Buffavento Castle - Cyprus 1974

 This weekend (20/21 July) is the 50th anniversary of the Turkish military intervention on the island of Cyprus in July 1974. 

The 1960 agreement on independence for Cyprus included a Treaty of Guarantee that formally engaged Turkey, Greece and Britain in the island’s future security. Article I of that treaty bans Cyprus from participating in any political union or economic union with any other state, effectively blocking Enosis. This union with Greece was the main aim of the coup plotters who overthrew President Makarios, kicking off the latest stage of the Cyprus conflict.

Article II requires the other parties to guarantee Cyprus' independence, territorial integrity, and security. Article IV reserves the right of the guarantor powers to take action to re-establish the current state of affairs in Cyprus. It also entitled these powers to take multilateral action among them or, as a last resort if no concerted action seemed possible, each guarantor to unilateral actions confined to restoring its status according to the treaty as a democratic, bicommunal, single, sovereign independent state. It was this last clause that the Turkish Government used to justify the 1974 intervention.

I have posted background materials, maps, orbats, etc., on the military plans on the website. 

The original Turkish plan was to land in the south near Famagusta. But when a defecting Turkish Captain revealed the plan, the landings shifted to the north near Kyrenia. Airborne troops would land north of Nicosia and link up. The landings were successful, and a Greek counterattack was repulsed. The airborne link-up was fiercely resisted and wasn't achieved until the following day. However, overall, the Turkish intervention went well. They put an amphibious regt. & infantry regt. ashore, dropped an airborne brigade, and air-landed a commando brigade. The first successful corps-size opposed landing since the Suez crisis.

We have gamed the initial landings and the crucial battle for the Agirda Pass, which enabled the airborne landings to join up with the beachhead. This was the GDWS display game at Carronade in May.

So, this weekend, we decided to refight one of the consolidation actions that took place after the initial UN ceasefire, or more accurately, an operational pause. The ceasefire meant the Turkish VI Army Corps were pinned into a relatively small area within range of Greek artillery and a growing minefield belt that would be difficult to break through. In this phase, they aimed to remove Greek salients and strengthen their position if further large-scale fighting was required. 

One such salient was around Buffavento Castle, originally Byzantine, built to guard the mountain passage from Kythrea to the north coast. It was once captured by Richard the Lionheart in 1191. Turkish paras (3rd Para) launched their attack on Buffavento Castle on 25 July at 08:00, which was held by the National Guard 361st Infantry Battalion. In a strong position (945 metres high) the defenders fought off the initial attack and the Turks regrouped. At 03:00 the following day, the 3rd Airborne Battalion attacked again with two platoons climbing the slopes supported by machine guns emplaced in the Buffavento woods. At 1215, the paratroopers had control of the castle.

The refight was done using 20mm figures and Modern Bolt Action rules. The initial Turkish assault went well after the Greeks were plastered with air and artillery bombardment. However, a Greek counterattack pushed back the paras. A second squad of paras also successfully assaulted, but the Greek reserve pushed them back. All looked lost for the Greeks as a third squad of paras captured the front line, and the Greeks failed their activation. However, a devastating artillery strike from a 25pdr gun destroyed the Turks. So, the Greeks held on, just as they did in the first attack in 1974. 

It was an excellent game and would make a good participation game at a show.