8th Infantry Division (Greece)

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8th Infantry Division
VIII Μεραρχία Πεζικού (VIII ΜΠ)
III Army Corps
Garrison/HQIoannina, Epirus
Motto(s)ΟΧΙ
"NO"
EngagementsBalkan Wars

World War II

Commanders
Notable
commanders		Dimitrios Matthaiopoulos
Charalambos Katsimitros

The 8th Infantry Division (Greek: VIII Μεραρχία Πεζικού, VIII ΜΠ; VIII Merarchia Pezikou, VIII MP) was an infantry division of the Hellenic Army.

Active since the

Greco-Italian War
, when it successfully stopped the initial Italian offensive, and bought time for Greek reinforcements to arrive and turn the tide.

In a wide-ranging army reorganization in 2013, the division was reduced in size to a brigade-level formation - the 8th Motorized Infantry Brigade.[1]

History

Balkan Wars, World War I, and Greco-Turkish War

The 8th Infantry Division, initially named the Epirus Division (Greek: Μεραρχία Ηπείρου; Merarchia Ipeirou), was formed on 22 September 1912, during the First Balkan War, under the command of Major General Dimitrios Matthaiopoulos. On 22 January 1913[2] it was renamed as the 8th Infantry Division.[3] Its component units were the 15th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Evzones Regiment and the Independent Cretan Regiment.

It participated in the operations for the capture of Ioannina and the subsequent push into Northern Epirus, capturing Këlcyrë, Argyrokastro, Tepelenë, and Përmet.[3] In June 1913 it was moved to Thessaloniki, and participated in the Second Balkan War against Bulgaria, capturing Paranesti, Xanthi, and Komotini. It remained on occupation duties in Western Thrace until the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest.[3] In December it was placed on garrison duties, with its regiments dispersed at Preveza, Corfu and Lefkada.

The division was re-established in July 1917 and remained in Epirus as the local garrison. It did not fight in the

Asia Minor Campaign, except for its 15th Infantry Regiment.[3] Its subordinate units throughout the subsequent interwar period were: the 15th Infantry Regiment at Ioannina, the 10th Infantry Regiment at Corfu, the 24th Infantry Regiment, and the 3/40 Evzone Regiment at Preveza and later Arta.[3]

Greco-Italian War

Since 1930, the division bore sole responsibility for the defense of the Epirus sector of the Greco-Albanian border. Due to the relative military weakness of Albania, the sector was "quiet" and far less vital than the border with

Kalamas, and for six days, from November 2 to November 8, successfully repelled the successive attacks by the Italian Ciamura Army Corps. By that point, the mobilization of the Greek reserves had been completed, and in conjunction with the Greek victory in the Battle of Pindus, the division's victory at the Battle of Elaia–Kalamas
signalled the failure of the Italian attack.

The division fought throughout the subsequent Albanian campaign, but was dissolved along with the rest of the Greek Army after the

ELAS
partisan army created an 8th Division, but this too was disbanded in early 1945.

Greek Civil War

The 8th Division was formally reconstituted only in 1946, as the Hellenic Army started being rebuilt, from the forces of the Epirus Military Command, comprising the 74th, 75th and 76th brigades.[3] Until 1949, the division took part in the operations of the Greek Civil War as a part of the governmental National Army.

Emblem and Motto

The emblem the 8th Infantry Division is a bull within an oak wreath, taken from 3rd-century BC coins of the Epirote League.[3]

The division's motto is

Greco-Italian War
.

References

  1. ^ Ε.Σ. και Νέα Δομή Δυνάμεων: Ο «Μεγάλος Ασθενής» αναζητά θεραπεία. e-amyna.gr (in Greek). 23 June 2014. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  2. Old Style
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΤΙΚΟΣ ΟΔΗΓΟΣ, ΝΕΟΤΟΠΟΘΕΤΗΜΕΝΩΝ ΣΤΕΛΕΧΩΝ ΣΤΗΝ VIII ΜΠ (PDF) (in Greek). www.army.gr. May 2012. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-20. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
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