Greek / American Operational Group Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
Memoirs of World War 2

The Island of Vis (Lissa)

When we received orders to move out of Torre Mare, we were very disappointed; instead of going to Greece, we were assigned to the island of Vis in Yugoslavia.

During the briefing we were told Vis was an island in the Adriatic Sea, the furthest west of the Dalmation Islands and the headquarters of Marshall Tito, leader of the Yugoslavian Partisans. There were also British Special Forces including paratroopers, commandos, Scottish Highlanders, and the LRDG, the group we had met on the HMS Stratfordshire. We assumed because there were so many different British elite troops on the island the main invasion of the European mainland would probably be at the soft underbelly of Europe, which Winston Churchill had vigorously championed. Vis was the only island in the Dalmation chain that was not occupied by the Nazis.

On the evening of February 16, 1944 Groups 3, 4, and 6 and a few men of Headquarters boarded a Yugoslavian gunboat for the trip to Vis. The boat was armed to combat German E-Boats (similar to the American PT boats). Leaving Bari at dusk, Yugoslavian boats would land at Vis at two or three o'clock in the morning. The E-boats rarely located Allied boats at night. The trip from Bari to Vis was the vital supply lifeline for Tito's Partisans. Supplies from Italy would be transported to Vis and then onto the Dalmatian Coast. The supplies were for the Partisans on the mainland of Yugoslavia, an extraordinary guerrilla force that forced Hitler to keep numerous divisions in Yugoslavia that were desperately needed on the Eastern and Western fronts. Vis was very strategic; without this base the Partisan boats would have been forced to supply the Yugoslavian mainland during daylight hours when the boats would have been an easy target not only for the Nazis E-boats but the Luftwaffe as well.

Not unlike many future boat trips, the trip from Bari to Vis was surreal; even as a young man I did not recall the trip. In fact, of the many raids that we made on the Dalmatian Islands, I only recall the Partisan gunboat the first time we raided the island of Solta, and the very crowded and narrow American LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) when we raided the island of Miljet. The latter was a fragile piece of crap; we were crowded like sardines, we could not sit or lie down, and we were anxious to get off even if there was Nazi resistance.

The Town of Comitza

February 17, 1944, approximately 2 a.m. we landed on Vis in the town of Comitza. We debarked and walked a few hundred yards to a billet near the harbor that would house our group. The billet, like most of the buildings near the harbor, butted up against a hill. Each squad was assigned to one room; the Group 4 room was about 12' x 12'. We had brought duffel bag A with us that held our equipment, extra shoes, shirts, pants, underwear. Duffle bag B remained at OSS headquarters in Bari. We also had our rifle, pistol, and ammunition. We slept on the floor in our sleeping bags until the Luftwaffe began the bombing of Vis. To get to the first floor we walked up 10 to 15 steps. The backyard of the first floor had a small level area and behind our building was another billet above ours. The billets were built on a hill and the hill was fairly steep.

After we dropped off our equipment, the 4th squad was assigned to guard the harbor from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. We were told that the Germans planned to invade the island because of its strategic importance to the Allies. Initially, I could not identify the terrain. At 6 a.m. when I was relieved from guard duty, a faint light of dawn was breaking and I could distinguish small hills surrounding the harbor. By this time I was tired and sleepy but anxious to see the island in the daylight. 7:15 a.m. dawn broke, and on the opposite side of the bay was an entrance from the Adriatic Sea into the Bay of Vis, reminiscent of the Golden Gate; the bay had the shape of a miniature San Francisco Bay without the bridges.

The town of Comitza was on the east side of the island, facing the Yugoslavian mainland. On the west side was the town of Vis; northwest of Comitza was another small harbor where boats would land from Bari. Tito's headquarters was in the town of Vis. A couple of miles inland was an airstrip where only fighter planes and small-size troop and freight carriers could land and take off.

For the first month after landing we trained and kept in shape; it was very quiet. When we had an opportunity we would comb the island; of course always on foot. Vis was rocky with many hills. The properties of the respective families' land had been laid out for generations and were separated by stone walls not unlike the cairn of Ireland. The walls were about 3 feet high and wide enough to walk on.

Americans, British and Partisans: One Big Happy Family

In addition to the Partisans and civilian population on Vis, there were elite British troops including the commandos, the Scottish highlanders, paratroopers, and the famous LRDG, the group that almost captured the famous German General Rommel in the African campaign. A few weeks before we landed on Vis the Yugoslavian-American Operational Group was assigned to Vis; the Yugoslavian Group included 27 Greek Americans. Prior to our landing on Vis, the Yugoslavian Group had been sent to Brindisi, Italy, and were the first Americans to enter Greece, parachuting into the Peloponnese area. After a couple of weeks in Greece successfully fulfilling their mission, the Yugoslavian-American group returned to Vis. The Greek OG had cordial relations with all the Allied troops albeit we socialized with our respective group. The OGs were especially pleased to meet up with the British troops whose battle experience benefited us when we initially went into combat.

The Allied units took turns guarding against an invasion of Vis by the Germans. When our group guarded the harbor, we slept in the basement of an old abandoned home with king-sized rats as our companions. One night after some American airmen had parachuted onto Vis these men joined us on the harbor. We did not advise them of the bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, when suddenly we heard the familiar noise of planes nearing the island. Our group with the exception of the men who had to stay on guard duty took off for the trenches on the hill. We realized the airmen could not locate the trenches and we returned to lead them in the darkness to our sanctuary. This was the first time that these airmen were on the receiving end of a bombing raid. Needless to say they were frightened and disconcerted, and it was an eye opener to men who dished out bombs from 15,000 feet.

One- and two-story buildings skirted the harbor. The harbor was crowded with Partisans and British and American soldiers. There were many Partisan women in military dress. Tito had given the Partisan women a direct order if any of them even talked to an American or British soldier they would immediately be sent to the mainland for combat duty. Our officers relayed Tito's edict and we were very careful not to fraternize with the women. The Yugoslav women were young, healthy, and most of them very buxom. They were not flirtatious. Realizing the consequences the women would face, the Americans and British strictly obeyed Tito's order. Rumor has it that a few of our men had sex on the island during those long months. Of course a better rumor was running rampant that two or three older Greeks were servicing the gay, A. Neither rumor was ever corroborated. We could not wait to return to Italy for a little R&R.

The Partisan men were very cordial and very happy to have American soldiers join them on Vis. Many of them were large men with great smiles. Once in awhile we would socialize with them and drink their excellent wine not unlike the homemade Greek wine my father made in Oakland. The Partisans were older than the Greek Americans and they had a great capacity for their wine. We would honor our four Allied leaders: Roosevelt, Tito, Churchill, and Stalin; Roosevelt was always first on the Partisans' list out of respect for their American friends. We would shout out Zivio Roosevelt and then drink a glass of wine. Most of us would not get further than two zivios and the Partisans, in good fun, would joke about our lack of drinking capacity. Once in a while we would join them with the four zivios, but it would take a toll on the young Americans. Vis was wine country and it was important to the Partisans to harvest the grapes and make wine. We discovered that Vis was not as mountainous as some of the other Dalmatian islands that we raided.

The Partisans were pro Soviets; before D Day they were aware that the Soviets were carrying the brunt of the ground battle against the Germans in Europe. We would counter that the U.S. was sending bombing forays every day, not only in southern Europe where the Partisans were cognizant of the U.S. bombers but also in northern Europe. The discussions never got out of hand; these Partisans, who fought bravely against the Nazis for many years, were courteous to the Americans.

The Ugly Americans Go Fishing

Fishing was very important to the natives. Almost every morning two boats would row into the bay; at least 100 yards apart, with a long net tied between the two boats. Men on shore had ropes tied to the nets and when the men on the boat signaled, the men on the beach would drag the nets, pulling the ropes, not unlike tug of war, toward shore. It was hard physical work and it took hours to bring in the net. Most of the time they were successful in bringing in a good catch (we would cheer when the hard-working Yugoslavs had a good catch). Small fish were thrown back into the bay.

But the ugly American reared its ugly head and ruined their fishing. One day we (including yours truly) decided to go on a boat in the bay with hand grenades. Yes!! We threw the grenades in the water and of course we had a terrific catch. All hell broke loose. The Partisan rank and file was very upset but did not threaten or curse us. Tito called our officers, reprimanded them for allowing us to use hand grenades to fish, and threatened to throw us off the island if we dared repeat this caper. Our officers were livid and we received extensive training and additional guard duty. We never found out what happened to the fish. To this day I am embarrassed; we had our heads up our ass.

Solta

British, Partisan, Yugoslavian/USOG and Greek/USOG periodically raided Nazi garrisons and strongholds on the Dalmatian Coast and the various islands. There were many reconnaissance missions by small groups of USOG. With the exception of Vis, the Nazis occupied all the Dalmatian Islands . Vis was within such close bombing range of the Luftwaffe the natives and soldiers were not afforded many peaceful nights. We participated in raids on the Dalmatian islands of Brac, Solta (twice), Kortula, Miljet, and Hvar. In addition, there were reconnaissance missions on the islands and on the Yugoslavian mainland in the Split and Dubrovnik areas.

Following is a description of the first raid on the island of Solta.

We were on Vis for a month and had not seen any action; everything was tranquil. Once in awhile a German plane would fly over the island, but we did not pay attention to them. We continued training and were very antsy to get into combat. Finally the three Greek-American Operational groups, the Yugoslavian-American Group, and the #2 Commando raided a German garrison on the island of Solta, one of the strongholds in the Dalmatian island chain.

#2 Commando was a veteran combat unit with an outstanding battle record. They wore green berets. (Years later when the American Green Berets were founded in the Vietnam War the British would always tell the Americans that they were the original Green Berets.) In fact all the British Special Forces wore berets. The LRDG had tan berets and the paratroopers, magenta. They were very sharp and we loved to watch them in their close order drills. There was also a unit of Scottish highlanders on the island of Vis. All excellent British troops, we were fortunate to initially go into combat with these battle-hardened soldiers.

On the night of March 17, 1944, we boarded a Yugoslavian gunboat with our combat gear. We were advised that we would land just before dawn on the 18th on a beach on the island of Solta and that we might meet resistance on the beach. I do not recall how long the trip was from Vis to Solta, but we were very crowded and we could not wait to land. When we landed, fortunately there was no Nazi resistance on the beach. We proceeded to climb a small hill onto a plateau and slowly edged our way to the German garrison. As we deployed, the Nazis opened with their superb Spando machine gun that fired at least three times as fast as our machine gun. We were not familiar with this weapon, and we immediately hit the ground; as rookies the rapid fire of the machine gun scared the hell out of us and it sounded like it was very close to our position. As I looked up from the ground and to my right, the British #2 Commando Group was standing. Their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Churchill, a look-alike of the actor George Sanders, shouted out to us: Don't worry Yanks, it's a long ways off! We sheepishly stood up and continued on toward our target while the Spandos continued firing.

We were advised American P 40s would attack the garrison and that we should be alert because the planes would fly low overhead and sometimes they would miss their target and accidentally might hit us. (Friendly fire was always a problem.) The P 40s manned by the British RAF did an excellent job; they were so low we could practically shake hands with the pilots. We waited until the planes finished their sorties and then immediately we rushed the garrison. The 4th group separated: two squads including Nick and Perry went on one side of the garrison and the other two squads including Alex, Tom, and I veered to the right. I discovered a dead German (my first experience) on the ground and examined him to see if he was dead (to this day I am not certain whether I killed this soldier). I turned him around and searched for souvenirs (the German luger was always a prime prize). I found only his pocketbook with a photo of the dead German with a woman, probably his wife, and two young children. I had absolutely no empathy for this soldier. I did not find any other item on him. Years later the photo would haunt me and I often wondered what happened to the widow and the two children. At the time we were at war and he was our enemy. The more you are in combat the less you care about the dead enemy. It was them against us.

Following is a report of one of the many raids by the Allied forces on the Dalmatian Islands.

Report of a Raid on Solta
Operational Groups
Groups 2, 4, and 6

[Quotation from the U.S. National Archives Documents (note 1).]

[Option: Skip the quotation.]

Subject Report No. 16
1 April, 1944

To: Lt. Colonel Paul, West, Chief Operational Officer
Thru: Commanding Officer, Hq. SBS

1. OPERATION

A. Capture of the town of Grohote, Island of Solta, 19, March 1944.

1. This was an unusually successful combined operation, which resulted in the capture or destruction of the entire German garrison on Solta. The plan of battles drawn up by Major Flynn of 2 Commando was based on elaborate reconnaissance over the preceding six weeks. As mentioned in a previous report, OG officers and enlisted men played an important part in this reconnaissance work. Strength of enemy garrison concentrated in the town of Grohote was estimated at 150. Strength of combined raiding force under Lt. Col. Churchill, OC 2 Commando, approximately 500, made up of 2 Commando and 155 OGs with heavy weapons elements from British Artillery Company stationed on Vis in support. Invasion fleet consisted of 3 LCIs with a heavy escort of MTB and two destroyers. The RAF furnished 16 Kittyhawk dive bombers for the air phase of the action. Following details of American participation are based largely on such limited personal observation as was possible from the CP.
2. Composition and strength of American force:

   Unit A 7 officers	49 EM- under Capt. Bliden
   Unit B 7 officers	89 EM under Capt. Houlihan
   Area Hq. 3
   Total officers: 17	Total EM : 138

   Post was made up of Major Lovell and Captain Quay, present in a staff capacity. Captain Kerr is tactical command of both units, and Captain Markoutsos, medical officer, Lieutenant McCrary, communications officer, and detail of EM and medical technicians drawn from the strength of both units (as given above).

3. Mission:
   To capture or destroy enemy garrison concentrated in town of Grohote, Island of Solta.
4. Troops embarked town of Vis aboard one LCI with No. 2 Troop, 2 Commando, Capt. McCallum OC approximately 1900 hours, 18 March, rendezvoused at sea with 2 LCIs which sailed from Comitza, and landed in cove on Island of Solta approximately 0030 hrs. 19 March. Order of march in single file from cove to positions on island eastern side of Grohote was as follows: No. 2 Troop, 2 Commando, Unit B, HQ detail, Unit A. Column split when contact between Unit B's rear and HQ detail was lost at approximately 0200 hours. HQ detail and Unit A arrived northeastern outskirts Grohote 0530 hours to find No. 2 Troop, 2 Commando and Unit B already well forward on right flank and heavily engaged with enemy machine gun positions. Lt. Col. Churchill and Command post of 2 Commando on left flank with radio loudspeaker. Balance of 2 Commando and supporting heavy weapons elements to be engaged on southwestern edge of town. By orders of Lt. Col. Churchill, Unit A advanced through fields and over stone walls along right-hand side of road leading into town from northeast, moving toward the right in process in order to make contact with Unit B's left flank. Following a period of brisk firing from rifles, machine guns, mortars, and light automatic weapons on the part of both sides and after two unsuccessful appeals for surrender had been made over the loudspeaker, the first dive bombing run was made at 0635 hours by six planes. This was followed immediately by a second run by six more planes, and the advance, temporarily interrupted by the bombing, was resumed. About five minutes later a third bombing and strafing attack was delivered by six additional planes, each of which dropped one 1000-lb. and two 250-lb. bombs; after this third attack the enemy's will to resist appeared to collapse precipitously, and small groups commenced surrendering. Troops rushed into town, which was obscured by a heavy pall of smoke and dust from the bombing and round up the remainder of enemy garrison in various buildings. Action terminated by 0730 hours, except for isolated mopping-up operations and evacuation to beaches with wounded and prisoners completed by 1230 hrs. Fighter cover over island maintained by RAF throughout the day. Troops re-embarked for Vis, aboard LCI at 1730 hrs. and disembarked town of Vis 0130 hrs. 20 March.
5. Casualties:
   OG's - One EM killed in action. One officer and five EM wounded.
   2 Commando - 6 EM wounded, one fatally. One officer slightly wounded.
   Enemy estimated 8 killed, 12 wounded. 89, including one officer and one warrant officer, captured.
6. Following message received by Major Lovell 22 March from Brigadier Miles OG force: 133, Bari, Italy, who personally observed action from Lt. Col. Churchill's CP:

   Sorry to have been called away without seeing you. Wish to congratulate you personally, and the officers and men under your command for their excellent enthusiasm and dash. With such leadership, spirit, and cooperation, we shall continue to give the Hun merry hell. Please convey my congratulations and best wishes to all ranks.

[End quote]

Addendum: Battle of Solta
Three Nicks are Wounded

My 2nd section of Group 4, separated from the main body, skirted a 6-foot-high brick wall and as the assistant squad leader I was at the tail end of the two squads. We were hugging a tall brick fence when suddenly six German officers jumped over the wall a few feet behind me. I was prepared to fire when they put their hands up and started talking nervously in German. They surrendered to Cpl. A. Phillips, T5 P. Lewis, and me; we disarmed the German officers. I called out to Sgt. Carkonie who was leading our two squads;[note 2] he was at the far end of the wall deciding whether to continue into an open space. At this time Sgt. Carkonie, leading the column, made a brilliant decision. Instead of sending the prisoners back to headquarters, he ordered us to bring the German officers to the front of the column. At the far end of the wall was an open area. Sgt. Carkonie ordered the German officers into the open; the officers initially refused to move. Sgt. Carkonie threatened them and forced them into the open area. The German officers immediately started to wave their arms frantically and shout out orders. To our surprise, reluctantly and very slowly, a platoon of German soldiers, 20 to 25 men, raised their arms and surrendered. We observed the Huns disappointment; they were loaded for bear. They were on a slight knoll, right angle from the wall, camouflaged, and in great position. They had two machine gun nests plus 15 to 20 riflemen.

The brilliant decision by Sgt. Carkonie saved the second section of Group 4 from an ambush and avoided many casualties. The discipline of the three men holding their fire on the German officers, on their first mission, was the result of their rigorous training. Unfortunately a few weeks later Sgt. Carkonie was seriously wounded in a bombing raid on Vis and we lost our leader for the duration. After two days of battle, the Allied forces killed, wounded, or captured all the Nazis on the island. Corporal George Kallitsis, was the first OG killed in combat; all three of the Group 4 wounded were named Nick, very apropos for a Greek group: Lt. N. Pappas, Sgt. N. H. Cominos, and T5 N. W. Mitchell.

I have often wondered why the German officers surrendered while their platoon had terrific position and were cleverly camouflaged; they could have wreaked havoc on our two squads. Another lucky break for our unit.

The German platoon was the key in holding the garrison. Soon after, the garrison surrendered. We were very fortunate that our casualties were low.

Losing or having a buddy wounded is always devastating, and even more so if they are relatives and childhood friends. When I learned that Cominos was hit I was frantic. We had known each other as children; his father's brother married my mother's sister. We were good friends as children and now we were like brothers. I had no idea whether he was killed or wounded. I searched to find members of the 1st section to get the details. Finally at dusk I was told that he was wounded but no one knew how seriously, and he had been sent back to Vis. When we returned to Vis I discovered that Nick was slightly wounded; fortunately a machine gun bullet hit him below his knee. Having old friends in a close group was terrific, but in combat it takes its toll. This would be one of many times that we would search for our friends after a bombing raid or a battle.

Buried Alive

The Allied units were scheduled to leave Solta late that night. After the Germans surrendered, we were ordered to "sweep" the village and the surrounding area for any German stragglers that might be hiding. My 4th squad, seeking the enemy separately, found three Nazis hiding in a small barn among a couple of goats. We took their weapons and ordered them to join us. The air bombing and artillery shelling had created a huge amount of damage and rubble in the village. As we were walking through the rubble we heard a moaning sound that seemed to be coming from beneath a dirt road. We stopped and listened, and yes, there was a muted human voice coming from underneath the road. Initially we believed the sounds were made by a Yugoslavian native; we handed the Nazis our shovels and ordered them to begin digging. At first they balked, but after we prodded and threatened them with our bayonets, they began to dig half heartedly. A few minutes later we noticed their attitude had changed and they began to dig feverishly. They had realized rather than a Yugoslavian civilian the person trapped under ground was one of their own.

Discovering the trapped man was a German, one of our guys said, Let's not waste our time digging out the Hun; and suggested we fire into the rubble and kill the Hun; the rest of us immediately disagreed. The Germans continued digging until they rescued their buddy. We later discovered the trapped soldier was the German garrison's radioman and the radio control center was on the 2nd floor of a building. When the P 40s hit the building evidently he was propelled by the blast, landing feet first, in a standing position, his arms at his side, buried in the dirt road, with the top of his head about two feet under the ground.

A very small air space allowed him to breathe and stay alive. The man was literally buried alive. When he was rescued he was covered with soot and rubble and his skin was an ugly gray color. It was late afternoon when we rescued the soldier. The man had been buried in the rubble since the early hours of the morning, during the aerial bombing. Two of our men escorted the three prisoners, who carried their buddy, to OG headquarters. We later learned the German did not survive; he died on the boat to Vis, probably from shock.

During this caper I discovered a great lesson about human nature. Initially the Germans couldn't care less about the buried person until they realized he was their own; and then one of our men insisted on killing him when he discovered he was a German. War brings out the worst in the human animal.

We shipped the prisoners back to Vis with British and-or American escorts. The Partisans showed no mercy for the Germans and they would execute the prisoners if they had a chance as reprisals for the massacres of many of their countrymen.

Late that night we boarded the gunboat and returned to Vis.

Congratulations on our "Maiden Voyage"

March 20 during reveille Lt. Col. Churchill joined us and complimented our unit for an excellent job on our "maiden voyage."

Solta was the first of many raids and reconnaissance in which our groups participated during our stay on Vis. Immediately after the Solta raid, unfortunately, the Luftwaffe which had an airfield on Split began bombing Vis; either for retribution or to reduce the effect of the combat troops.

Reflecting on our first combat mission, the fear factor did not hit me until we returned to Vis. Our missions, unlike regular infantry, are hit and run and fortunately we do not stay on the line and wait and wait and have time to think. The smells and stench of combat are profound. Fires, bombings, artillery shells, the wounded and killed ~ all are smells that are unforgettable.

Young people have asked me if contemporary movies and TV shows such as Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan are realistic. I respond that no movie or TV show can be realistic because it cannot capture the deaths, the sounds of wounded soldiers, and the terrible smell and stench of combat. I was surprised at my callous feelings for the first dead German that I may or may not have killed. The bottom line, combat is not a game; it is a deadly serious business. I often wondered how many of these raids I would survive. But most men in combat believe they would always survive no matter how difficult the circumstances.

The Bump

Inadvertently I became a hero with the natives of Vis because my head was bandaged the day after the Solta raid.

As a youngster I had a bump the size of a marble at the back of my head. My parents were apprehensive and refused to have it surgically removed. Whenever I would severely bump the "marble", it would become the size of a walnut for a few days and then revert back to its original size. Once, while spinning around inside the Rolling Barrel at the Play Land at the Beach fun house in San Francisco I fell directly on the bump. This time it not only grew larger; it hurt like the dickens. My buddies nicknamed me the bump. Through the years I was careful not to bruise the bump, but while participating in sports, there were times when I would hit the bump and it would swell.

Throughout the Army and OSS training I rarely wore my helmet for long periods of time and had no trouble with the bump. Whenever we had the opportunity we wore only the helmet liner which was much lighter.

During the two days we were on the Solta raid, I never removed my helmet from my head. When I returned to Vis my bump had not only swollen to walnut size; I could not wear my helmet because of the pain. Worried that I would not be able to wear my helmet in future combat raids, I contacted our medical doctor, Captain George Markoutsos, who examined me and told me I had a wen on my head; the first time my bump had been diagnosed and identified. He suggested that I should have the wen removed, advising me it would be a simple operation. I agreed and within a few minutes he removed my bump, placed it in a jar of alcohol and bandaged my head. Alex, who recalled my fall in the Rolling Barrel, had accompanied me to the doctor.

When we walked out of Dr. Markoutsos' office onto the streets of Vis, the Partisans crowded around Alex and me; patting me on the back and praising me for my gallant fighting during the Solta raid. Embarrassed, and knowing only a few Yugoslavian "choice" words, Alex and I tried, in vain, to explain that it was a simple operation which had nothing to do with the battle of Solta. Because of the language barrier we were not able to convince our Partisan friends that I was not wounded in battle. They brought out the wine and toasted me for my heroism. A couple of glasses of their fine wine and I was in "bird land" that night. Captain Markoutsos was correct in his analysis; never again was I called the bump.

Luftwaffe swarms Vis like Yellow Jackets

The fallout from our successful raid on Solta was like disturbing a swarm of yellow jackets. Prior to the Solta raid, the German planes that flew over Vis were either reconnaissance or photography planes and the Allied troops rarely paid attention to them.

A couple of days after the Solta raid, we received news that an American movie had arrived on Vis; we were very excited. We had not seen a movie since we departed from the States in December 1943. Most of the Greek-American men were barely 20 years old and were movie buffs. It was to be shown at the Comitza community hall adjacent to the harbor. The hall resembled many of the ethnic halls in America: a two-story building with kitchen facilities and a dining area on the first floor, and on the second floor a large dance area and a stage.

The movie was to be shown on the second floor. By dusk the hall was filled to capacity with standing room only. Over 300 men of the USOG, British troops, and a few Partisans were in attendance. When the film's opening credits were shown we were pleased the movie was a recent release, Mr. Lucky starring Cary Grant.

When the movie began anti-aircraft fire was heard on the harbor. Most of us ignored the firing because the Partisans would often fire their guns from gunboats that rimmed the harbor, alleging they were cleaning the barrels of their guns.

For a few minutes the majority of men in the hall continued to watch the movie, even though there were shouts from the rear of the hall to move out of the building. Suddenly the Stuka dive bombers dropped their bombs and all hell broke loose in the hall. The bombers missed their intended target, the community hall, and their bombs landed in the bay. The only exit from the hall was the front entrance. Men were jumping from the second story. Others raced through the building onto an adjacent home on the opposite side from the harbor and rushed up to the mountain. It was the first time we heard that eerie and frightening sound of the Stuka planes. The Stukas continued their bombing sorties for what seemed a lifetime. It was later discovered that the Partisans on the gunboat anchored in front of the hall had averted the disaster by firing on the Stukas with their anti-aircraft guns. Fortunately, the Partisans stayed on duty rather than watch the movie.

A rumor circulated that the Germans had been tipped off that the Americans and British would be congregating in the hall. This was never corroborated, but since it was the initial bombing raid on Comitza the very night of the first movie, the story was deemed logical.

Considering the bombing raid was a surprise we had few casualties; the worst injured were the guys who jumped from the building. Three of our Group IV men were injured that way. After the Stukas left we could not locate Alex Phillips. Perry and I were frantic, but we were ordered to put out the fires and guard against an invasion of Vis rather than search for Alex. Finally about dawn Alex showed up and when we reprimanded him, he said, What's the big deal? He was ordered to put out fires on another part of the harbor and haul ammunition. As mentioned it is great to have siblings and childhood friends in the service, but I would never recommend it in a combat outfit.

The movie, Mr. Lucky, was scheduled time and again, but each time a plane or planes would fly near Vis, we would not wait to find out whether they were friendly or enemy, and the movie was aborted. The bombings continued almost nightly, so we decided to build trenches on the side of the mountain. The trenches became our living quarters at night until we left Vis.

After the war I finally viewed Mr. Lucky.

Mail and Food

Mail from home was always our number one luxury. In Yugoslavia and especially in Greece, we waited weeks for our mail. Three months after we left the States our mail finally caught up with us on Vis. In addition to the precious letters, some of us would receive pastries, generally homemade, which we would share with our buddies. Once in awhile we would receive the latest popular phonograph records. These were items we all took for granted when we were home, but they became prime luxuries overseas. News from home was the ultimate treat for all GIs overseas. Fortunately because I was close not only to my immediate family but also to my extended family, I received lots of mail and packages of Greek pastries. I was the most popular guy in the group (many times the Greek pastries spoiled before I received them but I kept that a secret from my family).

I had written Cousin Sophie Cominos that we had a hand-winding victrola and once in awhile she would send me a contemporary phonograph record. One of the first records we received was Mairzy Doats but the most popular song was I'll Be Seeing You.

The bland C and K rations were our primary food in Yugoslavia; we had ample flour for pancakes and the terrible powdered eggs. No fresh milk; in fact we did not have any fresh milk until we returned to the States. I missed milk more than any other food or drink.

Hollywood visits Vis

Before television, movies were our prime entertainment. Movie actors were virtually a myth. Even in California we rarely saw movie actors in person, only popular musicians or vocalists who played in ballrooms or theaters. Our generation was not inundated by gossip magazines and TV depicting the lives of the rich and famous. So the last place we expected to find two very popular movie actors was on the island of Vis. Sterling Hayden, a matinee idol of the 1930s and 40s, had joined the marines and then the OSS. He was a strapping rugged 6 footer and a very popular movie actor when he joined. Perry was on a gunboat returning to Vis after his hernia operation when he met Hayden. (Years later Perry was on a first name basis with many actors and entertainers as the nightclub editor of the Oakland Tribune.) Perry mentioned to Hayden the numerous raids, reconnaissance, and bombings that the Allied forces participated in from Vis. Hayden's answer was typical marine bullshit: No problem. The marines are here now.

When Hayden entered the service he was married to Madeleine Carroll, a beautiful blonde and one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood at that time.

One morning after Hayden landed on Vis we were given orders to line up at the harbor with clean uniforms, an unusual request. We were advised two American Red Cross nurses would greet us. We were excited, as we had not seen an American woman since we had left the States six months earlier. When the two beautiful nurses showed up, one of them was Madeleine Carroll.

Although we knew Hayden and Carroll used their celebrity status to get together on Vis, we couldn't care less. It was great just admiring Madeleine Carroll and her friend for a few minutes. They spoke a few words to us that I do not recall. This was the only time we saw Ms. Carroll while she was on Vis. I am sure she had better things to do than review our troops.

The only time I saw Sterling Hayden on Vis is when he took off for the Yugoslavian mainland on a Partisan gunboat. (This was the first and only time our group saw any American entertainers or actors during our service time in Europe and the China Burma India theatre of operations.)

After the war Hayden and Carroll divorced. His career went downhill after he gave evidence against the Hollywood Ten during the House Un-American Activities Committee witchhunts. He regretted his decision and removed himself from the Hollywood scene for a time, going back to his first love, sailing, and spending a lot of time in Sausalito, California. I tried to reach him by telephone a couple of times but had no luck.

Reconnaissance

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 4], 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.

Moved into the Trenches for the Duration

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.

Sergeant Carkonie is Wounded

The Germans rarely bombed us during the daytime. We became complacent, which helped us keep our sanity; and whenever a plane would fly over our area we rarely paid attention. One late afternoon Gus Carkonie (a.k.a. Gus Carkonen), another soldier, and I were walking in an open area when a German plane unexpectedly flew low toward us. We immediately dropped down next to one of the cairns. Fortunately the bombs dropped on the other side of the cairn a few feet in front of the three of us.

The concussion from the bombs shook us up, and we had our bell rung. Gus and the other soldier's ears hemorrhaged. Though my ears were ringing, I did not hemorrhage. Unfortunately Sgt. Carkonie's wounds were severe and he was evacuated to Bari where he was placed on limited service. Gus did not wish to be transferred to limited service but had no choice with his severe loss of hearing. We sorely missed our capable group sergeant. Years later when he visited us in Oakland, Sgt. Carkonie told me his biggest regret in his life was not joining us in Greece.

As a very foolish young man I did not report the bombing incident and so there is no record of the damage to my ears. My hearing has failed since that incident, yet I am not eligible for veterans' compensation nor did I receive a Purple Heart as many have received for lesser wounds. Because of the continuous firing of weapons and the bombings at that time, I have lost 90 percent hearing in my left ear and 55 percent in my right at present. In the 1980s when I learned that the army awarded medals and Purple Hearts like popcorn during the small skirmish of Grenada, I regretted that I had not pursued a Purple Heart. I would have had the "million dollar wound" and been eligible for veterans' compensation.

According to the records, the bombing of the three us was after the Solta raid on March 19 and before the raids on the island of Miljet, May 22 and 24.

The bombings on Vis continued until we left the island June 19, 1944. We would lobby to be sent to Bari for any type of duty to get away from Little Malta for a few days. One way to get off the island was to be selected for parachute training in Italy. The OSS ordered the men who had not received paratroop training to attend parachute school in Italy, fifteen OGs at a time. A lottery was held; a few soldiers would get down on their knees and pray to draw a low number that would make them eligible for parachute training. The training would give them at least two to three weeks respite in Italy. Alex Phillips drew a low number and was in the first group to go to Italy. As luck would have it, I had one of the highest numbers, and since we had over 125 OGs on the island I figured it would take at least three months before it was my turn for jump training.

Meanwhile Perry received bad news (or maybe I should say it was good news). He was diagnosed by Dr. Markoutsas as having a double hernia and was shipped to Bari's 26th General Hospital for an operation. Of the California Five, Tom and I were the unlucky ones to remain on the island the full time our group was on Vis.

Battle of Miljet

The next raid the 4th group ~ including Alex Phillips, Tom Georgalos, and me (Nick and Perry were in the hospital in Bari) ~ participated in was on the island of Miljet, May 22-24, 1944. I was designated as a runner for Headquarters Company. We left Vis on a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) late at night.

The LCI was a narrow boat and very fragile. We were ordered to the lower deck where we were crammed in like sardines. The officers were allowed to stay on deck. On the lower deck were double tier bunks where a few fortunate ones could sit down; otherwise we stood up with our field equipment and weapons in the crowded aisles. The men in each group carried full field equipment, rifle or submachine gun, and grenades; we also had a bazooka, two light machine guns, two mortars, four Browning automatic rifles (BAR), and the respective ammunition. The movement and rocking of the boat was an additional problem. I can't recall more than one or two small latrines or heads as they were called in the navy, and the guys that got seasick were given priority for obvious reasons. Some men did not have the opportunity to use the latrine, so they spilled their guts out on the deck. If the nerves were frayed for the forthcoming landing, the crowded conditions exacerbated our tempers. Greek nationals would swear loudly; some of the Greeks' choice words were foreign even to the Greek-Americans, though we had heard our fathers use swear words. Most Greek vulgar words don't have the dirty connotations of American curse words. In fact some of the Greek curse words sound lyrical in the beautiful Greek language. Of course the British did not have a clue what the hell the Greeks were hollering. The laughter of the Greek-Americans, listening to their Greek-national counterparts swearing, soothed the tempers and somewhat softened the terrible conditions.

The LCI was probably one of the worst boats built to carry troops. The boat was narrow, thin plated, slow; it rocked and rolled on the seas; the engines stank from the oil; and then add the stench and smells of jammed packed troops and equipment, the vomit, the farts, the sweat, and the fear of the impending landing and you have one big ugly nightmare. [note 5]

We had no idea what was happening on top deck, we prayed the Germans would not discover us, and more importantly; we could not wait to get off this piece of shit.

The LRDG, the #2 and #43 Commandos, and fifty Americans were engaged in this landing. Finally we received orders to land. We couldn't have cared if a division of Germans were waiting on the beach; we could not wait to get off the LCI. When we went on deck, dawn was breaking and we saw another beautiful cove and beach. (I promised myself if I survived the war I would visit the beautiful Dalmatian Islands; unfortunately Tito would not allow anyone to visit Vis.) We landed under the cover of destroyers and light coastal craft and no enemy greeted us. Evidently they were surprised with our landing, and their garrison, we later learned, was on the opposite side of the island. We saw two German Messerschmitt ME 109 fighter planes flying above us, but they did not attack us. They may have been reconnaissance planes.

The Veteran LRDG and the "Rookie" Andy

When we landed on Miljet I noticed to my left a very small village. The island was very mountainous, and the mountains were not unlike ice cream cones. Miljet was the most mountainous island that we "visited" during our stay in Yugoslavia. We began our hike up one of these tall mountains, and I walked beside a member of the LRDG. As the assistant squad leader of the 4th squad of Group 4, I was always the last person in our column, thus I had the opportunity to meet up with either another OG group or, as in Solta, the British commandos. This time I met a member of the LRDG, carrying the heavy barrel of a 75-millimeter weapon on this very steep hill. After introductions, our conversation turned to his army experiences.

He was 26 years old and told me that he had been stationed in India when the war broke out in September 1939, and he had subsequently fought in the African campaign and later in Sicily and Italy. I was 19 years old, and five years seemed an eternity. I recall asking him, You haven't seen your mama and papa in five years? He answered that his people in England are bombed nightly and we must get this bloody war over so that they might not suffer any longer. I was surprised with this young man's positive outlook. His people in Britain, unlike in America, were seeing the war firsthand and their sons in faraway places were anxious to put an end to the bloody war.

Major Lovell and Mint Juleps

This was the first time I had seen Major P.G. Lovell, although he had taken command of Company C soon after we landed on Vis. Major P.G Lovell had never visited the Greek OGs and I learned later that he was in the battle of Solta. Lovell was given the command of Co. C although he had very little training and no battle experience. We were told he was the owner of the Cannon Towel Company and he brought along two of his executives to the OSS. Rumor had it that he received this plum appointment because of political pull. He was probably a member of the OH SO Society which was named for the many Yale and Harvard graduates who were in the OSS. Unfortunately he was now the leader of our Operational Groups. The last time I had been a runner was during a difficult hike at Camp Carson under Colonel Clainos. What a world of difference between the leadership of the West Pointer Clainos and the towel baron Lovell. I was very disappointed with Lovell's leadership.

For two days and nights we stayed at a distance on top of one of the tall mountains of Miljet. This was headquarters for the Miljet raid, and I use the word loosely. During the raid I did not receive one order from Lovell. I heard guns firing and saw smoke in the valley, but I did not have a clue what was happening. My thoughts were with the 4th group and especially Alex and Tom. The main subject on Lovell's agenda was exchanging mint julep recipes with another officer who was probably a Cannon Towel person. If he had asked me whether I could suggest a recipe, but who in the hell cared about mint juleps at this time.

There was a humorous sidelight at headquarters when three British soldiers appeared at 4 p.m. one afternoon and brewed tea. I heard that this was a must for the British and I joked with them about carrying a pot and tea in combat. They told me, seriously, that they must have tea to function.

On the 24th we were ordered to pull out of Miljet. I still did not have a clue what the hell went on with our 4th group and the rest of the Allied force. We returned to the same beach where we had landed. I was very happy to find Alex and Tom and the 4th group all in good health. Alex and Tom had had no idea what had happened to me.

Our old standby the LCI was on the beach waiting to transport us.

Alex and Tom told me that the 4th group on Mijlet had been ordered to remain with Brigade Headquarters to provide security and act as a reserve force. The British commandos and the LRDG were the main force trying to seek out the Germans. According to an intelligence report that I located after the war, it was reported that there was exceptionally difficult terrain and despite assistance of the RAF and Royal Navy units, the Germans were only engaged at extreme range; the evacuation schedule required withdrawal to the beachheads before contact with the enemy was actually made. No doubt the mountainous terrain of Miljet thwarted advance by our forces.

When we boarded the LCI it was still daylight and we headed home to Vis. Once again we were placed in the lower deck. This time we worried that the Luftwaffe might send dive bombers for reprisals. There were a couple of false alerts, but what the hell could we do in the hold if we were bombed? A couple of us sneaked up on deck to get some fresh air. It was cold but the upper deck was a welcomed relief. Through the many trips on military ships we would break the rules in order to find clean water showers, food, and in this case just fresh air on the top deck. We finally returned to Vis before dawn and we were happy to return "home."

When the 4th group returned from the Miljet raid we took a quick bath and changed clothes. We had built a portable shower from empty five-gallon cans. With limited sleep, we had reveille the next morning called by Captain Eichler and we returned to our duties on Vis. At dusk we went to our shelter on the hill; we were certain that the Luftwaffe would send an armada to retaliate for our raid on Miljet. We were not disappointed. The German Air Force bombed us that evening and it was hell. Looking out from our bunkers it reminded me of the Fourth of July. Bombs were dropping all over the island; fortunately our sanctuary was not hit head on. One bomb that turned out to be a dud landed in one of our bunkers.

Easter Sunday, 1944, on Vis

On the outskirts of Comitza we (the Californians and Byron Economou) met a Yugoslavian Orthodox family whom we visited periodically. A few days before Easter we made arrangements to spend Easter with the husband and wife. They had an old goat that they prepared for the celebration. Alex, Tom, Byron, and I (Perry and Nick were in the 26th General Hospital in Bari) snuck into Angelo's kitchen and stole three sacks of flour for the Yugoslavian couple. They were thrilled to receive the flour. The lady of the house baked Easter bread and a few pastries. The dear old goat was okay.

Previously we had bartered with the couple with more stolen flour and they gave us the final calf of the old goat. The California Five barbecued the calf on a spit and were joined by Pete Lewis, Byron, Andrew Karabatsos, and Andrew Grivas for a delicious meal. We enjoyed fresh meat for the first time since Camp Huckstep.

Whenever we had the opportunity we fished in the bay of Vis. A few times we caught small octopus, a delicacy in any environment.

Battle of Brac

The island of Brac was not only the largest island in the Dalmatian chain, it had the strongest German garrison. We knew that sooner or later we would raid Brac. We left Vis June 4, 1944; we had no idea that D Day would be two days later in Normandy. We still believed the invasion would be through the soft underbelly of Europe. A few days before we left for Brac the Adriatic was loaded with all type of ships. Later we were told that they had skeleton crews, a ploy to fool the Germans that a second invasion force would be sent into Europe via the soft underbelly. The Greek and Yugoslavian groups loaded onto the infamous LCIs for Brac.

Following is the report of the Brac operation.

Report of the Brac Operation

[Quotation from the U.S. National Archives Documents (note 7).]

[Option: Skip the quotation.]

Place: Brac Island
Date: 4 June 8 1944
Mission: Large scale diversion to draw and hold enemy troops and reserves on the coastal mainland.

SUBJECT: Report on Operation Flounced

TO: Richard R. Quay, Headquarters, SBS, Bari

1. This operation took place on the island of BRAC over the three day period of 2nd June to 4th June 1944. The operation was a joint Allied Partisan action and was hurriedly planned as a major effort against the enemy outposts on the Dalmatian islands to draw off, or at least contain German reserves on the coastal mainland, which might otherwise have been employed to reinforce the large scale enemy drive then in progress against Tito's Headquarters.
2. Initially forces employed consisted principally of the Partisan 26th Division totaling approximately 2500 and allied troops in the neighborhood of 1000 men. Both of these figures were increased by subsequent reinforcements so that the final total involved probably 4500-5000 men. The allied element was composed generally of one complete Commando. (43rd Royal Marines) reinforced by elements of other Commando forces on VIS, heavy and light artillery and AT guns, a company of the Highland Light Infantry, plus a SMALL Bren Carrier detachment from the same, detachment of Operational Groups, medical, signal, engineer, etc., elements.
3. The OG detachment numbered approximately 140 officers and men. Two complete combat groups from Unit A under command of Lt. Kopenits and Lt. Bentham, were employed, one combat group and one weapon group from Unit B UNDER Lt. Manusos and Captain Eichler, respectively. The Unit B weapons group included one complete LMG squad from Unit A weapon group to fill out the LMG section of Unit B Weapons Group due to absentees undergoing jump training. Both C.O.'s, Captain Robert Houlihan , Unit B and Lt. Ward (act'g. Unit A) were along. Captain Bliden. with a small Headquarters Detachment, commanded by Major Lovell and including Captain Kerr and one complete squad from Unit A, in addition to other elements completed the U.S. forces.
4. The operation, as planned, was divided virtually into two separate sections. The main effort was to be made against the enemy garrison on the eastern part of the island in the vicinity of NEREZISCE. This included the assault of an OP overlooking the town of BOL, assigned to the HLI, and a containing action against a small garrison in SUPETAR assigned to the Partisans, all to be accomplished at H Hour by forces landed on D-1, following which the main attack was to be launched against the NEREZISCE garrison. A secondary drive, scheduled to be principally a containing action, was to be inaugurated against the other principal garrison on the eastern end of the island in the Sumartin area to prevent the sending of reinforcements to NEREZISCE.
5. One Combat Group, under Lt. Kopenitz, at the request of Colonel Churchill, was assigned as a security detachment to 2nd SS Brigade Headquarters , located at the NEREZISCE area. The balance of the U.S. forces together with a battery of four(4) 75mm howitzers, two 47 mill AT guns of the 101 LAA, and 3 Bren Carriers of the HLI, made up the Allied Detachment under command of Major Lovell, to assist the Partisans on the western end of the island.
6. At the conclusion of the three day action , the situation in the SUMARTIN area was well under control. The Allied Partisan force had not only succeeded in closely contained the German garrison, but Major BOGDAM, commanding the 1st Dalmatian Brigade, with excellent support from the howitzer battery, had driven the Germans troops back into their inner defense ring, killing and capturing many in the process. The action at NEREZISCE was not as successful. Considerable difficulty was encountered in reducing the OP and the main positions were found to be strongly fortified and well defended.
7. Evacuation on the third day was orderly and made without incident. The U.S. forces suffered only one casualty, resulting in the loss of an eye due to enemy artillery fire on the beachhead at BOL. All our troops are believed to have done a creditable job. At the time of this writing, complete information is not yet available but it is believed that both Partisan and British casualties in the NEREZISCE area were heavy and included key officer personnel.
8. Principal Mission O.G. Detachment this operation was simply to provide protection for artillery. Troops accordingly, though exposed to severe enemy shell-fire, did no actual fighting. Brunt of the battle was borne entirely by British and Partisans forces which deserve full credit for performing splendidly in the face of heavy odds and casualties. Work of British artillery was particularly effective and was dominant factor in punishment inflicted upon the enemy.

By order of Major Lovell

A. W Keer
Captain, CAV
Operations Officer

SECRET

SUMMARY

The above mission was assigned to Allied forces on Vis in order to tie down German reserves and prevent them from reinforcing the intense German drive then in progress against Marshall Tito's Partisan Headquarters in Bosnia. In the course of the four day battle, Allied and Partisan troops probably built up strength of 4-5000 men. American forces totaled approximately 150 men. Our troops, together with a battery of four mountain guns of the RSR, a section of two AT guns, and a detachment of four Bren carriers of the Highland Light Infantry, were given the specific mission of containing enemy forces on the east end of the island and to prevent them from reinforcing the garrison in the NEREZISCE area where the main effort was to take place. A large force of Partisans was assigned to this same sector and they immediately engaged enemy positions and over the course of the three day battle gradually forced the enemy back to strong mined and wired positions in SUMARTIN. During this period the American troops effected liaison between artillery and the Partisans, provided security to the rear and flanks and functioned as a reserve striking force. A separate combat group under Lts Kopenits and Lavinskas was assigned as a reserve and to provide security for Brigade Headquarters in the section of NEREZISCE. American troops suffered one casualty in the vicinity of our advanced supply base at BOL. Subsequently intelligence disclosed that in addition to containing all troops on the coastal mainland some three or four additional German divisions were drawn from the interior presumably to repel what was thought to be an invasion in force. This relieved considerable pressure on Tito's troops and the action was therefore considered to be successful.

Principal mission of the OG Detachment this operation was simply to provide protection for artillery. Troops accordingly, though were exposed to severe enemy shell fire.

Addendum: about the Battle of Brac

We supported the British artillery for four days. The German shelling was severe, firing back and forth with the Germans, and moving from position to position to avert the German artillery, we were fortunate we had only one casualty. One evening Pete Lewis and Byron Economou decided to roam the area; they returned with a couple of bottles of wine. They had met up with a Yugoslavian woman who offered them her wine.

When our mission was completed we returned to where we landed. We had hiked up on the mountain trails, but we returned on a beautiful road that serpentines through the mountains of Brac. Although the hike was very long, the view overlooking the Adriatic Sea was very beautiful. We also noticed homes that had been ravaged by the Germans who had accused the civilians of being Partisan collaborators. Partisans and Serb Royalists were very loyal to the Allies.

American bombers returning from bombing sorties sometimes had extra bombs that they had not dropped on their target. They would often drop their remaining bombs on German garrisons or installations on their way home. While waiting on the beach for the LCIs to take us back to Vis, we experienced friendly fire. When the American B 24s flew over Brac we started to wave at them, but lo and behold, bombs began to fall. We immediately took cover. Evidently the Air Corp had not been advised of the Brac raid. It was weird to be fired on by American airmen and needless to say we were pissed off.

When we returned to Vis we heard the news of the Normandy landings. We were not only happy that the 2nd front started, but we were even happier that we would not lead the invasion into the underbelly of Europe.

Finally, Back to Bari

Disappointed that we had not initially joined the other three groups in Greece, and with the war in southern Europe winding down, we were concerned hostilities would end in Greece before we could join the Antartes. [note 8] On July 1944, we received our orders to leave Vis and were told that we were headed for Greece. It was a toss-up whether we were happier because we were leaving Vis or because we were going to Greece. We were physically and mentally exhausted from the many raids and reconnaissance missions; the Stuka bombings; sleeping on the ground in trenches; not to mention the diet of pancakes and C and K rations. Many of us had been on the island since February. A few men had been sent to Italy to recuperate from wounds, illness, or battle fatigue. Other fortunate ones had won the lottery for parachute training and a little R & R. Tom and I had never left the island.

We returned to Bari, Italy, and the OSS camp in Torre Mare, now designated as Camp Kallistos, where we were informed Groups 3 and 6 were to land in Greece by LCI while Group 4 would go to a British parachute training school in southern Italy. We were thrilled that Group 4 was chosen for jump training. They gave us one week of R & R before starting.