Changes

At the time of the German attack ([[6 April]] [[1941]]) the bulk of the Greek forces were facing the Italians in Albania. Some of the remaining Greek forces were deployed in the [[Metaxas Line]] and most of the rest were with the British intervention forces deploying north of [[Larissa]]. The British wanted the Greeks to abandon the Metaxas Line and deploy north of Larissa; the Greeks vacillated, as this would mean abandoning half the country, along with Greece's second largest city, [[Thessaloniki]], without a shot fired. The Germans invaded Yugoslavia at the same time as Greece and so were able to outflank the Metaxas line by moving through southern Yugoslavia after the rapid decomposition of the Yugoslav resistance. The Greek forces had This necessitated a Greco-British retreat further to capitulate after fierce resistancethe narrow pass at [[Thermopylae]], and where the Germans broke through again, all the British way down until German forces were forced southat the [[Acropolis]]. The Army of Epirus After some brief actions on the [[Peloponnese]], facing the Italians, was cut off Greeks and capitulatedBritish Commonwealth forces retreated to Crete. German paratroops landed around  ==The [[Battle of Crete]]==The [[Battle of Crete]] began on the Corinth Canal sealing the fate morning of the [[PeloponneseMay 20]] [[1941]], when Germany launched an airborne invasion under the code-name '''Unternehmen Merkur''' (Operation Mercury). Because their army was mechanised, The Germans succeeded in taking the British managed to withdraw most of their troops; island from the slower Greek and Allied forces were captured by holding it, but the victory was so costly that the Germansnever again launched a major airborne mission.