Battle of Kos (1943)
| Battle of Kos | |||||||||
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| Part of the Dodecanese campaign of World War II | |||||||||
British POWs taken in Kos | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Germany | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| F.W. Müller | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 4,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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The Battle of Kos (Greek: Μάχη της Κω) was a battle in the Second World War between British–Italian and German forces for control of the Greek island of Kos, in the Italian Dodecanese Islands of the Aegean Sea. The battle was precipitated by the Allied Armistice with Italy. German forces with strong air support quickly overwhelmed the Italian garrison and the recent British reinforcements, denying the Allies a base to attack the German presence in the Balkans and leading to the expulsion and death of most of the island's Jewish population.