52 years ago this week, one of the most unequal battles in modern military history was fought on the outskirts of Nicosi...

52 years ago this week, one of the most unequal battles in modern military history was fought on the outskirts of Nicosia. When Turkey launched the second phase of its Cyprus invasion on August 14, 1974, codenamed "Attila 2," approximately 318 men of the Greek Forces Cyprus (ELDYK) found themselves facing an attacking force of around 6,900 troops backed by at least 45 M47 and M48 tanks. The ratio was nearly 1 to 22. The defenders had no air cover, no meaningful anti-tank weapons, and in many cases dug their foxholes with their bare hands and helmets. Turkish jets bombed the camp from dawn to dusk. The men held anyway. On August 14 alone, they repelled three separate assaults. On August 15, they beat back another organized attack and even broke cover to charge Turkish infantry after a National Guard artillery round disabled the lead enemy tank. Captain Sotiris Stavrianakos told his men that night, "We will stay here. We are Greeks. Even if the tanks pass over us, they will pass over us and we will hit the infantry that comes behind." That was not bravado. It was their only viable tactic, given they could not stop the armor. The camp held through the night. On August 16 the final assault came from two directions simultaneously. Stavrianakos was killed rushing a tank that had closed to within 10-15 meters of his position. By early afternoon Turkish armor had broken through the gate. Soldier Anastasios Kratimenos from Arcadia stood alone at the entrance still firing his rifle. He was listed as missing for nearly 50 years, until his remains were identified and buried in his hometown in June 2024. Soldier Dimitris Lourbas had gathered four rifles from fallen comrades and kept firing from his trench. His remains were identified in 2023 and 2024, and he was finally buried on July 21, 2024. The battle of the ELDYK camp remains one of the most remarkable defensive stands of the 20th century, forgotten by the world and remembered by those who lived it. #Cyprus #Greece1974 #NeverForget