Guerrillas

The growth of an armed resistance movement was favoured by the mountainous terrain on Crete and the anti-German feeling harboured by the vast majority of the island population. Well-respected, influential figures in local society stood at the forefront of efforts to organise the first guerrilla groups, which rapidly became active on Mount Ida, in the villages at its foot in the Amari district and in the mountainous areas of Lassithi and Chania. The guerrillas co-operated both with other resistance organisations and with allied military missions, with the active support of the civilian population.

Their activities caused the occupiers serious problems, forcing them to keep large numbers of troops on the island. Among those at the head of the Cretan guerrilla struggle, outstanding members included Georgios Petrakis (Petrakogiorgis), Antonios Grigorakis (Satanas), Emmanouil Bandouvas, Ioannis Dramountanis (Stephanogiannis), Michail Xylouris (Christomichalis), Vassilios Paterakis, Ioannis Podias and others.