The Kelkagias Fort of the Metaxas Line in Serres

The Kelkagias Fort of the Metaxas Line in Serres is located on Mount Mpelles or Kerkini, near the Greece-Bulgaria border. It was one of the northernmost forts of the Metaxas Line, alongside the Istibei and Arpalouki forts. On April 6th, 1941, it was one of the first to be attacked by German forces, as it was a key fort for the area. The German attack against the Kelkagias Fort began simultaneously in the early morning with the attack on the Istibei Fort. By noon of the same day, units of the German forces had reached the surface of the Kelkagias Fort, but without any success. On April 7th, 1941, during the night, the Germans sealed the galleries and released suffocating gases into the tunnels, creating an asphyxiating atmosphere for the defenders. The fort's commander, Captain Zakynthinos, realized that there was no longer any hope for the fort and decided to surrender. Before doing so, he destroyed the telephone exchange and burned classified documents to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Germans. The Kelkagias Fort was the first to be captured in the "Metaxas Line." In total, four Greek officers and 150 soldiers surrendered to the Germans. The German commander, Ringel, was surprised by the small number of soldiers defending the Kelkagias Fort. German sources state that within the fort, the Germans found 20 dead soldiers, a number that agrees with Greek sources. Pictured: a map of the movements of the German army against the Kelkagias and Arpalouki forts from April 6th-7th, 1941. On the right is the floor plan of the Kelkagias Fort. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.