CASUALTY RECORD // November 2, 1940
Battle of Elaia–Kalamas
Estimated casualties — killed, wounded, captured, and missing — by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Casualties by side
2 sides catalogued · combined 368–769 estimated
Royaume d'Italie
160–561
Medium-confidence figure
Royaume de Grèce
208
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Elaia–Kalamas was fought in Epirus from 2–8 November 1940 during the opening phase of the Greco-Italian War. The Royal Italian Army had launched its invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940, with the main thrust directed through the Epirus sector. Despite being outnumbered, Greek forces under Major General Charalambos Katsimitros held the Kalpaki (Elaia)–Kalamas river line and stopped the Italian advance. Combined with the concurrent Italian failure in the Battle of Pindus, the Greek success at Elaia–Kalamas marked the complete collapse of the Italian invasion plan. The defeat led directly to the dismissal of the Italian commander in Albania, Sebastiano Visconti Prasca, on 9 November 1940. In the weeks that followed, Greek forces launched a counteroffensive that drove the Italians back deep into Albania, fundamentally reversing the strategic situation in the theater.
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