A Desperate Affair

The mission of the German paratroopers approaching Heraklion was to take the town and its airfield in order to land troops of the 5th Mountain Division. As the paratroopers jumped from the Junker Ju52s, each armed with only a few grenades and a pistol, they were confident of their …

1941-05-20

97

G39

BB04

The mission of the German paratroopers approaching Heraklion was to take the town and its airfield in order to land troops of the 5th Mountain Division. As the paratroopers jumped from the Junker Ju52s, each armed with only a few grenades and a pistol, they were confident of their success. German intelligence, however, had erred terribly in calculating the British forces ability to resist an airborne attack.

Heraklion, Crete

The Battle of Crete was fought during the Second World War on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany began an airborne invasion of Crete. Greek and other Allied forces, along with Cretan civilians, defended the island. After one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered heavy casualties and the Allied troops were confident that they would defeat the invasion. The next day, through communication failures, Allied tactical hesitation and German offensive operations, Maleme Airfield in western Crete fell, enabling the Germans to land reinforcements and overwhelm the defensive positions on the north of the island. Allied forces withdrew to the south coast. More than half were evacuated by the British Royal Navy and the remainder surrendered or joined the Cretan resistance. The defence of Crete evolved into a costly naval engagement; by the end of the campaign the Royal Navy's eastern Mediterranean strength had been reduced to only two battleships and three cruisers.

German

British

Scenario Type = Standard