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The Battle of Crete (German: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, Greek: Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (German: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, with multiple German airborne landings on Crete.
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941 with a large-scale airborne invasion aimed to capture the island's strategic locations. As was proven in practice, one of the most important locations was the Maleme airstrip and its surrounding region.
Action of 8 May 1941: The German commerce raider Pinguin was sunk by the British heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall in the Indian Ocean off the Seychelles. British and Transjordanian forces began the Assault on Rutbah Fort. The Sanski Most Revolt was suppressed on its third day. The Nottingham Blitz took place overnight. German submarine U-569 was ...
Operation Margarethe II (scheduled German invasion of Romania) Operation Tanne Ost (German invasion with the goal of capturing the Finnish island of Suursaari (Russian: Gogland) in the Gulf of Finland after that country signed the Moscow Armistice on Lapland War). Operation Tanne West (scheduled German invasion of the Finnish-controlled Åland ...
Part of the larger Greek resistance, it lasted from 20 May 1941, when the German Wehrmacht invaded the island in the Battle of Crete, until the spring of 1945 when they surrendered to the British. For the first time during World War II, attacking German forces faced in Crete a substantial resistance from the local population.
The first German garrison unit was the 5th Mountain Division, which had seen combat during the capture of Crete.In late autumn 1941, the 5th Mountain Division was replaced by the 713th and 164th Infantry Divisions, which in early 1942 were reorganised as Fortress Division Crete (German: Festungs-Division Kreta - FDK).
HMS Gloucester - Capt. Henry A Rowley, sunk 22 May 1941 with the loss of 722 crew; HMS Fiji - Capt. PBRW William-Powlett, sunk 22 May 1941; HMS Orion - Capt. GRB Back - damaged [9] HMS Dido - Capt. HWV McCall - damaged [9] Destroyers HMS Decoy - Cmdr. EG McGregor; HMS Hereward - Lt. WJ Munn, sunk by enemy aircraft 29 May 1941
May 20 – WWII: The Battle of Crete begins, as Germany launches an airborne invasion of Crete, the first mainly airborne invasion in military history. May 21 – German submarine U-69 sinks the U.S.-flagged SS Robin Moor off the west African coast, having allowed the passengers and crew to disembark. May 24 – WWII: