The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia

2 nd attack- Morning 20 th MayWas to be against Heraklion and Retimo areas these area were defended by the 19 th Australian Brigadeunder the Command of Lt. Col I.R. Campbell the two Australian and four Greek Battalions were moresuccessful in their defence of this area than those defending Maleme. The Australians and Greeksprevented the Germans from taking the airfield and they were required to dig in. during the Battle forHeraklion – the Fallschirm- Jager Regiment 1 were wiped out to a man.May 21 st – 22 ndThe Battle for HeraklionTo support the air attack and landings it was planned to land seaborne reinforcements of the 5. Gebirgs-Division on board 63 ships- 25 boats (caiques-fishing boats) were intended to land 2,250 MountainTroops to support Maleme and 38 were to bring 4,000 troops to Heraklion, this second group were thenorder to land a Maleme. The British Fleet managed to sink the first flotilla and forced the second toreturn to Greece. No further seaborne reinforcements were attempted until Crete was stablised.Defence of CretePrior to the evacuation of the troops from Greece the defence of Crete was the responsibility of:14 th British Brigade (under strength)Royal Marine Naval Base Defence Organisation (MNBDO) of about battalion size.60 anti-aircraft gunsRAF – 6 Hurricane Fighters and 17 other miscellaneous aircraft.In the event of an attack on Crete it was to be defended by the troops who had been evacuated fromGreece, they would be known as ‘Creforce’. This force would consist of about 21,000 troops fromAustralia, New Zealand and Britain consisting of:7 th Infantry Battalion of the 2 nd New Zealand Division4 ½ Infantry Battalions of the 6 th Australian Division1 Machine Gun BattalionPart of the 1 st British Armoured Brigade with very few tanks4 Composite British Battalions acting as an Infantry Brigade1100 poorly armed and untrained Irregulars and Reservists800 Cretan PoliceThe troops responsible for the defence of Crete were to be under the command of Major General B.C.Freyberg of the New Zealand Army.- 16 -