Military Operation NIKI, Cyprus 1974
The C-47 Dakota that took part in the operation
Operation Victory is the code name given to a secret military mission of Greece on July 21-22, 1974 to Cyprus for the purpose of airlift commandos to Nicosia airport. The mission was partially successful and was characterized by the international press as a "suicide mission".
Preparation - planning
After the beginning of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974, the defense of Cyprus was in a difficult position, all the moves made to repel the Turkish invasion forces by armed units of the Greek Cypriot side, had a negative development. The political instability in Greece was showing signs of disintegration in the military leadership and precious time had already been lost. Nevertheless, the military forces of ELDYK and the Cyprus National Guard had limited the initial plans of the Turkish army.
On July 21, 1974, a military operation was decided to strengthen the defense of Nicosia airport under the code name "NIKI". The plan of the operation provided for the airlift and landing of commandos with aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force.
PA Nord Noratlas aircraft at Hellinikon airport in 1979.
The preparation took place at Souda Air Base in Crete and included:
20 Nord 2501D Noratlas aircraft
10 C-47 Dakota aircraft
The 20 Noratlas aircraft belonged to the 354th Transport Squadron "Pegasus" and the 10 Dacota aircraft to the 355th Transport Squadron and were based in the 112th Fighter Wing at Eleusis. These aircraft would transport and land at Nicosia airport the 1st Combat Squadron with its full armament consisting of 318 men. Due to precautionary measures and repositioning carried out in the previous days, most of the aircraft were scattered in various units of the Air Force.
The planning of the operation provided for the airlift of the 1st Squadron of commandos during the night - in absolute radio silence - flight at low altitude - without fighter escort - landing - disembarkation of commandos - return to Souda.
On July 21st at 22:40 the mission started with a time limit of midnight of the same day. However, only 15 Noratlas aircraft out of 20 took off in the time frame provided for in the plan. The remaining aircraft (5 Noratlas and 10 C-47) remained at Souda airfield.
Aircrews
Each Noratlas was crewed by four members. In order of their rank (Captain, Co-Captain, Nautilus, Flight Engineer) they were the following:
WIN 1: M. Chochlakakis - A. Demis - P. Zelenitsas - C. Sgouros
WIN 2: I. Sfikas - P. Panousis -I. Karaiskos – K. Tyligadis
WIN-3: S. Stefas – G. Neonakis – I. Dritsas – A. Papanastasiou
WIN-4: V. Panagopoulos – S. Symeonidis – H. Anthimos – G. Davaris
WIN-5: E. Drakonakis – S. Papoulis – V. Ganos – A. Loukos
VICTORY-6: G. Dimitros – V. Mettas – I. Razos – G. Kagiabakis
WIN-7: I. Papakonstantinou – D. Kardaras – S. Kavouras – G. Salapatas
WIN-8: N. Tzanakos – D. Lavranos – S. Moutsatsos – V. Tsiouris
WIN-9: A. Stravopodis – A. Papaioannou – K. Roumeliotis – A. Kardakos
WIN-10: S. Papathanasiou – A. Ilaridis – G. Kouloulas – E. Pediaditakis
WIN-11: G. Mitchainas – C. Kyriakopoulos – A. Foutsis – K. Simos
WIN-12: N. Adamopoulos – D. Hatzipanagiotis – P. Vasilakos – I. Komianos
WIN-14: P. Lymberopoulos – V. Kotsopoulos – A. Baraliakos – D. Manis
WIN-15: E. Petroulakis – S. Papastamatiou – I. Grammatikos – S. Karatairis
Execution of mission
Immediately after the Noratlas took off from Souda, a signal was given by the Operations Center to the G.E.F. Nicosia with the phrase "The 15 oranges are coming". NIKI-13 with a crew of V. Nikolaou, G. Hatzidakis, A. Kleftoyiannis and V. Gorezis never arrived in Cyprus. He landed in Rhodes.
Landings at Nicosia airport began at 01:52 on July 22. "NIKI 2" landed first at 01:52 and next "NIKI 1" touched the Nicosia runway at 01:55. But here begins the tragedy of the mission. Due to delay of the A.E.D. (Headquarters of the Armed Forces, today's G.E.E.T.A.) to inform the G.E.E.F. Nicosia (just at 01:00 he informed it, with the signal "The 15 oranges are coming"), the anti-aircraft elements outside the airport belonging to the 185 M.P.P. and in 184 P.P.P., they did not have time to be informed either, as a result of which they considered that the aircraft they were flying were hostile. Intense anti-aircraft fire immediately began, which resulted in "NIKI 4" which was on the landing stage, catching fire and crashing 3 kilometers short of the runway. "NIKI 7" landed third at 02:18.
"NIKI 7" was followed by "NIKI 3", which due to an engine failure left the flight path of "NIKI 4" which was shot down and reached the final after "NIKI 7". "NIKI 6" was hit in multiple parts of the fuselage and almost without engines and thanks to the efforts of the pilots managed to land. "NIKI 12" was also hit by Greek Cypriot fire; the pilots managed to land it without any casualties. The remaining aircraft also managed to land with less damage.
All the crews then saw some fire on the Makedonitissa hill and later learned that it was this aircraft. The last to land was "NIKI 15" which had taken off from Souda with a delay and despite orders not to carry out the mission. "NIKI 13" was a category "Z" long-haul aircraft and which they activated with the events had navigation problems (sliding) resulting in the flight from Elefsina to Souda deviating to Rethymnon. So on the route from Souda to Nicosia he deviated from his course and arrived between Cyprus and Turkey and after his wandering at 04:15 he started his return where he landed in Rhodes at 07:40. "NIKI 14" arrived after dawn and did not land at all, followed orders and returned back to Kastelli at 07:30 where she refueled and returned to Souda. The last "NIKI-15" took off from Nicosia at 04:02 and returned to Souda at 07:40.
Those aircraft that were airworthy took off for the return to Greece, taking with them the crews of the aircraft NIKI-3 and NIKI-6, which had hit the engines. The crew of the NIKI-12 aircraft, which had been hit in the left engine and had been put out of action, were unable to board any of the returning Noratlas. The co-pilot of NIKI-12, Ensign Dimitrios Chatzipanagiotis, and the engineer, Ensign Ioannis Komnianos, received an order from the G.E.F. to destroy the three aircraft that were left at Nicosia airport, burning them. The crew of NIKI-12 returned to Greece after ten days with the ship "Sappho".
Account
This air defense mistake was hit by anti-aircraft outside the airport and cost the lives of 4 airmen and 26 commandos from "NIKI-4" where one commando was rescued, as well as the death of 2 and the wounding of 9 more commandos in "NIKI 6". Out of the strength of 318 men of the A'Mira Squadron 278 remained in Cyprus and fought.
NORATLAS 52-133 "NIKH 4" aircraft
Casualties of WAR AVIATION
Governor - (Acting) Panagopoulos Vasileios
Co-pilot - (Commander) Symeonidis Stergios
Nautilus - (Episminian) Anthimos Ilias
Flight Engineer - (Second Lieutenant) Davaris Georgios.
Casualties Commandos 1st COMMANDO SQUADRON
DEA(KD) Tsamkiranis Dimitrios
Sergeant (KD) Nikolaos Kavrohorianos
Sergeant (KD) Stefanos Tzilivakis
Corporal (KD) Tsakonas Evangelos
Corporal (KD) Christopoulos Athanasios
K/D Anastasopoulos Andreas
K/D Giannakakis Kosmas
K/D Giannakos Stefanos
K/D Giannopoulos Panagiotis
K/D Dalamagas Ilias
K/D Zisimopoulos Antonios
K/D Kasimakis Sotirios
K/D Kateros Konstantinos
K/D Kourounis Sotirios
K/D Ligdis Christos
K/D Doitsidis Christodoulos
K/D Maniatis Spyridon
K/D Monia Emilios
K/D Barotas Konstantinos
K/D Nakos Georgios
K/D Prinianakis Stylianos
K/D Siorokos Dimitrios
K/D Skiadaresis Nikolaos
K/D Tzouras Sotirios
K/D Touli Ilias
K/D Hatzopoulos Christos,
Wounded Commandos:
K/D Zafiriou Athanasios (Sole survivor)
NORATLAS 52-139 "NIKH 6" aircraft
Casualties Commandos 1st COMMANDO SQUADRON
K/D Nobelis Spyridon
K/D Oikonomakis Konstantinos
Wounded Commandos:
K/D Tsogas Pavlos
K/D Antonopoulos Georgios
K/D Fyssaris Ioannis
K/D Theodoropoulos S.
K/D Gogos K.
K/D Tsagaropoulos Dimitrios
K/D Latzourakis Georgios
K/D Sergeant (K/D) Xeftylis Konstantinos
K/D Papaefstathiou Efstathios
K/D Mavroudis Georgios
Conclusion
The significant delays both in the decisions of the leadership and in the organization and execution of the operation resulted in losses in personnel. This particular mission was not based on any plan of the Armed Forces Headquarters (AED) but was a decision taken by the War Council. It had no effect on the development of operations in Cyprus, apart from the fact that the defending commandos managed to hold the airfield.
The decision to move a unit of commandos was not appropriate in a regular infantry fight like the one taking place in Cyprus. This operation was also the only mission of troops from Greece with the purpose of military reinforcement of Cyprus, during the Turkish invasion.
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