A Secret Deployment
Manolis Bikakis, a Gretan twenty-year-old solder, was serving in the Greek Special Forces in 1974 Turkish invation. His unit, the Alpha Raider Squadron, received a secret mission. They boarded Noratlas aircraft for Operation Niki and they flew to Cyprus under cover of darkness. Their goal was to reinforce Greek and Cypriot troops defending against the Turkish invasion.
The Battle for Agios Dometios
The Turkish army launched a second major assault on August 14. Bikakis’s squadron deployed to the area of Agios Dometios. He took up a position on a hill with a fellow soldier. They were armed with a 90 mm M67 recoilless rifle. Turkish warplanes bombed their position at dawn and the blast separated the two men. Each believed the other had died. Bikakis’s comrade reported him killed in action. But Bikakis was very much alive.
One Man against an Army
Bikakis refused to retreat so he remained alone in his trench. He faced an entire Turkish tank company and supporting infantry. The only ammunition he had was only eight rounds for his weapon therefore he carefully aimed at the first approaching tank, he fired and destroyed it. The attack caused panic among the enemy troops. Soon after he destroyed a second tank. His position was now exposed, but he stood his ground.
A Legend is forged
Bikakis continued his incredible defence. He fired again and destroyed a third tank. In total, he destroyed six Turkish tanks with six precise shots. His heroic actions helped stop the Turkish advance toward Nicosia. At this time he saw the enemy soldiers retreating into an abandoned building. With his two remaining rounds destroy the structure. The attack killed an unknown number of troops inside.
Survival and a Quiet Life
For four days, Bikakis moved alone through enemy territory. He survived by scavenging weapons from the battlefield. Eventually he managed to rejoin his squadron. His commander recommended him for the Gold Cross of Valour. However, the army never awarded him the medal. Bikakis never complained. After the war, he left the military and started a family and worked quietly as a construction worker. Unfortunately he never received official recognition for his bravery during his lifetime.
He died in a car accident in 1994, while driving on the Athens-Patra National Highway, at the age of 40.
The Greek government finally awarded him with the Medal of Gallantry in 2015; 41 years after the war had ended, acknowledging his bravery for destroying 6 Turkish tanks while single-handedly engaging the advancing Turkish forces.
