69 years ago on May the 20th 1941, ANZAC, Greek and British forces stood side by side with the heroic population of Crete in the defence of their Southern Mediterranean Island against the elite of Hitler’s war machine.
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur (“Operation Mercury”). Greek and Allied forces, along with Cretan civilians, defended the island.
After one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered appalling casualties and none of their objectives had been achieved. The next day, through miscommunication and the failure of Allied commanders to grasp the situation, Maleme airfield in western Crete fell to the Germans, enabling them to fly in reinforcements and overwhelm the defenders. The battle lasted for about ten days.
The Battle of Crete was unprecedented in three respects:
- It was the first mainly airborne invasion;
- It was the first time the Allies made significant use of intelligence from the deciphered German Enigma code;
- It was the first time invading German troops encountered mass resistance from a civilian population.
In light of the heavy casualties suffered by the parachutists, Adolf Hitler forbade further large scale airborne operations.
The Allies paratroopers were impress by the potential of Parachutists and started to build their own airborne divisions.
Of 40’000 in the Battle New Zealand represented 6700 and the casualties and losses were 671 dead, 967 wounded, 2,180 captured.
The ensuing battle is etched forever in ANZAC history. Now, 70 years later, veterans and the descendants of these brave soldiers and civilians will gather on Crete to honour their courageous endeavours by attending commemorative services, explore the battlefields and share their stories.
Join the Pilgrimage to Crete with an exclusive group departure – cost from $2295 per person, twin share.
