124.686/6–2345
No. 454
The Ambassador in Greece
(
MacVeagh
) to the
Secretary of State
[Extract]
secret
No. 1213
Athens
, June 23,
1945.
Sir: …
. . . . . . .
… I take pleasure in enclosing a copy of Mr. Cromie’s first report in the
form of a letter to me from Salonika, dated June 15th,1 together with a
copy of Captain
McNeill’s first report which Mr. Cromie forwarded therewith. …
Captain McNeill’s
report concerns partisan troop concentrations in Yugoslav
Macedonia, a matter of extreme importance from the
politico-psychological, as well as the military, point of view,
and one regarding which it is most desirable to know the truth,
if the truth can be known. Of particular note in this report
would appear to be the statement that “no intensification of the
autonomous Macedonian agitation in Greece has been detected” as a result of these
concentrations, and the implication that Greece has more to fear, at least
for the moment, from Bulgarian than Yugoslav disruptive
penetration in its northern provinces.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
Partisan Troop Concentrations in
Yugoslav Macedonia
Source: Brigadier Hunt, CO 11 Brigade, 4 Indian Division, Salonika.
Evaluation: A–2.
- 1.
- About 10 May 1945, Yugoslav Partisan troops began to
move from central Yugoslavia into Yugoslav Macedonia, and
by the end of the month two complete army corps were
deployed within easy reach of the Greek frontier.
According to information gathered by interrogation of
deserters and other persons who have come across the
border during the past month, both of these corps are
under the command of an army headquarters established in
the town of Štip. Each corps comprises at least two
divisions; and they are relatively well equipped with
German and Russian matériel. There is some artillery,
but little or no motor transport.
- 2.
- Detailed dispositions of the Partisan troops are not
known to the British in Salonika; but it is sure that
one of the two new corps is deployed around Bitolj
(Monastir) immediately to the north of Florina; and the
other is located between Lake Dojran and the Vardar
River, within 70 miles of Salonika. The troops are Serb
and Montenegrin. They were engaged in harassing the
Germans until the beginning of May, and it seems
probable that they are among the best of Tito’s troops. No
special effort seems to have been made to keep the
movement secret, though reliable numbers and unit
identifications have been difficult to establish from
the vague and conflicting reports available to the
British in Salonika.
- 3.
- In addition to the newly arrived Serbian troops,
Yugoslav Macedonia is garrisoned by a division of
soldiers who were recruited locally, and by a “brigade”
of ELASites who fled across the Greek border following
the disarmament of ELAS. The division of Macedonians is poorly
equipped, having nothing but small arms. It consists of
two brigades, one of which formerly manned the frontier
posts in the Monastir gap, while the other guarded the
border between Lake Dojran and the Vardar. About the
middle of May most of the frontier posts were taken over
by the newly arrived Serbs, but the Macedonian division
is still stationed near the border.
- 4.
- The ELAS brigade is
believed to be concentrated near the town of Kičevo
(about 40 miles NNW of Bitolj). It consists mainly of
members of Gotsi’s band (Slavic Macedonians recruited
from the area around Florina, committed to the
Autonomous Macedonia movement); but it has been
considerably reinforced by Greeks who crossed the border
individually and in small groups after the collapse of
ELAS in Greece. The exact number
of men belonging to this brigade is not known; but the
British believe that they are not more than 2500. Morale
is bad, and the ELASites are not sure whether they are
in a concentration camp or whether they are a part of
the Partisan army.
- 5.
- The arrival of the two Serbian army corps along the
Greek border coincided with the period of friction
between Tito and
Field Marshal
Alexander over Trieste, and the higher
British commanders in Salonika were distinctly worried
by the threat which such a large concentration seemed to
offer. If Tito
should wish to invade Greece, no force is available to stop
him short of Salonika, and the British have made no
effort to concentrate their own or Greek troops to meet
an attack.
- 6.
-
Comment. It is possible that
Tito wished
to threaten Salonika when he ordered two army corps into
Yugoslav Macedonia. It is also possible that the
movement merely reflects a readjustment of troop
dispositions following the German surrender; and, if
OSS reports [Page 668] of the recent
increase of Bulgarian influence in Yugoslav Macedonia
are well founded, it may be that the Yugoslavs wished
principally to reassert their control over this disputed
area. No intensification of the autonomous Macedonia
agitation in Greece
has been detected, as might be expected if Tito intended
immediate aggression against Greece. This fact is not conclusive,
however, since the Independent Macedonia propaganda
organization has hitherto been largely in Bulgar hands,
and Tito may not
be in a position to use it, nor yet to improvise a
substitute overnight.
