and after the third salvo, changed target to UJ 2104 hitting it at once. Vasilissa Olga engaged Pluto and both merchant ships caught fire, Faulknor sank Paula by torpedo and Paula exploded soon afterwards. The destroyers raced south at 29 kn for the Scarpanto (now (Karpathos) Strait, got beyond the range of Luftwaffe bombers by dawn and returned to port at Haifa.

On 19 September, German aircraft sank the Italian motor torpedo boat MS 1 at Stampalia. During the night of 22 September, HMS Eclipse delivered 1,200 men with stores to Leros and then sailed southwards searching for U-boats. SS Gaetano Donizetti (2,424 GRT) requisitioned by the Germans, carrying 220 crew and guards, with 1,576 Italian prisoners of war, departed Rhodes and passed Cap Prasonisi on the south-west tip of Rhodes. Eclipse came upon and sank the steamer; about 1,200 of the crew and passengers were killed and then Eclipse damaged the torpedo boat TA10 that was beached by the crew. Three ships and two escorts en route to Heraklion in Crete were attacked near Milos by four 38 Squadron Wellingtons. SS Dithmarschen (1,171 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk against fairly intense Flak. The rest of the convoy reached Heraklion and the Wellingtons returned by 6:55 a.m.

The large number of islands in the Aegean Sea forced the Allies and Germans to rely on naval vessels for reinforcements and supplies. At first the naval effort by both sides was small, most of the Allied shipping and warships had been transferred to the central Mediterranean for the invasion of Italy, while the Germans did not have a large naval force in the Aegean. Vice-Admiral Werner Lange, the German Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Aegean, tried to reinforce German garrisons and carry out offensive operations against Allied garrisons and transport Italian prisoners of war to the mainland.

On 14 September, the Greek submarine Katsonis, was rammed and sunk by the Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessel UJ 2101. On 16 September, eight Beaufighter VIs of 227 Squadron and 252 Squadron (acting as fighters) from Cyprus, found a German convoy south-west of Naxos with two merchant ships, the escort UJ 2104 and three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes. One of the Arados was forced down and the crew rescued by the escort. The ships were bombed and strafed against considerable return-fire. The smaller ship was near-missed, sank quickly and the Beaufighters returned, three having been damaged and crash-landing at their base.The 8th Destroyer Flotilla with its longer-ranged fleet destroyers, HMS Echo, HMS Eclipse, HMS Faulknor, HMS Intrepid, HMS Raider and the Greek Vasilissa Olga, arrived at Alexandria from the central Mediterranean to reinforce the ships operating in the Aegean.

On 17 September Eclipse, Faulknor and the Greek Vasilissa Olga departed Alexandria at 8.00 a.m. to sweep between Rhodes and Stampalia (Astypalaia). At 7.30 p.m. the flotilla received a reconnaissance aircraft report of a convoy of the merchant ships Paula (3,754 GRT) and Pluto (1,156 GRT) from Piraeus bound for Rhodes. The destroyers planned to attack the ships between Astypalaia and Kandeliusa near Kos. At 00.17 a.m. the merchant ships and their escort, UJ2104 (Darvik) were spotted and the flotilla manoeuvred to silhouette the ships against the moon. At 00.39 a.m. the destroyers opened fire at 2,000 yd (1,800 m), Eclipse and Faulknor engaged Paula and Faulknor hit the target with its first salvo and after the third salvo, changed target to UJ 2104 hitting it at once. Vasilissa Olga engaged Pluto and both merchant ships caught fire, Faulknor sank Paula by torpedo and Paula exploded soon afterwards. The destroyers raced south at 29 kn for the Scarpanto (now (Karpathos) Strait, got beyond the range of Luftwaffe bombers by dawn and returned to port at Haifa.

On 19 September, German aircraft sank the Italian motor torpedo boat MS 1 at Stampalia. During the night of 22 September, HMS Eclipse delivered 1,200 men with stores to Leros and then sailed southwards searching for U-boats. SS Gaetano Donizetti (2,424 GRT) requisitioned by the Germans, carrying 220 crew and guards, with 1,576 Italian prisoners of war, departed Rhodes and passed Cap Prasonisi on the south-west tip of Rhodes. Eclipse came upon and sank the steamer; about 1,200 of the crew and passengers were killed and then Eclipse damaged the torpedo boat TA10 that was beached by the crew. Three ships and two escorts en route to Heraklion in Crete were attacked near Milos by four 38 Squadron Wellingtons. SS Dithmarschen (1,171 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk against fairly intense Flak. The rest of the convoy reached Heraklion and the Wellingtons returned by 6:55 a.m.

It is a PvP Air Naval Warfare mission around the island of Rhodes.