Operation Mercury #2b - Greek Platoon Background (Chain of Command)

Hi All,

Time for the next part of our campaign. Here are the backgrounds to the officers and NCO's of the Greek platoon.

As mentioned before the 'At the Sharp End' campaign supplement for Chain of Command includes a basic character generator for the Germans, British, Soviets and US. You can generate a short background, age, appearance and place of birth for your characters. Its pretty good and although not vital for the campaign it gives you extra motivation to do well.

Throughout the campaign leaders can be wounded or killed requiring temporary/permanent replacements. The campaign also models what your men think of you (the platoon leader) and what your commanding officer thinks of you. In a way these two rating work against each other - both the men and the CO like a win, but the men don't want their lives thrown away either which makes for some interesting battlefield choices. These ratings then affect support that can be received from your CO and the morale of your men.

As the generator did not have a specify Greeks I randomised most of the character creation using whatever background suited the best. I then fleshed out the characters a little more using the one line background as inspiration.

I chose my platoon to be represented by the 5th 'Cretan' Airmobile Brigade. This Brigade was left in Crete when the rest of the division was deployed to the mainland to fight the axis forces. After the divisions defeat on the mainland it retreated and was eventually destroyed. The brigade that remained  on Crete was under overall British command. Apart form the regular Greek troops along with those who escaped the mainland were a lot of academy troops and police units along with Cretan civilians defending their home.

5th 'Cretan' Airmobile Brigade Emblem (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Okay so here they are - Meet the 5th 'Cretan' Airmobile Brigade - H Platoon.

Commanding Officer - Captain - 5th 'Cretan' Airmobile Brigade

Name: Thanos 'Amnos' Stamatopoulos

Age: 51

Stature: A man of small to average height and fragilely built for his age. Thanos has a limp from injuries sustained during the Balkan Wars.

From: Athens, Central Greece, Greece

Platoon Leaders rating with CO: +1

Background: Born in 1890 to an upper-middle class family in the western Athens, Thanos attended the prestigious ‘Athens College’ until his graduation in 1906. Upon graduating, Thanos then attended the ‘National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ where he attained honours in a Bachelor of Business. 

After graduating he applied for a position within the Hellenic Department of Business and Finance where his uncle was a manager. 

With the outbreak of the Balkans Wars in 1912-13 Thanos was called up and gained (bought) a commission as a Second Lieutenant, leading a rifle platoon against the Ottomans and later against the Bulgarians. In June 1913 Thanos was wounded in action, a bullet shattering his right shin. Whilst Thanos fully recovered but now the injury caused him to develop a charismatic limp, occasionally carrying a walking stick. 

After the Balkans Wars Thanos returned to the Hellenic Department of Business and Finance until the outbreak of the Great War. Thanos, due to wounds sustained during the Balkans Wars, was not fit for front line duty. An adept organiser and logistics genius, Thanos found his place in the Hellenic Army’s Logistics Corps on the Thracian Front. 

Having stayed in the Hellenic Army after the Great War Thanos was recognised by his superiors as a great planner and organiser eventually attaining the rank of Captain in 1934 being assigned to the 5th ‘Cretan’ Airmobile Brigade stationed in Crete. When the axis forces invaded mainland Greece, Thanos remained in Crete while most of the division was sent to the mainland, eventually to be destroyed. 

'Amnos’ or Lamb as his men call him, due to his fragile frame, privileged upbringing and quiet nature, the apolitical Thanos will face his largest test as a commander yet with the axis invasion of Crete imminent.

Senior Leader - First Lieutenant - H Platoon

Name: Andreas Glezos

Age: 27

Stature: A tall, thin man with pronounced and dark features.

From: Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece

Rating with the men: +/-0

Outlook: Thoughtful

Awards: Nil

Background: Andreas is the son of Greek gentry and a long line of Greek fisherman. The Glezos’ are well known on Crete as they own one of the largest fishing companies in Crete. The Glezos’ are both liked for the employment their company provides to many of the rural Cretans and disliked by the commoners or the family’s social standing. 

Andreas, already involved in his father’s business at a young age was sent to the best school in Crete, ‘Heraklion Prepatory School for Boys’. Upon his graduation, Andreas was sent to mainland Greece to continue his education, attending the ‘National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ studying modern politics. Attending the same school as the Platoons CO, Thanos is quite happy to see him around the mess and considers Andreas as ‘one of the boys’. 

It was at this point in Andreas’ life where he discovered his dream would be to become a politician. This, he thought, was not only a worthy and influential career and a way to serve Greece but also in another way to help and grow the family business by being able to control the laws which apply to it.

After graduating from university in 1937, Andreas’ father who had supported him financially up until this point, requested he return to Crete and help run the family business. Andreas decided against this, firmly believing that a political career was the right choice for him, joined the Hellenic Army. This, Andreas thought would gain him his own wealth and reputation in which he could later launch his political career on. 

Andreas was assigned to H Platoon, gaining a commission as a First Lieutenant, never finding out that it was in fact purchased for him by his father. 

Andreas is a thoughtful commander. Generally liked by his men due to him being a Cretan heritage and because he has tried to make a name for himself and not rest on his families achievements. Although some fear Andreas’ ambitious streak to make a name for himself will end up getting them killed.

Superior Junior Leader

Name: Iosif Orologas

Age: 22

Stature: A smart looking man of short to average height with a full beard

From: Visaltia, Central Macedonia, Greece

Awards: Nil

Background: Born into a middle-class home in a Thessaloniki suburb to strict orthodox family, Iosif moved to Visaltia as a small child. Originally Macedonian Greeks, the Orologas family fled to further south into Greece after the Great War’s boundary realignments.

Iosif’s father, Dmitri, fought for Serbia in the Great War, serving with distinction against the Austro-Hungarian Troops where he earned the Order of the Star of Karadorde for actions in the Battle of Drina. After the war, Dmitri became an adviser the Hellenic Army in Thessaloniki until his death in 1935 at age 41. It was later suspected that mild exposure to chemical gas attacks during the Great War was the cause of death. When his father passed away, Iosif, his mother and 2 sisters moved to Visaltia in the search of more work and cheaper housing.

Growing up Iosif excelled at school, particularly in language, geography and history. Although a promising student, Iosif chose not to go to university as his family were not in a position to afford it. Iosif instead deciding to enter the army so he could support his mother and two sisters. 

Iosif enlisted in 1936 and was quickly recommended to the Hellenic Military Academy in Athens graduating in 1938 as a Second Lieutenant. Although a competent soldier in his own right, Iosif was fast tracked through the course not due to his intelligence or skills as a soldier but due to his father’s service history. 

The constant comparison to his father is a two-edged sword. Iosif is proud of his father’s achievements but at the same time would like to be judged on his own merits. Secretly Iosif feels as though strangers know his father better than he does. 

After his graduation Iosif was assigned to the 5th ‘Cretan’ Air Mobile Division far from his home in Northern Greece. Although he is deeply patriotic, the Hellenic government thought it best to keep him far from the Yugoslav front where he has ancestral links. With mainland Greece under control of the Axis and the whereabouts of his mother and sisters unknown, Iosif hopes to do his part and make it through the war to see his family again.

Junior Leader #1 - Sergeant - 'Squad Rallis'

Name: Manos Rallis

Age: 25

Stature: Short to average height man that is broad as he is tall. Manos has hawkish features and very short, dark hair and skin.

From: Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece

Awards: Nil

Background: Born in 1916 in a working class neighborhood in Thessaloniki, times were tough. Manos, one of six brothers had a typical lower class upbringing. 

Only completing primary school, Manos joined a street gang with a couple of his older brothers when he was 8. Manos and his brother’s gang would mostly steal building materials for money or food for the family. They would also occasionally clashing with other street gangs for control of territory or sometimes just for fun. One day a rival gang thought they saw Manos, and tried to intimidate him. Unknown to the other gang, this child was not Manos, but his younger brother Spiros. The rival gang began to beat Spiros until an unlucky strike killed him. 

After that, Manos turned away from his life of crime and began working at a local mechanics. Honing his skills as a youth by tuning up cars for a small fee or sometimes stealing these cars, Manos showed himself as an adept mechanic able to fix any problem. By aged 12 Manos was hired full time at the mechanics. Even though the depression hit Greece, Manos seemed to always find work with the small number of rich people still needing their cars serviced. 

By age 20, Manos met his wife, Anastasia, and married one year later in 1936. Another year later and Manos and Anastasia had their first child, a girl named Konstantina. 

With the clouds of war looming over Europe, Manos considered enlisting as a mechanic in the newly formed Greek Air Force rather than being called up into any branch but decided against leaving his young family behind. 

In 1940, when war broke out with Italy and Greece, Manos brothers were all called up as a part of the first wave. Two of his brothers were sent to fight the Italians in Albania, one succumbing to frostbite  who later was invalided home. The other two brothers were sent to the Bulgarian/Yugoslavian front to face the German Invasion, one of which was killed and the other is missing. 

Manos was called up in the second wave and assigned to H Platoon. His gentle, easy going nature belies his tough exterior. Manos is generally well liked by his men, although some of the native Cretans are distrustful of him due to his northern, city upbringing. He is a tough, resilient soldier and a good man to have on your side when a fight needs finishing. The concerns about his family, particularly his wife and daughter can damage his mood at times.

Junior Leader #2 - Sergeant - 'Squad Athanasiadis'

Name: Stelios 'Papa' Athanasiadis

Age: 27

Stature: Of average height and build. Stelios has dark brown hair and eyes with a thick but short mustache and pale skin.

From: Anogeia, Crete, Greece

Awards: Nil

Background: Born on a homestead close to Anogeia, Crete in 1914. Stelios is the middle child of an older sister and younger brother. 

Occasionally attending primary school, Stelios mainly worked on the farm as a child. Stelios’ childhood on the homestead in Crete consisted of a quiet rural life and backbreaking manual labour of the farm. Apart from the crippling rent his family had to pay his upbringing on the farm sheltered him relatively from the global economic depression. . When Stelios was 14, his older sister moved to Kalamata on the Greek mainland to stay with relatives and find work. Stelios visited his sister in 1932 when he turned 18. 

Travelling outside of Crete for the first time, Stelios’ eyes were opened to the world. When he visted his sister he saw the terrible living conditions in Greek cities and how the economic depression had ravaged the country, however his travelling experiences were generally positive and he yearned to see more of the world. With little money or prospects for work away from the homestead, he returned to Crete about a year or so later. 

His return to the quiet Cretan homestead only made the adventurous spirit inside Stelios burn brighter. Stelios’ infectious and enthusiastic storytelling of the world he had seen to his younger brother Marius, also captive him. Knowing that he wanted to see the world but could not leave the farm as he did not have a job or money, Stelios devised a plan to travel and work at the same time – in 1934 he and his brother (now 18) joined the Hellenic Army. 

Stelios and Marius (or Mars) completed their basic training in Kalamata, close to their sister who had now found an administrative job with the Hellenic Department of Transportation. During training Stelios’ fatherly guidance over his brother and the younger men earned him a promotion to sergeant. This promotion resulted in Stelios being split up from Mars, who was assigned to’ Squad Dimitriadis’. After completing their basic training the Athanasiadis brothers were assigned to H Platoon, in their home region of Crete. 

While Stelios and Mars enjoyed fitting in with the other Cretans in the, however, Stelios lamented that he was posted back to Crete and not elsewhere. 

The men under Stelios’ command call him ‘Papa’ due to his age and fatherly guidance over his men. Some of the men, particularly the ones from mainland Greece, see Stelios as nothing more than a simple peasant. Others consider Stelios naive about the world. One thing all of the men under his command can agree with is that although he is not the best soldier he only has other people’s best interests at heart. 

With the axis overrunning mainland Greece, Stelios’ motivation is to defend his homeland, keep his brother safe and survive the war to see the world he does not know.

Junior Leader #3 - Sergeant - 'Squad Dimitriadis'

Name: Vasilis Dimitriadis

Age: 34

Stature: A tall and athletically built man for the time with short almost black hair, light eyes and lighter skin.

From: Florina, West Macedonia, Greece

Awards: Nil

Background: Vasilis Dimitriadis, named after his father, was born in Florina, West Macedonia near the Serbian/Albanian/Greek border in 1907. Vasilis, an only child, grew up in a time and place when Greece was engulfed by near constant war. 

In 1912-1913, when Vasilis was 6, his family fled to Volos in Central Greece to avoid the fighting with the Ottomans and Bulgarians. After returning to Florina (now a part of Greece) after the Balkans War, Vasilis life was interrupted again with the outbreak of the Great War. Vasilis father was called up by the Hellenic Army and killed in some of the first actions against the Bulgarians in 1917. Florina was occupied by the Bulgarians and Vasilis and his mother spend the rest of the war under the harsh occupation. 

When the Great War ended Vasilis, now 11, set about reconstructing his life, however with all of the distractions he had little schooling. Vasilis was taught by his mother, a learned woman for the period. When Vasilis turned 15 he began looking for work and headed once again for Volos. By this stage the country was in the throes of depression and work was hard to come by. 

Around this time Vasilis’ mother started to become frail. Years of war, losing her husband and living in poverty aged and weakened her until in 1923 she passed away. Three hard years of life on the street followed for Vasilis until he met an army recruiter. Vasilis, with no other options joined the Hellenic Army in 1926. 

A career in the army followed with combat operations undertaken against Slavic Separatists near his home region of Florina. His up bringing and time in the army had shaped Vasilis to be anti-royalist and conservative. With Fascist and Nationalist Socialist movements gripping Europe, Vasilis saw this as the answer to rebuild Greece for the better. During the 1930’s Vasilis, whist on leave, visited Italy and Germany. Vasilis was captured by the ideas being implemented in these countries and wanted to play his part in changing the world. 

In 1936 he left the Hellenic Army, after 10 years of service and volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War for the Nationalists. Vasilis was assigned to a mixed Spanish-Italian Bandera fighting for control of Malaga. 

With the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 Vasilis returned to Greece. At this time, the war clouds were gathering over Europe and the Hellenic Army need to expand. Vasilis decided to reenlist as at age 32. Due to his combat experience and the need for manpower, his involvement in the Spanish Civil War was overlooked by the Hellenic Government and was not only reinstated in the army but promoted to Sergeant. 

Vasilis was then assigned to the 5th ‘Cretan’ Airmobile Brigade in Crete, far away from where he could collude with Axis forces. Although a patriot and willing fight for his country, Vasilis sees Greece on the wrong side of this conflict. 

A great and experienced tactical platoon leader his men respect him. Vasilis is strict and prefers not to be close with his men, knowing full well that many will not survive the conflict. This strictness, along with his pro-German sympathies creates a general dislike for him in the platoon. Vasilis’ pro-German sympathy also angers many of the men and has stopped him from being promoted further. 

Vasilis, a realist, sees Greeks defense of Crete a failure and hopes occupied Greece will give him a chance to collaborate with the axis to change Greece for the better.