The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia
The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia
How the situation developedOctober 1940Event28 th Declaration of War between Greece and ItalyNovember 1940 Decision taken for the defence of Greece and Crete by the BritishApril 194115 th Germans decide to invade and occupy Crete15 th The movement of Allied and Greek troops from Greece to Crete planned23 rd Greek Government moves to Crete25 th First New Zealand Troops land on Crete29 th General Freyberg assume command of the troops on CreteMay 194114 th Germans commence air attacks on Crete18 th /19 th German paratroopers prepare for attack on Crete20 th Attack on Crete begins at 6.30am –heavy bombardment of Chania, Retymnonprior to landing by paratroopers21 st Germans concentrate attack on Maleme. British fleet attacks German convoyheading for Crete. Heavy losses on both sides.23 rd Greek Government leaves Crete on HMS Decoy- Churchill sends message toHQ. “The Battle of Crete must be won.”25 th Germans resort to reprisals- mass executions and destruction27 th Commander in Chief Middle East orders evacuation of troops28 th Evacuations of Allied Troops begin28 th German troops reinforced by Italian Troops from Dodecanese land at Sitia31 st The last allied forces leave Crete from SfakiaThe PlayersThe AustraliansGeneral Sir Thomas Blamey (later to be promoted Field Marshal)Major General Iven MackayBrigadier A. S. (Tubby) Allen -16 th Brigade (later to be promoted to Major General)Brigadier Stanley G. Saviage -17 th Brigade (later promoted to Lieutenant General and Knightedthe founder of Legacy in Australia)Brigadier George Vasey -19 th Brigade (later promoted to Lieutenant General)Brigadier S.F. RowellBrigadier LeeLt. Col. Henry WellsLt. Col. Cyril ElliotLt. Col. Eric Woodward (later Knighted and appointed Governor of New South Wales)Major Edward (Weary) Dunlop (later Sir Edward (Weary) DunlopThe New ZealandersMajor General Bernard Freyberg VC (later Lord Freyberg of Wellington)Brigadier Barrowclough 6 th BrigadeThe BritishGeneral Sir Archibald Wavell (later Lord Wavell)Lieutenant General Sir Henry (Jumbo) WilsonBrigadier CharringtonAdmiral Sir Andrew Cunningham- 10 -
The GreeksGeneral Alexander Papagos Commander in Chief of Hellenic ForcesGeneral Tsolakoglou Macedonian (Empirus) ArmyThe GermansField Marshal von List 12 th ArmyGeneral von Greiffenberg Chief of Staff 12 th ArmyThe ItaliansAdmiral Angelo IachinoGerman Troops in Greece at the time of the evacuationPelopennese - 5 th Armoured and Adolf Hitler Infantry DivisionAthens- Lamia- 2 nd Armoured and 5 th & 6 th Mountain DivisionsThessaly- 9 th ArmouredGrevena-Yannina- 73 rd Infantry DivisionKaterini- 72 nd Infantry DivisionSalonika – 50 th Infantry DivisionEastern Macedonia and the Aegean- 164 th Infantry DivisionIn support in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia if needed- three Divisions of the 12 th Army (46 th , 76 th and 198 th )A brief history of the Greek Forces during the period 1940 to 1944World War II commenced in Greece on the 28 th October 1940 when the Italians launched an attack onGreece. By the 29 th October the Greek Government commenced a ‘General Mobilization’ within thecountry.In February of 1941 the 1 st Battalion of Greek volunteers who were living in Egypt was formed.Unfortunately, with the commencement of the German Campaign (Operation Mercury) the fall ofGreece occurred in 1941. However, the Greeks were not about to accept defeat and those who wereable to escape from Greece and Crete in May 1941 through Turkey and Palestine and were able toreach Egypt formed the 1 st Greek Brigade.Between 1942 and 1944 a general mobilization of Greek living in Egypt and they were to form the 2 ndGreek Brigade.In 1942 the 1 st and 2 nd Greek Brigades were sent to North Africa to relieve the Scottish Brigade andthey took part in the Battle of El-Alamein, under the Command of General Montgomery, they remainedin North Africa until December 1942. During this time they lost 517 killed and wounded. In January1943 they returned to Alexandria.By April 1943 the 1 st & 2 nd Greek Brigades were reformed into the 3 rd Greek Mountain Brigade andreceived further training in Palestine and Lebanon. In August 1943, they came under the command ofa soldier well known to the Greeks, General Bernard Freyberg VC who been in command of the alliedtroops in Crete in 1941 and was now the Commander of the New Zealand division. The Brigade tookpart in the Battles of Calolika, Ricione, Roubicona and Rimini. On the 23 rd October 1944, the 3 rdGreek Mountain Brigade was ordered to Torento and they returned to Greece on the 7 th November1944.The Greek Sacred Middle East Raiding CompanyOn the 6 th September 1942 we saw the formation of ‘The Greek Sacred Middle East Raiding Company’(S.M.E.R) the unit consisted initially of 210 men. The unit took part in guerrilla attacks in NorthAfrica, Libya ad Tunis between the 15 th February and 17 th April 1943.- 11 -
- Page 1 and 2: THE BATTLEFORGREECE AND CRETEMatt W
- Page 3 and 4: The German Invasion Force- Strength
- Page 5 and 6: PrefaceIf one wishes to examine par
- Page 7 and 8: Dissentions about the campaignMany
- Page 9 and 10: This bond which developed between t
- Page 11 and 12: Recollections of a Greek Youth a Pa
- Page 13: AthensApril20 th Nurses____________
- Page 17 and 18: The RAAF in GreeceVery little infor
- Page 19 and 20: Crete was considered to be of strat
- Page 21 and 22: Troops were to be dispersed to the
- Page 23 and 24: The evacuation Beachat Sfakia (Stak
- Page 25 and 26: At 6.45 am on the 20 th May 1941 th
- Page 27 and 28: The PlayersAustraliaBrigadier Georg
- Page 29 and 30: On one occasion on the submarine HM
- Page 31 and 32: The march throughout was an exceedi
- Page 33 and 34: Extract from the War Diary of 7 th
- Page 35 and 36: April 25 1941: Fine. Remained hidde
- Page 37 and 38: On the 20 th the Hospital ship Oba
- Page 39 and 40: The route taken by Paul Cullen duri
- Page 41 and 42: 42 nd Street gained importance in t
- Page 43 and 44: Australian Units who served in Gree
- Page 45 and 46: List of some of the ships involved
- Page 47 and 48: CruiserHelle (sunk)SubmarinePapantk
- Page 49 and 50: Service details of some of the Mili
- Page 51 and 52: The grave of L/Cpl BarnesPlaques in
- Page 53 and 54: 7 th Division Provost CompanyPerson
- Page 55 and 56: BibliographyAustralian Corps of Sig
How the situation developedOctober 1940Event28 th Declaration <strong>of</strong> War between <strong>Greece</strong> and ItalyNovember 1940 Decision taken <strong>for</strong> the defence <strong>of</strong> <strong>Greece</strong> and <strong>Crete</strong> by the BritishApril 194115 th Germans decide to invade and occupy <strong>Crete</strong>15 th <strong>The</strong> movement <strong>of</strong> Allied and Greek troops from <strong>Greece</strong> to <strong>Crete</strong> planned23 rd Greek Government moves to <strong>Crete</strong>25 th First New Zealand Troops land on <strong>Crete</strong>29 th General Freyberg assume command <strong>of</strong> the troops on <strong>Crete</strong>May 194114 th Germans commence air attacks on <strong>Crete</strong>18 th /19 th German paratroopers prepare <strong>for</strong> attack on <strong>Crete</strong>20 th Attack on <strong>Crete</strong> begins at 6.30am –heavy bombardment <strong>of</strong> Chania, Retymnonprior to landing by paratroopers21 st Germans concentrate attack on Maleme. British fleet attacks German convoyheading <strong>for</strong> <strong>Crete</strong>. Heavy losses on both sides.23 rd Greek Government leaves <strong>Crete</strong> on HMS Decoy- Churchill sends message toHQ. “<strong>The</strong> Battle <strong>of</strong> <strong>Crete</strong> must be won.”25 th Germans resort to reprisals- mass executions and destruction27 th Commander in Chief Middle East orders evacuation <strong>of</strong> troops28 th Evacuations <strong>of</strong> Allied Troops begin28 th German troops rein<strong>for</strong>ced by Italian Troops from Dodecanese land at Sitia31 st <strong>The</strong> last allied <strong>for</strong>ces leave <strong>Crete</strong> from Sfakia<strong>The</strong> Players<strong>The</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>nsGeneral Sir Thomas Blamey (later to be promoted Field Marshal)Major General Iven MackayBrigadier A. S. (Tubby) Allen -16 th Brigade (later to be promoted to Major General)Brigadier Stanley G. Saviage -17 th Brigade (later promoted to Lieutenant General and Knightedthe founder <strong>of</strong> Legacy in <strong>Australia</strong>)Brigadier George Vasey -19 th Brigade (later promoted to Lieutenant General)Brigadier S.F. RowellBrigadier LeeLt. Col. Henry WellsLt. Col. Cyril ElliotLt. Col. Eric Woodward (later Knighted and appointed Governor <strong>of</strong> New <strong>South</strong> Wales)Major Edward (Weary) Dunlop (later Sir Edward (Weary) Dunlop<strong>The</strong> New ZealandersMajor General Bernard Freyberg VC (later Lord Freyberg <strong>of</strong> Wellington)Brigadier Barrowclough 6 th Brigade<strong>The</strong> BritishGeneral Sir Archibald Wavell (later Lord Wavell)Lieutenant General Sir Henry (Jumbo) WilsonBrigadier CharringtonAdmiral Sir Andrew Cunningham- 10 -
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