The Grand Alliance (58 page)

tanks with skilled personnel should not go to help

[against] “Scorcher.”

Prime

Minister

to

14 May 41

General Wavell

All my information points to “Scorcher” any day after
seventeenth. Everything seems to be moving in concert
for that and with great elaboration. Hope you have got
enough in “Colorado,” and that those there have the
needful in cannon, machine guns, and armoured
fighting vehicles. It may well be that in so large and
complicated a plan zero date will be delayed.

Therefore, reinforcements sent now might well arrive in
time, and certainly for the second round, should enemy
gain a footing. I should particularly welcome chance for
our high-class troops to come to close grips with those
people under conditions where enemy has not got his
usual mechanical advantages, and where we can
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surely reinforce much easier than he can. I suppose
Admiral is with you in every detail of this, and that you
and Tedder have concerted the best possible air plan,
having regard to other tasks. All good wishes.

Prime

Minister

to

15 May 41

General Wavell

I am increasingly impressed with the weight of the
attack impending upon “Colorado,” especially from the
air. Trust all possible reinforcements have been sent.

Wavell’s good-humour did not desert him in these moments.

General

Wavell

to

15 May 41

Prime Minister

Have done best to equip “Colorado” against beetle
pest. Recent reinforcements include six “I” tanks,
sixteen light tanks, eighteen A.A. guns, seventeen field
guns, one battalion. Am preparing small force, one or
two battalions, with some tanks, to land south side

“Colorado” as reserve. Propose also holding Polish
Brigade as possible reinforcement. But problem landing
reinforcements is difficult.

2. Cunningham, Tedder, and I discussed “Colorado”

May 12, followed by inter-Service staff meeting. We
have concerted plans as far as possible.

3. “Colorado” is not easy commitment, and German
blitzes usually take some stopping. But we have stout-hearted troops, keen and ready to fight, under resolute
commander, and I hope enemy will find their “Scorcher”

red-hot proposition.

General

Wavell

to

16 May 41

Prime Minister

Have just received following from Freyberg:

“Have completed plan for defence of Crete and have
just returned from final tour of defences. I feel greatly
encouraged by my visit. Everywhere all ranks are fit
and morale is high. All defences have been extended,
and positions wired as much as possible. We have forty-The Grand Alliance

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five field guns placed, with adequate ammunition
dumped. Two infantry tanks are at each aerodrome.

Carriers and transport still being unloaded and delivered. 2nd Leicesters have arrived, and will make
Heraklion stronger. I do not wish to be overconfident,
but I feel that at least we will give excellent account of
ourselves. With help of Royal Navy I trust Crete will be
held.”

Prime

Minister

to

18 May 41

Commander-in-Chief

Mediterranean

Our success in “Scorcher” would, of course, affect
whole world situation. May you have God’s blessing in
this memorable and fateful operation, which will react in
every theatre of the war.

Prime

Minister

to

18 May 41

General Freyberg

We are glad to hear of the strong dispositions which
you have made, and that reinforcements have reached
you. All our thoughts are with you in these fateful days.

We are sure that you and your brave men will perform a
deed of lasting fame. The Royal Navy will do its utmost.

Victory where you are would powerfully affect world
situation.

I exposed my general view at this time fully to Smuts, who was in constant contact.

Prime

Minister

to

16 May 41

General Smuts

I am, as usual, in close sympathy and agreement
with your military outlook. I recently had measures
taken to reinforce Wavell where he was weakest, and I
have hopes that we shall be successful in heavy
offensive fighting in the Western Desert during the next
few weeks. We also expect a strong attack by the
enemy on Crete almost immediately, and have made all
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possible preparations for it. If favourable decisions are
obtained at these two points our problems in Syria and
Iraq should be simplified. We are also reinforcing
Middle East most powerfully from the air by every
conceivable method. I have good hopes that we shall
win the campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean this
summer, and maintain our hold upon the Nile Valley
and the Suez Canal. President Roosevelt is pushing
United States supplies towards Suez to the utmost. The
South African Army will be very welcome on the
Mediterranean shore.

2. The western end of the Mediterranean is more
doubtful, but Spain has hitherto stood up well to German pressure. We shall let Darlan know at the proper
time that if Vichy aircraft bomb Gibraltar we shall not
bomb France, but the Vichy skunks wherever they may
hide out. We have not overlooked the possibility of
Gibraltar Harbour becoming unusable, and have made
the best preparations open to us. Perhaps the United
States may be willing to come more closely into the
West African business, especially at Dakar.

3. Finally, the Battle of the Atlantic is going fairly
well. Instead of Hitler reaching a climax of blockade in
May as he expected, we have just finished the best six
weeks of convoys for many months. We shall certainly
get increasing American help in the Atlantic, and
personally I feel confident our position will be strengthened in all essentials before the year is out. The
Americans are making very great provision to replace
shipping losses in 1942, and I feel they are being
drawn nearer and nearer to their great decision. It is
better, however, not to count too much on this.

4. It looks as if Hitler is massing against Russia. A
ceaseless movement of troops, armoured forces, and
aircraft northward from the Balkans and eastward from
France and Germany is in progress. I should myself
suppose his best chance was to attack the Ukraine and
Caucasus, thus making sure of corn and oil. Nobody
can stop him doing this, but we hope to blast the
Fatherland behind him pretty thoroughly as the year
marches on. I am sure that with God’s help we shall
beat the life out of the Nazi régime.

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5. The King tells me he is going to send you a
special message for your birthday on May 24, so I will
send my heartfelt good wishes now.

Thus we reached the verge.

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16

Crete: The Battle

The German Air Corp — The Attack Begins, May
20 —
Retimo and Heraklion Held — But Maleme
Lost, May
23 —
The Navy Joins In — Destruction
of German Convoys — Costly Days for the Navy,
but Admiral Cunningham Throws Everything into
the Scale — Loss of the “Gloucester” and the “Fiji”

—
“Kelly” and “Kashmir” Sunk — A Grave Telegram from Admiral Cunningham — And a Serious
Report from General Freyberg — Ail Hope of
Success Gone — We Decide to Evacuate, May
26

—
A Bitter and Dismal Task — Tragedy of the
Heraklion Rescue — Admiral Cunningham’s
Decision to Continue the Evacuation — German
Severities on the Island Population — The Price
Paid — A Pyrrhic Victory.

I
N MANY OF ITS ASPECTS at the time it was fought the Battle of Crete
1
was unique. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. It was the first large-scale airborne attack in the annals of war. The German Air Corps represented the flame of the Hitler Youth Movement and was an ardent embodiment of the Teutonic spirit of revenge for the defeat of 1918. The flower of German manhood was expressed in these valiant, highly trained, and completely devoted Nazi parachute troops. To lay down their lives on the altar of German glory and world-power was their passionate resolve. They were destined to encounter proud soldiers

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many of whom had come all the way from the other side of the world to fight as volunteers for the Motherland and what they deemed the cause of right and freedom. Here was the collision of which this chapter tells the tale.

The Germans used the whole strength they could command. This was to be Goering’s prodigious air achievement. It might have been launched upon England in 1940 if British air power had been broken. But this expectation had not been fulfilled. It might have fallen on Malta. But this stroke was spared us. The German Air Corps had waited for more than seven months to strike their blow and prove their mettle. Now at length Goering could give them the long-awaited signal. When the battle joined we did not know what were the total resources of Germany in parachute troops. The XIth Air Corps might have been only one of half a dozen such units. It was not till many months afterwards that we were sure it was the only one. It was in fact the spear-point of the German lance. And this is the story of how it triumphed and was broken.

The battle began on the morning of May 20, and never was a more reckless, ruthless attack launched by the Germans.

Their first and main aim was the Maleme airfield. For an hour the surrounding positions were subjected to the heaviest bombing and machine-gunning hitherto experienced from the air. The bulk of our A.A. artillery was put out of action practically at once. Before the bombardment was over, gliders began to land west of the airfield. At 8 A.M. parachutists were dropped in large numbers from heights varying from three hundred to six hundred feet, in the area between Maleme and Canea. One German regiment of four battalions in the morning, and a The Grand Alliance