In 1943 Greek islands were the scene of the last successful German invasion of the Second World War. They had been occupied by the Italians since 1912 but with the downfall of Mussolini in 1943, Winston Churchill seized the opportunity to open a new front in the eastern Mediterranean. Rejected by the Americans, it was a proposal fraught with difficulties and, ultimately, one that was doomed to failure. British garrison troops occupied territory with the assistance of naval forces, but with little or no air cover. They were opposed by some of Germany's finest, including units of the esteemed Division Brandenburg, with ample air and sea support. Three months of operations ended in a British defeat and with the Aegean under German occupation until the end of the war.