Operation Mercerised

In the second half of 1944, German forces under Generaloberst Alexander Löhr's Heeresgruppe E were withdrawing from the Balkans as Axis strength collapsed. Intelligence and aerial reconnaissance indicated that the Germans were evacuating garrisons from the Ionian islands and mainland Greece toward northern Europe. The Allied high command, led by General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, shifted strategic emphasis toward Greece and Albania to capitalise on German withdrawals and to assist local partisan forces. The port of Sarandë in southern Albania became strategically important because it offered one of the few viable escape routes for German forces evacuating the island of Corfu.^[1]

The operation began with the landing of No. 2 Commando and No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando between 22 and 24 September 1944 at a location north of Sarandë, in southern Albania. The commandos came ashore at Sugar Beach (Plazhi Pasqyra) and advanced inland with the intention of launching a rapid assault on the town.^[2]

Early progress was slowed by unexpectedly strong German resistance. Allied intelligence had initially estimated that approximately 200 German troops were defending the area; however, the actual strength of the garrison was closer to 2,000 men, reportedly due to a communications error in which a zero was omitted from the original estimate. Local Albanian Partisans led by Islam Radovicka.^[3] securing the surrounding countryside during the advance on the town.^[4]

The German defenders, drawn from units of the Wehrmacht, were supported by approximately 20 artillery positions covering the approaches to Sarandë. The operation was further delayed by adverse weather conditions until 9 October 1944, when the main assault commenced with support from the 25-pounder guns of the 111th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Following intense infantry fighting over difficult rocky terrain and in deteriorating weather conditions, Allied forces succeeded in capturing Sarandë.^[5]

Between 600 and approximately 1,000 German troops were taken prisoner, although accounts vary regarding the exact number. The Allied commando units sustained casualties estimated at 81 men killed and 57 wounded. With Sarandë secured, Allied forces dropped leaflets over Corfu, urging German forces stationed there to surrender. Between 12 and 14 October 1944, German defensive flags were raised on Corfu, and British commandos crossed to the island to accept the surrender of the remaining German forces. Most of the German garrison had already evacuated during the assault on Sarandë.^[6]