Preservation of American Hellenic History
Preservation of American Hellenic History
In addition to the various raids, the OGs would go on reconnaissance (recon) missions on the different Dalmatian islands and the Dalmatian Coast. Recon parties were sent to all occupied areas to the extent permitted by the physical limitations of Vis as an operating base. We dreaded recon missions, never certain who and what we would meet. Whenever the OGs were told there would be a reconnaissance mission we prayed our squad would not be the chosen one.
Recon groups would leave on Yugoslavian fishing boats, land on an island or the mainland, and return with intelligence for the British command. The order was not to contact enemy forces, although there were times when the groups would be surprised by German patrols, or the recon group would ambush a small unit of Huns and would shoot it out with the Germans.
The recon parties consisted of from two to eight men, sometimes more. We took our weapons, ammunition, canteen of water, an extra set of socks and underwear, one blanket and C and/or K rations. An interpreter was invariably attached to each patrol and in most instances a radio operator. Insofar as possible an officer was put in charge of each patrol but on many occasions patrols were under the command of responsible noncommissioned officers. At night you could cut the cold weather with a knife as the saying goes. In the trenches on Vis we used sleeping bags, but on raids and reconnaissance missions we only had one blanket which was barely sufficient to ward off the cold weather. Worrying about the Nazis and enduring the cold weather at night took its toll, both physically and mentally. There were nights when I could not stop trembling from the severe cold weather.
The general policy was to have continuous coverage and contacts on each island or on the coastline of Yugoslavia. Generally , each party in each sector did a tour of duty of one week to 10 days and was then relieved by a succeeding mission that carried on for a similar period. In actual practice this schedule could not be strictly adhered to because of the limited availability of suitable personnel, both officers and enlisted men. Members of the Greek OG would sometimes join members of the Yugoslavian OG[note], and the British, on missions and reconnaissance. For example, one of the Greek OG radiomen, Sergeant Tsentes, joined the Scottish Highlanders for the raid on the island of Brac because they were in need of a radioman.
Each party was briefed as thoroughly as possible by company operations or intelligence officers. Transportation for the most part was furnished by the Partisans on small fishing boats and schooners. Considering the type of craft available, the length of some of the trips ~ in many instances two full nights ~ the storms encountered, and the numbers of enemy craft including E-boats in the vicinity, these trips were considered highly hazardous; although the detachment suffered few casualties from them despite some narrow escapes.
On occasion specific missions were given to these patrols but for the most part they were simply instructed to effect close liaison with the Partisans, get around their respective areas and see as much as possible, and report back daily any general or specific intelligence of interest. Our patrols lived with the Partisans and shared their hardships and dangers. Many patrols experienced close calls from German patrols and some of us were forced to carry on far beyond their scheduled time in rain and cold weather on short rations. One blanket did not give us ample protection from the elements. Prolonged stormy weather or uncertain shipping made it impossible for relief parties to reach the patrols.
Thankfully as time went by the reconnaissance program outlived its usefulness due to the enemy's policy of retiring behind static defense positions. Consequently the reconnaissance program was substantially abandoned by the end of June 1944.
After the first bombing on Vis we continued to stay in our billets, but only for a short period. The Luftwaffe bombed us almost nightly.
We decided to leave the billets at night so we dug serpentine trenches on the side of the hill, and this became our "home," every night, during the remainder of our stay on Vis.
We called Vis Little Malta
after the island in the Mediterranean Sea that was ravaged by the German bombers.
Allied units would take turns guarding the waterfront and the beach in case of a German invasion of Vis. This duty was tedious, and the weather would turn very cold at night. On one of the areas on the beach there was an old shack that we could crawl into when we had a couple of hours to rest. Our roommates were large wharf rats. We would hear them crawling and find their large droppings on our blankets in the morning. Hell, they were the least of our worries at the time. As I mentioned, during our maneuvers in South Carolina we had become immune to wild animals, rodents, snakes.
During the day we would leave the trenches and return to the billets, continue mock training, exercise, guard duty etc. The bombing took its toll on all of us; in the daytime whenever planes would fly over Vis (usually British) two or three of our men who were mentally fatigued by the bombing would take off for the hills. We would tease these guys, but it was not a joke for them.
One of the men traumatized by the bombing was Condos, a Greek national who had settled in Brooklyn. He joined us on Vis after the bombings started. He was the self-acclaimed Greek Commando.
He had a great personality and was quite a braggart.
When he arrived on Vis we told him about the bombing raids and urged him to join us in the trenches. He was the Greek Commando,
he boasted, and he decided to stay in the billet. The last man leaving our room would always take the door handle and lock the door.
We had weapons and equipment in our room and there was a possibility that they might be stolen. Some nights German bombers would drop a few bombs; other nights there were either British or German reconnaissance planes.
But as luck would have it on Condos' first night the Germans unleashed one of their most extensive bombing raids. The least of our worries was Condos. At dawn we walked down the hill to our billet, and when we opened the door we found Condos a complete wreck.
His forearms and forehead were bloodied while he was trying to break down the door during the bombing. He was not familiar with the room and it was dark.
Although it was on a second floor, he could have jumped out of a small window. No doubt he panicked; otherwise he might have located a shovel or something to help him knock down the door. Unfortunately it was his first night on Vis and his first taste of the bombing. If he did not have such a colossal ego he would have listened to our advice.
Poor Condos was never the same; a few days later he was sent back to Bari and placed on limited service. But Condos' ego was intact when a few of us returned to the States in December 1944. He had been discharged from active duty and gone home to Brooklyn.
Somehow he discovered that we had arrived in New York. When we debarked he joined our military convoy, speeding back and forth in his car waving at us. That was our last contact with the Greek Commando.
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