Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45
Crete
by D. M. Davin
War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs
Wellington, New Zealand
1953
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Crete till the Evacuation of Greece
Chapter 2: British and German Preparations, 25 April–19 May
New Zealand Arrivals from Greece – Dispositions of New Zealand Force – Defensive Decisions – General Freyberg Takes Command – Preparations of 2 NZ Division: 30 April–19 May – German Preparations
Chapter 3: First Day of Battle: 20 May
Maleme and 22 Battalion – the Other Battalions and 5 Brigade HQ – Canea-Galatas Sector – Retimo, Heraklion, and Creforce
Chapter 4: The Second Day: 21 May
The Maleme Sector – Galatas and Canea Fronts – Retimo, Heraklion, and Creforce
Chapter 5: The Third Day: 22 May
The Counter-attack at Maleme – the Canea-Galatas Front – the Decision to Withdraw 5 Brigade – Retimo, Heraklion, and Creforce
Chapter 6: The Fourth Day: 23 May
The Withdrawal of 5 Brigade – the Canea-Galatas Front – Retimo, Heraklion, and Creforce
Chapter 7: The Fifth Day: 24 May
The Canea-Galatas Front – Other Fronts and Creforce
Chapter 8: The Sixth Day: 25 May
The Attack on Galatas – the Counter-attack for Galatas – the Decision to Form a New Line – Other Fronts and Creforce
Chapter 9: The Seventh Day: 26 May
The Line East of Galatas – the Decision to Withdraw – the Withdrawal of the Brigades and the Movement of Force Reserve – Other Fronts and Creforce
Chapter 10: The Eighth Day: 27 May
Force Reserve and 42nd Street – Behind 42nd Street
Chapter 11: Withdrawal and Evacuation
The Ninth Day: 28 May – the Tenth Day: 29 May – the Eleventh Day: 30 May – the Twelfth Day: 31 May – the Capitulation: 1 June
Appendices
Appendix 2: Escape of the King of Greece
Appendix 3: German Attacks on 7 General Hospital and 6 Field Ambulance, 18 and 20 May 1941
Appendix 4: Summary of Strengths of all British and Greek Forces in Crete, 20 May 1941
Appendix 6: Unit Casualties in NZ Division
Appendix 8: Evacuations from Crete
Appendix 9: Return Visits to Crete
Landing stores for the British garrison in 1940: British Official – Lewis gun overlooking Suda Bay: British Official – General Wavell, GOC-in-C Middle East, during his visit to Crete in November 1940: British Official – New Zealanders from Greece enter Suda Bay: NZ Army – March to the transit camp: C. R. Ambury – Meal-time under the olives: E. K. S. Rowe, D. M. Burns – Cleaning up: E. K. S. Rowe – Men of 19 Army Troops Company resting: E. K. S. Rowe – Group of 20 Battalion on day of arrival: C. E. Thomas collection – 5 NZ Infantry Brigade HQ at Platanias: New Zealanders in a village street: NZ Army – 7 General Hospital, showing Red Cross ground sign: A. H. Thomas – German paratroops on a Greek airfield: Dr K. Bringmann – Wrecked Junkers 52 troop-carriers at Maleme: German source – ‘For each man dangling carried a death, his own if not another’s.’: Dr K. Bringmann – Crashed German glider: NZ Army – Junkers 52s dropping paratroops: E. K. S. Rowe – A dead paratrooper in 19 Battalion area: N. E. Andrews – Looking towards Canea from the west: NZ Army – Smoke clouds over Canea: NZ Army – Smoke pall over Suda Bay: S. B. Cann, AIF – General Freyberg watches the landing from his Battle Headquarters: J. C. White – Troops of 5 Mountain Division ready to embark from Greece: Dr K. Bringmann – Aerial photographs of Maleme area and airfield: British Official – Infantry counter-attacking Maleme airfield: I. E. Dawson – Junkers troop-carriers burning at Maleme: E. K. S. Rowe – Crete News – Ack-ack fire scores a hit at Heraklion – Bombing at Heraklion – Ay Marina: E. K. S. Rowe – A German machine-gunner covers the advance: German source – ‘the Galatas Heights’ from the Alikianou-Canea Road: E. A. Vedova – the Church at Galatas: German source – Farran’s disabled tank in a Galatas street: German source – Germans enter Galatas after the attack: German source – British destroyer hit by a bomb – Brigadier Hargest during the battle: from an 8-mm cinematograph film by John Gray – Brigadier G. A. Vasey after his return from Crete: Australian Official – the withdrawal from Stilos: W. W. Mason collection – Askifou Plain from the north: NZ Army – Filling a water-bottle from a well: R. T. Miller – Pushing a truck over the bank at the end of the retreat: from an 8-mm cinematograph film by John Gray – Sappers after the march over the mountains: P. B. Wildey – Ravine leading down to Sfakia: NZ Army – Moving down towards the beach: N. E. Andrews – Sfakia – Sfakia from the air: RAF Official – the village of Sfakia at the time of the evacuation – Creforce HQ cave at Sfakia – Inside the cave, General Freyberg in centre: J. C. White – HMAS Nizam returns to Alexandria: British Official – On board a destroyer: V. C. Gordon collection – Back in Egypt: British Official – Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham and Rt. Hon. Peter Fraser meet returning troops: NZ Army – Brigadiers E. Puttick and L. M. Inglis – Staff-Sergeant T. Moir, who returned to Crete in February 1943 to help escapers: J. McDevitt collection – Ravines in mountainous country crossed by escapers: J. McDevitt collection – Cove where Royal Navy picked up Moir’s party: J. McDevitt collection
List of Maps
Eastern Mediterranean
Crete, topography and Allied dispositions, 20 May
Maleme, intended and actual landing areas of Assault Regiment, 20 May
Maleme, 5 Brigade, 20 May
Galatas, intended and actual landing areas of 3 Parachute Regiment, 20 May
Suda Area, enemy landings, 20 May
New Zealand Divisional Area and enemy landings, 21 May
Maleme counter-attack, 21–22 May
Galatas, 25 May
Beritiana-Stilos, 28 May
Withdrawal routes to Sfakia
Naval operations, 20 May to 1 June
Maleme, 22 Battalion, 20 May
Galatas, Composite Battalion, 20 May
Retimo, 20 May
Georgeoupolis, 20 May
Heraklion, 20 May
Canea-Galatas sector, 22 May
Platanias and Stalos, 23 May
Galatas, 24 May
Kastelli, 20–26 May
Counter-attack at Galatas, 25 May
Canea, 26 May
Force Reserve, 27 May
42nd Street, 27 May
Babali Hani, 28 May
Withdrawal, 29 May
Sfakia, 30 May
Sfakia, 31 May
Naval Operations, 20 May to 1 June