Saturday, 29 November 2008
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Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete is considered one of the most sensational events os the Second World War . It highlights the final act of the German - Greek war . Because of the occupacion of Crete was considered an unrealistic military obsective , no significand defense preparationshad been made of the island . Hitler himself could not see the expediency of the operation hesitated to undertake an air attack on Crete , the only viable way to achieving its occupation . Kurt Student , commander of XI Air Corps , managed to change Hitler's mind , while the majority of the German militaryleaders had opted for an attack on Malta , not on Crete . Student argued that the occupation of Crete would ba an easy and glorious operation wich would strengthen German air superiority in the Mediterranian and , at the same time , provide other military benefits . Thus , began Operation Mercure on the morning of May 20 , 1941 . It was the largest in scale operation of the troops air transport during the second world War .
The airport of Maleme , the main target of the invaders , was subjected to a merciless bombardment in the earlymorning hours . The Cretan Sky was filled with thousands of German invaders , the finest of German parachutists . In the evening of the same day , Parachutists dropped on Rethymnon and Heraklion , their obsective was to occupy the local airports and sea - ports . From the Greek side , the war-ready V Division wascut off in mailand Greece . The defense forces on the island consisted of British Commonwealth troops and eight , poorly trained and equipped battalations of Greek recruits wich had been transported from Nafplion and Tripolis .The most effevctive force on the island was the gendarmerie and the first class of the Military academy , albeit insufficiently equipped . Add to this the common folk who although unarmed , put up a fierce resistance against the new invaders . The situation on the island was described in the following manner by the Minister of the Interior at that time , Mr Stelios dimitrakakis , of the Tsouderos govermant
No significant defence works had been set up on the island on Crete , in spite of the fact that British forces had landed on the island since November 1940 . The British commander changed every so often and there were no sufficient British forces on the island . Since the beginning of the war , Cretan youth had been fighting on the Albanian mountains . What is more , the previus govermant had demanded the disarmament of the locals . It was common knowledge that each Cretan kept a riffle at home . It was an old Cretan tradition . The Cretans revolted each time the conquerors imposed impossible measures . This reflected the prospect of the relative freedom that slaves occasionally impose on their masters . Atradition very much alive today . The Cretans gladly surrendered their arms to the poorly equipped Greek Army .Thus , in April 1941 , Crete was almost unurmed. Last minute reinforcements came from Peloponnese : 8 battalions of poorly trained Greek recruits armed with riffles but not with sufficient ammunition . Of course , after the fall of Greece , 27000 - 28000 British soldiers arrived on the island , most of them were exhausted after fierce and heroic resistance in mainland Greece . Unfortunately , time had not been exploited properly and the prospects both for Geeks and Britis were rather bleak .The Cretans often take up arms , mainly obsolete and of historical value only , to engage in flights of dubious or questionable effectiveness . Here , one can not help but wonder why the Cretans had been left unarmed . If this had not been the case , the cretans could have formed a civil guard wich would have participated in the battle in a more effective and dinamic way . The above run contrary to Germans intelligence wich took for granted that the attitude of Cretans towards the Germans would have been neutral , if not friendly . Perhaps this misleadind information was disseminated by the British secrete service .The Battle of Crete was uniquefor three reasons :
Firstly : it was the first battle to be won exclusively by airforces .
Secondly : the commander of the allied forces , General Freyberg had at his disposal a unique and valuable source of information about the enemy : the ULTRA system , wich made possible the decoding of wireless telecommunications concerning Operation Mercury . German telegrams were ciphered by a device called ENIGMA . A copy of this device had been made available to the British by the Polish allies .
Thus on May 6 , the British new not only of the date , but also of the exact time the air attack on the island was going to take place .
Thirdly : nowhere else within the European and African war theatres did the Nazi troops meet civillian resistance as in Crete . What is more , resistance continued even during occupation until the forces of the axis were finally and completely overwhelmed . Apart from the stones ,all else rose against us in Crete . All living things fought to the last moment , giving this Battle its most paradoxical and glorious nature in the history of Battless ......... a German officer noted later .
The British historian Alan Clark , referrring to the resistance of the Cretans noted : How different the route of history would have been , if a year earlier the people of the West had exhibited the same fortitude when their villages were being invaded in the same way by the Germans ....
During the Battle of Crete , the Germans formidable and invincible weapon , the parachutists , the spear-head of the Nazi forces , was completely annihilated . Most of the first wave of paratroopers was annihilated within minutes following their drop . A large number of planes were shot down or crush landed after serious anti-aircraft damage . The German forces perished on Crete could have been deployed for the occupation of Cyprus , Iraq , Syria and possible of Persia .
The parachutists suffered a devastating blow from which they never recovered . In addition , they lost their status as a suprise attack weapon . Even the architect and instigator of this operation , General Student , was obliged to admit : I confees that i recommended this attack based on miscalculations . Unfortunately , Crete succumbed under the weight of a more modern and terrifying German military machine . By the end of the sweep-up operations in May 29, 1941 , the swastika waved all over the island .Unarmed Crete was finaly occupied.
The whole world witnessed in awe and admiration that unequal confrontation . Events in Crete captured the imagination of the world , and the international press devoted lengthy articles and comments on those events . The same month the Time of Tokyo wrote the following : We propose , as a matter of ultimate duty and honour , the establishment of an extraordinary order of Cretans knights to honour with a special medallion each citizen and officer who participated in that epic battle .Cretans must take their place among a special order of superhumans
.But let the numbers speak , and let us follow the statistics of blood . On May 20, 1941 the Cretan guard numbered 42600 men aproximately - 28164 of British Commonweatlth and 14000 Greeks . Allied aircrafts were not available in the Battle of Crete , for they had flown to Egypt the previous day . Specifically : The British Commonwealth & Greek forces as well as their respective losses were :
British : total 15603 ( Dead or prisoners 7704 -Transported to Egypt 7289 )
Australians : total 6541 ( Dead or prisoners 3332 - Transported to Egypt 3119 )
N.Zealanders : total 7100 ( Dead or prisoners 2541 - Trasported to Egypt 4559 )
Greeks : total 14000 ( dead or prisoners 592 - transported to Egypt -)
The number of Cretans who died in the battle fields or who were captured and shot rose to 8575 . We should note at this point the the German losses on the third day of the Battle were significantly higher then the total losses they had suffered in all war fronts . The distribution of forces per difense sector are the following : 11859 men in Maleme , 14822 at Chania - Souda area , 6100 at Rethymnon and 8000 at Heraklion .
Hitler reinforced paratroopers with a Division of Alpinists . The total of German forces was approximately 23000 men . Their losses were estimate to 5500 men , 4685 of which buried at Maleme Cemetery . This is a testimony to the dramatic epilogue of the German operation . The dead of the allied forces are buried at the cemetery of Souda .
The British Commonwealth fleet in the Mediterranean numbered 54 war vessels , 11 of wich were sunk and 22 suffered severe damages . The air crafts of Luftwaffe wich took part in the Battle of Crete were 1180 , 147 of wich were shot down and 73 crush landed .
The Germans resented the fortitude and fierce resistance of the Cretans . So , after the fall of the island , began a period of brutal reprisals and more bloodshed . Concentration camps , mass executions , village arson and indiscriminate murders complete the devastating effect of bombardments . The number of victims increased , as unsuspected civilians found themselves within mined areas on Crete .
The Cretans bear a glorious inheritance a deep faith in freedom and indepedence , wich forged their will to resist . The Mt. range of Madares at chania , Mt. Psiloritis and the Lasithiotica mountains hosted resistance units wich inflicted severe casualties to the enemy who , many a time , was forced to a standstill . Among the great achievements of the resistance was the abduction of General Kreipe near the Spilia area of Heraklion in August 1944 .
The Chronicle of the Battle of Crete
October 28 , 1940
Declaration of Greek - Italian war .
November 1940
The defence of Crete is taken over by the British . The V Cretan Division is transported in Athens .
April 15 , 1941
After succesive meetings , the Germans decide on the occupation of Crete . The transport of Greek and British Forces from mainland Greece to Crete is sceduled for the second fortnight of April .
April 23 , 1941
The Greek government resort to Crete
April 25 , 1941Landing in Crete of the New Zealand allies
April 28 , 1941
The Prime minister of Greece , Mr E. Tsouderos , chairs a meeting at Chania with the leaders of the Greek forces and British officers . The meeting concluded with the issue of a reinforcement request to strengthen the defence of the island .
April 29 , 1941The Commander of New Zealand Division , General Freyberg , arrives in Crete .
April 30 , 1941Fryberg resumes command of allied forces on the island
May 14 , 1941
Military targets on Crete are systematically bombrded , thus commerces the great assault on the island .
May 18 - 19 , 1941
German aircraft land on airfields in Athens and northern Greece to prepare for the attack .
May 20 , 1941
German attack on the island begins at 6.30 a.m. TheGermans subject the towns of Chania , Rethymnon and Heraklion to severe bombardment prior to dropping their ellite parachutists . Local confrontations take place between German paratroopers and allied forces reinforced by the local population .
May 21 , 1941The German concentrate their attack on Maleme airport . German aircrafts land at Maleme in the evening , carrying significant forces and material for the attack . The British fleet in the Mediterranean strikes a German convoy heading for Crete . Fifteen requisitionned vessels , their losses are unknown .
May 22 , 1941
The Germans manage to finally occupy Maleme Airport . Allied efforts to retake it are fruitless.
May 23 , 1941Greek political leadership abandons Crete on destroyer , Decoy . Churchhill sends the following message to the headquarters : The Battle of Crete must be won .
May 24 , 1941The bombardment of Cretan towns goes on . At Chania , the Germans gained the movement initiative , Tthe allied forces at Rethymnon an Heraklion are determined : to fight to the end
May 25 , 1941
The Germans occupy Candanos . The resolute and unexpeted resistamce of the defenders infuriates the Germans who resort to brutal reprisals - mass executions arson and other serius destruction .
May 26 , 1941
Galatas is occupied . Allied forces are desperate trying to defend Chania . General Freyberg notes the dire circumstances the allied forces
May 27 , 1941
The Commander -in - chief of the Midle East , Wavell , orders the allied forces to evacuate the island . Vessels of the British fleet take over the mission of safe evacuation of the allies . Chania falls in the hands of the invaders .
May 28 , 1941
Evacuation and retreat of the allies to Sfakia commences . The British , without notifying the Greek authorities , evacuate Heraklion at night to embark on vessels which had called in to the local port for that purpose . italian troops from dodecanese land in Sitia and occupy the prefecture of Lasithi
May 29 , 1941
Rethymnon , and Heraklion are occupied by the Germans
May 30 , 1941
General Freyberg departs from Crete
May 31 , 1941
The last British vessel picks up only part of the allied forces . Approximately 5500 allies miss final embarkation on the vessels . Later , they were either capture , surrendered or sought refuge to the Cretan mountains . The German swastika is now waving on the island . Occupation is a harsh reality but the resolute resistance of the Cretan people is destined to becomeone of the most glorius in the modern history .
Biography: George I, Panagiotakis
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