Battle of Agios Dometios explained

Conflict:Battle of Agios Dometios
Partof:Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Width:300
Float:left
Label:Agios Dometios
Pos:left
Marksize:8
Lat Deg:35.172
Lon Deg:33.329

The Battle of Agios Dometios (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Μάχη του Αγίου Δομετίου), was an engagement between Hellenic, Cypriot, Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces between 14 and 17 August 1974. It was part of the Attila-2 (Second phase of the invasion) operation as described by Turkey and the wider battle for Nicosia as described by Cyprus.[1] [2]

Initial Turkish assault

In the early morning on 14 August 1974, Turkey violated the ceasefire agreement signed on 23 July by massing an assault against on all sides, attempting to take Morphou, Famagusta, the Mesaoria, Karpasia and Nicosia in an operation they called, Attila-2.[3] In Nicosia, at approximately 5 am, the Turkish Air Force bombarded National Guard targets alongside the ELDYK camp in Agios Dometios and additional shelling by Turkish artillery on the area.[4]

Somewhere around 7,000 were used to take the ELDYK camp and the area surrounding it with approximately 700 Turkish forces moving on the ELDYK camp on the first day with additional M48 tanks arriving by 15 August (second day of the fighting) in order to assist the Turkish infantry forces.[5] [6]

Greek-Greek Cypriot defense

The 336 Reserve Battalion was in charge of defending the area between Ledra Palace and the ELDYK military camp, encompassing around 3.5 kilometers.[7]

Some 319 ELDYK soldiers were in charge of defending their camp and the area around it, such as the grammar school.[8] On 15 August, Lieutenant Colonel Stavropoulos requested assistance against the Turkish M-48s but was only offered a few Marmon-Herringtons which were mostly ineffective against the M-48s.[9] The fighting around the ELDYK camp continued until 16 August, and on that day the fiercest fighting took place with heavy bombardments against the camp from the Turkish air force and constant barrages by artillery and tanks making it almost impossible for the Greek soldiers to do anything due to the lack of both air and ground support with the ELDYK camp eventually falling into Turkish hands and ELDYK suffering more than 83 casualties as a result of the fighting.[4] [10]

In the morning of 16 August, whilst also attacking the ELDYK camp, the Turkish armed forces also tried breaking through the defensive lines and fighting especially hard to take the Imprisoned Graves, using all available air and land assets and Turkish infantry using narrow roads to try and outflank Greek Cypriot units there however in this case were unsuccessful.[11] [12]

The Turkish Regiment in Cyprus (TURDYK), the 2nd battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment attempted to re-encircle Nicosia airport after taking the grammar school however were met with resistance from the 212 Infantry Battalion and A' Raider Squadron, which is reportedly where Manolis Bikakis took out multiple Turkish tanks and as such, prevented a further advance into Agios Dometios.[13] [14] [15]

On 17 August, although the ceasefire was in place, the Turkish military tried to advance near the old Church of Agios Pavlos however were unsuccessful and after the attempt, fighting had since ceased on the front.[12]

Aftermath

Though the Turkish assault on the ELDYK camp was eventually successful, the Greek-Greek Cypriot forces successfully defended most of Agios Dometios-Agios Pavlos and preventing key areas such as the Imprisoned Graves, from falling into the Turkish hands. There have been several claims by former ELDYK fighters about Turkish war crimes after the battle such as decapitation of dead soldiers' bodies and the dead also being thrown into mass graves.[8] [9] [16]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-08-14 . 48 χρόνια από τον "Αττίλα 2": Η δεύτερη φάση της τουρκικής εισβολής στην Κύπρο . 2023-12-01 . euronews . el.
  2. News: Times . Henry Giniger Special to The New York . 1974-08-15 . BATTLE AT NICOSIA . 2024-08-03 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: Redefined . Defence . 2020-08-14 . August 14, 1974 The 2nd phase of the Turkish Invasion . 2023-12-01 . Defence Redefined . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2016-03-03 . Έλυσε τη σιωπή του ο τελευταίος στρατοπεδάρχης της ΕΛ.ΔΥ.Κ. . 2023-12-01 . ProtoThema . el.
  5. Book: Erickson, Edward J. . PHASE LINE ATTILA: The Amphibious Campaign for Cyprus, 1974 . Uyar . Mesut . Marine Corps University Press . 2020 . 978-1-7320030-8-8 . 1st . Quantico, Virginia . 197 . en.
  6. Web site: Newsroom . DefenceReview . 2018-08-17 . Η Μάχη της ΕΛΔΥΚ (14-16 Αυγούστου 1974) . 2023-12-01 . Defence Review . el.
  7. Web site: Redefined . Defence . 2021-07-20 . Μαρτυρία 1974 "Το 336 κράτησε την Λευκωσία, το τάγμα του Αλευρομάγειρου, το τάγμα της Αμμοχώστου" . 2023-12-01 . DEFENCE ReDEFiNED . el.
  8. Web site: lila . 2019-10-15 . Αυτό είναι το στρατόπεδο της ΕΛΔΥΚ όπου δόθηκε μία από τις τελευταίες μάχες του Αττίλα. Εκεί οι Τούρκοι αποκεφάλισαν 10 στρατιώτες και τοποθέτησαν τα κεφάλια τους στην πύλη . 2023-12-01 . ΜΗΧΑΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ . el.
  9. Web site: 2023-08-14 . Η Επική Μάχη της "ΕΛΔΥΚ" …Παραμονή & Ανήμερα της Παναγιάς του 74! . 2023-12-01 . veteranos Εθνικά Θέματα . el.
  10. Web site: Gr . Armynow . 2023-08-14 . Η μάχη της ΕΛΔΥΚ: Συγκλονιστική αφήγηση από έναν ΕΛΔΥΚάριο . 2023-12-01 . ArmyNow.Gr . en-US.
  11. Web site: giannopoulos . 2015-02-02 . Πώς τα "φυλακισμένα μνήματα" των κύπριων αγωνιστών, έμειναν στην ελεύθερη Κύπρο. Οι Ελληνοκύπριοι μαχητές αμύνθηκαν στον "Αττίλα" πάνω στους τάφους του Αυξεντίου, του Παλλικαρίδη, του Καραολή και του Δημητρίου . 2023-12-01 . ΜΗΧΑΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ . el.
  12. Web site: President . The . 2018-07-11 . Η Μάχη της Λευκωσίας - Το 336ο τάγμα Εθνοφυλακής . 2023-12-01 . The President . el.
  13. Web site: 2023-07-25 . Ο θρύλος του Μανώλη Μπικάκη και η μάχη του Αγίου Δομετίου . 2023-12-01 . cyprustimes.com . el.
  14. Web site: Redefined . Defence . 2020-08-15 . Η Μάχη της Λευκωσίας . 2023-12-01 . DEFENCE ReDEFiNED . el.
  15. Book: Erickson, Edward J. . PHASE LINE ATTILA: The Amphibious Campaign for Cyprus, 1974 . Uyar . Mesut . Marine Corps University Press . 2020 . 978-1-7320030-8-8 . 1st . Quantico, Virginia . 201 . en.
  16. Web site: 2021-10-04 . "Είναι θαμμένοι 15 βήματα από την είσοδο της Εκκλησίας" NOMISMA . 2023-12-01 . el.