In Bulgaria, British troops encountered for the first time Romania troops in the form of the half-strength, but well equipped, Romanian 1st division. The understrength division collapsed fast and this allowed British troops to push toward Burgas. Soviet marines also landed just South of the port.
In Greece, Axis paratroopers tried a coup de force and came very close to succeeding in taking Salonica with the help of the Italian fleet and even some modest air strikes. However, in the end, the assault failed and the US division, although battered, managed to hold the port, whose capture would have reduced drastically Allied supply in the area, due to terrain not particularly adapted for supply line through the mountains around the city. Salonica’s capture could very well have stopped for good Allied push in the area.
Nonetheless, Axis troops still managed to cut-off the bulk of British forces in Northern Greece and Bulgaria. And although the eventual capture of Salonica is probably not very probable anymore, OKH still hopes to at least make contact with the German and Italian paratroopers West of the city. Cut-off British forces will now probably be even more desperate to capture Burgas, defended by a lone Bulgarian division. Although it is unclear if the port will be able to supply British troops.
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