Manolis Bikakis ( el, Μανόλης Μπικάκης; 1954 – 1994) was a Greek commando and war hero of the defense of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

during the

Turkish invasion The 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, code-named Operation Peace Spring ( tr, Barış Pınarı Harekâtı) by Turkey, was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Syrian National Arm ...

.Μανώλης Μπικάκης: Ένας ξεχασμένος ήρωας του 1974, Proto thema onLine, 20/07/2014
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Turkish Invasion of Cyprus

Bikakis served with the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Alpha Raider Squadron which was secretly airlifted to

with

Operation Niki Operation Niki ( el, Επιχείρηση Νίκη), named after the goddess Nike, was a clandestine airlift operation during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that was carried out on 21/22 July 1974, with the aim of transporting a battalion of Gree ...

during the night of 21st July 1974 and in the early morning of 22nd. The Alpha Raider Squadron had the objective to reinforce the

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units defending the island and was assigned to the airport of Nicosia (see: Battle of Nicosia Airport). During the second phase of invasion launched on August 14, 1974, the Squadron was dispersed confronting the invading Turks in the area of

Ayios Dhometios ''Agios'' ( el, Άγιος), plural ''Agioi'' (), transcribes masculine gender Greek words meaning 'sacred' or 'saint' (for example Agios Dimitrios, Agioi Anargyroi). It is frequently shortened in colloquial language to ''Ai'' (for example Agios E ...

. Bikakis had been ordered to provide anti-tank cover with a 90-mm M67 recoilless antitank rifle. During the clashes, he was separated from his comrades who later presumed him dead. Repeatedly changing his position, Bikakis fought alone for four days and destroyed six

M48A2 The M48 Patton is an American first-generation main battle tank (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was designed as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks, and wa ...

battle tanks with his M67 and fired his last two rounds at a building where Turkish troops had taken cover. His actions held up an entire Turkish battalion as a result."...Και Μόνος και Μετά Πολλών" Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΓΕΕΘΑ (Greek General Staff historical archives)
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Aftermath

Bikakis and his fellow raiders contributed decisively to repelling the Turkish forces in their sector, saving Nicosia from falling to them. Despite the fact that his commander recommended him for a

Medal for Gallantry The Medal for Gallantry (MG) is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It recognises acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The MG was introduced on 15 January 1991, replacing the Imperial e ...

, for political reasons Bikakis did not receive any honors nor was his courage publicly recognized whilst he was alive. Bikakis died in a car accident in 1994, while driving on the GR-8A road. He was officially honored posthumously in 2015, more than 40 years after his actions.

References

1954 births 1994 deaths 20th-century Greek people Greek military personnel of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus 1974 in Cyprus People from Heraklion (regional unit) {{Greece-mil-bio-stub