With the declaration of the Greco-Italian war on October 28, 1940, the independent cavalry brigade was located in Lagadas, Thessaloniki, and was the reserve of Chief General Papagos Alexandros. The commander of the Cavalry brigade was Colonel Sokratis Dimaratos .
Because it was independent and did not belong to the cavalry division, it was also called the «Dimaratos Brigade«.
After the penetration, and splitting of the central front front at Pindos by the elite Italian «Julia» alpinist division, the Italians created a dangerous enclave of 30 kilometers deep on Greek soil. At this critical moment, the General Headquarters orders the 2nd Army Corps to face this danger, and then the 2nd Army Corps, on October 31, 1940, orders the independent cavalry brigade commanded by Dimaratos from Lagadas Thessaloniki to move to Neapoli Kozani, where the headquarters of the Second Army Corps was located. In order to catch up with the enemy, they moved to Dutsiko and the heights around Annitsa, Grevena.
Meanwhile, the phalanx of the «Julia» division continued its advance, and its vanguard occupied Samarina, Distrato, and marched towards Vovousa with the objective of Metsovo. The intention was to split the Greek troops, isolating Epirus from Western Macedonia. In this way, the way to Athens would be opened through the Thessalian Plain (Kalambaka), as foreseen by the main plan of action of the Italians.
Effectively preventing this development, the independent cavalry brigade in November 1940 met them on the heights around Annitsa, Grevena (Skurtza, Gomara, Vasilitsa), cut off the phalanx of the Italians, pursued them, occupied Samarina, and was the first to enter Distrato.
The capture of Distrato was of great military importance because the Italians’ surgical field hospital was located there. 200 Italian prisoners are captured there.
This was the first victory of the Allied forces against the hitherto invincible Axis. This victory was achieved mainly with the contribution of the Dimaratos brigade, according to the descriptions of senior military officers, writers, and historians, and Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas himself in a congratulatory telegram to the Second Army Corps to which, as mentioned above, the independent cavalry brigade had belonged.
In the meantime, the fifth infantry brigade and the first Larissa infantry division, the cavalry division from the south, and the Frizi detachment from the west also attempted to fight from the north. All these forces with the independent cavalry brigade trapped the Italians in the villages of the pit of Aoos Armata, Palioseli, Pades, and Elefthero. Having no other escape, the Italians were forced to go up to Smolika, to cross into Albania. They have the help of the Italian division «Bari», which, while heading towards Igoumenitsa to help the now remains of «Julia», changed course at the last moment.
During the second phase of the war, which began on November 14, 1940, the Greek army expelled the Italians from the Greek lands, and the whole army, as well as the independent cavalry brigade, continued to fight on Albanian soil. In fact, it is tested hard in the Fraseri location, of strategic importance for the Italians, which it occupies.
On 24, 1940, after 54 days of continuous warfare, the independent cavalry brigade was merged with the cavalry division, and, to reward Sokratis Dimaratos’ contribution to the struggle, he was given command of the 11th Thessaloniki Infantry Division, even though he came from the cavalry. During the Italian spring offensive (Operation «Primavera»), which began on March 9, 1941, the 11th division commanded by Dimaratos was on the Mali Spandarit hill, the northernmost edge of the Greek army’s penetration into Albania, on the Apso River.
As Z. N. Papamihalopoulos mentions, «Dimaratos acts quickly and with composure» and prevents the occupation of the hill in question, which, together with hill 731, was of crucial importance for the Italians.
There, with the 15th, 1st (Hall 731), 5th, 17th, and further south the 4th divisions, they repel all Italian attacks in the area of responsibility of the II Army Corps.
Desperate, Mussolini, who was himself at the front to encourage the Italian army, left Albania on March 21 and went to Rome. On March 25, the spring offensive ended victoriously for the Greek troops.
General Socrates DIMARATOS
Sokratis L. Dimaratos (January 1889–October 29, 1966) is a hero of the Greco-Italian War of 1940. In the most critical first phase of the war, Sokratis Dimaratos led the first victory against the forces of the hitherto invincible axis.
He was the third child out of four boys of Loukas Dimaratos, a doctor and influential figure in the Greek army. His mother was Chariklia Zotou, from a well-known family in Argyrokastro (now in Albania), and his wife was Meropi Roussou, with whom he had a daughter. After the circular studies in his hometown, at the Zosimaia School of Ioannina, Epirus, and at the Bagion Gymnasium of Koritsa, he attended various military schools from January 1910 to March 1914, from which he graduated with honors as a second lieutenant of cavalry. He then attended the Higher War College and learned the French language. He participated in the Balkan wars (1912–1913), the Asia Minor campaign (1919–1921), and the Greco-Italian war (1940–1941). The breakout of WW2 finds him commanding the independent cavalry at Lagadas, Macedonia, Greece.
He commanded his troops marvelously during the Greek defensive and offensive operations that pushed the Italian army back, deep into Albanian soil. In addition to being commander of the independent cavalry brigade, he served in several administrative positions. He retired with the rank of lieutenant general in October 1946.
Subsequent years In July 1943, Sokratis Dimaratos joined ELAS as Commander of the 9th Division based in Pentalofos Kozani. In October of the same year, when the first civil war nuggets begin to appear, he leaves ELAS saying he does not wish to get involved in civil conflicts.
After his discharge from the army in 1946, he participated in the Hellenic Alarm party under Papagos. He was elected Member of Parliament for Ioannina and served as Deputy Minister of National Defense from November 19, 1952 to May 4, 1953, and Deputy Minister of Military Affairs from May 5, 1953 to November 15, 1954.
Distinctions – Honors
He was awarded honors and medals for his participation and bravery in the wars..
Senior Brigadier General George I of Swords
- Commander Order of George I with swords
- Commander Order of Phoenix
- Golden Cross order of George I
- Silver Cross Order of Savior
- Greco-Turkish War Medal 1912 with mediations
- Greco-Bulgarian War Medal 1913 with mediations
- Golden Excellence of Valor 1921
- Military Cross 2nd Class
- Military Merit Medal ( DGB )
- 1st Class Brigade Commander of Yugoslavia 1938
- Inter-Allied Combat Medal
- Albania Wat Medal 1940-1941
- Gold Medal of Valor 1941
His bust was created by the sculptor Kyriakos Rocco and is located in the forecourt of the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in his birthplace, Vourbiani.
An inscription posted outside his father’s house was dedicated to his memory by the residents of Vourbiani. The XXI Armored Brigade in Komotini, Thrace, has been given the historical name «Cavalry Brigade of Pindos» by the GES, in honor of the «Cavalry Brigade» known at the time as the Dimaratos Brigade.
The journalist Yiannis Beratis, having personal contact with Dimaratos at the front, highlighted his humility and character through specific incidents. He was altogether a wise and unsung hero of the war.
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Παράθεμα: Distrato, Epirus, Greece (November 1940): Τhe first allied victory in WW2 – greekalert