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The Battle of Crete (German: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, Greek: Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (German: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete.
- 20 May-1 June 1941 (13 days)
- Axis victory
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941, when Germany began their airborne invasion. Greek and other Allied forces defended the island.
May 20, 2024 · Airborne invasion starts Battle of Crete. Crete was targeted by the Germans because of the British airfields on the island. These were more than capable of striking the vital Ploesti oil fields in Romania. Hitler’s forces needed all the oil they could get for their impending assault on Russia.
- Background
- Planning Operation Mercury
- Defending Crete
- Opening Attacks
- An Error at Maleme
- A Long Retreat
- Aftermath
Having swept through Greece in April 1940, German forces began preparing for the invasion of Crete. This operation was championed by the Luftwaffe as the Wehrmacht sought to avoid further engagements prior to commencing the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) in June. Pushing forward a plan calling for the mass use of airborne force...
Dubbed Operation Mercury, the invasion plan called for Major General Kurt Student's XI Fliegerkorps to land paratroopers and glider troops at key points along Crete's northern shore, to be followed by the 5th Mountain Division which would be airlifted into captured airfields. Student's attack force planned to land the bulk of its men near Maleme in...
As the Germans moved forward with invasion preparations, Major General Bernard Freyberg, VC worked to improve Crete's defenses. A New Zealander, Freyberg possessed a force consisting of around 40,000 British Commonwealth and Greek soldiers. Though a large force, approximately 10,000 lacked weapons, and heavy equipment were scarce. In May, Freyberg ...
On the morning of May 20, 1941, Student's aircraft began arriving over their drop zones. Departing their aircraft, the German paratroopers met fierce resistance upon landing. Their situation was worsened by German airborne doctrine, which called for their personal weapons to be dropped in a separate container. Armed with only pistols and knives, ma...
Though the New Zealanders were able to hold the hill through the day, an error led to their being withdrawn during the night. As a result, the Germans occupied the hill and swiftly gained control of the airfield. This permitted the arrival of elements of the 5th Mountain Division though Allied forces heavily shelled the airfield, causing significan...
These were unable to dislodge the Germans and the Allies fell back. With the situation desperate, King George II of Greece was moved across the island and evacuated to Egypt. On the waves, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunninghamworked tirelessly to prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving by sea, though he took increasingly heavy losses from German aircraf...
In the fighting for Crete, the Allies suffered around 4,000 killed, 1,900 wounded, and 17,000 captured. The campaign also cost the Royal Navy 9 ships sunk and 18 damaged. German losses totaled 4,041 dead/missing, 2,640 wounded, 17 captured, and 370 aircraft destroyed. Stunned by the high losses sustained by Student's troops, Hitler resolved never t...
The battles for the island of Crete were fought from the second week of May 1941 when the island’s British, Commonwealth, and Greek garrison was attacked by German airbourne troops. The defender’s numerical superiority was eventually overwhelmed by the attacker’s massive advantage in logistic and air support.
Feb 25, 2019 · The Battle of Crete started on 20 May 1941 when Germany launched an airborne attack on the island of Crete. The battle was fought between Germany and Italy on the Axis side and Greece, the civilians on the island, and the rest of the Allies on the other.
Jun 12, 2006 · British Prime Minister Winston Churchill then sent units of the Royal Navy into the eastern portion of the Mediterranean in anticipation of a German invasion of Crete, the largest of the Greek isles, off the southeastern coast of the Greek mainland. It was a foregone conclusion that the Germans would target the big island next.
