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The Battle of Crete (German: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, Greek: Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (German: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete.
The Battle of Crete took place from May 20 to June 1, 1941, during World War II. It began with an airborne assault by Nazi Germany on the Greek island of Crete. It was the first major parachute attack in the history of warfare.
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941, when Germany began their airborne invasion. Greek and other Allied forces defended the island.
20 maj 2024 · Learn how the Battle of Crete in 1941 was the largest German airborne operation of World War II and how the Cretans fought back with courage and ingenuity. Discover the strategic significance of the battle for the Allies and the Nazis, and the casualties and outcomes of the conflict.
Learn about the fierce and bloody airborne invasion of Crete by German troops in May 1941, and the Allied resistance and evacuation. See photos, accounts, and maps of the campaign that involved Australian, New Zealand, British, and Greek soldiers.
6 sie 2020 · Learn about the British preparations and the German invasion of Crete in 1941, based on the records and research at The National Archives. Explore the sources, maps, plans and reports of the battle and its aftermath.
11 maj 2022 · By 1 June, just 13 days after it started, the Battle for Crete was over. About 19,000 men were evacuated. Most of the rest, about 5,000, surrendered immediately, and some 500 or so escaped into the countryside, most eventually to be captured, a few to get away on small boats.
