52 Days 1943 - The Queen Olga and the Battle of Leros: Underwater Filming and Research

In English (also available in Greek). Hard cover, 24 cm, 268 pp., ill., net weight 1740 gr. ISBN: 960-03-3732-2.

"52 Days of 1943" tells the story of the 52-day battle at Leros island and the ship-legend of the Greek Navy "Queen Olga". This album is the result of investigations which lasted almost five years: hundreds of photos, over thirty hours of digital video, underwater shooting by the findings of the war, dozens of hours of discussions with survivors, Greeks and foreigners. The photos are accompanied by short texts, true relay memories, shocking stories of people who were eye-witnesses and illuminate unknown parts of the World War II history.

// ... "depth 42 feet, a German transport plane appears before us, inside us shudder human bones, the sinking of the destroyer "Queen Olga", a legend of the Greek Navy illuminated after 60 years. Dilapidated huge military installations, large canons like those of Navarone, a submarine base, a large rusty crane from Turin once placed hydroplanes, galleries hewn in the mountains, shelters and secret facilities, a surgery room in the heart of the mountain make up an adventure like in a movie. Sensitive human stories of Greeks, Italians, Englishmen and Germans, hard men cry ... a time machine takes us back to the door of the plane that the German paratroopers used to jump to occupy Leros ..."

CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I. The year 2000, the story begins. . .

Aircraft data

Identifying the aircraft

CHAPTER 2. The "Queen Olga", a Greek destroyer

The last hours of the "Queen Olga"

Commissioning the "Queen Olga"

The "Queen Olga" in action

Greece and Italy at war

The fleet that would not surrender

CHAPTER 3. The Malta of the Aegean

CHAPTER 4. Fifty two days in 1943

The overall picture and data concerning the war

The Battle of Leros

Events as related in the official German archives

Italian Battery 888

Events as recorded in the official German archives

CHAPTER 5. The fall of Leros

Events from the official German and Italian archives

The "Oria", the unknown "Titanic"

CHAPTER 6. Leros is annexed to Greece

CHAPTER 7. The raising of a legend

A letter from Andrea Hutter, "a crew member in the Ju-52 squadron, who fought on Leros"

Identifying the place

EPILOGUE

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