Cypriot National Guard

The National Guard was established in 1964 as a force composed entirely of ethnic Greeks, following the 1963–1964 breakdown of social and political relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus.^[1] As outlined by the tripartite Treaty of Alliance (1960)^[2] and defined by the early Constitution of 1960–1963, Cyprus was entitled to an army of 2,000 men, to be made up of 60% Greek and 40% Turkish personnel. The first elected President of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, proposed thirteen constitutional amendments to the 1960 constitution, which would have adjusted distribution of manpower and voting power for all civil and military services. This adjustment was aimed at giving greater representation and influence to the Greek Cypriot majority, which at the time formed around 82% of the island's indigenous population.

The Cypriot National Guard has been involved in multiple combat operations, all within Cyprus territory.

• In 1964, Cyprus and Turkey engaged in direct confrontation during the Battle of Tylliria, as a result of civil warfare between Indigenous Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Greek Cypriot forces entered the Turkish enclave of Kokkina in an effort to eliminate a Turkish beachhead, resulting in almost two weeks of fighting.

• In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus intervening against a military coup by the Cyprus National Guard in Nicosia. The invasion resulted in two concentrated Turkish offensives (Attila-1 and Attila-2) and one dispersed Greek Cypriot counter-offensive (Aphrodite-2). Within one month, Turkish forces had captured 38% of the island's northern area, succeeding in bisecting Nicosia and taking Kyrenia, Morphou and Famagusta. Cypriot National Guard forces, supported by a smaller number of Greek troops, were only able to prevent the loss of Nicosia International Airport and the Kato Pyrgos corridor during the second Turkish offensive.

• In 1978, Egyptian commando forces raided Larnaca International Airport in an effort to seize a hijacked Greek Cypriot airliner. Greek Cypriot commando and paramilitary forces resisted the Egyptian forces, resulting in a sustained gun battle with the death of 12 Egyptian commandos and 3 Egyptian Air Force aircrew.

Currently, only Greek Cypriots serve in the military. Legally, the Greek Cypriot community comprises the ethnic Greek population as well as Cypriots belonging to three Christian minorities – the Armenians, Latin Rite Catholics and Maronites. Since 2008, service is mandatory for all members of the Greek Cypriot community and not only for ethnic Greeks. The current supreme commander is a Greek military commander, as have been all of his predecessors.

Military service in the Republic of Cyprus is mandatory for males. The minimum obligatory service period is 24 months.^[3] All male visitors to the island of military age (16 and over) who have a father of Cypriot extraction are required to obtain an exit visa from a Defence Ministry office.

As of 2016, conscripts with a Cypriot mother and a foreign father, even if they do not have the Cypriot nationality, will have to do the full service of 24 months. Under the same rules, those born to a foreign mother and Cypriot father and who gained nationality through their father have to do the full service. The House Defence committee passed this new law in order to avoid being penalized by the European Court of Human Rights.

• National Guard Standard Issue - Cyprus National Guard Pattern (similar to woodland but with different colours to match the environment) and Greek Lizard Pattern
• Army Special Forces (DKD) - MARPAT Woodland (Exact pattern and cut of USMC CUU, but with no EGA embroidered)
• Army Special Forces (DKD) - ACU Universal Camouflage Pattern
• Army Special Forces (DKD) - Klyaksa Snow Camouflage
• Navy Special Forces (OYK) - US Woodland
• Air Force - Cyprus National AF Guard Pattern

The Cypriot National Guard, in its existent form, was initially mobilised circa mid-1963 as a Greek Cypriot infantry force with some small elements dedicated to artillery, anti-armour and light armour forces. This force inherited some mixed equipment from its pre-civil war organisation, including 54 British-made 25-pounder guns, 40 Marmon-Herrington Mk-IVF armoured fighting vehicles, 4 Shorland light armoured cars, 2 Daimler Dingo light armoured cars, 5 C-17 light armoured trucks and a variety of machines guns, mortars and a few anti-tank weapons (namely M20 Super Bazookas and a small number of PIAT weapons). The Greek Cypriots also possessed some Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns, along with a variety of Bedford trucks and old US made Jeeps.

The military confrontation at Kokkina in August 1964 between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot forces saw the Greek-Cypriot force mobilised for the first time to attempt to eliminate a fortified coastal enclave in the Tylliria region of the island, in an effort to stop Turkish vessels putting ashore there to offload food, weapons and ammunition for the Turkish Cypriot militia units active in that region. The attempted siege of Kokkina began on 6 August and ended on 9 August after two days of daylight air strikes by the Turkish Air Force around Kokkina and neighbouring Kato Pyrgos (a mountain village overlooking Kokkina which was being used for observation and artillery fire-direction positions). Having sustained manpower and material losses as a result of these air strikes, the Cypriot National Guard pulled back slightly and solidified a perimeter of containment around Kokkina, leaving the Turkish Cypriot village isolated from the rest of the island, and buffered only a narrow UN demilitarized zone.

Aware of the glaring deficiency of their military capabilities, the leadership of the Cypriot National Guard under General George Grivas (an ultra-nationalist commanding officer largely subordinate to the Greek Junta in Athens) was able to compel the civilian Government of Cyprus, under Archbishop Makarios to seek out foreign assistance for a massive armament campaign. Since Cyprus could not afford major weapons purchases under her own depleted national budget, Makarios was forced to dispatch an envoy on 1 October 1964 to the Soviet Union to request military assistance. This move resulted in rapid Soviet assistance, widely regarded by Western countries as a step towards a Cold War alliance between Cyprus and Russia.

As soon as 23-24 December 1964, a Russian Navy freighter arrived at Limassol Port carrying the first batch of arms intended to re-equip the National Guard. These supplies included 4 unidentified armoured vehicles, and 130 ZIL heavy trucks, along with sufficient number of crates to fill 36 Bedford trucks. After this initial delivery, arms transfers made by the Russian Navy to Cyprus accelerated, with freighters travelling via Alexandria in Egypt to Limassol under cover of night. These deliveries included a full package of Soviet-made radars and radio systems to complement the structural and strategic requirements of a reinforced National Guard. In addition, a consignment of 32 Soviet-made T-34/85 medium tanks (from Yugoslav surplus) were delivered along with 40 BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers, as well as a batch of 30 modern 100mm light field howitzers, 40 modern 3M6 Shmel anti-tank missile firing units, a batch of ZPU-1 14.5mm anti-aircraft guns and a consignment of around 3500 Czech surplus AK-47s, as well as RPG-7s.

After 1965, and until 1974, the civilian Government of Archbishop Makarios became increasingly alienated by the relationship between the National Guard leadership and the ruling military Government of Greece. Few funds were made available to secure other armaments of technical support, and the National Guard was forced to develop alternative means to armament and self-sustainment. A Technical Corps was established to produce and retrofit a series of improvised armoured vehicles from unneeded ATS-712 Soviet tractors, resulting in 10 locally produced "TS" armoured personnel carriers. A lack of spare parts meant that by the time of the 1974 military coup against Archbishop Makarios, the National Guard was experiencing severe technical difficulties with its T-34 tanks. The problem for the National Guard was further compounded by the refusal of Makarios' loyalist paramilitary force to hand over some 3500 Czech automatic rifles, along with 4 armoured vehicles, and a variety of other weapons which had been hidden at a warehouse near Nicosia Airport, or were otherwise being used by the loyalists.

The main body of the Cypriot ground forces is made up by 2 infantry divisions, 3 infantry brigades, 1 armored brigade and 1 support brigade.

• 1st Infantry Division (Ιη Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• 2nd Infantry Division (ΙΙα Μεραρχία ΠΖ)
• 4th Infantry Brigade (ΙVη Ταξιαρχία ΠΖ)
• 20th Armored Brigade (ΧΧη ΤΘ Ταξιαρχία)
• 3rd Support Brigade (ΙΙΙη Ταξιαρχία ΥΠ)
• 7th Infantry Brigade (VIIη Ταξιαρχία ΠΖ)
• 8th Infantry Brigade (VIIIη Ταξιαρχία ΠΖ)
• Artillery Command (Διοίκηση Πυροβολικού)
• Military Police (Στρατονομία)
• Special Forces Command (Διοίκηση Kαταδρόμων)

The Cyprus Naval Command became active circa 1963, following the outbreak of civil conflict between extremists within the Greek and Turkish ethnic communities of the island. At the outset of operational status, the Cyprus Naval Command was manned by Greek Navy officers and junior officers, whilst the sailors were primarily Greek Cypriot conscripts of educated backgrounds. The first equipment made available to the Cyprus Naval Command was a set of three ex-German WW2-era R-boats (two of the R-151 class called P-01 Arion and P-02 Phaethon, and one of the R-218 class under the name Dedalos). All three vessels were in service by August 1964, having been purchased from a shipyard in Piraeus, Greece by a private sponsor named A. Leventis. The three vessels were in poor condition due to their age, and had to be refurbished in Greece before delivery to Cyprus^[4].

On 6 August 1964, the Cypriot National Guard was mobilised to intervene in the ongoing inter-ethnic confrontation at Kokkina, a Turkish-Cypriot controlled fortified enclave on the south-western edge of Morphou Bay in the north-west of the island. By this stage, the Cypriot National Guard was effectively a Greek Cypriot security force, which by virtue of its commander, General George Grivas, was subordinate to Athens (in Greece) and not to Nicosia (in Cyprus)^[5].

Kokkina was regarded by Grivas as a major coastal beachhead for Turkey to land weapons in Cyprus, with the aim of arming the Turkish Cypriots. For this reason, he persuaded the military government in Athens to authorise an all-out assault on Kokkina, with the aim of eliminating the beachhead, and preventing more weapons being delivered to Turkish Cypriot militia groups^[6].

As a necessity of mounting such an assault, Grivas required a naval presence off the coast of Kokkina, in order to bombard the enclave from the sea, and to prevent any other shipping from interfering. Consequently, the Phaethon and the Arion were utilised in the assault and commenced their assault with broadsides of 40mm and 20mm gunfire into the enclave on 6 August. This action was coordinated with battery fire from six land-based 25-pounder guns and around a dozen mortars used by ground forces to besiege the enclave from the south and south-west.

The siege continued until 8 August, when the Turkish Government opted to intervene with air strikes, as it became clear to all parties that Kokkina’s defences were likely to collapse, regardless of a UN presence in the area. The Turkish Air Force dispatched a number of formations of F-100 Super Sabres to commence air strikes against the Cypriot ground and naval forces, in broad daylight and flying at low level with no regard for Cypriot anti-aircraft guns.

The first formation of F-100 Super Sabres spotted the Phaethon near to a small fisheries harbour west of Kokkina. The Phaethon commenced evasive manoeuvres and put up 20mm cannon fire, but was struck in the engines by strafing rockets and exploded into flames, killing seven of her crew. One of the four survivors then piloted the ship with a single functioning engine to run aground next to the harbour, so that the crew could be recovered by local fishermen. The Phaethon was then gutted by flames, rendering it a wreck.

Minutes after the attack on the Phaethon, a second formation of F-100s spotted the Cypriot gunboat Arion further up the coast towards Kokkina. The Arion was strafed with guns and rockets, causing superficial damage. As the Arion successfully made her escape using evasive manoeuvres, an F-100C Super Sabre, piloted by Cpt. Cengiz Topel of 112 Filo ^[7]was shot down by a Cypriot 40mm anti-aircraft gun emplacement on the shoreline.

The loss of the Phaethon was a severe shock to the National Guard leadership, and was compounded by further casualties and material losses at Kato Pyrgos^[8], a nearby Greek Cypriot village which was bombarded on 8 and 9 August in an effort to dislodge National Guardsmen using its hilltops for directing artillery fire with radios.

A scramble for arms featured prominently throughout 1964, as the Cypriot National Guard compelled the civilian Government to solicit Soviet support. In early 1964, the Greek Cypriots acquired a large package of radars, communications and logistical support apparatus for SA-2F Guideline surface-air missiles^[9], and only a NATO blockade of Limassol in 1965 prevented the live missile rounds and their TELs from being delivered^[10]. With no effective air-defence measure in place, the Greek Cypriots utilised the radars at one western and one eastern coastal mountain points in the Petedaktylos Mountains stretching across the north of the island. These radars provided both air and surface tracking capability for aircraft and shipping.^[11]

In late 1964, it was reported that Greek Cypriot Naval crews had been sent to Egypt to train on Soviet Komar class fast attack craft. Western media sources assumed that Cyprus was being prepared to receive Komar class vessels, although Cyprus eventually chose cheaper naval vessels in the form of six P-4 Skinhead motor torpedo boats (MTBs).

In February 1965, the Cyprus Naval Command entered the six MTBs into service under the naval pennants 20 to 25, and the designations T-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6. These vessels were extremely fast and could be used to attack Turkish warships and landing vessels in littoral waters using a pair of 533mm torpedoes. In addition, each vessel mounted a twin 25mm general-purpose A/A gun. These were all stationed at a purpose-built naval squadron base at Boghazi, named Base Chrysulis.

In 1970, the P-01 Arion was renamed “Leventis” in honour of a private sponsor who paid for the refurbishment of the vessel. The Leventis was given the new pennant “15”. Her sister ship, P-03 Dedalos, was removed from the Navy list in 1971.

At some point in 1973, the T-5 motor torpedo boat (No.24) was removed from Navy lists and disarmed. She was stripped of useful materials, and left as a hulk at Naval Base Chrysulis^[12]. Around the same time, three Type-108 motor torpedo boats of unknown designation were delivered from Yugoslavia, but did not enter active service and were laid up at Boghazi.

Just prior to the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus in 1974, the Cyprus Government ordered two Esterel-32L fast patrol boats from France. These were embargoed as a result of the conflict, and would be delivered to Greece instead in 1975.

On 15 July 1974, EOKA-B and elements of the Cyprus National Guard overthrew the legitimate President, Archbishop Makarios and replaced him with Nikos Sampson. Makarios escaped an initial attempt to capture him at the Archbishiporic in Nicosia, and fled to Paphos. The naval patrol vessel Leventis (No.15) was quickly dispatched to Paphos to begin shelling a radio station there which was being operated by pro-Makarios elements. On 20 July 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus in a surprise-attack, without issuing a declaration of war. A naval force of Turkish vessels was detected by coastal radar at Apostolos Andreas approaching the coast, and a second force of naval vessels was sighted off the coast of Kyrenia during the early hours. The Cyprus National Guard Naval Command quickly ordered its two motor torpedo boats, T-1 (under the command of Lieutenant Junior Grade Nicolaos Verikios) and T-3 (under the command of Lieutenant Elefterios Tsomakis), both based at Kyrenia, to attack the Turkish flotilla directly. Both vessels were promptly sunk by combined air and sea attack. The rest of the Cyprus Navy vessels were scuttled by their own crews at Naval base "Chrysulis" in Boghazi on 14 August 1974. After the conflict, two boats were re-floated by Turkish troops and transferred to Golcuk Naval Museum, Turkey (on display with incorrect pennant numbers 11 and 12).

The Air Component of the Cypriot National Guard is typically referred as the Cyprus Air Command (Greek: Διοίκησης Αεροπορίας Κύπρου). The Cyprus Air Command consists of the 449 Anti-Tank Helicopter Squadron (with 4 SA-342L Gazelles and 2 Bell-206L-3s), the 450 Attack Helicopter Squadron (with 11 Mi-35PN Hind-F heavy attack helicopters, 1 PC-9 and 1 BN2B-21), the 460 Helicopter Squadron (with 3 AW-139s), and a secret UAV squadron (designation and equipment not officially acknowledged). Additionally, the Air Defence Sub-Command of the Air Force, which operates air-defence weapons, is kept secret in terms of its organisation and equipment.

The Cyprus armed forces operate a pool of three Army Special Forces Groups (plus one auxiliary) known colloquially as LOK (Greek: ΛΟΚ - Λόχοι Ορεινών Καταδρομών, Lochoi Oreinōn Katadromōn). All LOK Groups are part of the Army Special Forces Command DKD (Greek: ΔΚΔ - Διοίκησης Καταδρομών - Diikisis Katadromon), and a soldier belonging to the Brigade is called a Raider (Greek: Kαταδρομέας, Kαταδρομείς - Katadromeas, Katadromeis). Cyprus Special Forces training is based closely on their Greek Counterparts.

All members of the Brigade wear the unit insignia depicting a winged sword, representative of the "deadly, silent and swift" nature of special forces operations. A scroll runs across the sword and wings with the motto Who Dares Wins (Greek: Ο ΤΟΛΜΩΝ ΝΙΚΑ - O Tolmon Nika), a tribute to the Free Greek Special Forces that served with the 1st Special Air Service (1 SAS) Brigade during World War II. The unit flash is emblazoned with ΔΥΝΑΜΕΙΣ ΚΑΤΑΔΡΟΜΩΝ (Raider Forces). While on operation, low-visibility patches are worn.

All Raiders wear the green beret with the national emblem on the left.

The Navy has a Special Forces Group known as OYK Omada Ipovrixion Katastrofon (Greek: Ομάδα Υποβρυχίων Καταστροφών) similar to US Navy Seals "OYK" stands for Underwater demolition team in Greek.

•  
  Reserves Organisation

The Republic of Cyprus is thought to possess ready reserves (first and second line reserves of fighting fitness and age) in the order of 75,000 men (some estimates of 50,000 exclude the trained and organised Home Guard or Third Line). These numbers do not include females of voluntary military experience or fighting fitness / age.

Formed reserve units in existence include six light infantry brigades (maintained at cadre strength during peacetime). Each of these brigades has three battalions with supporting command, control, communications and supply infrastructure.

The main armoured capability of the Cypriot National Guard is structured under the command of the 20th Armoured Brigade. This force includes a nominal strength of 3 tank battalions (82 T-80U MBTs and 54 AMX-30B2s) with an auxiliary unit of spare tanks (50 AMX-30s slated for phase out, to be replaced with 41 T-80Us). The XX brigade also includes a nominal strength of 3 or 4 mechanized infantry battalions, a reconnaissance battalion, a self-propelled artillery battery and a mobile air-defence battery (TOR-M1s).

The remaining armoured forces are distributed to units of mechanised infantry and self-propelled anti-tank systems deployed at the divisional and brigade level.

Land Component

•  
  Mi-35 of Cyprus Air Force
•  
  Bell-206L3 of Cyprus Air Force
•  
  National Guard soldier with G-3A3 rifle / CNG Camouflage
•  
  Raiders of the Cypriot National Guard marching at Republic Fest Military Parade in 2007, Italy.
•  
  At a welcoming ceremony of Dmitry Medvedev.

• Armoured vehicles of the Cypriot National Guard
• Battle of Pentemili beachhead (1974)
• Battle of Tylliria (Cyprus 1964)
• British Forces Cyprus
• Cyprus Air Forces
• Cyprus Civil Defence
• Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center
• Cyprus Police
• Cyprus Port & Marine Police
• List of Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus
• Military Equipment of Cyprus
• Military operations during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
• Reported Military Losses during the Invasion of Cyprus (1974)
• Timeline of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
• Turkish Cypriot Security Force

Creation of National Guard

• Cyprus National Guard Official Site
• The Cyprus Conflict

Order of Battle

• "Cyprus, 1974", by T. Cooper and N. Tselepidis, published October 28, 2003 for ACIG.org.

Armaments

• Cyprus National Guard Official Site
• Table 23, Republic of Cyprus: Major National Guard Equipment, 1990, Library of Congress (Additional sourcing: Based on information from The Military Balance, 1989–1990, London, 1989, 85; and Christopher F. Foss, "Cypriot Rearmament Completed," Jane's Defence Weekly [London], March 12, 1988, 445.)
• APORRITOS ATILLAS, Savvas Vlassis
• "1974: The Unknown Backstage of the Turkish Invasion", Makarios Drousiotis, Nicosia 2002, ISBN 9963-631-02-9
• Cyprus 1974 - The Greek coup and the Turkish invasion, Makarios Drousiotis, Hellenic Distribution Agency
• Conway's: All The World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
• Erich Gröner "Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945", Band 2, Munchen 1983, ISBN 3-7637-4801-6
• Cyprus, 1955-1973 By Tom Cooper, www.acig.org
• Cyprus 100 Years Alex Efthyvoulou, Laiki Cultural Bank Archive
• British Pathe Archive

Combat Actions

• The Cyprus Conflict
• "1974: The Unknown Backstage of the Turkish Invasion", Makarios Drousiotis, Nicosia 2002, ISBN 9963-631-02-9
• Cyprus 1974 - The Greek coup and the Turkish invasion, Makarios Drousiotis, Hellenic Distribution Agency
• Cyprus, 1955-1973 By Tom Cooper, www.acig.org

• National Guard website
• Cyprus Country Study
• How to become a cadet officer - Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός
• House passes mixed-parent army law