Shoestring strategy: the British campaign in the Aegean, 1943

Abstract

The British campaign in the Aegean in 1943 is a case study in audacity, in joint warfare and in failure. The fall of Mussolini and Italy's consequent departure from the Axis brought a fleeting opportunity of securing wide strategic gains in the eastern Mediterranean, and the possibility of drawing Turkey into the war on the Allied side. The Dodecanese islands in the Aegean were the key, but provision of the forces necessary for their capture was contrary to the priorities agreed by the British and American Allies. Urged by Churchill, the British command in the Middle East attempted to secure the islands with the limited forces at their disposal, and ran headlong into Hitler's determination to demonstrate German strength in the Aegean. The following article examines the British campaign in the Aegean, largely from the perspective of a joint operation.