Capture of Klisura Pass | |||||||
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Part of the Greco-Italian War | |||||||
Greek soldiers next to a captured Italian tank | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Italy | Greece | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ugo Cavallero |
Alexander Papagos Dimitrios Papadopoulos | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
II Army Corps 29th Mechanized Infantry Brigade | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
300 killed & 350 captured (including 25 officers)[1] | Unknown |
The Capture of Klisura Pass (Greek: Κατάληψη της Κλεισούρας) was a military operation that took place during 6–11 January 1941 in southern Albania, and was one of the most important battles of the Greco-Italian War. The Italian Army, initially deployed on the Greek-Albanian border, launched a major offensive against Greece on 28 October 1940. After a two-week conflict, Greece managed to repel the invading Italians in the battles of Pindus and Elaia–Kalamas. Beginning on 9 November, the Greek forces launched a major counteroffensive and penetrated deep into Italian-held Albanian territory. The Greek operations culminated with the capture of the strategically important Klisura Pass in January 1941.[2]