Battle of Hill 731

Battle of Hill 731
Part of the Italian spring offensive, during the Greco-Italian War

The Italian Spring Offensive (red arrows)
Date9–24 March 1941
(2 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Hill 731, Mount Trebeshinë, Albania
Result Greek victory
Belligerents
 Greece  Italy
Commanders and leaders

Kingdom of Greece Maj-Gen. Georgios Bakos
(II Corps)
Kingdom of Greece Maj-Gen. Vasileios Vrachnos
(1st Division)
Kingdom of Greece Col. Nikolaos Georgoulas
(5th Regiment)

Kingdom of Greece Major Dimitrios Kaslas
(731 Batalion)		 Fascist Italy Gen. Gastone Gambara
(VIII Corps)
Fascist Italy Gen-Div. Alberto D'Aponte
(Puglie Division)
Fascist Italy Brig-Gen. Angelico Carta
(Siena Division)
Fascist Italy Brig-Gen Matteo Negro
(Bari Division)
Strength

1 battalion

[Rising to 1 Division]

2 Infantry divisions

1 Tank Regiment
Casualties and losses
~1,000 Roughly 8,000
View of Hill 731 after the battle.

The Battle of Hill (Height) 731 (Greek: Μάχη του υψώματος 731), was a fierce battle fought during World War II in southern Albania, part of the Greco-Italian War. It began in the early morning of 9 March 1941, when Fascist Italy launched an assault (Operation Primavera) against Greece, aimed at capturing the critical mountain pass leading into the Kalpaki valley.

Hill 731, strategically located 20 km north of Klisura (Këlcyrë) at the feet of Mount Trebeshinë, stood at the heart of the Greek defensive line. Despite being repeatedly and heavily attacked by superior Italian forces for over two weeks, Hill 731 was not captured, contributing to the failure of the Primavera offensive and the repulsion of Italians.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Ιστ. Ελ. Εθν. 1978, pp. 441–442.
  2. ^ Carr 2013, pp. 139–162.
  3. ^ ΓΕΣ 1997.