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Page 480
Appendix 4: Summary of Strengths of All British and Greek Forces in Crete, 20 May 1941
Officers
Other Ranks
Total
Royal Navy
25
400
425
British Army
666
14397
15063
Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (Royal Marines)
92
1849
1941
Royal Air Force
61
557
618
Australian Imperial Forces
327
6213
6540
Greek Army and Gendarmerie
268
9990
10258
NZ Division
381
7321
7702
Total
1820
40727
42547
Creforce Order of Battle, 20 May 1941
Officers
Other Ranks
Total
Force HQ
28
90
118*
Force HQ Signals
3
86
89
CRA, CE, ADST, ADOS, ADMS
20
60
80*
Naval Staff
3
20
23*
HQ RAF and Signals
20
75
95
Total
74
331
405
Heraklion Sector
Sector HQ
HQ 14 Inf Bde
10
100
110*
14 Inf Bde Sigs Sec and Misc dets
3
60
63*
Naval staff
2
20
22*
RAC
Det 3 Hussars (six light tanks)
3
34
37
Det B Sqn 7 RTR (two I tanks at Heraklion; three at Tymbaki)
3
30
33
Artillery
234 Med Bty RA (13 field guns, Italian or French 75- and 100-mm)
10
190
200*
7 Aust LAA Bty (less one tp and one sec – 6 Bofors)
5
100
105*
One Tp 156 LAA Bty RA (4 Bofors)
3
60
63*
One Sec 15 Coast Regt RA (two 4″ guns)
5
80
85*
Two Secs C Hy AA Bty RM (four 3″ guns)
5
118
123
One Tp 23 LAA Bty RM (LMGs only)
2
60
62
Engineers
CRE
3
20
23*
One Sec 42 Fd Coy RE
1
70
71*
Dets 1017 Docks Op Coy and 1038 Arab Stevedore Coy
2
94
96
Page 481
Infantry
2 Leicesters
23
614
637
2 Yorks and Lancs
20
722
742
2 Black Watch
34
833
867
2 Argyll and Sutherland (at Tymbaki)
32
623
655
2/4 Aust Inf Bn
33
520
553
7 Med Regt RA, less one Bty
20
300
320*
3 Greek Regt
20
1080
1100
7 Greek Regt
20
780
800
Greek Garrison Battalion
20
780
800
Medical
Coy 189 Fd Amb RAMC
3
50
53*
RASC
10
150
160*
RAOC
2
50
52*
RAF
220 AMES
1
50
51
Airfield Det and 112 Sqn
16
125
141
sector total
311
7713
8024
Central Sector (Retimo-Georgeoupolis)
Sector HQ
HQ 19 Aust Inf Bde
7
60
67*
Signal Construction Sec
2
40
42*
Australian Signals Details
2
60
62*
RAC
Det 7 RTR (two I tanks)
1
11
12
Artillery
Sec 106 RHA (two 2-pdrs a-tk)
1
15
16
‘X’ CD Bty RM (two 4″ guns)
3
84
87
2/3 Field Regt RAA (14 field guns, Italian or French 75- and 100-mm)
15
175
190
Engineers
2/8 Field Coy RAE
6
145
151
Infantry
2/1 Aust Inf Bn
32
549
581
2/7 Aust Inf Bn
31
650
681
2/8 Aust Inf Bn
14
370
384
2/11 Aust Inf Bn
35
610
645
2/1 Aust MG Coy
6
164
170
Medical
B Coy 2/7 Fd Amb
2
50
52*
AASC Dets
5
100
105*
Ordnance
DADOS Retimo, 2/1 Aust Ord Store Coy and Misc dets
10
140
150*
Miscellaneous units
Provost
2
75
77*
Airfield Sigs Dets (Army, RN, RAF)
1
30
31*
Minor Australian units
7
120
127*
Page 482
Greek Units
4 Greek Regt
50
2250
2300
5 Greek Regt
50
2250
2300
Gendarmerie
20
780
800
sector total
252
6478
6730
Maleme Sector (incl Galatas)
HQ NZ Div
12
84
96
NZ Div Sigs
2
42
44
CRE
2
28
30
RAC
Det 3 Hussars (ten light tanks)
5
70
75
Det B Sqn 7 RTR (two I tanks)
1
12
13
Artillery
1 Light Tp RA (four 3.7″ hows)
4
83
87
5 NZ Field Regt (less Inf Det)
17
239
256
[27 Bty in support of 5 Bde (seven field guns, French and Italian 75-mm; two 3.7″ hows) RHQ and
28 Bty in support 10 Bde (two Italian 75-mm, one German 77-mm)]
One Tp and Sec 156 LAA Bty RA (6 Bofors)
4
90
94*
One Tp 7 Aust LAA Bty (4 Bofors)
3
80
83*
One Sec ‘C’ Hy AA Bty RM (two 3″ guns)
2
60
62
‘Z’ CD Bty RM (two 4″ guns)
3
82
85
One Tp 23 LAA Bty RM (LMGs only)
2
60
62
Infantry
4 NZ Infantry Brigade1
HQ and Sigs Sec
10
114
124
18 NZ Inf Bn
27
650
677
19 NZ Inf Bn
25
540
565
20 NZ Inf Bn
27
610
637
One Pl 27 NZ (MG) Bn
1
34
35
5 NZ Infantry Brigade
HQ and Sigs Sec
10
115
125
7 NZ Fd Coy (as Inf)
3
145
148
19 A Tps Coy (as Inf)
6
210
216
21 NZ Bn
24
352
376
22 NZ Bn
24
620
644
23 NZ Bn
24
547
571
28 NZ (Maori) Bn
29
590
619
2 Pls 27 NZ (MG) Bn
4
107
111
1 Greek Regt (at Kastelli)
30
1000
1030
10 NZ Inf Bde
HQ and Sigs Sec
6
30
36
NZ Div Cav Det
19
175
194
NZ Composite Bn (Arty and ASC)
37
970
1007
4 NZ Fd Regt 18 Offrs 159 ORs
5 NZ Fd Regt 5 Offrs 100 ORs
NZ Div Sup Coln 3 Offrs 140 ORs
NZ Div Pet Coy 7 Offrs 301 ORs
NZ Res MT Coy 4 Offrs 270 ORs
One Pl 27 NZ (MG) Bn
1
32
33
6 Greek Regt
39
1446
1485
8 Greek Regt
39
974
1013
Page 483
Medical
5 NZ Fd Amb
8
146
154
6 NZ Fd Amb
8
179
187
4 NZ Fd Hyg Sec
1
30
31
7 Brit Gen Hosp (incl 2 NZ GH att)
21
162
183*
Patients 7 Gen Hosp
10
100
110*
NZ Dental Corps
2
7
9
HQ NZASC and DID
4
30
34
DADOS Maleme Sector
1
15
16
Miscellaneous
NZ att Greek units
9
27
36
NZ Provost Coy
72
72
NZ Entertainment Unit
2
28
24
NZE Postal
1
23
24
RAF
252 AMES
2
54
56
30 and 33 Sqns
19
210
229
Fleet Air Arm
805 Sqn
5
50
55*
Sector Total
535
11324
11859
Suda Bay Sector
Sector HQ (incl HQ MNBDO)
29
223
252*
Suda Sector Signals (Army)
2
40
42*
NOIC Suda and Naval Base Details
15
300
315*
MNBDO Signals Coy
6
220
226*
Artillery
‘M’ Group
HQ 52 LAA Regt RA
6
70
76*
151 Hy AA Bty RA (eight 3.7″ guns)
8
280
288*
129 LAA Bty RA (12 Bofors)
9
240
249*
156 LAA Bty, less two tps and one sec (2 Bofors)
3
60
63*
One Sec 7 Aust LAA Bty (2 Bofors)
2
40
42*
23 LAA Bty RM, less two tps (LMGs only)
4
100
104*
‘S’ Group
HQ 2 Hy AA Regt RM
4
7
11
‘A’ Hy AA Bty RM (eight 3″ guns)
10
260
270
One Sec ‘C’ Hy AA Bty RM (two 3″ guns)
3
60
63
234 Hy AA Bty RA (eight 3.7″ guns)
8
280
288*
304 S/L Bty RA (20 lights)
10
300
310*
Sec 106 RHA (two 2-pdrs a-tk)
1
15
16
15 Coast Regt RA, less one sec (four 6″ guns, two 4″ guns, two 12-pdr guns, two
lights)
25
440
465*
Engineers
CRE
2
30
32*
42 Fd Coy RE, less one sec
4
160
164*
5 NZ Fd Pk Coy
4
116
120
Crete Composite Coy RE
10
200
210*
1003 Docks Op Coy
5
121
126
RE Stores Depot
4
80
84*
Aust Engrs and AASC Stevedores
10
350
360*
NZE Stevedores
2
50
52
Page 484
Infantry
1 Welch (Force Reserve)
23
831
854
1 Rangers (9 Bn KRRC)
16
401
417
Northumberland Hussars
11
268
279
106 RHA
16
291
307
2/2 Aust Fd Regt
34
520
554
Det 2/3 Aust Fd Regt
11
295
306
16 Aust Inf Bde Comp Bn (2/2 and 2/3 Bns)
16
427
443
17 Aust Inf Bde Comp Bn (2/4 and 2/5 Bns)
20
367
387
HQ 11 S/L Regt and ‘S’ S/L Bty RM
14
350
364
‘Royal Perivolians’ (Dets misc British units)
30
670
700*
1 Echelon NZ Div Supply Coln
5
140
145
2 Greek Regiment (500 rifles only)
30
900
930
RASC
231 MT Coy
10
450
460*
101 Pet Coy
7
250
257*
1 Pet Depot
2
50
52*
Two Supply Depots
10
200
210*
One Base Supply Depot
5
65
70*
37 DID
2
30
32*
Dets 1 and 26 Fd Bakery
2
65
67*
Misc RASC
10
100
110*
Det EFI
2
50
52*
Ordnance
5 Ind Bde Workshops
4
100
104*
2 Hy AA Workshops RM
1
25
26
52 LAA Workshops
1
50
51*
DADOS
30
600
630*
Ord Offr Docks
30
600
630*
Ordnance Depot
30
600
630*
Amn Depot
30
600
630*
Misc Ord Dets
30
600
630*
Medical
4 Lt Fd Amb RAMC
4
100
104*
168 Fd Amb RAMC
2
100
102*
189 Fd Amb RAMC, less one coy
6
100
106*
2 Armd Div and 48 Fd Hyg Secs
2
50
52*
1 Tented Hospital RN
12
52
64
Dets 2/1, 2/2, 2/7 Aust Fd Ambs
8
210
218
Miscellaneous Units
MNBDO Landing and Maintenance Unit
12
288
300
MNBDO Pioneer and Labour Group
12
288
300
270 FSS
1
20
21*
Base Pay and Field Cash Office
5
30
35*
CMP
4
60
64*
Suda Island Det
1
28
29
RAF Details
3
33
36
Misc Aust minor units
10
130
140*
Misc British minor units
25
150
175*
Pioneer and Labour Units
606 Palestine Pioneer Coy
3
439
442
1004, 1005, 1007, 1008 Cypriot Pioneer Coys
11
688
699
Misc Pioneers
200
200
Sector Total
607
14215
14822
Layforce (landed 24–27 May)
40
760
800*
Grand Total
1819
40821
42640
Page 485
British Army
Total known, and figures for infantry and some other units are accurate. Remainder of figures compiled
from establishments and any other available information.
Royal Navy
No strengths known. All are estimated.
RAF
Strengths accurate, based on detailed RAF statements.
Royal Marines
Strengths reliable, based on exact disembarkation returns on arrival in Crete.
AIF
As for the British Army except that more units are known more or less exactly.
Greek Army
Strengths as recorded in Crete but these were probably in most cases estimates.
NZ
Strengths almost exactly accurate.
Information as to British and Australian units was kindly supplied by British and Australian Historical Sections.
Estimates are marked with an asterisk.
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