View source for 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division (Greece)

{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division "ELASSON"
| native_name                   = 2η Μηχανοκίνητη Μεραρχία Πεζικού "ΕΛΑΣΣΩΝ"
| image                         = 2nd_Mechanized_Division_Emblem_Greece.jpg
| caption                       = Emblem of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division
| dates                         = 1897–1941<br>1945–today
| country                       = {{flag|Greece}}
| branch                        = {{army|Greece}}
| type                          = [[Mechanized infantry]]
| role                          = [[Anti-tank warfare]]<br>[[Armoured warfare]]<br>[[Artillery observer]]<br>[[Bomb disposal]]<br>[[Close-quarters combat]]<br>[[Combined arms]]<br>[[Counter-battery fire]]<br>[[Demining]]<br>[[Desert warfare]]<br>[[Fire support]]<br>[[Indirect fire]]<br>[[Maneuver warfare]]<br>[[Military engineering]]<br>[[Patrolling]]<br>[[Raid (military)|Raiding]]<br>[[Reconnaissance]]<br>[[Tactical communications]]<br>[[Urban warfare]]
| size                          = Division
| command_structure             = [[First Army (Greece)|First Army]]
| garrison                      = [[Edessa, Greece|Edessa]], [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]]
| patron                        = 
| motto                         = '''Even if only one stays alive'''<br>ΕΣΤ' ΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΠΕΡΙΗ<br>''Est' an ke is perii''
| battles                       = {{Tree list}}
* [[Balkan Wars]]
** [[First Balkan War]]
** [[Second Balkan War]]
* [[Russian Civil War]]
** [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]]
*** [[Southern Front of the Russian Civil War|Southern Front]]
**** [[Southern Russia Intervention]]
* [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)]]
**[[Battle of the Sakarya]]
* [[World War II]]
** [[Battle of Greece]]
* [[Greco-Italian War]]
* [[Greek Civil War]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| anniversaries                 = 
}}
The '''2nd Mechanized Infantry Division''' is a mechanized infantry division of the [[Hellenic Army]].

== History ==
The 2nd Infantry Division was established in the aftermath of the disastrous [[Greco-Turkish War of 1897]] by Royal Decree on 24 October 1897.{{Greece Old Style dating}} Based at [[Athens]], it comprised the [[3rd Infantry Brigade (Greece)|3rd Infantry Brigade]] at with [[1st Infantry Regiment (Greece)|1st]] and [[7th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|7th]] Infantry Regiments, and the [[4th Infantry Brigade (Greece)|4th Infantry Brigade]] with [[8th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|8th]] and [[9th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|9th]] Infantry Regiments.<ref>{{cite book | script-title=el:Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 | trans-title=The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 | publisher=Hellenic Army Historical Directorate | year = 2005 | isbn = 960-7897-45-5 | language = Greek | pages = 219–220}}</ref> The two existing divisions were then abolished on 1 August 1900 as part of a general restructuring, and three new divisions were ordered established a month later. 2nd Division, still at Athens, now comprised 3rd Brigade (Athens) with the 1st and 7th Regiments, and 4th Brigade ([[Chalkis]]) with the [[2nd Infantry Regiment (Greece)|2nd]] and [[5th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|5th]] Infantry Regiments, as well as the [[2nd Cavalry Regiment (Greece)|2nd Cavalry Regiment]], the [[2nd Artillery Regiment (Greece)|2nd Artillery Regiment]], and the [[2nd Evzone Battalion]].<ref>{{cite book | script-title=el:Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 | trans-title=The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 | publisher=Hellenic Army Historical Directorate | year = 2005 | isbn = 960-7897-45-5 | language = Greek | pages = 220–222}}</ref>

On 9 September 1904, as part of another reorganization, the 4th Brigade was moved to [[Nafplio]] and now comprised the [[8th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|8th]] and [[11th Infantry Regiment (Greece)|11th]] Regiments, while the 3rd Brigade remained as it was. In addition, the division now comprised the [[1st Evzone Battalion|1st]] and 2nd Evzone Battalions, the [[2nd Cavalry Regiment (Greece)|2nd Cavalry Regiment]], [[2nd Field Artillery Regiment (Greece)|2nd Field Artillery Regiment]], 2nd Engineers Battalion, 2nd Train Company and 2nd Nursing Company, and the 2nd Military Music Command. Most of these support units were based at Athens.<ref>{{cite book | script-title=el:Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 | trans-title=The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 | publisher=Hellenic Army Historical Directorate | year = 2005 | isbn = 960-7897-45-5 | language = Greek | page = 229}}</ref>

In January 1912, the brigades were abolished and divisions organized as [[triangular division]]s.<ref>{{cite book | script-title=el:Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 | trans-title=The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 | publisher=Hellenic Army Historical Directorate | year = 2005 | isbn = 960-7897-45-5 | language = Greek | page = 239}}</ref> The Division remained at Athens, but now comprised 1st and 7th Regiments at Athens and the [[3rd Infantry Regiment (Greece)|3rd Infantry Regiment]] at Chalkis, plus supporting units.<ref>{{cite book | script-title=el:Η ιστορία της οργάνωσης του Ελληνικού Στρατού, 1821–1954 | trans-title=The history of the organization of the Hellenic Army, 1821–1954 | publisher=Hellenic Army Historical Directorate | year = 2005 | isbn = 960-7897-45-5 | language = Greek | page = 241}}</ref>

In 1998, the division was directly subordinate to the II Army Corps. It comprised the 33rd and 34th Brigades, both mechanised. Both were equipped with M-113s and Leopard MBTs.<ref>'ARRC Assigned Forces,' NATO's Sixteen Nations, Special Issue 1998, p.6</ref> In 2014 the [[24th Armored Brigade (Greece)|24th Armored Brigade]] was transferred to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division, which in its current form with three brigades is the strategic reserve of the Hellenic Army.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.defence-point.gr/news/?p=74312|title = Μελλοντική Δομή Δυνάμεων: Επιτέλους συμμάζεμα, τα στοιχεία &#124; Defence-point.gr|date = 25 April 2013}}</ref>

==Structure==
{{Location map+ | Greece
| width = 520
| caption = {{center|2nd Mechanized Division locations}}
| relief = 1
| places =
{{Location map~ | Greece
    | label = '''<small>{{nowrap|2nd Mech. Div.}}</small>'''
    | position = left
    | background = white
    | marksize = 11
    | mark = Green pog.svg
    | lat_deg = 40  | lat_min = 48 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 22  | lon_min = 03 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Greece
    | label = <small>{{nowrap|[[24th Armoured Brigade (Greece)|24th Armored Bde.]]}}</small>
    | position = right
    | background = white
    | marksize = 9
    | mark = Pink pog.svg
    | lat_deg = 40  | lat_min = 06 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 22  | lon_min = 30 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Greece
    | label = <small>{{nowrap|[[33rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Greece)|33rd Mech. Bde.]]}}</small>
    | position = top
    | background = white
    | marksize = 9
    | mark = Green pog.svg
    | lat_deg = 41  | lat_min = 00 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 22  | lon_min = 34 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Greece
    | label = <small>{{nowrap|[[34th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Greece)|34th Mech. Bde.]]}}</small>
    | position = right
    | background = white
    | marksize = 9
    | mark = Green pog.svg
    | lat_deg = 40  | lat_min = 49 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 23  | lon_min = 01 | lon_dir = E
  }}
}}

[[File:Hellenic Army 2 Mechanized Infantry Division.png|thumb|right|520px|2nd Mechanized Division organization 2025]]

* [[File:2nd Mechanized Division Emblem Greece.jpg|30px]] '''2nd Mechanized Division''' (II Μ/Κ ΜΠ) based at [[Edessa, Greece|Edessa]] ([[Central Macedonia]])
** Division Command Company (ΛΣ/ΙΙ Μ/Κ ΜΠ)
**[[24th Armoured Brigade (Greece)|24th Armored Brigade]] "1st Cavalry Regiment - Florina", in [[Litochoro]], (Central Macedonia)
**[[33rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Greece)|33rd Mechanized Brigade]], in [[Polykastro]], (Central Macedonia)
**[[34th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Greece)|34th Mechanized Brigade]], in [[Assiros]], (Central Macedonia)
** Division Artillery Command (ΔΠΒ/ΙΙ Μ/Κ ΜΠ)
** 2nd Signal Battalion (2ο ΤΔΒ)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Hellenic Army}}
{{Greece divisions}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Mechanized Infantry Division (Greece)}}
[[Category:Mechanized infantry divisions of Greece]]
[[Category:1897 establishments in Greece]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1897]]


{{Greece-mil-stub}}