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
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 -
Troops were to be dispersed to the following areas:Maleme (Brigadier Puttick) 5 th New Zealand Brigade (21 st , 22 nd , & 28 th (Maori) Battalions andN.Z.F. Composite Infantry Unit – Total strength 3,15610 th New Zealand Brigade (20 th Battalion, Composite Battalion,detachment of New Zealand Cavalry, 6 th & 8 th Greek RegimentsTotal strength 6,503Support: Artillery-10 x 75mm guns and 6 x 3.7inch howitzers10 light tanksReserve Force4 th New Zealand Brigade (18 th , 19 th Battalions), 1 st Battalion WelshRegiment – Total strength 2,417Kastel Sector 1 st Greek Regiment –strength 1,030Sunda Bay (Major General Wilson)Cremor ForceRetimo (Brigadier Vasey)Heraklion (Brigadier Chappel)TimbakionM.N.B.D.O. – 1 st Rangers New Zealand -102 nd Anti-Tank (inrole of Infantry) 106 th Royal Horse Artillery (in role of Infantry)2/2 nd Field Regiment (in the role of Infantry) 16 th AustralianComposite Battalion- 17 th Australian Composite Battalion-Group “A” R.A.A. [strength 600], Group “B” R.A.E. [strength600], 2 nd Greek Regiment.Equipment: 16 x 3.7 inch, 10 x 3 inch and 16 Bofors guns and8 various calibre costal defence guns19 th Australian Brigade (2/1 st , 2/7 th , 2/8 th , 2/11 th Battalions)3 Greek Regiments (each of Battalion strength) 1 Battery of2/2 nd Field Regiment with 14 guns of various makes and size.2 Infantry Tanks14 th British Brigade (2 nd Leicestershire & 2 Yorks & LancsRegiments, 2 nd Black Watch, 7 th Medium Regt (Artillery beingused as Infantry) 2/4 Australian Infantry Battalion, and13 Greek Regiments (each of Battalion strength) supported by10 light and 4 heavy anti-aircraft guns, 4 Infantry Tanks and6 Light Tanks1 st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in support of HeraklionUnfortunately, these troops were to have very little equipment to help in their defence of the island.The equipment available to them was:Artillery: 49 French and some captured Italian Field Guns and 68 Anti Air Craft Guns(Bofors and Pom Poms)Armour: 9 Tanks – 6 being light tanksAircraft: 30 planes comprising of Blenheim Bombers; Hurricane Fighters; 12-GlosterGladiators (Bi-planes) and assistance from Flumes &Swordfish (Bi-planes) from the Fleet Air ArmSmall Arms: The Greeks and Cretans were equipped with a mixture of British; Canadian;American and Italian rifles of various calibres this mix of rifles and calibrescreated problems for the Greek and Cretan troops.- 17 -
- 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 and 14: AthensApril20 th Nurses____________
- Page 15 and 16: The GreeksGeneral Alexander Papagos
- Page 17 and 18: The RAAF in GreeceVery little infor
- Page 19: Crete was considered to be of strat
- 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
Troops were to be dispersed to the following areas:Maleme (Brigadier Puttick) 5 th New Zealand Brigade (21 st , 22 nd , & 28 th (Maori) Battalions andN.Z.F. Composite Infantry Unit – Total strength 3,15610 th New Zealand Brigade (20 th Battalion, Composite Battalion,detachment <strong>of</strong> New Zealand Cavalry, 6 th & 8 th Greek RegimentsTotal strength 6,503Support: Artillery-10 x 75mm guns and 6 x 3.7inch howitzers10 light tanksReserve Force4 th New Zealand Brigade (18 th , 19 th Battalions), 1 st Battalion WelshRegiment – Total strength 2,417Kastel Sector 1 st Greek Regiment –strength 1,030Sunda Bay (Major General Wilson)Cremor ForceRetimo (Brigadier Vasey)Heraklion (Brigadier Chappel)TimbakionM.N.B.D.O. – 1 st Rangers New Zealand -102 nd Anti-Tank (inrole <strong>of</strong> Infantry) 106 th Royal Horse Artillery (in role <strong>of</strong> Infantry)2/2 nd Field Regiment (in the role <strong>of</strong> Infantry) 16 th <strong>Australia</strong>nComposite Battalion- 17 th <strong>Australia</strong>n Composite Battalion-Group “A” R.A.A. [strength 600], Group “B” R.A.E. [strength600], 2 nd Greek Regiment.Equipment: 16 x 3.7 inch, 10 x 3 inch and 16 Bo<strong>for</strong>s guns and8 various calibre costal defence guns19 th <strong>Australia</strong>n Brigade (2/1 st , 2/7 th , 2/8 th , 2/11 th Battalions)3 Greek Regiments (each <strong>of</strong> Battalion strength) 1 Battery <strong>of</strong>2/2 nd Field Regiment with 14 guns <strong>of</strong> various makes and size.2 Infantry Tanks14 th British Brigade (2 nd Leicestershire & 2 Yorks & LancsRegiments, 2 nd Black Watch, 7 th Medium Regt (Artillery beingused as Infantry) 2/4 <strong>Australia</strong>n Infantry Battalion, and13 Greek Regiments (each <strong>of</strong> Battalion strength) supported by10 light and 4 heavy anti-aircraft guns, 4 Infantry Tanks and6 Light Tanks1 st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in support <strong>of</strong> HeraklionUn<strong>for</strong>tunately, these troops were to have very little equipment to help in their defence <strong>of</strong> the island.<strong>The</strong> equipment available to them was:Artillery: 49 French and some captured Italian Field Guns and 68 Anti Air Craft Guns(Bo<strong>for</strong>s and Pom Poms)Armour: 9 Tanks – 6 being light tanksAircraft: 30 planes comprising <strong>of</strong> Blenheim Bombers; Hurricane Fighters; 12-GlosterGladiators (Bi-planes) and assistance from Flumes &Swordfish (Bi-planes) from the Fleet Air ArmSmall Arms: <strong>The</strong> Greeks and Cretans were equipped with a mixture <strong>of</strong> British; Canadian;American and Italian rifles <strong>of</strong> various calibres this mix <strong>of</strong> rifles and calibrescreated problems <strong>for</strong> the Greek and Cretan troops.- 17 -
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