The offensive of the German Airborne Forces was planned to be carried out in three zones in the east at Eraklin, in the center at Rethymnon, Souda, and in Onia and, most importantly, in Malim in the west. Before launching the attack, Nazi heavy bombers first bombed ground and air defense facilities for an hour with bombs weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Then, the main force landed in a glider or parachute descended from the sky. Then there were the reinforcements carried by transport planes. In their entire battle plan, the key move was to seize the Malim airfield. This is not only for the landing of the plane, but also for the plane to take off again.

It was only with the help of multiple round-trip flights that they were able to bring in a large number of troops that were the basis of their entire plan. Judging from the many aspects of the battle, the Battle of Crete was unparalleled in ancient and modern times, and it was a battle that had never been seen before. For the first time in the history of the war, an offensive using massive airborne forces, the Luftwaffe Corps showed the fanaticism of the Hitler Youth movement. Their "Teutonic spirit" of avenging their defeat in 1918 was embodied in these fierce, fiercely trained and loyal Nazi parachute units. They are determined to dedicate their lives to the altar of "Nazi glory" and world hegemony.

The Germans poured all the forces they could mobilize in order to carry out this campaign. The battle began on the morning of 20 May.

Never in the history of German offensives have there been such recklessness and ruthlessness as this one. Their primary goal was to seize the Malim airfield. Within an hour, enemy aircraft carried out the heaviest bombing and machine-gun fire on the strongholds around the airfield with unprecedented intensity. Almost instantly, most of the Allied anti-aircraft guns were rendered useless. Before the bombing stopped, gliders began to land southwest of Malim airfield.

At 8 a.m., German planes dropped a large number of paratroopers from 300 to 100 feet above Malim and Chania. German gliders or army transport planes, landing or crashing on beaches, in the jungle or on burning airfields.

On the first day, more than 5,000 German paratroopers landed between and near Malim and Chania. They suffered heavy losses under the artillery fire of the New Lianglan army and in desperate hand-to-hand combat.

In the Allied defense zone, almost all of the German paratroopers who landed were killed, most of them killed. Before nightfall, the defenders still held the airfield.

In the morning, German planes launched a massive air raid on Rethymnon and Erachrin, and then in the afternoon they dropped paratroopers, dropping two and four battalions respectively. Fierce fighting ensued immediately, but, by evening, the Allies were holding on to those two airfields, with smaller airborne landings at Rethymnon and Eraculin, and the fighting was fierce, with heavy German casualties.

However, for the German army, the results of the first day were still quite impressive. Groups of heavily armed German troops were now free to roam the various areas.

The power of the German offensive far exceeded the predictions of the British command. Here is the report from General Freiberg, commander of the garrison, to General Wavell at 10 p.m. on May 20:

"Today is a hard day. Our army is under great pressure. I believe that we are still guarding the airfields and the two ports of Rethymnon, Erachrin, and Malim. There is little hope of holding these places, and it would be a mistake to say that the situation is optimistic. The battle was fierce, we killed a large number of German troops. Transportation was extremely difficult, and the air raids on Chania were very strong. Everyone here realizes that this is an existential battle, and we will fight to the end. ”

The next day, 21 May, the Germans continued their offensive and army transport planes reappeared over the island. Although the Malim airfield was still under intense fire from British artillery and mortars, enemy troop carriers continued to land on the airfield and the uneven ground to the east of it. The German High Command seems to have counted the losses, and in this area at least 100 aircraft crashed and crashed on the ground. Despite this, the planes kept coming. …,

By the third day, the Germans had effectively used the Malim airfield. Troop carriers continued to fly, with more than 20 sorties per hour. What was even more decisive was that by this time the German planes were able to fly back to continue carrying reinforcements.

The British command estimated that more than 600 troop carriers landed at the airfield in these days and in the days that followed, some of which were crashed and destroyed while landing.

After 20 May, the German High Command ordered a halt to the attacks on Rethymnon and Eraculin, and to concentrate the main forces on the Suda Bay area.

A formidable fleet under the command of British Rear Admiral Rollins, including the battleships HMS Vospeter and HMS Valiant and covered by 8 destroyers, was deployed west of Crete in order to monitor Mussolini's expected entry into the battle!

21st. The British ships were subjected to heavy air raids. The destroyer "Juno" was hit, sank two minutes later, and died a lot. At 11:30 p.m., British Rear Admiral Glenney, led the cruisers "Daido", "Orion" and "Ajax" and four destroyers, intercepted the German troop convoy 18 miles north of Uninia, fought fiercely for two and a half hours, and sank no less than 12 carfgets and 3 steamers loaded with German troops. It is estimated that 4,000 German troops drowned that night.

The British Navy played an important role in the defense of Crete.

May 22 and 23 were days of heavy losses for the British Navy. Two cruisers and three destroyers were sunk, the battleship "Vospet" was unusable for a long time, and the "Valiant" and many other ships were heavily damaged. Despite this, the coastal defense of Crete is still very strong. Before the end of the Battle of Crete, not a single German was able to land on the island from the sea. However, due to the disparity in numbers, the situation of the defenders became more and more difficult.

Late at night on the 26th. Wavell, commander-in-chief of the British Middle East Army, received a telegram from the commander-in-chief of Crete, General Freiberg, who was in serious condition. Freiberg says:

"I am so sad that I have to report it to you! I think that under my command, the troops defending the Suda Bay have reached the limit of what the manpower can endure. No matter what decisions the commanders-in-chief make from a military point of view, we will no longer be able to hold our positions here. A small force like ours, poorly equipped and lacking mobility, cannot withstand the concentrated bombardment that we have encountered over the past seven days. I think it should be told that from a logistical point of view, there are insurmountable difficulties in withdrawing this force completely. If a decision is made immediately, some of them can be boarded. Once this zone is captured, it will only be a matter of time before the enemy uses the same methods to scoop up Rethymnon and Eraculin. With the exception of the Welsh regiments and commandos - all our armies were already incapable of taking any offensive. If you think that it is useful to buy time in the context of the situation in the Middle East as a whole, then we should continue to insist on it. I had to think about how best to achieve the goal of buying time. Suda Bay could be under enemy fire within 24 hours. There are new heavy casualties - most of our artillery positions have been lost. ”

When Churchill saw Freiberg's telegram from the Middle East Command, he immediately replied on 27 May to encourage him: "The glorious battle you have waged has been admired by the people everywhere. We know that the enemy is in a difficult position. We are doing everything possible to provide you with all kinds of assistance. ”

That night, however, the prime minister was informed that all hopes of success had been dashed. The British and other Allied forces had to once again face the painful task of retreating the defenders and the heavy losses that were bound to be inflicted.

Under the tight blockade of Hitler and Mussolini's air and navy, transporting 22,000 fighters out of Crete was a real challenge. Not only was it difficult for the convoy to land, but it also had to sail through the 350-nautical-hour sea controlled by Mussolini's air force. …,

The landing site is Sfakia, a small fishing village on the southern coast, located under a cliff that rises to 500 feet and is only accessible by a sheep's intestine trail. Troops must hide near the edge of the cliff and come out to board when summoned. Four destroyers under the command of Admiral Alice arrived on the night of 28 May, carrying 700 men and bringing food to the large number of officers and men who had now assembled. On the return there was fighter cover, so only one destroyer received minor damage. At least 15,000 people are hiding on uneven ground near Sfakia. Freiberg's rearguard units were constantly fighting.

But a tragedy awaits another fleet that will be dispatched at the same time. The flotilla consisted of the cruisers Orion, Ajax and Daydo, as well as 6 destroyers, under the command of Admiral Rollins, who went to the rescue of the defenders of Eraculin. From 5 a.m. until dusk, enemy planes taking off from Scapanto Island continued to attack the fleet with heavy intensity. The cruiser "Ajax" and the destroyer "Imperial" were almost hit and the former had to sail back. The destroyer arrived in Eraculin just before midnight and transported the troops to the cruiser waiting in the open sea

By 3:20 a.m., the mission was complete. 4,000 people had boarded the ship and began to return home.

Half an hour later, the engine of the damaged destroyer "Imperial" suddenly broke down and almost collided with the cruiser!

The entire fleet must sail as far as possible into the southern seas at dawn. However, Admiral Rawlings ordered the destroyer "Hettersbou" to sail back. Pick up all the troops and crew of the destroyer "Imperial" and sink the "Imperial". At 6:25 a.m., the "Hillwood" was hit by another bomb and could not follow the escort fleet.

Within the next four hours, something even more unfortunate happened. The cruisers "Daido", "Orion" and the destroyer "Decoy Enemy" were hit. The situation aboard the ship "Orion" is creepy even as it sounds. In addition to the crew, there are 1,100 military officers and men on board.

A bomb crossed the bridge and landed on the overcrowded lower deck, killing about 260 people and wounding 280.

The captain of the ship, Admiral Buck, was killed, and the ship was badly damaged and set on fire. By the 29th, nearly 5,000 troops had been shipped out, but a large number of people were still hiding at all the intersections leading to Sfakia, still waiting for help.

On 30 May, Churchill issued an order to make a last-ditch effort to rescue the remaining troops on the island at all costs. Early that morning, Admiral Alice sailed again with four destroyers to Sfakia. On the way, two destroyers had to turn back, but he continued with the "Napier" and "Nizan", successfully getting more than 1,500 soldiers on board. On the way back, both destroyers were nearly sunk by bombs, but they arrived in Alexandria unharmed with more than 1,500 soldiers laden with wounded bodies. A few days earlier, the Greek king had also left the island with the British minister after all the hardships.

That night, on the orders of the commander-in-chief in Cairo, General Freiberg also left Crete by plane. By 1 June, 17,500 people had been safely transported to Egypt.

The Battle of Crete, in addition to its significance for a strategic stronghold, was also an example of the decisive results achieved in the arduous and unremitting struggle.

In this battle, Britain and its allies suffered more than 15,000 casualties. The casualties of the German and Italian fascist armies should have been higher than this.

Since the beginning of the war, it has been statistically more than 4,000 German graves in the area of Malim and Suda Bay, and more than 1,000 in Rethymnon and Iraklin. In addition, a large number of German troops drowned in the sea.

Some 170 troop carriers were destroyed or damaged.

Hitler paid a heavy price for this victory.

The Allies were losing ground and now they had to put their last hope on the Americans. …,

The situation in Britain at that time was indeed serious. In the Battle of Britain, the defeated Luftwaffe bombed Coventry, killing and wounding more than 1,000 people, in a shocking display of its power.

This saturation bombing, which spread from one town in Britain to two, was the propaganda machine in Berlin boasting of a systematic "Coventry" of the island.

At the same time, Germany, in a very ferocious way, continued its blitzkrieg attacks on London. Coupled with the tense war situation in Greece and North Africa, this has indeed increased the immeasurable pressure on Churchill.

After two months of debate before the United States sent troops to Europe, Congress overwhelmingly approved the Lend-Lease Act, which President Pitt signed into law. An ecstatic Churchill cheered the Lend-Lease Act and said that "this is the best act in the history of any country".

Then the United States decided to escort the Allied fleet!

Pitt's convoy escort decision was made in accordance with Hitler's "Sea Lion Plan". After the surrender of France on June 22, 40, Hitler's only enemy in Western Europe was Britain. Britain had already suffered serious losses in the war in Western Europe, the army was being reorganized, the National Guard was still being trained, and there was a great shortage of weapons and ammunition, with only 500 guns and 200 tanks left. During the war in Western Europe, Britain stubbornly retained 700 fighters and 500 bombers to protect thousands of miles of coastline.

After Hitler's failed lure and surrender, he was determined to destroy the country by force. He mobilized thousands of planes to bomb British ports and cities in turn, but they were all crushed by heroic Britain.

Despite the isolationist Limbaught's claim that the German air force was invincible, Hitler could not seize air supremacy in the English Channel, so he abandoned the invasion of Britain and instead tried to cut off its lifeline in the Atlantic!

In the first half of 1941, German submarines sank 756 merchant ships bound for British ports and damaged 1,450.

If this continues, the loss of tonnage will not exceed twice the replenishment capacity of the British and American shipyards. Stimson and Knox urged Pitt to order the U.S. Navy to begin escorting convoys to ensure the safe delivery of U.S. supplies. land

The military minister said that sending a boat out for a submarine to sink is like pouring water into a bathtub with holes. He advocated that a corresponding tough action must be taken.

At the same time as the Italian army invaded Greece, Mussolini rashly launched an attack on Africa. He is delusional

He wanted to take advantage of the danger of Britain and conquer Egypt in one fell swoop in order to dominate Africa.

However, the development did not turn out as Mussolini intended. Graziani, who served as the commander of Italy in Africa, was a scheming pharaonic general. Although he won the crown of the conquest of Abyssinia, was commended and applauded by the "leader", and was promoted to the rank of marshal, this time he was full of apprehension, he thought: the British have recently retreated without a fight, and they will run away without a fight. Probably a trap. Therefore, no matter how Mussolini reprimanded and insulted, he still did not act rashly.

However, while Graziani was hesitating, the British completed the preparations for the Battle of "Compass" as quickly as possible.

Before the start of the war, General Wavell, the British commander-in-chief of the Middle East, personally inspected the combat readiness and made a brief and powerful mobilization of the soldiers. He said:

"Although we are outnumbered by the enemy, we are highly trained, well equipped, accustomed to desert warfare, have a 'great and glorious tradition, and are full of perseverance, which is a guarantee of our invincible victory.'"

Before the start of a major operation, the days were really like years, and all the generals were elated, determined to win the war, in order to boost morale and teach Mussolini a lesson. On December 6, 1940, the emaciated, dark-faced, fully mechanized army of some 25,000 men marched more than 40 miles and crouched motionless in the desert the next day, undetected by Mussolini's air force. …,

On 8 December, they marched forward again, only to be told that night that this was not a desert exercise, but "a real war." At dawn on the 9th, the prelude to the Battle of Sidi Barani was unveiled.

After a burst of heavy artillery fire, the British and Indian forces launched an offensive. In just a few minutes, 25 tanks in Italy were ready? p>

Stabbed by a bite? p>

The Italian army, which was fighting at Nibeva, south of Sidi Barani, put up a stubborn resistance, and the commander of the Italian division, General Maliti, was killed as soon as he came out of the trenches.

After more than an hour of fierce fighting, the British army captured the city. The assault on the Tumar barracks began at 1.30 p.m., and by the evening almost the entire barracks area had been occupied by the British, and most of the defenders had been captured.

At the same time, the 7th Panzer Division cut off the road along the Mediterranean Sea to the west, thereby isolating Sidi Barani. At the same time, the troops stationed in the port of Matru were also ready to stop and stand ready to attack.

As soon as dawn broke on the 10th, they stormed the Italian positions in front of them under the cover of the powerful fire of the warships. The fighting continued throughout the day, and by 10 a.m. the command of the Colstrim Guard reported that there were too many prisoners to be counted, and that the captured soldiers and officers had occupied an area of about 200 acres or more.

From 11 December 1940, the British 7th Panzer Division, followed by the British 16th Infantry Motorized Brigade and the Australian 6th Division, continued to pursue the victory.

A few days later, Booker. The entire seaside area around Puk and Sidi Barani fell into the hands of the Allies.

At that time, Churchill learned from the front that at least three divisions of Mussolini's elite were either annihilated or captured.

On 12 December, when Sidi Barani's victory was finalized, General Wavell took another wise and bold decision on his own initiative.

Instead of leaving the 4th British and Indian Divisions on the battlefield as a general reserve, he immediately transferred them to Eritrea to participate in the Abyssinian Campaign under the command of General Pratt with the 5th British and Indian Divisions. Part of the division traveled by sea to Port Sudan, while the other part traveled up the Nile by train and by boat!

Some of them were driven almost directly from the Sidi Barani front to the point where they boarded the ship.

Once they reached the battlefield 700 miles away, they quickly returned to the battle. Without General Wavell's prescient decision, not only would the victory of the Abyssinian fortress of Keren be uncertain, but the liberation of Abyssinia would have been far away.

Churchill rejoiced at the victory on the North African front, and he hastened to congratulate his soldiers on the front line and urged them to spare no effort to encircle and annihilate the enemy.

In a telegram sent to Wavell on December 13, 1940, he said:

"I sincerely congratulate you on your glorious victory, which fulfilled our highest hopes. The hall was filled with joy as I spoke in the House of Commons about how skilful staff work required and how courageously the Army had carried out this difficult task. Poet Walter. Whitman said that every success result, no matter how consummating, will bring with it problems that require a greater battle to be solved. Naturally, in your mind, the pursuit of the enemy takes precedence. When the day when the victors are exhausted, it is the time when the greatest compensation can be drawn from the losers.

Nothing made Mussolini shudder more than the defeat in Libya! ”