Metaxas Line

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Istibey Fort Istibey (Greek: Οχυρό Ιστίμπεη) is a fortress on Mount Beles, Central Macedonia, at the north border of Greece built to help defend Greece during the World War 2. It became part of the fortifications of the Metaxas Line, a chain of fortifications along the Greek-Bulgarian borders that were built in the 1930s, named after Ioannis Metaxas, then Prime Minister of Greece. It is situated 16 km north of Neo Petritsi village at an altitude of 1.339 meters. The main mission of the fort was to prevent entrance to the country from Bulgaria. It occupied 13 officers and 350 soldiers. It commander in chief was Ksanthos Pikoulakis. The fort was active until April 1941, when it was forced to surrender to German troops. In 1991 the Panhellenic Association of Combatants and Friends of the Forts of Macedonia and Thrace funded the construction of a small museum on this site in commemoration of its role in the Battle of the Forts in

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Karatas Fort Karatas (Greek: Ohiro Karatas) is one of the World War II-era fortifications of the Metaxas Line, along Greece’s northern border in Eastern Macedonia. At this fort the Greek army held out bravely against attacks by German divisions on 6–10 April 1941, during the German invasion of Greece.

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Paliouriones Fort Paliouriones (Greek: Ohiro Palioyriones) is one of the World War II-era fortifications of the Metaxas Line, along Greece’s northern border in Eastern Macedonia. The swastika stands at Fort Paliouriones. According to Greek sources, the Germans hung the flag tousmono after the departure of the last Greek soldier from the fort At this fort the Greek army held out bravely against attacks by German divisions on 6–10 April 1941, during the German invasion of Greece.

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Arpalouki Fort Arpalouki or Stirigma (Greek: Ohiro Arpalouki) is one of the World War II-era fortifications of the Metaxas Line, along Greece’s northern border in Eastern Macedonia. At this fort the Greek army held out bravely against attacks by German divisions on 6–10 April 1941, during the German invasion of Greece.

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Kelkagia Fort Kelkagia or Spani Petra (Greek: Ohiro Kelkagia) is one of the World War II-era fortifications of the Metaxas Line, along Greece’s northern border in Eastern Macedonia.  At this fort the Greek army held out bravely against attacks by German divisions on 6–10 April 1941, during the German invasion of Greece.

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Lisse Fort Lisse (Greek: Οχυρό Λίσσε) is one of the World War II-era fortifications of the Metaxas Line, along Greece's northern border in Eastern Macedonia. It is a short distance from the village of Ochyro, some 2 km from the town of Kato Nevrokopi.  At this fort the Greek army held out bravely against attacks by German divisions on 6–7 April 1941, during the German invasion of Greece. In memory of this battle a memorial has been erected and a small museum has been built. This museum has recently been renovated and re-opened its doors to the public in 2002. The museum’s exhibits include firearms (revolvers, pistols, rifles, machine-guns, hand grenades etc.) belonging to the Greek and German armies, uniforms, medals, various personal belongings of soldiers and officers, and a 1941 map detailing the Battle of the Forts. In the courtyard there is artillery that was used to defend the forts.

The following 21 forts make up the Metaxas Line, ordered from West to East along the Greco-Bulgarian border. Popotlivitsa (Ποποτλίβιτσα) SITE Istibey (Ιστίμπεη) SITE Kelkagia (Κελκαγιά) SITE Arpalouki (Αρπαλούκι) SITE Paliouriones (Παληουριώνες) SITE Roupel (Ρούπελ) SITE Karatas (Καρατάς) SITE Kali (Κάλη) SITE Persek (Περσέκ) SITE Babazora (Μπαμπαζώρα) SITE Maliaga(Μαλιάγκα) SITE Perithori(Περιθώρι) SITE Partalouska (Παρταλούσκα) SITE Ntasavli (Ντάσαβλη) SITE Lisse (Λίσσε) SITE Pyramidoeides (Πυραμιδοειδές) SITE Kastilo (Καστίλο) SITE Agios Nikolaos (Αγιος Νικόλαος) SITE Bartiseva (Μπαρτίσεβα) SITE Echinos (Εχίνος) SITE Nymfaia (Νυμφαία) SITE

21 Fortification Complexes  : Fort Roupel Roupel Fort (Greek: Οχυρό Ρούπελ) is a fortress at the north border of Central Macedonia, Greece, built in 1914. It became part of the fortifications of the Metaxas Line in the 1930s and became famous for its defence during the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. The Rupel fortifications are not far from the Serres-Promachonas national road, which leads to the Greek-Bulgarian border. They are just a short distance from the border in the narrow Rupel Gorge, through which the Strymon River flows. This place is of strategic importance for entry to Greek or Bulgarian territory and was fortified in 1914. During World War I, on 25 May 1916, under German pressure, the Greek government ordered the surrender of the fortress to the Germans and their Bulgarian allies, without a shot being fired. The German-Bulgarian troops then proceeded to occupy most of eastern Macedonia without resistance. This act led to the outbreak of a revolt of

21 Fortification Complexes  : Popotlivitsa Fort Bunker Popotlivitsa (Cpt. Thelúnes) falls to the Germans at 1900 hours. Still, the guards manning three concrete pillboxes at the foothill of Rupesko mountain, opposite Popotlivitsa, continue stubbornly to resist. 1./85 Coy was pinned down for two days at Rupesko under heavy Greek arty fire The rapid German success in southern Yugoslavia, forces the Greek High Command to take back the Greek XVIII Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Leonidas Sterghiópulos) behind the E and S banks of the Strymón (Struma) River trying anguishly to cover the exposed left flank of the forces fighting in the bunkers along the Metáxas Line after the collapse of the Yugoslavian defence.  Along the Metaxás Line, the advance of the Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 85 (Oberst August Krakau Aufstellung) is checked and its III./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 85 Btn (Maj. Albin Esch) is badly shaken, suffering 181 KIA or WIA, while I./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 85 Btn (Maj. Erhard Gnaden) reports 192

The Metaxas Line was a chain of fortifications constructed along the line of the Greco-Bulgarian border, designed to protect Greece in case of a Bulgarian invasion after the rearmament of Bulgaria. It was named after Ioannis Metaxas, then Prime Minister of Greece, and chiefly consists of tunnels that led to observatories, emplacements and machine-gun nests. The constructions are so sturdy that they survive to this day, some of which are still in active service. Some of them are open to the public. German artillery shelling the Metaxas Line The Metaxas Line consists of 21 independent fortification complexes, the largest of which is Fort Roupel as it covers 6.1 out of the 155 km of the full line and had been constructed at a height of 322 m. Illumination was initially mostly provided by oil-lamps, although generators were also installed. (Currently, the fortifications are supplied with public electricity, but they are also equipped with generators). Two concrete pillboxes