Operation Mercury - Battle of Crete part1 (1941)

Combat footage. German Wartime newsreel (Die Deutsche Wochenschau).

The Battle of Crete (German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. The battle began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur ("Operation Mercury"). Allied forces defended the island.

After one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered appalling casualties and none of their objectives had been achieved. The next day, through miscommunication and the failure of Allied commanders to grasp the situation, Maleme airfield in western Crete fell to the Germans, enabling them to fly in reinforcements and overwhelm the Allied forces.

The Battle of Crete was unique in three respects: it was the first-ever mainly airborne invasion; it was the first time the Allies made significant use of intelligence from the deciphered German Enigma code; and it was the first time invading German troops encountered mass resistance from a civilian population. In light of the heavy casualties suffered by the parachutists, Adolf Hitler forbade further large scale airborne operations. However, the Allies were impressed by the potential of paratroopers, and started to build their own airborne divisions.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ww2
• footage
• army
• newsreel
• fallschirmjagers
• paratroopers
• ju-52
• gebirgsjager
• battle
• combat
• attack
• junkers
• ju52

[markosp]

the battle for Kriti was a blood bath for the Germans they lost so many men and Hitler ended any further paratrooper attacks on any other country. Thanks to the Greek people of Kriti.

[0dimitris9]

The Greeks in the battle of Crete fought with knifes and stones so they can capture a German's gun and fight with it. The only reason that Crete felt was that British soliders removed the defences from an airport. And Germans caprured it. The battle of Crete last enough and made trouble to Germans who left Russia alone and sent troops to Crete. Russians had time to prepare and with the second attack of Germans Russians fucked them. So it was a really good thing that Crete last so much...

[DauntlessEnzedder41]

Kia Kaha NZ!

[DauntlessEnzedder41]

@MarschNZ Europeans like me you reckon?

[MarschNZ]

@DauntlessEnzedder41 Well. He was wounded there. he mentioned they were wiped out. You probably have a low opinion of them. After all they were defeated. I think that many Europeans like you think that New Zealanders were lowlives, and not brave supermen like the English. My father was captured by the Germans for a short period. He admired them. How times have changed. Now you are all happy Europeans loving your English brothers, and we the foreigner non European scondrels and criminals.

[DauntlessEnzedder41]

Scattered amongst them, hunted, thirsty, and exhausted, a few dozen

surviving Germans crouched in such cover as they could find while a bare two

miles to the east, pinned upon the outskirts of the vital airfield, the men of the

22nd Battalion were locked in a death grip with an enemy scarcely more

numerous, and considerably more wearier than themselves."

[DauntlessEnzedder41]

Freybergs force dispositions were basically sound and focused primarily on airborne, rather than seaborne assault. It was Brigadier Hargests failure to counter-attack the enemy lodgment at Maleme as directed by Freyberg in orders which led to defeat " Thus on the evening of 20 May the mass of the New Zealand 5th Brigade, including more than 1,600 unwounded infantry, the core of the New Zealand Division, were allowed to settle for the night in misguided and short-lived tranquility.

[DauntlessEnzedder41]

I dont know where you get your info from, but In fact Ultra Signal OL2168 gives the impression of 3 mountain regiments deploying by sea, strengthening Freybergs reasonable assumption that the seaborne component could be decisive. Freyberg could hardly ignore up to 10,000 troops complete with tanks, antiaircraft guns and 64 artillery arriving at Crete some time, and at undetermined locations,after the first landings by parachute and glider.