Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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.
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
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941 with a large-scale airborne invasion planned to capture the island's strategic locations. Kandanos is located on the road from Chania on the north coast to Paleochora in the south, which was a candidate landing point for potential Allied reinforcements from North Africa.
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.
To conquer it, the German High Command prepared "Unternehmen Merkur", the first mass-scale airborne operation in history. The attack was launched on May 20, 1941. The Germans attacked the three main airfields of the island, at the northern towns of Maleme, Rethimnon, and Heraklion, with paratroopers and gliders. The Germans met stubborn ...
Timeline of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (1918–1941) Timeline of Sweden during World War II (1939–1945) Timeline of the Netherlands during World War II (1939–1945) Chronology of the liberation of Dutch cities and towns during World War II; Chronology of the liberation of Belgian cities and towns during World War II; Timeline of the ...
The Battle of 42nd Street (27 May 1941) was fought during World War II on the Greek island of Crete.On 20 May, Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete.A week later, after the British and Commonwealth forces defending the island had been forced to withdraw towards Chania, a force of several understrength Australian and New Zealand infantry battalions established a defensive line ...
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.