Synopses & Reviews
This well-researched study explores a virtually unknown and largely enigmatic aspect of World War II--the nature of amphibious operations in the Aegean Sea in 1943. More than an historical account, it is designed to interpret and reassess the crucial decisions which influenced the outcome of what has become known as the Dodecanese Disaster. The British operations in the Aegean at that time present many parallels with the recent conflict in the Falklands in terms of scale and order of battle, the critical difference being that operations in the Aegean resulted in tragic failure.
The author leads the reader through a web of intrigue, incompetence, fantasy, and cover-up to find the truth. He vividly portrays the tensions between American and British perspectives in the strategy for the war against Germany.
Review
. . . Mr. Holland's clear and concise analysis of the intrigue, incompetence and fantasy which cost the Allies a complete infantry brigade and a third of the Mediterranean Fleet makes fascinating reading. The Aegean Mission is the 77th in the Greenwood Press's Contributions in Military Studies series. The presentation of the book comes as a slight surprise, but the transcript-like print style is very readable and clear and somehow gives the contents a feeling of immediacy and urgency.The Journal of the Royal Artillery
Review
In recent years, American historians have begun, belatedly, to focus on the Dodecanese campaign of late 1943 and to evaluate its significant political and strategic ramifications. Progress in understanding the campaign has been made, but basic questions remain. . . . Jeffrey Holland, in the The Aegean Mission addresses these questions anew and combines the broader issues with an important and revealing study of the Kos and Leros battles themseleves. Holland's analysis is objective and fresh. While he suggests no answers to controversies which essentially cannot be answered, he significantly enlarges our understanding of this obscure but vital subject. I could not put this book down, and I predict that The Aegean Mission will stand as a prime reference on the fateful controversy it covers for many years to come.David Eisenhower
Synopsis
This well-researched study explores a virtually unknown and largely enigmatic aspect of World War II--the nature of amphibious operations in the Aegean Sea in 1943. More than an historical account, it is designed to interpret and reassess the crucial decisions which influenced the outcome of what has become known as the "Dodecanese Disaster." The British operations in the Aegean at that time present many parallels with the recent conflict in the Falklands in terms of scale and order of battle, the critical difference being that operations in the Aegean resulted in tragic failure. The author leads the reader through a web of intrigue, incompetence, fantasy, and cover-up to find the truth. He vividly portrays the tensions between American and British perspectives in the strategy for the war against Germany.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Part I: Strategic Objectives
The Dodecanese: Geo-Political Profile
Anglo-American Attitudes
Strategy-Straws in the Wind
Plans for Accolade
The Turkish Card
Cover and Deception
Turning Points
Conclusions on the Aegean Venture
Press Reports 1943
Part II: Operational Perspectives
Air Forces in the Aegean
Naval Operations in the Aegean
The Army: The Battle for Kos
The Battle for Leros
Part III: Reflections
Combat Readiness: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Battle Casualties: Kos and Leros
Honors and Awards
Part IV: Appendices
Bibliography
Index