Maleme Airfield, May 20, 1941 Historical Overview This scenario deals with the fighting in New Zealand’s 22nd Battalion sector, specifically around Maleme airfield and the Tavronitis bridge on May 20, 1941. It is only part of a larger action in this area. This was the opening gambit of Operation Mercury, the German airborne invasion of Crete. Thir- teen days later the last of the defenders withdrew from the island, but the blow they had dealt the attackers signaled the end of major German airborne operations for the duration of the war. The Germans knew that control of an airfield on Crete was vital to the success of the mission, and Maleme, among others, was targeted on the first day. Equally important in the Maleme sector was the high ground around Point 107, which dominated the airfield and made the airfield largely unusable if still in enemy hands. The defenders were undersupplied and bombing had disrupted Allied communications to such an extent that the day mainly consisted of confused and isolated fighting. But with the German III Battalion landing in the middle of 5th Brigade positions east of the airfield and being mostly eliminated the remaining three battalions of Assault Regiment Group West had to complete the task. By the end of the day elements of the 22nd still hung on to parts of the airfield and Point 107 was firmly in the hands of the defenders, but bad communications again lead to faulty reading of the situation, and the New Zealanders withdrew, leaving the airfield firmly in German control. From that point on the Battle for Crete had arguably been lost. This replay of the Maleme battle yields a slightly different result. Scenario map show- ing replay of the battle for Maleme Airfield and Pt. 107. Maleme After Action Report Point 107 and bridge, as seen from west side of valley, where the German attack originated. The airfield is the level ground to the left and beyond the valley. The New Zealand forces were dug in around the airfield and in depth up the slope of Pt. 107. Rows of barbed wire (still hidden) blocked off the far exit of the bridge, at the base of the hill, and other wire cordoned off ac- cess to Pt. 107 from the south. View looking south. Above: Glider troops land in the Tavronitis valley. Below: Rapid advance towards airfield. The first wave of Fallschirmjager land by glider and form up in the valley. 3 Kp., 1st Battalion lands near the mouth of the Travronitis River while Specialstrosstrupp Brucke lands just north of the bridge. The pre-attack aerial bombardment raises a massive dust cloud, obscuring their landing from the New Zealand 22 Battalion dug in east of the valley. While the defenders still have their heads down, the Germans rapidly cross open ground and scale the embankment to advance into the fields on the north side of the airfield. Specialstrosstrupp Brucke moves north along the lower edge of the embankment in support of this attack. Electing to dig in back from the edge of the valley, the New Zealanders’ carrier platoon, defending this side of the airfield, opens up on the advancing paratroops. The first of the Bofors also engages from the far side of the airfield in enfilade as the paratroops leap frog from field to field. As NZ mortars dug in near Pt. 107 add their fire to the defense, casualties among the attackers begin to mount. The German mortar now supports the 3 Kp. attack by dropping smoke to cover the open areas between the fields, shielding the paratroops from the Bofors. Under cover of smoke the Fallshirmjager close assault the New Zealand forward positions, are thrown back and assault again. 3 Kp. commander is killed when breaking cover to storm the farm house. As the glider borne troops slog forward the first German reinforcements para- chuted in west of the valley begin to arrive. Although the airfield is not yet secured, IV Battalion’s Pak 36’s are rushed to the north side to defend against possible counter at- tack. 8 Kp. arrive and are sent in across the valley, forming up quickly at the bottom of the embankment on either side of the bridge, in preparation for an assault on Point 107, the second German objective. They are supported by the heavy machine guns of 15 Kp., IV Battalion. Smoke is laid by the Ger- man mortars on Pt. 107 in an attempt to obscure 88 Kp. as it moves across the valley. Remnants of 4 Kp., part of the initial wave of glider borne troops that had landed to a devestating reception on the south face of Pt. 107, fil- ter in from the south end of the valley after their failed attempt to attack Point 107. A Vickers and N.Z. troops dug in behind barbed wire along the embankment open fire. 4 Kp. returns fire, knocking out the Vickers, before moving in under cover of the embankment to work their way up in sup- port of the developing attack on the bridge and Pt. 107. Remnants of 4 Kp. enter valley from south. At this point the attack has essentially developed into two assaults, one on the north side of the airfield and the other against the base of Pt. 107, focussing on the RAF camp and the dry canal that runs along the foot of the hill. With the 3rd Battalion decimated east of Maleme and the remnants of 4 Kp. now filtering in attesting to the failure of the south attack, the German commander is aware that if he is to take both objectives, he can’t wait until the airfield is secure before engaing Pt. 107. He is also painfully aware that the numbers do not favour his beloved paratroops, as they are now roughly equal to the defending New Zealanders. His only hope is that his regimental mortars and artillery arrive soon, and that with the support of this along with concentration of force, he can drive the enemy from Pt. 107 and the airfield. IV Battalion mortars along with the off board fire support’s FO finally ar- rive and take up positions along the west edge of the board. In the rush to bring this support into action, the German mortars emplace in the open, astride the road, a decision that will come back to haunt them. But the Germans can now bring their artillery ad- vantage into play, quickly engaging and neutralizing the Bofors which had been holding up the assault on the airfield. With the carrier platoon positions overrun, 3 Kp. and Specialstrosstrupp Brucke, with losses mounting, close in on the three Bofors pits at the east end of the airfield. The Pak 36’s arrive in the fields north of the airfield and emplace under fire, hoping to help the Germans secure hard won ground. With the last of the Bofors knocked out or neutralized and the airfield mostly in Fallshirm- jager hands, the New Zealand commander commits his armoured reserve, a Matilda, supported by elements of C Company. The Pak 36’s manage to emplace just as the Matilda crosses the airfield. Their small calibre shells bounce off the Matilda’s armour as it moves in unchallenged and supported by N.Z. infantry. The remnants of 3 Kp. and Specialstrosstrupp Brucke are driven back from their high water mark at the east end of the airfield as the tide ap- pears to have turned. Blinded by smoke the Matilda moves in to support the infantry in their close assault of the German AT guns. Bad luck trades off the AT gun for the Matilda, and the Fallshirmjager surge back to the offensive. The surviving N.Z. infantry flee the field, pursued by the attacking paratroops as the Germans now move their heavy machine guns to the south side of the airfield in sup- port of the final push on Pt. 107. From the olive groves on Pt. 107 the New Zealand commander watches the battle unfold. The German 8 Kp. disappears behind the river embankment as they prepare for the as- sault. Soon after this point German mortars zeroed in on the lone N.Z. mortar, knocking it out with a di- rect hit and, with commu- nication to the supporting batteries of 75’s also now disrupted, eliminating the defenders artillery options. Under cover of smoke, the German assault on the bridgehead goes in. Although reinforced by elements of C Company, the RAF personnel are quickly pushed out of the RAF compound and eliminated. German paratroops cross the dry canal and advance up the west slope of Pt. 107.