When the phone rang in my office at Knight’s Armament Company the caller identified himself as Christos Epperson and he was calling to inquire about Reed Knight’s Institute of Military Technology (IMT) He also has a question regarding a 9mm United Defense Model 42 made by Marlin. He tells me his Uncle George fought with the resistance against the Germans on the Greek island of Crete during World War II, and specifically about connecting magazines together to maximize ready firepower.

Christos sends me a quick email of his Uncle George, holding the Marlin and sure enough, magazines are joined at the front. Christos explains that his uncle realized that taping them together wouldn’t work, so he found a local blacksmith that welded them together. Was this the first incidence of such a field modification? Christos tells me he’s made a documentary about the Cretan invasion and the resistance movement and will send me a copy.

When the Germans invaded Crete they decided to try something altogether new in the art of warfare. Crete, Greece’s largest island, may be thought of as a huge “aircraft carrier” in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and occupying it was a major strategic move for any army. To capture it, the military tactic the Germans used is now known as a “vertical envelopment.” The plan called for an assault on the island using a huge force of paratroopers and gliders carrying combat troops.

Allied forces stationed there, mostly British, Australians, and New Zealanders, would be far outnumbered and would be forced to leave the island or be killed or captured. The Cretan population had no local army as most of their young were in the Greek army fighting on the Albanian front. With nowhere to go and very little in the way of small arms and ammunition, the Cretans would be expected to surrender without much of a fight. After all, the Germans took the entire nation of France in just one week. With seasoned troops, modern equipment, and this new military tactic, Crete was expected to be under German control in a few hours.

However, the Germans ever in for a huge surprise. Had they checked their history books more carefully, they would have learned that Crete had been conquered many times by superior forces including the Venetians, Persians, and Turks. After fierce fighting, all of them eventually claimed the island as their own, but none of them ever really had full control. Every day each member of the occupying force was looking over his shoulder, lest his throat was slit by a swarthy local. Throughout history, every Cretan male has kept a dagger sheathed either in his belt or his boot and is well-schooled in its use.

For all the planning, superior firepower, and precise execution of the vertical envelopment, Crete did not fall in a day, or even a week. It was ten days after the invasion the Germans were convinced they had secured the island as theirs. But the Cretans had their own plan. There would be another day, the 11th day, in fact. On that day the Germans would pay.

I review the picture of the M42 with Reed Knight, and as I expected he’s got a wealth of information about it and shows me a sample in the IMT collection. Reed says magazine connection by using tape occurred well before this picture was taken, but he believes it may be the first time magazines were welded in theater.

Upon arrival of Christos’ documentary, The 11th Day, I sat down to watch it and was stunned. The dialogue is spoken by the actual people the story is about. Somehow, Christos had located enough of them still alive, and still able to recall the stories – truly fascinating.

So who is Christos? Where did he come from and what’s the story with this video? What else is he working on? There were many questions that prompted Christos to visit the IMT, which gave us the opportunity for this interview:

George: What made you decide to make a documentary about the Cretan invasion?

Christos: My family is from Crete. My aunts and uncles, all brothers and sisters, were spies for the Cretan resistance forces. When my aunt, Eleutheria, was caught stealing German maps for them, she confessed to working alone so that her two brothers and sister would not be charged. She was tortured and executed, and her three siblings were sent to concentration camps. So you see, this story is a part of my family’s history.

George: Doesn’t a documentary like this require a lot of time for researching facts, as well as finding and interviewing survivors?

Christos: Most of a documentary is research and World War II survivors are becoming fewer and fewer. I had to work fast, but even at that, script to screen took me 5 years.

George: Your documentary was very realistic. Where did you find reenactors and equipment?

Christos: There are good sources in Hollywood for reenactment supplies. Some items, like the pants, I had to have made. Others were very difficult to obtain, like German paratrooper boots with laces on the side. Having them made was cost prohibitive. As for the reenactors, believe it or not, most of them were the grandchildren and other relatives of the actual resistance fighters. Cretans are very patriotic so finding volunteers was not at all difficult. That is, except for the Germans. Cretans flatly refused to play them so I ended up down at the beach, recruiting tourists.

George: …and the guns?

Christos: I took some propane firing MG42’s and the rest were rubber Mausers, Lugers, and sub guns. It was a nightmare getting them into Greece and a worse one getting them back into the U.S., even though I had all the properly executed paperwork.

George: Tell us about the resistance and guns they used.

Christos: There were weapons on Crete when the Germans arrived. Most were really old – some were even muzzleloaders, but they used what they had. The German paratroopers were not armed when they jumped. The guns and ammunition were dropped separately, and it didn’t take long for the Cretans to figure that out. At that point it became a race between resistance fighters and the Germans to be first to arrive at the crates when they landed.

The Cretans were aided by a few British, New Zealand, and Australian troops who remained trapped on the island, and of course, these troops had their standard issue weapons. After the resistance force became an organized unit, the allied command realized their effectiveness and air dropped them more guns, ammunition, and supplies. British intelligence became very active on the island and sent them in a leader, schooled in guerilla tactics, a man named; Major Leigh Fermor. I was fortunate enough to locate him and interview him for the documentary.

George: What did they find as the most and least effective weapons?

Christos: For close-in work, they liked the M42’s that were dropped by the OSS. For the most part these were country boys who grew up hunting and shooting in the Cretan mountains and learned marksmanship from their parents. They took a real liking to the German K98 and used it as a precision rifle removing one invader at a time. They used cover and concealment tactics taught by the military today. As for least effective, they had some machine guns but as they were so badly outnumbered, they preferred lightweight weapons they could use in hit and run type operations and of course, the Mausers for accurate fire.

George: Give us some examples of the effectiveness of the resistance.

Christos: The German troops were badly needed on the Russian front, but were bogged down on Crete fighting the resistance. The invasion of Crete was Germany’s first major defeat of the war, with half of the 8,000 elite airborne assault troops decimated.

Bold raids were made by resistance fighter on airfields where a large number of German aircraft were destroyed. The Brits, New Zealanders, and Aussies worked effectively with the Cretan resistance. Inspired by the treachery of the Germans and emboldened by success after success of raids and ambushes, the resistance conjured up new and more ambitious plans. At one point they actually captured the German Commander and Chief of the German forces on Crete, General Kreipe. They shuffled him off to North Africa for intense interrogation – the only kidnapping of a German general in the entire war.

Besides these hit and run raids, they also found that when the Germans turned the 88mm guns on them, their tactic was to move closer to the big guns and pick off their operators with precision small arms fire.

George: I understand women, children and even priests played major roles in the resistance. Tell us about that

. Christos: Young children focused their play around the Germans and recorded whatever was of interest to the resistance. The allies had intel on the contents of every ship that offloaded cargo onto the island, including the number of crates and their markings. Teenage girls and women fought alongside the resistance or made frequent trips to bring them food and supplies.

When the resistance hatched the plan to capture the German general, they had stolen some German uniforms, but the insignias weren’t right. Local women, anxious to do what they could to aid the resistance, volunteered to embroider new ones that matched the ones worn locally. One old man told me he was only nine when the Germans invaded. Every day he would roll heavy rocks out into the road, and every day the Germans would have to stop their trucks and roll the stones back. He told me that at his age, he couldn’t do much, but he could at least slow the Germans down. My Uncle Theo was the Orthodox Bishop on the island by day, but by night he used his church to run an effective gun smuggling operation.

George: You said a surprising thing happened when you showed up on Crete with dummy guns for the reenactors. What was it?

Christos: Whenever I brought out the replica guns to do the filming, the Cretans didn’t want to have anything to do with them. They preferred to use their original guns – you know – the ones that were actually used by the resistance.

George: Come on! The Greek government only allows shotguns for civilian ownership.

Christos: There is an old Cretan saying about the importance of their guns. A Cretan man will tell you: “If I had to pick between giving up my wife, house, or my gun, I’d keep my gun, because with that, I can get the other two back.” I heard this often while I was there, and from different people.

George: You’re telling us these guns are still around today?

Christos: Cretans historically pass them down to the oldest son. Whenever I went up into the villages and we started talking about the invasion, the resistance and my documentary, out came the guns. These guns drew blood in the defense of Crete and have both a symbolic and a defensive use. The Cretans wanted these guns to be used in the documentary.

George: So, this recent photo of your Uncle George holding the Marlin at the war memorial; you’re saying it’s the same one he’s posing with during his resistance days?

Christos: Yes, this gun was dropped by the OSS and was very popular with the resistance as it could use captured ammunition because it was chambered for 9mm, which was available from the Germans. It was developed by United Defense and manufactured by Hi Standard and Marlin. They were very well made. My Uncle George’s was a Marlin and he said it shot tight groups and he never had a problem with it.

Besides the M42’s I brought, there were plenty of Greek Mausers that literally came out of the Cretan woodwork. One was even nicely decorated with silver icons. The one that surprised me the most was a Bren gun. They insisted on taking me to the exact spot where it was air dropped by the OSS.

George: It seems not only the guns were sacred but the battlegrounds as well.

Christos: It was even more complicated than that. Most of the land was under control of a monastery. I had to get special permission, so I brought along a priest and my Uncle George to help me negotiate. People kept telling me I was crazy as no one goes up there. The last ones who did were the Germans, and we know it didn’t work out very well for them! I gave the monks 13 space heaters and they gave us 3 shepherd guides. Two of the camera men were non-Greeks and had to get baptized with Cretan names.

My Uncle George Tzikas had a personal reason for finding one spot, and to our amazement, he took us right there. It was a place where he had a shootout with a couple Germans. They kept shooting at him but kept missing – hitting the tree behind him. Just when he had one of them in his sights, he squeezed the trigger but the round was a dud, so he extracted it, chambered another round and maneuvered around until he finally got them both.

George told me he had recurring nightmares about that event, only it was a variation that included the dud round but ended with him, not the Germans, getting killed. He insisted we use our metal detector to find the dud, and we did! Since he’s recovered that round, he says his nightmares have gone away.

George: What about pistols?

Christos: It was important for every resistance fighter to carry a pistol, a grenade, or both. The pistol wasn’t for offensive use, though. The resistance fighters had the attitude they were dead anyway and they knew what awaited them if they were captured. The pistols were to be used on themselves if that time came, hopefully taking a few Germans with them.

George: How do our readers get a copy of your documentary?

Christos: The best way is through www.crete1941.com

George: Tell us about your next project.

Christos: I’m working on a documentary called: Outpost Harry. During the Korean War, there were three outposts: Tom, Dick, and Harry. Five battalions – four American and one Greek – took turns defending the outpost, and each of them was overrun with Chinese. When the Greeks took their turn, 3,000 Chinese were held off by 150 Greeks and American soldiers. They became known as the “Sparta Battalion” after their commanding officer told them, “If 300 Spartans could hold off 100,000 Persians, a hundred and fifty of us should have no trouble against a few thousand Chinese.”

There is a gymnasium at Ft. Benning named Outpost Harry to commemorate the bravery of the men who fought there.

George: What did the survivors tell you about the guns used in this conflict?

Christos: Each time they were overrun, they called in artillery on their own position. These barrages resulted in huge amounts of airborne dirt going airborne. Many of the veterans told me about their guns jamming as a result. I’d be interested in finding out more about that and what we’re doing today so that doesn’t happen again.

George: Roger that. We’ll be looking forward to seeing Outpost Harry when it’s done and we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today – thank you.

By Robert Hausman

One of the oldest military museums in the area, the War Memorial Museum of Virginia was founded on Armistice Day in 1923 by members of the American Legion’s Braxton-Perkins Post 25 of Newport News, Virginia. The Legionnaires’ intent was to preserve the memory of those who had served and sacrificed in “The Great War” (World War One). The Legion is still actively involved as evidenced by the museum’s charter which requires that at least two members of the board of directors also be members of Post 25.

Overview

Located near the scenic James River, the museum was chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1936 as the official state repository for war related artifacts. It is administered by the city of Newport News. The War Memorial Museum of Virginia Foundation, inc. is an independent organization also lending support.

The first displayed artifacts were primarily souvenirs from World War One. Today, the collection comprises over 60,000 items and a reference library of over 20,000 volumes within its over 25,000-square-feet of exhibition space. Not all of the artifacts are displayed at any one time.

The museum’s mission is to study, preserve and exhibit the role of warfare in American history from 1775 to the present. The glorification of war is not intended. The intent is to place into context the revolutionary aspects of war through social, political, economic, technological and historical perspectives.

Much of the display area is divided into specific themes, such as “The Black Soldier” and “Women at War,” which tell the stories of some of America’s lesser-known war effort contributors. The “America and War” exhibit shows what life was like at home while the war was going on. Yet another display tells the story of World War Two through the Axis powers’ viewpoint. “Hampton Roads: Point of Embarkation” focuses on the relationship of the local region (a major port area) with the military. The museum’s 125-seat classroom/theater presents such shows as “Hollywood at War” featuring commercial films with a war theme.

During the first week of August, the museum usually hosts a Vietnam veterans meeting which includes the display of a replica Vietnamese village. The week before Christmas is often given to Civil War commemoration where military re-enactors dressed in blue and grey re-enact Civil War battles.

Artillery Exhibits

Among the exhibits seen at the time of the author’s visit, was an M42 twin 40mm SPAAG self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Developed in the early 1950’s under the designation T141, the M42 shares many of its components with the M41 light tank as produced by the Cadillac division of General Motors Corp. By the time production was completed in June 1956, over 3,700 M42’s had been built.

The M42’s power-operated turret traverses 360 degrees and the 40mm guns elevate from minus 3 degrees to plus 85 degrees. The rate of fire is 120 rounds per barrel per minute with maximum anti-aircraft range of 5,000 meters, and 9,475 meters in the ground fire mode. Powered by a Continental or Lycoming AOS-895-3, 6-cylinder air-cooled supercharged petrol engine, its maximum road speed is 72.4 km/hr and effective range 161 km. The only variant is the M42A1 with fuel injection which yields greater fuel efficiency. The U.S. Army replaced the M42 with the M163 230mm Vulcan self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system.

Another exhibit takes the form of a Russian manufactured SP-72 self-propelled 122mm artillery piece. Used by the Iraqis and captured by American forces during Operation Desert Storm, it came to the museum by way of the Quantico, Virginia military installation. Many experts believe one reason why the Iraqis were so quickly defeated was their reliance on non-standardized equipment. Iraqis used whatever military equipment they could get from sources all over the world. The logistics of maintaining this material requiring a wide variety of parts and firearms in miscellaneous calibers, many believed, worked to defeat them.

The Iraqi tank was thought to be inoperable at first. Upon arrival at the museum, a forklift was used to nudge the tank to move it into its intended exhibit space when its engine suddenly started up and the tank (which was in gear) suddenly lunged forward. Luckily the man steering it overcame his surprise and managed to stop it.

A well-preserved U.S. 10-ton Holt Caterpillar artillery tractor of World War One can also be seen. As the trench warfare on the Western Front progressed, horse teams became increasingly unable to move the ever-more-heavy artillery pieces through the mud. This tractor filled the bill very well. Thus use of tractors also heralded the debut of the half-track design to the battlefield.

A nice-looking Stuart Light Tank M5A1 is set on a shiny tiled floor inside the building. Designed and standardized in September 1942, it replaced the Light Tank M5. Larger and better sealed access hatches, as well as the addition of an escape hatch, an improved mount for the 37mm gun, and better vision devices were among the upgrades. Powered by twin Cadillac 121hp engines, it weighs 33,907 lbs. and could move its crew of four at speeds up to 40 mph.

Also on exhibit is an American-built Renault Six-Ton Tank M1917. To equip the newly formed Tank Corps in 1917, American production was begun based on this French design. Due to differences between the European (metric) and American measurement systems, a virtual redesign was necessary. Initial orders were placed for 1,200 vehicles and these were later increased to 4,400 units.

Working under the supervision of the U.S. Ordnance Department, the M1917’s building contractors were C.L. Best Tractor Co., Van Dorn Iron Works and Maxwell Motor Co. A total of 64 vehicles were completed by 11 November 1918, only 10 of which arrived in France before the end of the war. U.S. light tank units in France were equipped with about 514 Renault tanks built by the French. A total of 950 of the American version of the tanks were built when production ceased. They continued in service as the standard U.S. light tank until 1931.

Unconventional Exhibit

A rather unconventional exhibit was located within the men’s restroom. Entitled, “Obeying the Call of Duty,” the evolution of military field disposal technology was presented from the year 1865 onward through vintage photographs and drawings. Illustrations of various latrines, a Quartermaster Corps excreta incinerator and the use of oiled burlap to fly-proof latrines are shown and explained. Also displayed were World War Two-era “Sad Sack” cartoons with latrine humor as the subject matter.

Yet another exhibit focuses on the integration of the sexes within the armed forces during the 1940’s, from a sanitation point-of-view. W.A.C. latrines were required to be inside or attached to the barracks for safety and privacy. The group toilets which serviced men were also supposed to be partitioned. No training center except Fort Des Moines had conformed to standards. Since it was believed the women would occupy the camps for a short time, they were relegated to the outside latrines with uncurtained toilets and men’s plumbing fixtures. By the 1970’s however, these discrepancies had been corrected to provide for appropriate facilities for both sexes. (This author did not visit the museum’s women’s restroom to see what might have been exhibited there.)

To Visit

Situated in midtown Newport News, the museum is centrally located between Williamsburg and Virginia Beach. The address is 9285 Warwick Boulevard, Huntington Park, Newport News, Virginia 23607. From I-64 take the Mercury Boulevard/James River Bridge exit south and follow U.S. 258 to its intersection with U.S. 60. The museum is just three blocks west, next to the YMCA. For more information call (757) 247-8523.