Draft:Capture of Korçë

April 13, 1941 was a clear and windy day. By the end of the day, the forward forces of General Carlo Geloso’s 11th Italian Army were nearing Korçë. On the first day of operations in Albania, the Italian army in Albania reported capturing approximately one thousand Greek prisoners of war and seizing approximately twelve artillery pieces in the Lake Ohrid area. The Italian Army’s 9th Corps (under the command of General Alessandro Pirzio Biroli) encountered heavy resistance, including numerous roadblocks and mine fields. Regardless of this difficult situation, General Carlo Geloso’s forces continued to push ahead; they captured the town of Bilisht on April 15, 1942, and then continued to advance towards Ersekë ten days later.^[2]

On 14 April, worsening weather produced rain and prompted Ugo Cavallero, Chief of the Italian General Staff, to tell Pirzio Biroli that success would only come from swift action.^[3] Cavalleria believed that Greek forces were attempting to retreat to Greece, given deteriorating weather conditions, so he ordered continuing aerial bombing to impede Greek withdrawal. Perati Bridge was the primary target. Picchiatelli dive bombers would drop bombs and use cannons to create machine-gun fire on the roadway that crosses the bridge.^[4] The 9th Army was to take control of this area, however; Tridentina, Parma, and Piemonte divison's rapid advance on different parts was halted due to increased ground fighting. Bombing from the air began on April 14, and continued for all intents and purposes according to schedule despite heavy anti-aircraft fire. One Picchiatelli was downed 16 April.^[5]

Allied armies withdrew from positions in Albania and northern Greece, they changed the overall strategic picture of that area. The article stated that because the main supply road connecting Florina, Greece to Korçë, Albania, was no longer usable due to their withdrawal, it was likely the enemy would begin advancing through the Monastir Gap against Florina, thereby compelling Anglo-Greek forces to shorten their lines and withdraw to the mountainous parts of Greece.^[6]

The Italian forces have been advancing westward toward Korçë and would eventually link up with German forces coming from the direction of Florina via the road. If this were to occur, the Axis powers would control the area surrounding Lake Prespa and create a road link between their forces in the adjacent regions of Greece, Albania, and Yugoslavia. This outcome was seen as detrimental to the coordination between the Greek and Yugoslav armies, and could force the Greek forces currently stationed in Northern Albania to abandon their positions between Korçë and Lake Ohrid and retreat to a shorter line of defensive positions further south.^[6] The occupation of Korçë by divisions of the Italian Ninth Army greatly weakened the British, Australian and New Zealand Forces' defensive positions in Greece. On April 18, the Italian high command reported that large formations of the Italian Eleventh Army had earlier that day, after heavy fighting, breached the Greek defensive line and captured Korçë and Klisura.^[7]