The Battle of Kos Airport was fought on 3 October 1943 amid the larger Battle of Kos.
After the Germans secured Kos harbor on the northern end of the island, Allied resistance was confined to the airport at Antimachia and the village of Kefalos. The Special Boat Service had occupied Antimachia on 13 September 1943, but the Luftwaffe's "butterfly bombs" had made the airport temporarily unserviceable on 17 September. The Durham Light Infantry moved in to hold the airport, and, on the afternoon of 3 October, the Germans launched their assault.
For the first time during the battle, the Germans came up against both the Royal Italian Army and the British Army, facing a mixed force of 50th Infantry Division "Regina" soldiers and the Durham Light Infantry. Luftwaffe air support proved crucial, as the British offered heavy resistance as the Germans pushed through the village of Antimachia and into the airpot. By 6 PM, the Allied situation on Kos was critical, as the Germans employed superior numbers and heavier equipment. The Durham Light Infantry, SBS, RAF Regiment, and paratroopers were forced to withdraw to the hills, enabling the Germans to occupy Antimachia and its airfield.
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