The Pittsburgh Press (April 25, 1941)
ATHENS CALM AT ZERO HOUR
The zero hour apparently was at hand today for Athens, a historic city of 400,000, the cradle of western civilization.
Reminiscent of the last days of Warsaw’s struggle in September 1939, the Athens radio station broadcast between air raids, assuring the world that the battle continued; that the Germans had not yet taken the city. These broadcasts, picked up as follows in Zurich, London and New York, provided brief glimpses of conditions in the Greek capital.
Zurich, Switzerland, April 25 –
The Athens Radio announcer was heard saying at 11:30 last night (5:30 ET) that:
The final and decisive battle before the door of Athens is presently underway and the situation is serious.
The announcer read a proclamation by Kostas Kotzias, Governor of Athens, stressing the seriousness of the situation, demanding order and discipline, and denying rumors that the Governor was leaving Athens.
Kotzias was quoted:
I am still among the people, fully conscious of my responsibility to the people, and will remain at my post come what may.
Kotzias, an ardent Nationalist, was named Vice Premier by King George last week after the suicide of Premier Alexandros Koryzis, and was charged with forming a cabinet, but he failed and gave way to a military cabinet.
The announcer read a Propaganda Ministry communiqué saying:
It was necessary to retire to new positions from the Agrinio region of the Ionian coast.
Agrinio is 135 miles west of Athens. The communiqué indicated that Germans and Italians might be driving on Athens from the west along the Gulf of Corinth, completely outflanking the Thermopylae sector where British Imperials were reported holding the Germans at bay.
At 9 last night, the Athens Radio broadcast a Propaganda Ministry communiqué saying:
A large battle is in progress in the region of Thermopylae. Our troops, fighting heroically, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy… The situation is very critical.
The German High Command this morning announced the capture of Thermopylae in an encircling movement.
London, April 25 –
“The Voice of Greece at War” was back on the air at midnight (6 p.m. ET) after having been silent since 9:30 p.m., indicating that an air raid had been in progress.
The announcer reviewed the situation that caused the surrender of the Greek Army of Epirus, quoted the Salonika radio station on details of that city’s capitulation ceremony, and praised the Greek Army’s heroism, saying it was “withdrawing according to plan” in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Women, children lost
He read a Public Security communiqué saying many passengers, including women and children, had been killed when German planes bombed and set afire the steamer Hellas, plying between Greek islands; that the hospital ship Polikos had been sunk by bombs without casualties among the crew. German planes again raided Piraeus, the Island of Aegina, off Athens, Megara and Corinth, the communiqué was quoted.
At 9:20 last night, the Athens announcer was heard broadcasting in Greek an “extremely urgent War Ministry order,” saying:
In order to safeguard order and discipline in general, particularly on the part of soldiers, we order any officer or soldier who fails to obey an order of a superior, even if the order is given by military patrols circulating in the city for the preservation of order, to be arrested and brought to court martial. The procedure applied to persons caught flagrante delicto (meaning caught in the act) shall be applied against him [By military code, summary execution].
Praise of Greeks cited
In English, the announcer then said:
Today’s only activity consisted of clashes between advanced guards at the new Allied defense positions.
He said a more general German offensive at Thermopylae was expected, and referred to the worldwide praise of the Greek Army, saying:
In the midst of tremendous havoc wrought to our towns and villages by the enemy air force, our moral victory is universally acknowledged.
New York, April 25 –
The Athens Radio was heard here last night broadcasting War Communiqué No. 181, explaining the Greek collapse, as follows:
The deterioration of the Yugoslav forces, the speedy advance of German forces in the Monastir (Bitola) Gap and the resulting complete separation of Greece from the Yugoslav Army and the menace in the rear of our troops in Albania completely reversed the disposition of our troops and obliged them to carry out an extensive and speedy withdrawal.
The main line of the heroic forces, which to the very last victoriously met superior Italian forces, participated in this withdrawal. It was carried out regularly despite insistent reactions of the Italian forces which we repeatedly counterattacked, taking many prisoners.
On the other hand, owing to his new positions, the enemy had cut our withdrawing troops from the interior of the country and made the situation unfavorable for the continuation of the unequal struggle of the Greek forces on the Albanian front against the Italians and the Germans. As a result of this, our Army of Epirus capitulated to the Germans…
It is certain that, until the time of the capitulation, Italian forces were unable to enter Greek soil but were kept by our forces on Italian territory.