(dramatic music) - [Narrator] This is the epic
story of the Battle of Crete, one of the most bitter
and exciting battles fought between German and Allied forces during the whole of the Second World War. The decisive action took place
in May 1941 over five days, and twice, its outcome
hung in the balance. By the end of the third day,
the number of German losses exceeded the total of all
losses in all other theaters since the outbreak of hostilities. Yet, despite overwhelming odds, 8,000 men defeated an allied army nearly
five times its strength. These were the brave airborne soldiers of the Fallschirmjager. (singing in foreign language) The use of paratroopers
began in the Soviet Union. At the 1936 Red Army Maneuvers, astonished foreign
military attaches watched 1,500 Russian soldiers
parachute into action. The British saw little future in this, but the Germans were impressed. Here was a new military skill, exactly suited to their
new concept of war. Blitzkrieg. No time was wasted in training their own new division of parachute troops. The Fallschirmjager was made up from tough, hand-picked volunteers. They used the equally tough
and reliable workhorse, the Junkers Ju 52, to drop their soldiers. This machine could carry 12 parachutists who jumped from the
airport on the port side. The parachutists wore
special protective boots, knee pads, overalls, gloves and helmets. The Luftwaffe Eagle Crest
was prominently displayed on the side of these soldier's helmets. These airborne soldiers were
part of the German Air Force, whilst others came under
the control of the army. Goring now had his own private army which could balance
Himmler's elite Waffen-SS. They carried machine pistols
with them when they jumped, and all heavier equipment was
dropped alongside the troops in metal containers. The parachute used opened automatically and proved efficient. The only drawback was that it held the parachutists on a
single harness on his back. This allowed no control at all over the canopy or direction of the drop, and dropped a soldier at an
angle which would horrify modern day parachutists. By the outbreak of war in 1939, the Germans had amalgamated
their airborne troops into a crack division of paratroopers, under the command of
General Major Kurt Student. The first real major airborne offensive came on the 10th of May, 1940, when they landed in Belgium, and took the bridges
over the Albert Canal, and the fortress of Ebel-Emael. The German parachute troops had also been involved from
the beginning of the war. They took part in the
occupation of Denmark. In Norway, they also fought heroically. And it was here that the parachute troops won their first Knight's Cross. (dramatic instrumental music) In early 1941, Hitler
came up with his plan to invade Russia. In order to secure his southern flanks, he managed to coerce
most of the Balkan states on to his side. But at the end of March, with
the military coup d'etat, the Yugoslavians decided to break ranks. A furious Hitler invaded
Yugoslavia and Greece on the 6th of April, 1941. It was a classic Blitzkrieg campaign. Swift and decisive. The Yugoslav forces were ill-prepared to face such an onslaught, and were quickly overrun. The Germans entered the capital Belgrade on the 12th of April, and Yugoslavia surrendered
five days later. Greece held out a little longer, but the British contingent
were forced back and had to be evacuated by the Royal Navy. German paratroopers were brought in to try and cut off the escaping British. One of the remaining strongholds was the Corinth Canal. The small bridges there constituting the sole line of communication between the Peloponnese
and mainland Greece. On the 26th of April, German paratroopers
jumped well in advanced of the army, and after a fierce battle, took the canal and the city of Corinth. (gunfire) (gunfire) The British had been
driven from the mainland, but still occupied the island of Crete. It was important for
Germany to take Crete. Apart from its strategic
position in the Mediterranean, it also provided close proximity for the British bombers, enabling for them to be in range of the Ploiesti oil fields in Romania. These were vital to Germany's war machine, and needed to be protected at all costs. Likewise, German-Italian shipping routes throughout the Mediterranean
were also under threat from the Royal Air Force
and the Royal Navy. The mountain ranges of
Southern Crete are very steep, and run down into the sea, so most of the towns,
the roads between them, and the military airfields lay on the northern coastline. Major General Freyberg, who brought the New Zealand
Division to Crete from Greece, was appointed as Commander
of the entire Crete garrison. He had been warned to expect the enemy to land both from the sea and the air. He also believed that the Germans would be able to land
their transport aircraft on rough ground. Although he included the
airfields in his defense plan, he did not realize that in the event, these four positions would
become the only vital points of the assault on the island. The garrison consisted of
a United Kingdom brigade and a Royal Marine unit, reasonably well equipped and fresh. These were reinforced by
Commonwealth and Greek forces recently withdrawn from Greece. These however, were tired and without heavy equipment or transport. But the bulk of the force
making up the strength of the garrison were ready and equipped
to put up a strong fight. In total, there were almost 40,000 troops under Freyberg's command. They had motorized
transport, and heavy guns. Extra supplies to defend the garrison were also brought in by sea. The British were ready to
defend the island at all costs. They knew full well that in German hands, Crete would be very dangerous for their position in North
Africa and the Mediterranean. There were also a number of
aircraft of the Royal Air Force. Freyberg also had at
his disposal small tanks and armored personnel carriers. (triumphant instrumental music) The Germans were on the move. The troops were being transported south through the Balkans,
ready for the invasion. At sea, a small armada of
commandeered Italian shipping was being prepared to carry
over the heavy equipment and support troops to the invasion. These were supported by the
bombers of the Luftwaffe, and naval destroyers. In Greece, the paratroopers
were preparing. The aircraft were being
made ready for the assault, and supplies were loaded,
including motorcycles. The mixed staff of naval,
air, and army officers, including General Student, conferred over aerial photographs planning the final strategy. Student spent much of his
time with his paratroopers. The plan was, that they would attack in two separate waves. The first group would attack
the airfield at Maleme, and the area around the town of Chania, was was believed to be
the garrison headquarters. The second wave would
follow six hours later, and attack the airfields
and landing grounds at Heraklion and Rethymno. The brave intention being
to jump at different points into the midst of a vastly superior enemy, and sever their main points, thus paralyzing their movements. As the paratroopers listened to broadcasts from the German High Command, they were wrongly advised that the enemy they were about to face were disorganized, and following their demoralizing defeat on the Greek mainland, lacked the necessary
equipment and will to fight. In this overconfidence,
they were gravely mistaken. The orders to attack were transmitted from the general headquarters, and were sent by dispatch riders to the airfields of the
waiting parachute commands. Preceding the first
wave was a heavy attack on the island from the
Luftwaffe's dive bombers. Throughout the first day, there were to be continuous bombing and strafing attacks on all
strategic parts of Crete, with a heavy concentration
on the airfields. These airfields were irreparably pitted with bomb craters and almost
all the British fighters were destroyed on the ground. The plan was that once these airfields had been put out of action, the first wave of
paratroopers would attack. The capture of Maleme in the
northeast corner of Crete with its 600 meter runway, was vital to the success
of the whole operation. To the east lay Chania. General Freyberg's headquarters, and also the island's main garrison, defended by a New Zealand regiment. Just after dawn on the morning
of the 20th of May 1941, the first of the Junkers Ju
52's prepared to take off. As the 12 paratroopers
boarded their aircraft, there was an air of apprehension. Contrary to their brief, and what they assumed to
be an ill-prepared enemy, they were about to face an Allied force which outnumbered them five to one, and one which was ready and waiting to fight a hard and ferocious battle. As the signal is given for
the first wave to take off, the aircraft lumber down the runway. This was the start of an airborne legend. For the first time in history, an island, and moreover
a strongly fortified and heavily defended one, was about to fall to an airborne assault. (gunfire) The first group of 90 men,
led by Leftenant Geltz, landed in a hail of gunfire at approximately 0700 hours. Despite heavily causalities, they succeeded in knocking out the anti-aircraft positions south of the Maleme airfield. They were followed by another force, led by Major Koch, whose orders were to consolidate and then launch an attack
on the airfield itself. The sky was awash with
hundreds of white parachutes. However, things soon started to go wrong. One company landed as planned, by the two other companies
were blown off course, and consequently landed in the middle of a strong British position. Major Koch was wounded within minutes, along with over half of his men. The planned assault on the airfield was impossible after such conditions. However, the other company managed to fight their way to
the western perimeter of the airfield, and succeeded in securing the western and southern perimeter defenses. The next company dropped into an area northeast of the airfield, and were initially unable to consolidate. Scattered all over, they
came under heavy fire from a hill known as Point 107. Another group, under the command of General Major Meindl, successfully landed in the vicinity to the west of the airfield. Meindl was seriously wounded as the force came under heavy fire from the British. It was impossible to secure the airfield. The paratroopers were
having enough trouble securing their own positions. And to compound the problem, a counterattack from the British was expected at any time. Oberst Heidrich's group
dropped onto an area west of Chania. Its task was to capture the
towns of Chania, Galatas, and the positions around the Souda Bay. Major Heilman's battalion parachuted into the middle of a surprised
but very determined force of New Zealanders, and met
with fierce opposition. Another company, the 9th,
landed on the planned position. Unfortunately, others
dropped onto mountains, and some even dropped
into a large reservoir, resulting in many paratroopers drowning. The fighting around the town of Galatas was a fierce and bloody struggle which went on for the remainder of the day with no significant ground gained. (gunfire) Another battalion dropped
near the Agia Prison, a useful stronghold from which they can control the main
road from Heraklion to Chania. They landed near their target, and immediately came under heavy fire. (gunfire) After a long struggle, they did manage to secure the prison, and returned it into the
regimental headquarters. The paratroopers now had a stronghold, but still were unable to make
any headway towards Chania. Practically everything had
gone wrong with the first wave, none of their prime
objectives had been secured, and several battalion
and company commanders had been killed or wounded. On the Greek mainland however, nothing of this was known. But the second wave had
also encountered problems. The time planned to reload and refuel the returning aircraft was too short. They had to be refueled
by hand from jerry cans. This would mean that the second wave would have to take off in small groups rather than en masse. Student had realized before hand that his plan to take all key
positions in the first day had been ambitious to say the least. His troops will be
scattered over a large area, and splitting the second
wave into small groups only compounded the risks. Unaware of the failures of the first wave, Student and the other
officers in the High Command went ahead as planned. The second wave was to hit
the airfields of Rethymno and Heraklion. The first groups took off at 1330 hours on route to Rethymno. By now, reports were coming
back to the High Command from the Luftwaffe, and
it soon became apparent that things were not going as
planned for the first wave. Student later wrote in his report in what can only be described
as an understatement... "It was obvious that
the British were tougher and much stronger than we thought, but at that moment there
was nothing we could do but hold our breath, and leave
the conduct of the battle to the commanders on the ground." Would the resistance of
Rethymno and Heraklion be as fierce as that
around Maleme and Chania? The second wave was now airborne. As they approach the coast of Crete, a handful of British fighters
were there to repel them, but resistance was light, and the Junkers Ju 52's forged ahead. The first two companies
dropped on Rethymno as planned, but were immediately
pinned down by heavy fire. The third company landed
some five miles away, and succeeded in capturing a hill overlooking Rethymno airfield. The group attacking Heraklion found the area heavily defended, so they had to fly in higher than usual. And as a result, many of the paratroopers were machine gunned in the
air during their descent. Other units were widely dispersed. It was clear that there was no hope of taking either objective
by the end of the first day. They had now dropped onto
all four planned zones, but it was here that General
Freyberg made a mistake. He did not counter-attack. This gave the German troops a chance to consolidate and prepare
for a second offensive. The next morning saw a heavy
attack by the Luftwaffe, concentrated around Maleme Airfield. Although the Battle of Crete was still hanging in the balance, the Allies, by not
attacking the German forces during the night whilst
they were scattered and disorganized, had lost
their best opportunity. By counter-attacking in force, they could've swept the
Germans into the sea. Now, it was too late. Whilst the attack came from the air, the paratroopers on the ground at Maleme managed to capture two heavy guns, and turn them on the Allies. By 1400 hours, two more
companies had landed at Maleme, and before long the whole
area around the airfield became a massive battlefield,
each side gaining ground. After a hard fight, the airfield defenses
were finally overrun, and the German forces had cleared the path to land further forces and reinforcements. By 1500 hours, the Ju 52's began landing, and with them came fresh
troops and heavy artillery. Despite the fact that new
fresh troops were arriving, all was not well. At sea, two convoys of small
commandeered Italian craft, carrying two battalions
of troops to Crete, had been met and engaged
by the Royal Navy. The convoys were sunk, only 51 men and one officer survived. On Crete, losses were also running high. Some of the aircraft had been shot up before managing to land, leaving only the dead and wounded inside. Fierce resistance from the Allied forces were taking a heavy toll
on German casualties. One complete battalion,
save only five survivors, had been wiped out in one battle alone. The seriously wounded were being sent back to the mainland in the
Junkers which had landed with fresh troops. Almost 40 percent of Student's
initial assault force in the first two waves
were now dead, wounded, or being held captive. But as reinforcements came in, it appeared that the worst phase of the battle was over. Unbeknown to the Germans, General Freyberg had secured a copy of the campaign plan. This document was of immense importance, for not only did it indicate the strength and intended direction
of the enemy thrusts, their order of battle,
armament, and supply positions, but it was also plain from the document that the Germans had
grossly underestimated the strength of the Allies, and also indicated that they had committed virtually the whole of
their airborne force. When May the 22nd dawned, the worst phase of the battle
was over for the Germans. However, this was not apparent
to Hitler and his advisors who was dismayed at the losses and would not allow any mention of the Crete landings in
the press or on the radio. The deployment of new
troops and reinforcements continued regardless of
the fierce resistance from Allied troops all over the island. The new Divisional Commander,
General Major Ringel, had been brought in to
assume command of all forces in the Maleme area, organizing his scattered
forces into three battle group. (speaking in foreign language) Was to protect the Maleme area from any threat from the west, and push towards capturing Kastelli. The second group, under Oberst Ramker, ws to strike northwards to the sea, and protect the airfield, and then extend eastward along the coast. And the third group, under Oberst Utz was to move eastward into the mainland with a flanking movement
through the mountains. (gunfire) Throughout the day, troops and supplies continued to be flown in. Some aircraft even began to
make the precarious flight over enemy territory to bring much needed food,
water, and medical supplies to the small pockets of men on the ground. Unable to move and pinned
down by allied defenses, some of these small
groups had been without food and water for over 24 hours, and ammunition was running short. Near Heraklion, one
regiment had found itself pinned down by an Allied
force of over 8,000 men. Despite being desperately
short of supplies and facing overwhelming odds,
including heavy artillery... Major Schulz commanding the regiment, refused an offer by the British
to surrender, stating... "The German army have been ordered to take the island of Crete,
it will carry out this order." On the west of the island, one battalion had
progressed towards Kastelli, and reported hard fighting
against armed civilians. These partizans had carried out frightful atrocities on the
wounded and dead Germans. 135 out of 150 had been
mutilated beyond recognition. Throughout a day of concentrating and regrouping the various pockets of scattered paratroops
in group west sector, supplies were brought forward, and fresh troops were landed
on the island at Maleme. Every hour, about 20 aircraft came in, some of them carrying troops. Some of them carried artillery, whilst others carried anti-tank
guns and heavy equipment. They landed amidst heavy artillery fire from the Allies in the surrounding hills. However, during this
fourth day of the battle, the New Zealand force
which had been covering the airfield from camouflaged positions had come under counter-attack
from the Germans. This resulted in a break in their flank which left them with no alternative, other than to withdraw from the area before they were completely cut off. As a result, Maleme
was no longer dominated by their fire, and the airstrip was
now completely secured. Maleme was undoubtedly the
saving grace for the Germans, although it had cost them dearly, for without this precious airstrip, success would've been impossible. The Germans were now pushing south to reinforce the group under Oberst Utz. The second force of two companies worked its way towards the south coast, to strike and secure the town of Paliouri. Operation Mercury, as it was codenamed by the German High Command, was beginning to gather momentum. With more and more troops
being airlifted in at Malene hour after hour, General Major Ringel was able to regroup. One group attacked Galatas, while another was given the task of marching 50 miles across
the mountains to the south in a flanking movement to secure the Chania-Rethymno Road east of Souda Bay. Oberst Krakow was to leave
this formation of men who had been brought in that morning. On May the 24th in Germany, news was released that German paratroopers had been battling against
part of the British Army on the island of Crete since the early morning of May the 20th, a sign that Hitler was
beginning to feel confident in the success of the operation. Around the town of Galatas,
southwest of Chania, fierce fighting raged
between mountain troops and New Zealanders. With the help of the Luftwaffe bombarding the defenses from the air, the German troops succeeded
in forcing their way into the village. On the morning of the 25th, Oberst Heidrich's paratroops, surrounded in what was
known as prison valley since their landing on
the morning of the 20th, came into contact with
fresh reinforcements. They attacked the area
around the town of Kastelli. Thrust and counter-thrust was accentuated by the crashing sound of artillery shells and the scream of the stupors overhead. (gunfire) At Heraklion, the Luftwaffe's Dornier's bombarded the town in a bid to relieve the paratroops that had been dug in there since the 20th of May. The British had been trying to bring in supplies and reinforcements by sea, but the bombers prevented
those ships from docking. On May the 27th, Freyberg sent the message back to Britain. "No matter what decision is taken by the Commander in Chief, from a military point of view, our position here is hopeless. Our force cannot stand up to the concentrated bombing that
we've been faced with for the past six days. I feel a certain part of the force should therefore be embarked." As British soldiers were taken prisoner, further German reinforcements were still pouring in by air and sea to cut off the retreating British. On May the 27th, the
British gave the order to evacuate the island, and the troops started
to withdraw at once. General Major Ringel failed
to recognize the retreat, and threw his troops
into an attack on Chania. Despite counter-attacks by the New Zealand and Australian forces, the Germans had penetrated the town, and Chania and Souda Bay
fell into German hands. At Heraklion, things were different. The airfield had still not been taken. This Junkers had been shot
up whilst attempting to land, and we can see the aircraft coming in with only one wheel. A lucky escape for those on board. Further south... (speaking in foreign language) Had toiled through the mountains to outflank the British west of Stylos. Within a few hours of heavy fighting, they had a control of
the road which led south. By May the 28th, the evacuation
of the Allies had begun. And there followed a steady stream of Royal Naval vessels taking
the troops off the island. The Germans moved west, and then took the road south to meet the retreating Allies in
a bid to cut them off. There was fierce fighting, but the Allies managed to
hold off the German advance, allowing the Royal Navy time
to make several return journeys to get their troops off. They managed to get nearly
15,000 men to Egypt, but the passage had cost the
British Mediterranean fleet dearly from the attacks by the Luftwaffe. The island of Crete was now
about to be completely overrun. By May the 30th, the whole of Crete, except the Port of Sfakia, was in German hands and
pockets of the Allied troops were being rounded up. Maleme, Chania, Souda Bay,
Rethymno, and Heraklion had all fallen to the invaders, and when the German
troops entered the towns, they found very little resistance. When May the 31st dawned, the Royal Navy had by then taken off
thousands of Allied troops. That evening, General
Freyberg left the island, his job was over. The order for capitulation
the next day had been given. The island of Crete had fallen. At 0900 hours on June the 1st, 1941, the remaining British,
Australian, New Zealand, and Greek troops
surrendered to the Germans. 7,000 British, 3,000 Australians, and 4,500 New Zealanders
had been evacuated to Egypt. But 11,835 men had been taken prisoner as the island capitulated. Over the course of the battle, 1,700 British and Dominion
soldiers had been killed. A further 1,737 had been wounded. The Royal Navy had also
suffered heavy losses. In trying to rescue the men, one aircraft carrier, six cruisers, and nine battleships were badly damaged, and three cruisers and six
destroyers had been sunk. Just over 2,000 men had been lost at sea, and a further 500 had been wounded. The number of Greek troops
and civilian causalities has never been precisely established. Of the troops that were
left on the island, some managed to make their own escape and headed into the hills. Others found abandoned landing
barges or fishing craft. Although no accurate figure is recorded, it is believed that several hundred men made their own escape from the island. For the people of Crete, they now followed the horrors and turmoil of occupation under the Nazis. Any Cretan found harboring
an Allied soldier was severely punished. And in some cases, when the Gestapo and the SS began a later and
thorough search of the island, the villagers offering shelter to those that had escaped were shot. As for the German garrison on Crete, it found itself somewhat out on a limb. It was too far from North Africa to effect the war there, and more importantly, it did not prevent the
United States Air Force from bombing the Ploiesti oil fields on two separate occasions. Was Operation Mercury a
success for the Germans? Or was it a phony victory? In all, 10,00 paratroops had
been sent in by parachute, 750 came in gliders, a further 5,000 had been
brought in by air transport, and 6,000 had been brought in by sea. Of the 22,000 or so men
committed to the battle, a staggering 6,000 had been killed. Among the casualties
were some of the key men in the German Airborne Force. General Major Sussmann,
Major Braun, Major Scherber, Oberlieutenant von Plessen,
all had died in the fight for the island. Out of the 500 transport aircraft, 271 had been lost. In the words of Winston Churchill... "The very spearhead of the
German lance has been shattered." When Hitler, who had taken
a considerable interest in the airborne forces
right from the early days heard of the losses, he was sufficiently perturbed. So much so, that he told
the paratroops commander, General Major Student... "The day of the paratrooper is over." "The parachute arm is a surprise weapon, and without the element of surprise, there can be no future
for airborne forces." After the battle for Crete, there was never to be another large scale German airborne operation. (singing in foreign language) Despite the pyrrhic victory of Crete, and the fact there was so many losses, there can be no doubt as
to the valor of the men that undertook the operation. They had taken part in
history's first and still only successful purely airborne operation. They could be proud and justly so, of their achievement in taking on a force five times their own strength. (cheerful instrumental music) General Major Student
praised his paratroopers at their victory parade
in Athens by stating... "Our victory banners wave over Crete." "You, my paratroopers
and airborne troops have, under your proven leaders,
achieved unrepresidented feats." "Paratroopers, filled with an
unstoppable offensive spirit, you entirely on your own,
defeated the numerically superior enemy in a
heroic, bitter struggle." "Wherever you landed on Crete, you both stormed heroically,
and held stubbornly."
