The Battle of Kos, Greece 1943 | Marmari Invasion | Easy Red 2

Marmari Invasion

The Marmari invasion on October 3, 1943, was one of the key opening moves of the German assault on the island of Kos. German forces, part of Unternehmen Eisbär (“Operation Polar Bear”), launched a coordinated amphibious landing near the coastal village of Marmari on the northwestern shore. Supported by naval gunfire and relentless Luftwaffe bombing, German landing craft pushed ashore early in the morning, facing scattered British and Greek defenses. The Allies, spread thin and lacking armor or air cover, attempted to resist with small arms and light mortars, but the German troops—many from elite Jäger and paratrooper units—quickly established a beachhead and began advancing inland.

Once ashore, the Germans pushed south and east toward the Kos airfield and the island’s central road network, encountering stiff but disorganized resistance near Antimachia and Pyli. Marmari’s flat coastal terrain offered little natural defense, allowing the attackers to bring in reinforcements and light vehicles throughout the day. Despite brief local counterattacks, Allied defenders were steadily driven back toward the higher ground around Mount Díkos and the town of Kos itself. By nightfall, the Marmari landings had effectively broken the island’s defensive perimeter, setting the stage for the rapid German conquest of Kos within forty-eight hours.