Gambit

The New Zealanders had spent most of the daylight hours of 20th May pinned down by German fighter aircraft. Communications were a shambles, casualties were heavy, and their local counterattacks had failed. Colonel Andrew of the 5th New Zealand Brigade opted to withdraw from the immediate area of …

1941-05-21

T14

The New Zealanders had spent most of the daylight hours of 20th May pinned down by German fighter aircraft. Communications were a shambles, casualties were heavy, and their local counterattacks had failed. Colonel Andrew of the 5th New Zealand Brigade opted to withdraw from the immediate area of Maleme airfield and regroup his command to the southeast. However, the problem was exactly how to retreat when German paratroopers seemed to be everywhere around the field. As the phased withdrawal began, the Germans swept down from the hill.

Maleme, Crete

The Battle of Maleme was one of three main battles that occurred in the Battle of Crete against the Fallschirmjäger, in the Nazi German Mediterranean campaign in 1941. The overall plan was to conquer Crete as part of Operation Merkur, with German Paratroopers landing in three main areas, Heraklion, Maleme and Retimo.The operation relied on German airborne troops, both paratroopers and in gliders. Due to a mistake, and despite being in a superior position, New Zealand troops abandoned a strategic hill, leaving it to the Germans, and then lost the airport. The airport was then used by the Germans to transport in more troops which saw the whole island lost to the Germans.

German

New Zealand

Scenario Type = Standard