CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY

OPPOSING COMMANDERS

Allied commandersAxis commanders

OPPOSING FORCES

Allied forcesAxis forces

OPPOSING PLANS

Axis plansAllied plans

THE ASSAULT ON CRETE

Maleme, 20 MayHania/Prison Valley – Gruppe Mitte, First Wave

Rethymnon – Gruppe Mitte, Second WaveHeraklionNightfall, 20 May

21 MayThe German advance from MalemeThe Allied retreat to Sphakion

The evacuation from Sphakion

AFTERMATH

THE BATTLEFIELD TODAY

ORDER OF BATTLE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Queuing for food (as evidenced by the mess tins held by the soldier in the foreground) at a mess arranged for the Signals Section of the New Zealand Divisional Headquarters, located somewhere near Hania, soon after their arrival on Crete in May 1941. (Alexander Turnbull Library, DA-13085)

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Corporal Cook (who has the pipe) along with other members of New Zealand 1st Machine Gun Company soon after their arrival on the island in early May 1941 – photographed by H.R. Hall. (Alexander Turnbull Library, DA-14274)