Battle of Crete
Crete, Greece (key fighting at Maleme airfield)
What happened
German airborne forces under General Kurt Student fought British, Greek, New Zealand and Australian troops under Bernard Freyberg, together with Cretan civilians. In May 1941 Germany launched the first mainly airborne invasion in history, dropping paratroopers and landing gliders on Crete. On the first day the Germans suffered heavy losses, but on the second day they captured Maleme airfield and flew in more troops. The Allied forces withdrew to the south coast, and more than half were taken off by the Royal Navy.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a turning point in airborne warfare: Germany's losses were so high that Hitler avoided large parachute attacks afterwards, while the Allies started building their own airborne forces. It was also the first time the Allies made major use of decoded German Enigma messages.
What came next
Germany occupied Crete until the end of the war. A Cretan resistance movement formed about two weeks after the island fell.
Did you know?
German troops faced mass resistance from ordinary civilians for the first time on Crete.
Timeline
- 20 May 1941German paratroopers land on Crete.
- 21 May 1941Maleme airfield falls to the Germans.
- Late May 1941The Allies withdraw to the south coast.
- 1 June 1941The battle ends.
- June 1941The Cretan resistance forms.