Capture of Klisura Pass The Capture of Klisura Pass ( ) was a military operation that took place during 6 – 11 January 1941 in southern Albania , and was one of the most important battles of the Greco - Italian War . The Italian Army , initially deployed on the Greek - Albanian border , launched a major offensive against Greece on 28 October 1940 . After a two - week conflict , Greece managed to repel the invading Italians in the battles of Pindus and Elaia - Kalamas . Beginning on 9 November , the Greek forces launched a major counteroffensive and penetrated deep into Italian - held Albanian territory . The Greek operations culminated with the capture of the strategically important Klisura Pass on January 1941 . Background . After its successful counter - attack and the Battle of Morava - Ivan , the Hellenic Army penetrated deep into Italian - held Albanian territory , taking control of the local urban centers of Gjirokastër and Korçë ( December 1940 ) . In a war council , at 5 December , General Alexander Papagos , worried about the possibility of German intervention in support of the Italians , attempted to hasten the advance . Moreover , Generals Pitsikas and Tsolakoglou suggested the immediate capture of the Klisura pass so as to secure the Greek positions . During the period of the Greek counter - offensive , the Greek forces had much greater distances to contend with and their logistics and road network were substantially inferior compared to the Italians . The Klisura pass was a particularly strategic location toward the town of Berat and the topography of the terrain in addition to bad weather made the operation extremely difficult . Battle . The attack was led by the 2nd Army Corps , and especially by the I and XI Divisions . During the battle , the Italians used for the first time the new M13 medium tanks of the " Centauro " Armored Division . They were used on frontal attacks , but the result was disastrous , as they were decimated by the Greek artillery fire . On 10 January , after four days of fierce battles , the Greek infantry divisions finally captured the pass . The final assault that led to the location ' s capture was led by the recently brought 5th Division , which consisted mainly of Cretans . The Italian headquarters immediately launched counterattacks to recapture the sector . Italian Supreme Commander Ugo Cavallero ordered the newly arrived " Lupi di Toscana " Division to support the " Julia " Alpine Division , but the operation was ill - prepared . Although they faced only four Greek battalions , they rapidly lost one battalion of their own due to encirclement . By 11 January , the Italian attack had been pushed back and over the next days , the " Wolves of Tuscany " were almost annihilated . This failure secured Greek possession of the pass . Aftermath . The capture of the strategic pass by the Greek army was considered a major success by the Allied forces , with the Commander of the British forces in the Middle East , Archibald Wavell , sending a congratulatory message to Alexander Papagos . In the following weeks , the front lines stabilized , with the Greek forces facing a bad logistical situation and the Italians managing to gain numerical superiority in order to stop their retreat . Both sides kept their positions until the German intervention in April 1941 .