Battle of Kleisoura Pass

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Battle of Kleisoura Pass
Part of the German invasion of Greece
Kleisoura pass Greek plan of defense.
Date 13–14 April 1941 Location Kleisoura, West Macedonia, Greece Result German victory
Belligerents
Greece	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Col. Miltiadis Papakonstantinou (20th Division) Lt. Col. Vasilios Mantzouranis (80th Reg.)	Josef Dietrich
Strength
unknown	6,500
Casualties and losses
heavy 1,000 captured (German claim)	unknown

The Battle of Kleisoura Pass (Greek: Αγώνας στενωπού Κλεισούρας^[1]) took place from the evening of 13 April 1941, when first contact was made, until the midday of 14 April, when Greek organized resistance collapsed. The battle was fought over the narrow pass that crosses between Mt. Vitsi and Mt. Siniatsiko, between elements of the Greek 20th Infantry Division which were occupying the pass and the German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, a mechanized infantry unit of brigade level. The pass was strategically important for it stood on the main Allied defensive line (Mt.Vitsi– Mt. Siniatsiko– river Aliakmon – Mt. Olympos), behind which passed the withdrawal route of the Greek army engaged against the Italians in Albania.^[2]