Operation Harling – ‘42

Operation Harling was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) mission in cooperation with the Greek resistance groups ELAS and EDES. 0n the 25^th November 1942 they destroyed the heavily defended Gorgopotamos viaduct in Central Greece. This sabotage act was one of the first to be conducted against Axis occupied Europe. This success brought about the beginning of the permanent British involvement with the Greek Resistance.

Greece had been totally occupied by the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria since June 1941. Supplies were being transported through Greece and across the Mediterranean to support the German Afrika Korps participation at the Battle of El Alamein. In an effort to stem these supplies Operation Harling was conceived in the late summer of 1942. British Special Operation Executive (SOE) based in Cairo decided to send a sabotage team to cut the Athens to Thessalonica railway line. The team selected came from the Royal Engineers and were led by Lieutenant Colonel E.C.W. “Eddie” Myers with Major Chris Woodhouse as his Second-in-Command.

In the summer of 1941 the first group of armed resistance fighters were suppressed by the Axis Powers. By the spring/summer of 1942 the Greeks had established two separate resistance groups. The first was the Communist led Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS) founded by Aris Velouchiotis. The second group was the National Republican Greek League (EDES) led by Colonel Napoleon Zervas. The SOE plan was to leave a team of saboteur’s behind to liaise with the Greek resistance groups after the raid was completed, one of whom was Woodhouse. The proposal was for 13 men to be formed into three groups, each with a leader, sapper, interpreter and radio operative. In the planning stage British officers in Cairo were unaware of the ground difficulties in Greece.

On the 30th September 1942, three B-24 Liberator aircraft dropped the group of saboteurs into Greece. The first and main group, commanded by Myers, made for the hills and located ELAS. The local Greek population kept the group hidden whilst they were constantly on the move. The second group led by Woodhouse set out to Amifissa in an effort to establish contact with Cairo. On the 2^nd November 1942 with contact established Woodhouse set out to meet up EDES. The third and final group were hidden by local Greek civilians as they made for the hills and made contact with the resistance group ELAS on the 14^th November 1942. In the meantime, on the 30^th September 1942, after having made contact with ELAS, Myers and an interpreter set out on a reconnaissance mission for the most suitable target to sabotage. Of the three possible targets, Gorgopotamos Railway Bridge was the one considered to be the most effective by Myers. It offered good access, cover and a line of retreat and the garrison of 80 Axis troops was small enough.

The individual groups had made contact and collectively assembled at the sabotage site by the 25^th November 1942. A total of 150 men were available for the operation. 86 ELAS and 52 EDES resistance fighters were to provide cover whilst a twelve man British team, led by Myers, would form the demolition party. The operation began 23.00 hrs on the 25^th November 1942. Two teams of eight guerrillas cut the railway and telephone lines in both directions, but overran the allotted time, then provided cover for the approaches to the bridge. In the meantime the remainder of the guerrillas neutralised the garrison of mostly Italian troops. Because of the delay Myers decided to send in the demolition team whilst the fight at garrison was still under way. The demolition party divided into three teams of four men each. Owing to the different shape of the girders they had expected the laying of the charges were also delayed. They were forced to modify plastic explosives to suit and finally the charges were set and lit. When the explosion occurred at 01.30 the central pier was badly damaged but the spans either side had collapsed. The demolition teams attached new explosives to the second pier and the remaining span and a second explosion occurred at 02.21. In the meantime a train carrying Italian reinforcements was engaged and halted by the guerrillas providing cover to the approaches of the bridge. With only four wounded the entire attacking force had successfully disengaged and retreated to their assembly area by 04.30.

SOE’s original plan for the destruction of the bridge was the disruption of the Afrika Korps supply line. The mission had been rendered obsolete by the Allied victory at El Alamein. Being the largest operation carried out by SOE to date, the mission was a major success. Despite the success, Woodhouse’s team of saboteurs were left behind to liaise with the resistance groups, but clashes between ELAS and EDES occurred which eventually led to civil war from 1946 to 1949.

The bridge was repaired and operations resumed in 19 days by the Italian Railway Engineers.

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