Chapter 89 Volume Three, Chapter Sixteen, Crete: After the Battle

The Luftwaffe Corps. The Germans began their offensive on May 20. Rethymnon and Iraklin Malim fell on May 23. The navy participated in the battle and destroyed the German troop convoy. The navy paid a heavy price, but Cunningham The Admiral is still at full strength Gloucester and Fiji are lost HMS Kelly and Kashmir are sunk A telegram from Admiral Cunningham says the situation is serious Admiral Freiberg reports critical situation with no hope of success On May 26th it was decided to retreat. The arduous and disastrous task of rescuing the defenders in Iraq Klin was tragic. Admiral Cunningham decided to retreat and continue the German atrocities against the islanders.

In many respects at the time of the battle, the Battle of Crete was unparalleled. This is a battle like never before.In the history of warfare, this was the first attack with a large airborne force.The Luftwaffe corps embodies the zeal of the Hitler Youth movement and strongly embodies their Teutonic spirit of avenging the defeat of 1918.The very best of German boys was found in these brave, highly trained and uncompromisingly loyal Nazi parachute troops.Their fierce determination was to consecrate their lives on the altar of German glory and world power.They were destined to meet proud soldiers, many of whom had traveled thousands of miles from the other side of the world, to serve their country as volunteers, fighting for what they believed to be the cause of justice and freedom.This chapter describes how the two meet and fight to the death.

The Germans devoted all the forces they could mobilize to this campaign.This is Goering's greatest achievement in the Air Force.Germany could have used this force to attack the British Isles in 1940 had Britain lost air supremacy over the homeland, but they failed to do so.This force could have also been used to attack the island of Malta.However, we were spared.For more than seven months the Luftwaffe corps has been on standby to test its mettle.Now, at last, Göring was able to issue his long-awaited order to them.At the time of the first confrontation we did not know how many German parachute troops there were.The Eleventh Air Corps was perhaps only one of six Air Corps.It wasn't until months later that we figured out it was the only one.It is indeed the point of the German spear.How did this army succeed in the first place, and how it fell apart, let's see below.

The fighting began on the morning of 20 May.Never had a German offensive been so reckless, so ruthless.Their first and main target was Malim Airfield.Within an hour, enemy aircraft bombed and machine-gunned the positions around the airfield with a level of violence never seen before.Almost instantly, most of my anti-aircraft guns were rendered useless.Before the bombing ceased, the gliders began to land west of Malim Airfield.At 8 o'clock in the morning, enemy planes dropped a large number of paratroopers over the area between Malim and Chania from 300 to 600 feet.Enemy planes flew in continuously, dropping a regiment of four battalions in the morning, and another regiment in the afternoon.In airdrops, casualties and aircraft losses are completely disregarded.The landing paratroopers encountered firm resistance from a battalion of the 5th New Zealand Brigade on and near the airfield, and the rest of the brigade responded to the east.Wherever our troops were found, they were heavily bombarded, with bombs of five hundred or even a thousand pounds in abundance.

A counter-offensive during the day is impossible.A counter-offensive held by only two infantry tanks failed.Land or crash the enemy glider or army transport plane on the beach, in the jungle or on a burning airfield.On the first day, more than 5,000 German paratroopers landed between and near Malim and Chania.They suffered heavy losses under fire from New Zealand troops and in desperate hand-to-hand combat.In our zone of defense almost all the German paratroopers who landed were dead, mostly shot.We still held the airfield until nightfall, but at night the few remaining soldiers of the battalion withdrew to the support line.The two companies sent for reinforcements had no time to counterattack to secure the airfield.However, the airfield is still under the control of our artillery fire.

This morning, the enemy planes attacked Rethymnon and Eraklin in large numbers, and then dropped paratroopers in the afternoon, dropping two battalions and four battalions respectively in the two places.Fierce fighting immediately ensued, but by evening we were still holding on to the two airfields.Smaller airborne troops still landed at Rethymnon and Iraklin, and the fighting was intense, with heavy German casualties.The results of the first day were therefore quite satisfactory, with the exception of Malim; but hordes of well-armed German troops were now freely roaming the districts.The force of the enemy's attack far exceeded the predictions of the British command, and the ferocity of our resistance also shocked the enemy.

Here are the reports we got: General Freiberg to General Wavell May 20, 1941 at ten o'clock in the afternoon Fight hard all day long today.Our army is under great pressure.I believe we still hold the airfields and two ports of Rethymnon, Iraklin, and Malim. There is little hope of holding these places, and I would be wrong if I spoke optimistically.The fighting was fierce, and we killed a large number of German troops.Traffic is extremely difficult.The air strikes on Chania were very heavy.Everyone here recognizes that this is a life and death battle, and we will fight it out. The enemy continued to attack the next day, and army transport planes appeared over the island again.

Although the Malim airfield was still under heavy artillery and mortar fire from our side, enemy troop carriers continued to land on the airfield and the uneven ground to the east. The German High Command seems to be paying no attention to the loss. In this area, at least a hundred aircraft crashed on the ground.Even so, the planes kept coming.A counterattack during the night reached the edge of the airfield, but as soon as daylight came, the Luftwaffe reappeared and failed to hold the captured area. By the third day, the enemy was able to make effective use of Malim Airfield.The troop carrier planes continued to fly over, making more than 20 sorties per hour.What was even more decisive was that at this time the enemy planes were able to fly back and continue to carry reinforcements.It is estimated that over six hundred enemy troop-carrying aircraft landed or were destroyed at this airfield with considerable success during these and subsequent days.As the enemy increased and the pressure increased, we were finally compelled to abandon our plans for a major counter-offensive, and the 5th New Zealand Brigade retreated gradually until it was about ten miles from Malim.Little has changed in the Chania and Souda Bay areas, and Rethymnon remains firmly in our hands.At Iraq Klin, the enemy is landing east of the airfield, where an enemy stronghold is beginning to form and expanding.After the initial attack on May 20th, the German High Command ordered to stop the attack on Rethymnon and Eraklin, and to concentrate the main forces on the Souda Bay area.

According to aerial reconnaissance reports, Greek light sailing ships appeared in the Aegean Sea.Admiral Cunningham had dispatched a light fleet to the northwest of Crete on the 20th.The fleet included the cruisers Nymph and Perth and the destroyers Kandahar, Nubia, Kingston and Juno under the command of Rear Admiral King. A formidable fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Rawlins, including the battleships Wospite and Valiant, covered by eight destroyers, was stationed west of Crete to watch for the expected Italian fleet to join the war. On the 21st, our ships were subjected to heavy air raids all day long.The destroyer USS Juno was hit and sank two minutes later with heavy casualties.The cruisers Ajax and Orion were also damaged, but continued to fight.

That night our weary troops saw that the sky to the north was bright and flashed with fire, and knew that the Royal Navy was at war.The transport convoy carrying the first batch of German sea attack troops has set sail on a desperate mission.In the afternoon, groups of small ships were reported to be approaching Crete, and Admiral Cunningham ordered his light fleet into the Aegean Sea to prevent German landings in the dark.At 11:30 in the night, Rear Admiral Glenn led the cruisers Dedo, Orion, and Ajax and four destroyers to intercept the German troop convoy in the waters eighteen miles north of Chania; The troop carrier consisted mainly of light sailing ships, escorted by torpedo boats.The British ships pursued their prey for two and a half hours, sinking no less than a dozen caravels and three steamers loaded with German troops.It is estimated that 4,000 German soldiers drowned that night.

At this time, Rear Admiral Jin led the cruisers Water Goddess, Perth, Calcutta, and Carlisle, as well as three destroyers, to patrol the sea near Iraqi Klin all night on the 21st, and began at dawn on the 22nd. Cruise north.A caravel carrying the troops was wrecked, and at ten o'clock the fleet approached Milos.A few minutes later, seeing an enemy destroyer to the north, and five small boats, they opened fire immediately.Then another destroyer was seen emitting a smoke screen, behind which there were a large number of light sailing ships.In fact, we have already intercepted another important convoy full of troops.My aerial reconnaissance team had reported the incident to Admiral Cunningham, but it was over an hour before the news was confirmed to Rear Admiral King.His ships had been under constant air attack since dawn, and by this time not a single ship had been damaged, but the anti-aircraft shells were running low.Fleet speed has also been reduced, for the Carlisle can only travel twenty-one miles an hour.Rear Admiral Jin did not fully realize that the loot was about to be obtained, and felt that if he went deeper into the northern waters, he might endanger the entire fleet, so he ordered a retreat westward.When the commander-in-chief received the signal, he immediately issued the following order: Stick to it.Stay within a visible distance of the signal.Never let my Army down in Crete.Do not allow the enemy's seaborne forces to land on Crete. It is too late to destroy this troop carrier now.Because it turned back and spread out to the dotted islands.In this way, at least 5,000 German soldiers escaped the fate of their former comrades.The audacity of the German authorities to order these virtually defenseless troop-carriers to cross a sea where they have neither command of the sea nor the air shows what they might have done in the North Sea and the English Channel in September 1940. Such a large-scale operation.This also shows that the Germans did not understand the power of the navy against attacking forces, and the possible price in lives due to this ignorance. Rear Admiral King's order to retreat did not save the squadron under his command from air attack.If he were to destroy the troop convoy, he probably would have suffered no more than that.For the next three and a half hours, his ships were bombarded continuously.His flagships, Nymphaeus and Carlisle, were damaged, and Carlisle's captain, Captain Hampton, was killed.At this time, Rear Admiral Rawlins was rushing from the west across the Antikitira Strait to meet him. The ships he led were the battleships Wospite and Valiant, the cruisers Gloucester and Fiji, and the other ships. There were seven destroyers; at 1:10 p.m. the two fleets met.The Wospite was hit by a bomb the moment it arrived. The four-inch and six-inch guns on the starboard side were blown up, and the speed was reduced.By this time the enemy planes had escaped, and the two combined British squadrons retreated to the southwest.Admiral Cunningham was resolute and resolute, no matter how much the sacrifice was, he wanted to wipe out the invaders who came by sea. He did not hesitate to put everything in his hands.It is evident that in these few battles he did not hesitate to risk not only his most valuable ships, but also his entire command of the Eastern Mediterranean for this purpose.His performance in this battle was praised by the Admiralty.It was not only the German command that placed the highest stakes in this brutal battle. The forty-eight-hour naval battle convinced the enemy, and they made no further attempt to land with a seaborne force until the fate of Crete was sealed. May 22nd and 23rd were the days when our navy suffered heavy losses.The destroyer HMS Hound in Rear Admiral Rollins' Squadron was sunk.Admiral King, commander of the now united fleet, ordered the other two destroyers to rescue the survivors and the cruisers HMS Gloucester and HMS Fiji to fend off the continued and intensified air raids.This delayed the actions of the entire fleet and greatly prolonged the time for air strikes.At 2:57 p.m. on the 22nd, Admiral Jin reported that the anti-aircraft shells on the two cruisers were about to run out, so he ordered their cameras to retreat.At 3:30 in the afternoon, it was reported that Gloucester and Fiji were approaching the fleet at high speed from behind, facing heavy air attack.Twenty minutes later, the Gloucester was hit by several bombs and stopped sailing immediately. The ship was on fire and the upper deck was littered with dead bodies.The Fiji was helpless and had to leave.The ship lost contact with the fleet and gradually ran out of fuel, so it sailed directly in the direction of Alexandria with its two destroyers.The ship was bombed nearly twenty times by enemy bomber formations within three hours on the way, and all the heavy anti-aircraft artillery shells were used up. At this moment, it was bombed by a Messerschmitt 109 bomber Hit; the aircraft was approaching through clouds and was therefore not detected.After the heavy bombing, the ship list, but still sailed at 17 knots, until three bombs hit the vital point in another air raid.At 8:15 p.m., the ship capsized and then sank, but the two destroyers accompanying the escort rescued 523 of the 780 crew members and sailed back to the base after dark . At this time, the fleet twenty miles to the west was repeatedly attacked by enemy planes, and the Valiant was hit, but not seriously injured.At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten sailed from the island of Malta on the destroyer Kelly and led four other destroyers of the latest type to participate in fleet operations.This small fleet of five destroyers is what we have just reinforced in the Central Mediterranean.After dusk, his destroyer was ordered back to search for the survivors of HMS Gloucester and HMS Fiji. But the Commander-in-Chief put aside this benevolent work when he sent the destroyers out to cruise the waters off the northern coast of Crete in the dark.This is yet another correct but harrowing decision.Mountbatten's destroyer patrolled the sea near Chania all night on the night of the 22nd, while Captain Mike took the Gaffers Bay and led three other destroyers to search for the channel leading to Eraklin.A caravan loaded with troops was wrecked by the Kelly, and another caught fire.By dawn, the destroyer withdrew south. During the night, Admiral Cunningham was briefed on the general situation and the losses of Gloucester and Fiji.Due to an error in the copying work of the signal release office in Alexandria, he found that not only the cruisers, but also the battleships were almost running out of anti-aircraft artillery shells.He therefore ordered the entire fleet to retreat eastward at 4 o'clock in the morning.In fact, the battleship was well-stocked with ammunition, and Cunningham later said that if he had known the real situation at the time, he would not have ordered the retreat.If the fleet had stayed there, we might have avoided another disaster the next morning.Now let's talk about the course of this incident. At dawn on the 23rd, Kelly and Kashmir circled west of Crete and retreated at full speed.They suffered two heavy air raids during the voyage, but were fortunately unharmed. At 7:55 in the morning, they were overtaken by an air force formation of twenty-four dive bombers.The two ships were sunk in an instant, killing 210 people.Fortunately the destroyer HMS Kipling was nearby, and despite the continued bombardment, 279 officers and men were rescued from the sea, including Lord Louis Mountbatten, while the ship itself was not damaged.The next morning, the Kipling was out of fuel fifty miles from Alexandria, and was manned from bow to stern, but was safe from the ships sent to meet her and was towed into Alexandria. Thus, in the battles of the 22nd and 23rd of May, our naval losses were as follows: two cruisers, three destroyers were sunk, the battleship Wospite was out of service for a long time, and the HMS Valiant and many other ships were severely damaged.Even so, Crete's coastal defenses are still solid.The Navy lived up to expectations.Not a single German landed on the island by sea until the Battle of Crete was over. The Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean did not yet know how much he himself had achieved. He called on the 23rd and said: The battle in the past four days was completely a contest between the Mediterranean Fleet and the German Air Force. I am afraid that we must admit defeat in the waters off the coast of Crete, and must face the fact that the losses are too great to prevent the enemy's seaborne forces from attacking Crete.This is a tragic ending that we must accept.As I have always worried, because the enemy enjoys air superiority that our air force cannot compete with, and the battle is carried out in a limited sea area, coupled with the bad climate in the Mediterranean, so the strength of the enemy and ourselves is very different. Only by using troops can we win. HMS Formidable (aircraft carrier) is damaged and unable to sail, which is perhaps fortunate, as I fear it may be sunk by now. The Admiralty replied immediately, stating: If it were only the Mediterranean Fleet and the Luftwaffe, we might have to accept the restrictions you suggest on fleet movement.But, in addition to this, there was the war for the defense of Crete.If the fleet can prevent the enemy from sending reinforcements and supplies by sea to the island before my army on Crete can successfully deal with all enemy airborne forces, my army on Crete may be able to defeat the attack of the enemy seaborne force.The most important task, therefore, for a day or two was to prevent the arrival of the enemy's seaborne forces on the island, even if the fleet suffered more losses.The Admiralties of the Admiralty are fully aware of the great difficulties your fleet encounters in the execution of its mission. When the fighting in Crete was extremely tense, I called President Roosevelt: May 23, 1941 Fighting was intense on Crete, as we had no airfields within effective range to use our air force to assist in the defense or to cover our patrols.Our two cruisers and two destroyers were sunk today.We are annihilating large numbers of Germany's best troops and sinking at least one troop carrier. Called Wavell again: May 23, 1941 The Battle of Crete must be won.Even if the enemy gains a solid position, he must continue to fight on the island indefinitely, so that the main attacking force of the enemy can be contained in this battle.This will at least give you time to mobilize the cubs[1] and get the situation in the western desert under control.As long as the fighting continues, the island of Cyprus can be protected.I hope you will try to send reinforcements to Crete every night.Can more tanks be sent to retake airfields occupied by the enemy?The strength of the enemy's most elite troops must have been exhausted, and their losses must have been extremely heavy.They can't bear it any longer.Here's what I have to say to General Freiberg: The world is watching you fight brilliantly, and the game will take its course. 【1】Refers to tanks shipped to the Middle East via the Mediterranean Sea.translator The Chiefs of Staff fully agree and call the Commanders-in-Chief: May 24, 1941 We have great difficulties in Crete, but from all the information we have received, the enemy's difficulties are not less.If we persist, the enemy's strength may be exhausted.Our most urgent need seems to be to send the strongest reinforcements to the island as soon as possible, so as to ensure that the enemy who has landed will be wiped out before they can be effectively reinforced.You know this battle is so important that you must risk the most to ensure success. Admiral Cunningham replied to the Admiralty telegram of the 23rd: Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet to the Admiralty May 26, 1941 Lords of the Admiralty, please rest assured and believe that the decisive factor in the battle in the Aegean Sea is not the fear of loss, but the need to avoid losses that endanger the fleet and have no corresponding interests for ourselves.So far as I know, the enemy has not succeeded in bringing any serious reinforcements into Crete by sea, if they did get some.But I agree with the opinion that the enemy's reinforcements will soon reach considerable proportions. 2. We have indeed had enough experience with regard to possible losses. Within three days, two cruisers and four destroyers were sunk, and one battleship could no longer participate in combat for several months. In addition, two cruisers and four destroyers were severely damaged.If we suffer another loss like this, we will no longer be able to maintain our command of the seas in the Eastern Mediterranean. 3. In fact, the enemy does not have to transport troops and supplies by sea. For in spite of the loss and forced return of their troop carriers, the air force was, for the time being, sufficiently sufficient to provide reinforcements and supplies for landing troops at will.Our air force was incapable of stopping this movement, and my troops in Crete often saw groups of Junker 52s running amok, which may have affected our morale. 4. It seems to me that the Admiralties of the Admiralty should be aware of the growing effect on personnel of recent actions.Our light ships and machinery are running out of strength, and our officers and men are near exhaustion.Since the beginning of Operation Tejas (a program to aid Greece) at the end of February, we have been using these men and ships non-stop, almost to the limit of what they can bear.Their task is now doubly heavy, and they are faced with concentrated enemy air raids which, I am convinced, are child's play compared with those of the Norwegian campaign.It is inappropriate for people to use more than a certain limit. 5. What I can do has exceeded my original expectations.Destroyers and cruisers are sweeping the waters off the north coast of Crete every night. We shelled Malim and this morning we attacked Scapanto.A submarine is watching the movement of Milos Island.However, I have not yet received the reinforcements from the scout planes that I have so earnestly requested. 6. After writing the above sections, I learned that His Majesty's warships HMS the Formidable and HMS Nubia had been hit by bombs and were returning to port.The details are not yet clear. There were still more serious tests before the determined commander-in-chief, and he was proved to be able to withstand them. But late at night on the 26th, Wavell received serious news from Freiberg.Freiberg said: It pains me to be compelled to report to you that I believe that the forces under my command defending Souda Bay have reached the limits of what manpower can bear.Whatever decisions the Commanders-in-Chief may make from a military point of view, we cannot hold our positions here.A small force such as ours, ill-equipped and immobile, could not stand up to the concentrated bombardment we have encountered during the past seven days.I feel I should tell you that, from a logistical point of view, there are insurmountable difficulties in withdrawing this force in its entirety.If the decision is made immediately, some of them can still board the ship.Once this theater is captured, it will only be a matter of time before the enemy takes Rethymnon and Eraklin in the same way.With the exception of the Welsh regiments and commandos, all our troops have been rendered incapable of any offensive.If you consider the overall situation in the Middle East and think that buying time is useful, then we should continue to insist.But I had to think about how to most effectively achieve the purpose of gaining time.Souda Bay could be under enemy fire within twenty-four hours. There have been new serious casualties, and most of our stationary guns have been lost. I call Freiberg: May 27, 1941 Your honorable defense is admired everywhere.We know the enemy is in trouble.We are giving you all kinds of assistance within our ability. Prime Minister to Commander in Chief Middle East May 27, 1941 The victory in Crete was extremely important at this turning point in the war. Hope to continue to invest in all possible assistance. But we were informed that night that all hope of success had vanished. General Wavell to Prime Minister May 27, 1941 I am afraid that the situation in Crete has reached a critical juncture.The Chania front had crumbled, and Souda Bay looked like it would last no more than twenty-four hours.It has been impossible to send reinforcements. 2. Most of our troops on the island were severely tested in Greece by overwhelming enemy air raids, and now they are being subjected to the same ordeal in Crete, and the air raids have never increased in scale.Such continual and irresistible air raids will sooner or later compel the most tenacious armies to abandon their positions and render logistical support virtually impossible. 3. Just now I received a call from Freiberg, saying that the only feasible way to preserve the army in the Soda Bay area is to retreat to the southern beach of the island and hide by day and night.Rethymnon's army was said to have been cut off and out of supplies.Iraqi Kling's forces were apparently also about to be surrounded. 4. I am afraid we must admit that Crete cannot be held any longer, and that troops must be withdrawn as far as possible.It is impossible to resist the power of the enemy's air raids, which have never been greater in scale, and which, for various objective reasons, have encountered almost no resistance. On the fourth day of ground fighting, Freiberg established a new front in the Malimchania theater.As the Luftwaffe gained free access to the airfields, the German strength continued to grow.May 26 was a decisive day.For six days I was forced to retreat to my unit near Chania and was under increasing pressure.Finally, they couldn't take it any longer.A section of the front leading to the interior was broken, and the enemy reached Souda Bay.Communication with Freiberg headquarters was no longer possible, so he ordered the troops under his own authority to begin retreating south across the island to Sfakia.Late that night, the decision to withdraw from Crete was made.The troops were on the path across the mountains, and the situation was very chaotic.Fortunately, two commandos (about 750 men) under the command of Colonel Laycock landed in Souda Bay on the night of the 26th on board the minelayer Ab Tier.This force, which can be regarded as a new force, together with the remnants of the 5th New Zealand Brigade and the 7th and 8th Australian Battalions, fought a strong rearguard battle, which made almost all of us in the Chania Malim area of ​​Suda Bay. The remnants of the army found their way back to the south coast. At Rethymnon, the troops held their positions, although they were completely surrounded on the way to the interior, and supplies and ammunition were dwindling.Some rations were transported by motorboat, but the order to break out and retreat to the south coast could not be communicated to them.The enemy gradually closed the encirclement until the 30th, when the remaining troops surrendered after killing at least 300 German soldiers due to lack of food.About 140 people managed to escape. In Klin, Iraq, the German presence was increasing east of the airfield.The defenders were reinforced by a portion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlander forces.This force landed in Timbaki, took the road to Klin, Iraq, and joined the defenders.At this time, the navy also arrived in time to rescue. Once again we had to face the painful task of evacuating the defenders and the inevitable heavy losses.Constantly under attack from enemy planes, the heavy workload had to manage to get 22,000 men aboard and evacuate, mostly from the empty beaches of Sfakia, and the ships had to cover 350 miles The sea area controlled by the internal enemy air force.The Royal Air Force managed to send as many planes from Egypt as possible to reach the target.The main target was the enemy-controlled Malim airfield, which was bombed several times during the day and night.Although such operations are already a heavy burden on our airmen, the small operations they have to carry out are not very useful.Air Vice Admiral Ted promised to provide fighter cover for the ship, but he reminded us that such cover would be limited and intermittent.Sfakia is a small fishing village on the southern coast, situated below a cliff five hundred feet high, accessible only by a narrow path.Troops had to hide near the edge of the cliff until called upon to come out and board the ship.Four destroyers under the command of Captain Allis arrived on the night of the 28th, carrying 700 men, and food for the now-assembled multitude.The return voyage was covered by fighter jets, so only one destroyer suffered minor damage.At least fifteen thousand people are hiding in the uneven ground near Sfakia.Freiberg's rearguard had been fighting. A catastrophe awaited another simultaneous fleet.The fleet, including the cruisers Orion, Ajax, and Daydo, and six destroyers, under the command of Admiral Rawlins, went to rescue the defenders of Iraqi Klin.From 5:00 a.m. until dusk, enemy planes from Scarpanto attacked the fleet continuously and violently.The cruiser Ajax and the destroyer Reich were almost hit, and the former had to turn back.The destroyer arrived in Iraklin just before midnight and loaded the troops onto the cruisers waiting out to sea.By 3:20 in the morning, the task was accomplished.Four thousand people had already boarded the ship, so they began to sail back.Half an hour later, the steering gear of the damaged destroyer Impero suddenly failed, narrowly escaping a collision with the cruiser.The entire fleet must sail as far as possible into the southern seas at dawn.However, Admiral Rollins decided to order the destroyer USS Hurtsburg to sail back, pick up all the troops and crew on the destroyer Empire, and sink the Empire.His own warship slowed down to fifteen miles an hour so that the Hurtsberg, carrying nine hundred men, rejoined him before dawn.He was now an hour and a half behind schedule and did not turn south across the Kasos Strait until sunrise.Fighter cover had been deployed in advance, but, half due to the time change, the planes failed to find the ship.The terrible bombing began at six o'clock in the morning and continued until three o'clock in the afternoon, when the fleet was less than a hundred miles from Alexandria. The Hillwood was the first to die.The ship was hit by a bomb at 6:25 am and was unable to follow the convoy.Admiral Rollins rightly decided that he must let the stricken ship decide for itself.Finally the ship approached the coast of Crete.Although most people on board became prisoners of war, they saved their lives.More unfortunate things happened next.In the next four hours, the cruisers Daido and Orion and the destroyer Decoy were hit.The speed of the fleet was reduced to twenty-one miles, but they were still able to travel south together in a group.The situation aboard the Orion is truly gruesome.In addition to the crew, there were 1,100 troops on board.A bomb fell across the bridge and onto the crowded lower deck, killing some 260 and wounding 280.The captain, Captain Barker, was killed, and the ship was badly damaged and set on fire.At noon, two Haiyan fighter jets from the Naval Air Force flew in, which gave people a little peace of mind.Although the Royal Air Force fighters tried their best, they couldn't find the fleet that was killed, but they had several encounters with the enemy planes and destroyed at least two enemy planes.When the fleet arrived in Alexandria at 8:00 p.m. on the twenty-ninth, we found that one fifth of the defenders rescued from Eraklin were killed, wounded or captured. We have seen how much pressure the Commanders-in-Chief in Cairo came under from the political and military authorities at home, and how a great deal of this pressure was transferred to our troops who responded decisively to the call to engage the enemy.But after the events of the twenty-ninth, General Wavell and his colleagues had to decide how far to go to withdraw our troops from Crete.With the Army in existential jeopardy and the Air Force powerless, the task once again fell on the shoulders of an exhausted and bomb-scarred Navy.In the view of Admiral Cunningham, at such a critical juncture, abandoning the Army is against the historical tradition.He said: It takes three years for the Navy to build a warship.It takes three hundred years to establish a new tradition.Evacuation (i.e. rescue) should still continue.But the decision to stick with it was made only after much thought and consultation with the Admiralty and General Wavell.By the morning of the 29th, nearly 5,000 troops had been transported out, but there were still a large number of people still waiting for rescue. They hid at all the intersections leading to Sfakia. Bombed immediately.這次使海軍再冒無限損失的決定，無論從感情或從其結果來看，都是恰當的。 二十八日傍晚，金海軍上將率同月神號、珀斯號、加爾各答號、考文垂號、襲擊艦格蘭蓋爾號及三艘驅逐艦駛往斯法基亞。二十九日夜間，約有六千人順利地上了船，格蘭蓋爾號的登陸艇在這項工作中起了很大的作用。 早晨三點二十分，全部艦隊開始返航，雖然在三十日受到三次空襲，卻安然抵達亞歷山大港。只有巡洋艦珀斯號因鍋爐間被擊中受創。這種幸運應歸功於皇家空軍的戰鬥機。它們為數雖少，卻在返航途中不止一次擊潰了敵機的進攻。當時以為二十九日到三十日的夜間將是最後努力的一夜，但是在二十九日那天，卻感覺到局勢實際上並不是那麼嚴重。因此，在三十日早晨，阿利斯海軍上校率同四艘驅逐艦再次駛往斯法基亞。 驅逐艦中有兩艘不得不折返，但是他率領內皮爾號和尼贊號（海得拉巴王子和人民贈送給我們的一艘驅逐艦） 繼續前進，成功地使一千五百餘名士兵登上了船。在返航中，這兩艘驅逐艦都差一點被炸彈炸沉，雖受了一些損傷，還是安然地駛抵亞歷山大港。幾天以前，希臘國王在歷盡艱險後已和英國公使一起離開該島。當夜，根據駐開羅各位總司令的命令，弗賴伯格將軍也乘飛機撤出該島。 五月三十日發出命令，為營救殘留在該島的軍隊作最後努力。當時以為殘留在斯法基亞的士兵不超過三千人，但是以後的消息證明，實際人數在兩倍以上。金海軍上將於三十一日早晨再次率同月神號、阿布提埃爾號和三艘驅逐艦駛往該島。他們不能希望把所有的人都運回來，但是坎寧安海軍上將命令這些艦隻要盡量容納士兵。同時，海軍部接到通知說，這是最後一夜的撤退。登船工作進行順利，艦隻於六月一日晨三時返航，安全地載運將近四千名軍隊抵達亞歷山大港。派去接應進港的巡洋艦加爾各答號在距離亞歷山大一百哩以內被炸彈擊沉。 有五千名以上的英國和英帝國的軍隊被遺留在克里特島上的一些地方，韋維爾將軍准許他們投降。但是有許多人分散在這個長達一百六十哩多山的島上。他們和希臘士兵得到鄉村居民的救助。這種情形一經查出，居民就受到殘酷的處分。這些無辜的英勇的農民受到野蠻的報復，二十人或三十人一批一批地被槍決。我為了這個緣故，於三年後的一九四四年向最高軍事會議建議，當地發生的罪行應就地審判，並將刑事被告人送到當地受審。這一個原則被接受了，因此有些未經償還的血債得到了清償。 一萬六千五百人被安全地運到埃及。這差不多全是英國和英帝國的軍隊。後來，各種突擊隊的冒險行動又救出一千人左右。我們的損失是死傷和被俘約一萬三千人。此外，還有海軍傷亡將近二千人。自從這場戰爭開始以來，據計算，在馬利姆和蘇達灣區域內共有德軍墳墓四千多個，在雷西姆農和伊臘克林另有墳墓一千個。此外還有大量的但人數不明的德軍溺斃在海中，後來在希臘的醫院中又死了一些受傷的德軍。總共計算起來，敵人傷亡人數當在一萬五千人以上。約有一百七十架運兵飛機被擊毀擊傷，但是他們為贏得這次勝利而付出的代價是不能以傷亡多寡來衡量的。 克里特島戰役，除了爭奪戰略據點的意義以外，也是在艱苦不懈的鬥爭中獲得決定性成果的一個例證。當時，我們不知道德國有多少傘兵師。的確，由於發生了克里特島戰役，正如本書即將敘述的，我們就為本土防務進行準備，其目標是足以抵禦四五個這樣剽悍無畏的空降師，而且後來我們同美國也建成了規模甚至更大的空降師。但是，德國第七空降師實際上是戈林僅有的一個空降師。這個師在克里特島戰役中已被殲滅了。戈林的最勇敢的士兵中有五千多人陣亡，因此德國空降師組織的整個結構就無可挽救地瓦解了，再也沒有以任何有效的形式出現過。在爭奪克里特島的那場混亂的、既令人沮喪而又徒勞無功的戰鬥中，參加作戰的新西蘭士兵和其他的英國、英帝國及希臘的軍隊也許已意識到，他們已在一件重大事件中起過一定的作用，這個重大的事件在關鍵時刻給我們解除了莫大的隱憂。 德國喪失了他們最優秀的戰士，因此他們威力強大的空降和跳傘部隊不能在中東即將發生的事件中起任何作用。戈林在克里特島贏得的只是一場得不償失的勝利，因為他投入該島的武裝力量本可以輕易地為他奪取塞浦路斯、伊拉克、敘利亞，甚至波斯。這支部隊正是需要用來蹂躪那些搖擺不定、不會認真抵抗的廣大地區的部隊。他卻愚蠢地在同英帝國的戰士們進行的一場你死我活的戰鬥（往往是肉搏戰）中拋棄了這種幾乎是無限的機會和無法代替的軍隊。 現在我們手裡有第十一空軍軍團的作戰報告，第七空降師就是這個軍團的一個組成部分。當我們回憶起我們在克里特島的作戰部署所受到的嚴厲的批評與自我批評時，聽一聽另一方面的說法倒是有趣的。德國人說：英國在克里特島的地面部隊，大約是我們估計的三倍。他們對島上的作戰區域曾用盡各種方法非常仔細地作了防守準備。所有的防禦工事都已極為巧妙地作了偽裝。由於缺乏情報而未能對敵情加以正確的估計，給第十一空軍軍團的進攻帶來極大危險並造成了非常慘重的傷亡。 在德國人審訊我們的戰俘的報告中有以下一段敘述。我對那些不知姓名的朋友懷著感激的心情，冒昧地引用一下： 關於英國軍隊的精神和士氣，值得一提的是，儘管他們在作戰時遭受許多挫折，但是總的看來對於邱吉爾仍然是絕對信任的。 我海軍在地中海上的地位，至少從道理上來看，不能不因在克里特島的戰鬥和撤退中的損失而受到嚴重的影響。三月二十八日的馬塔潘角戰役，總算是將意大利海軍暫時趕進它的港口。但是現在新的慘重的損失卻落到我們艦隊的頭上。在克里特島戰役結束後，坎寧安海軍上將只有兩艘戰列艦、三艘巡洋艦和十七艘驅逐艦可以服役。另外有九艘巡洋艦和驅逐艦在埃及修理，而戰列艦沃斯派特號、巴勒姆號和他僅有的一艘航空母艦可畏號以及其他幾艘軍艦，則不得不離開亞歷山大港到別處去修理。作戰中喪失了三艘巡洋艦和六艘驅逐艦。必須盡快地派去增援艦隊以恢復均勢。但是，正如即將敘述到的，擺在我們前邊的還有更大的不幸。現在我們必須面對著的這個時期，對意大利人來說，是對我們在東地中海區域不穩定的制海權以及由此引起的一切困難進行挑戰的大好良機。我們很難說他們就不利用這個機會。