Avlona (Greek: Αυλώνα) is a small village (pop. 16 in 2001) in Greece, on the island Karpathos, which is one of the Dodecanese islands.
On December 1, 1944, the Greek government of "National Unity" under Georgios Papandreou and Gen. Scobie (British head of the Allied forces in Greece at that time) announced an ultimatum for the general disarmament of all guerrilla forces by 10 December, excluding those allied to the government (the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade and the Sacred Squadron) and also a part of EDES and ELAS that would be used in Allied operations in Crete and Dodecanese if it was necessary.
The 20th century relations were difficult during the inter war period (Corfu incident, the occupation of the Dodecanese) and being enemies during World War II (Greco-Italian War).
In Europe, it is only absent in the following countries or islands: the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Crete, Cyclades, Dodecanese, the Faroe Islands, Franz Josef Land, Gibraltar, Iceland, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, the North Aegean islands, Novaya Zemlya, San Marino, the Savage Islands, Sicily, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Vatican City.
In Europe, it is only absent in the following countries or islands: Andorra, the Azores, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Crete, Cyclades, Cyprus, Dodecanese, the Faroe Islands, Franz Josef Land, Gibraltar, Iceland, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, the North Aegean islands, Norway, Novaya Zemlya, Portugal, San Marino, the Savage Islands, Sicily, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Vatican City.
She later took part in the capture of the island of Leros (Dodecanese Islands, Aegean Sea) in the autumn of 1943 and was finally sunk on 10 January 1944 by allied bombing (one of her torpedoes exploded) at Korcŭla (Croatia) on the Adriatic Sea.
The story is based on events that took place during World War II in the Dodecanese islands where special forces attempted to disrupt the Luftwaffe from threatening Allied forces in Egypt.