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4,000 dead
- The invasion of Crete marked the first major parachute attack in the history of warfare. Casualties for the British and Commonwealth numbered 4,000 dead, 2,000 wounded, and 11,300 captured out of 47,500 troops involved in the battle; the Allied forces also suffered 9 ships sunk and 18 damaged.
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May 13, 2024 · The invasion of Crete marked the first major parachute attack in the history of warfare. Casualties for the British and Commonwealth numbered 4,000 dead, 2,000 wounded, and 11,300 captured out of 47,500 troops involved in the battle; the Allied forces also suffered 9 ships sunk and 18 damaged.
- Adrian Gilbert
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. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, with multiple German airborne landings on Crete.
- 20 May-1 June 1941 (13 days)
- Axis victory
- Battle of Crete Background
- Crete Order of Battle
- Battle of Crete Casualties
- Battle of Crete Significance
- Why Was The Battle of Crete Important
Crete was occupied by the Allies when Italy attacked Greece in 1940. The Allies managed to repel the Italians in the initial invasion but Germany provided aid to the Italian attack and they drove some 57, 000 of the Allied troops from the mainland. Some of the troops that were evacuated from the mainland were sent to Crete to increase the strength ...
Allied Powers United Kingdom: 15,000 Greece: 11,451 Australia: 7,100 New Zealand: 6,700 Total: 40,000 (10,000 without fighting capacity) Axis Forces Germany: 14,000 paratroopers 15,000 mountain troopers 280 bombers 150 dive bombers 180 fighters 500 transports 80 troop gliders Italy: 2,700
Allied Powers Official figures British: 791 dead 268 wounded 6,576 captured Australian: 274 dead 507 wounded 3,079 captured New Zealand: 671 dead 967 wounded 2,180 captured Greek: Military: 426 dead 800–850 wounded 5,255 captured Civilian: 3,000 dead Royal Navy: 1,828 dead 183 wounded 9 ships sunk and 18 damaged Total: 23,830 3,990 dead 2,750 wound...
The first thing the Luftwaffe did was establish air superiority, to do this they bombed the island frequently, and eventually they accomplished their goal, the Royal Air Force moved its planes to Alexandria. When the land battle came into play both sides had certain advantages, the Allies had more troops and their naval fleet was stronger but the G...
After capturing Maleme and flying in reinforcements The Axis was able to take Crete without much problem. The entire Battle of Crete lasted about 10 days. There are several aspects that made the Battle of Crete unprecedented. It would be remembered as the first battle in which Germany would use paratroops as an invasion force on this scale but it w...
More than 1700 British, Commonwealth and Greek soldiers were killed and 15,000 captured during the Battle for Crete. There were 671 New Zealanders among the dead, and 2180 Kiwi prisoners of war. More than 6000 Germans were killed or wounded.
The German invasion of Crete, May 1941. German paratroopers dropping from Junkers Ju 52s over Crete, 20 May 1941. One of the aircraft burns after being hit by ground fire. The Germans lost 150 transport aircraft during the operation. By the end of the day, the Germans had gained none of their objectives.
May 20, 2019 · More than 2,000 Cretans were summarily executed during the first month alone and 25,000 more were to die later. Despite these atrocities, the brave people of Crete put up a courageous guerilla resistance, aided by a few British officers of the Special Operations Executive as well as Allied troops who remained on the island.
Dec 29, 2015 · As the smoke cleared, it became clear that more than 1,700 Allied soldiers had lost their lives in the battle – while more than 6,000 Germans were sent to their graves by the defenders. Hitler was not impressed by these losses and concluded that paratroopers should only be used to support ground troops, and not be used as weapons of surprise.
