The Greeks at the Klisura Pass

Since the 'Ohi' of October 1940 the Greek army has not only repelled the Italian invasion but carried the war into occupied Albania, from which the attack had come. Under General Alexandros Papagos, thirteen Greek divisions are pressing some sixteen Italian divisions in the mountains, through a dreadful winter — snow, frost, impassable tracks.

In early January 1941 the objective is the Klisura Pass, a strategic lock on the road to Valona (Vlorë), one of the two great ports through which Italy supplies its forces. Taking Klisura would bring the Greeks closer to choking off their adversary's logistics. But the Greek army is itself near the end of its strength: worn out by weeks of offensive at altitude, short of modern equipment, its soldiers suffer as much from the cold as from the enemy. Frostbite claims almost as many victims in their ranks as combat: thousands of frozen feet and amputations weaken an otherwise victorious army.

Papagos must decide: press the offensive on Klisura and Valona to exploit the advantage before winter and the likely arrival of the Germans; or consolidate the ground gained to spare an exhausted army. He knows a German intervention in the Balkans is only a matter of time.