Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups

Under command of Lt. Michael P. Manusos the Group landed at Parga cove and marched to Deskharti, 35 miles NW of Larissa.

Operation #1

August 20. At 0430, after a 4-day march from base at Deskharti, party including Lt. Manusos, CO, Lt. Pappas (2nd in command till replacement of Lt. Giannaris of Group II Sept. 25), plus 2 Andarte platoons, each with about 22 men and several British, party was in position for an ambush on the Lakoui-Voube road with OGs in center and an Andarte platoon on each flank. At 0800 four trucks with mounted machine guns appeared and fire was started by T/5 Anton's bazooka hit on one truck and taken up by all. German guns were soon silenced. Within half an hour German reinforcements started arriving from a post at Sarantaporos and in 40 min strong reinforcements arrived from Elasson, forcing the party to withdraw.

Operation 2.

Target of two bridges near Kleftherskhori was approached but was too srgongly fortified to attack.

Operations 3 &4.

Sept. 6. Briefing on Ark targets.

Sept. 7. OGs left Desokhori at 0700 and arrived at rendevoux point, Klisoura, at 2130.

Sept. 8/9. OGs moved to town of Likhoudi by 2200 and following recon of bridge took security positions protecting flanks against patrols. Charges were place and bridge was blown at 0015

Sept. 9. OGs move to new rendevoux point at Gavros.

10/11 Sept.. With orders to blow bridges at Klefthesokhori, recon. party of Maj. Paddy (British), Interpreter and Lt. Manusos identified wooden bridges, a bypass, pill boxes connected with trenches, surrounding barbed wire fences, mine fields and force estimated to be at least 50 men. Party was seen and forced to retire under fire. Target was considered too strongly fortified to attack.

11/12 Sept. Tire bursters and mines were placed on the Elasson-Kozani road on each side of the bridge at Likhoudi by 0345. Subsequently mines accounted for at least 15 trucks and Germans were held up a day and a half.

Operation 5

Personnel. Maj. Powers in command; OGs; Mission personnel; Andartes.

Sept. 24. Party moved from Desokhori to target, the Tirnavos-Elasson road built into mountain side with supporting high walls. No German activity.

Sept. 25/26. At night, holes were dug, explosives placed and road blown, following which time bombs, tire bursters and mines were placed. Road and walls were completely destroyed and made unserviceable for ten days. Twelve trucks were destroyed and 80 Germans killed or wounded by Andarte fire from surrounding hills.

Operation 6.

Sept. 27, 28. Bridge-blowing operation was not completed because of insufficient explosives.

Operation 7.

Oct. 2-5. Operation for OGs, British officers and Andartes to destroy 200 parked trucks of evacuating Germans was not completed because of apparent reluctance of Andartes to cooperate in obtaining necessary mules before the Germans moved the convoy.

Operation 8.

Plans for OGs, British officers and Andartes to blow bridge and lay mines on
Elasson-Servia road were held up for three days and finally cancelled as the party watched a continuous caravan of heavily protected evacuating German vehicles.

Operations 9, 10, 11, 12.

Oct. 9 - 26. OGs, British and Andartes tracked German forces evacuating Greece along the routes from Tricala north to Grevena. German and Andarte fire was generally ineffectual.
Contact was made with advance party of
British troops coming up from Lamia.

This summary of the Balkan Operational Groups was extracted from records of the National Archives provided through the courtesy of Lt. Col. Ian D. W. Sutherland. Attorney Sutherland is the compiler of the encyclopedic "Special Forces of the United States Army, 1952-1982"