The Lisse Fort of the Metaxas Line in Drama

The Lisse Fort is located on a hill bearing the same name at an altitude of 771 meters, in the southeastern part of the Kato Nevrokopi plateau in Drama. It was constructed between 1936 and 1940 and consists of ten underground complexes. It is also the largest of the six Metaxas Line forts in the Drama region: Lisse, Maliaga, Perithori, Partalouska, Dasavli, and Pyramidoeidés. During the German invasion of Greece on April 6th, 1941, Lisse faced numerous enemy troops, who advanced as far as the settlement of Ochyro in Drama, located at the foot of Hill 731, yet failed to reach the fort itself. The artillery of Lisse and the surrounding forts thwarted German plans for a swift advance toward Drama and Serres. The fort’s anti-aircraft defenses also managed to shoot down a Dornier-type bomber. Lisse, along with the other forts of Kato Nevrokopi, was surrendered to the Germans on April 10th, 1941, after Thessaloniki had fallen and Greece had officially signed a surrender agreement with Germany. Pictured: The Lisse Fort atop the hill having the same name, with the village of Ochyro, Drama visible at its foot, April 1941. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.