The Battle of Crete-Free-Samples for Students- Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Battle of Crete. Answer: Introduction The battle of Crete occurred after the dawn of the year 1941. On 20th May 1941 the Germans invaded the Crete[1]. This war was occurred in the Greek island of Crete. The battle was fought between the allied powers which comprised of British, England, France. But this battle of Crete occurred between the mixed forces of New Zealand, Australian and Greek troops tried to fight off a huge Airborne assault. Airborne Assault means that airborne Assault is the airborne invasion of the Germans. New Zealand supported a lot in this critical situation of Greek. More than 2000 soldiers were prisoners and 671 of them, died in the battlefield. It can be said that the Germans suffered hugely and took a wrong decision by attacking the invader. The glide-borne troops and the para troops suffered a lot due to this. Some of the survivor tried to sustains it existence on the Crete Island. But on the first day, the Germans were hugely devastated. Aim and Scope of the War It can be said that after the successful capture of the Greek April 1941 the Germans paid its attention to the island of Crete. Now the question comes that for what reason the capturing of the Crete is necessary. The main aim of possessing Crete was useful in enabling the Axis power German to have a necessary base in the Eastern Mediterranean and the denial of the utilization of the base by the England. Though Adolf Hitlers main target at that point of time was Soviet Union. But he was convinced by the General Kurt Student , who constructed the German airborne forces and thus attacked and thus dared to airborne attack with the support of Luftwaffe parachute and glider-borne forces. The Luftwaffe is the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during the world war II. The second world war II which was started on the 3rd September of 1939, when the Germans attacked the Poland. Germans who emerged as a leader emerged as the power wielder and tried to domina te and wanted to bring as much as territories under his dominion. His main ally was Benito Mussolini, the fascist party of Italy. After that, strategic treaty was signed between Italy and Japan. The political instability created after the first world war had its affect after the post second world war also. The compensation and the conditions provided in the Treaty of Versailles on 28th June 1919. Hitler emerged as the messiah of the German s people at this juncture and became the chancellor of the Germany from 1933 to 1945. After becoming Reich Chancellor in 1933, Hitler swiftly consolidated power, anointing himself Fhrer (supreme leader) in 1934. It can be said that the obsession with the idea of the superiority of the pure German race, which he called Aryan, Hitler believed that war was the only way to gain the necessary Lebensraum, or living space, for that race to expand. In the mid-1930s, he began the rearmament of Germany, and violated the norms of Treaty of Versailles. So, th is was the background of the Second World War. [2] The Content of the paper Analysis of the war The battle of the Crete took place on 20th May 1941 when Nazi Germany conducted an airborne invasion under the code name of Unternehmen Merkur which is named as Operational Mercury . The defender of the island was the Greek and the Allied forces along with the natives of the Cretan . On 20th May 8 am German paratroopers landed near the Maleme airfield and the town of Chania in the island of Crete. The New Zealand defenders tried to safeguard the Maleme airfield and its extended area on 21st, 22nd and the 23 rd May . In this first day many armies of the Germans died within the first hours of the invasion of the New Zealand and Greek defenders. After this a huge number of German paratroopers and gliders had settled in off-site by coincidence. Thus, in this process they created defense against the west of Maleme airfield. After that the Germans with more strength and vigour in mind dropped more paratroopers in the afternoon along with more quantity of gliders with heavy assault troops b ecause one group attacked at 4.30 pm at Rethimnon and another at 5.30 pm at Heraklion . But the defenders were also prepared for the attack. The risky plan which was adopted by Hitler attacking four separate points to provide surprise attacks at different points of the island of Crete. At the evening of 20 May, the Germans slowly pushed the New Zealanders back from Hill 107, which overlooked the Maleme airfield. The Axis commanders on Crete decided to throw everything into the Maleme sector the next day. It can be said that at the first occasion in the war that the Germans encountered widespread and undefended confrontation from the civilian population. After recovering from their shock, the German paratroopers reacted with ferocity, and killed many Cretan people. The Cretan civilians were not prepared to the Germans felt free of all of the constraints of the Geneva conventions and killed both armed and unarmed civilians with discrimination. After the failure of communications, the New Zealand forces were bound to withdraw from the Maleme airfield. This misunderstanding cost the allies the airfield, and allowed the Germans to reinforce their invasion force unopposed. After this the Germans tried to take advantage to take possession of the Maleme Airfield. At this juncture the Germans got a foothold on the Crete island. But the Germans faced resistance from due to the action of the British fleet. The major general of the New Zealand at s that point realized that the Maleme airfield was the main focus of the battle .[3] So, they counter attack the Germans to retake the airfield on the night of the 21st . But due to delay in time , the counter-attack was again s conducted at 3.30 am but unfortunately the Germans could resisted them because the Germans got the support of daylight s air support. It can be said that outraging against a constant supply of fresh enemy troops, the Allies began a series of retreats working southward across Crete. On 27 May General Wavel l ordered the removal of the island. On the afternoon of 27 May, an Italian fleet deceased from Rhodes with the intention of landing a Brigade, supported by 13 L3/35 light tanks. The 3,000 men of the division and their equipment were on shore by 17:20 and able to shortly avoid the English troops. The Italian troop began to move forward to the west unopposed, and connected with the Germans at Ierapetra. It can be considered between the date 28th and 31st of May 16,000 troops were evacuated to Egypt by ships. The majority of these troops commenced from Sphakia. A smaller number were withdrawn from Heraklion of the Crete Island on the night of 28 May. This task force was attacked by route by Luftwaffe dive-bombers and suffered serious losses. The defense of the 8th Greek Regiment in and around the village of Alikianos is aligned the Allied line of retreat. Alikianos, located in the so called Prison Valley, was strategically important and it was one of the first targets the Germans att acked on the opening day of the battle. The eighth Greek was composed of young Cretan recruits, gendarmes, and cadets. They were poorly equipped and there was only some strong army. [4] Crete was a humiliating defeat for the British. Almost 4,000 men were killed and over 11,000 more captured. It can be considered that the air power of the Germany proved to be stronger .[5] Nevertheless, the Germans had been badly mauled too, with over 3,000 dead. Hitler declared that 'the day of the parachutist is over'. For the Germans it wasthey would never again attempt another major airborne operation. It can be considered that though the Germans have able to win at the last moment, but the strategic and diplomatic applications was not very appropriate. Moreover, there was huge loss of the Germans and it was unnecessarily that the Germans became involved in airborne forces. Now the war has to be analyzed according to the principles of war. First of all according to the aim and principles of any war, the aim of the war must not be a lengthy one, its goal should be to win the war. So, in the Crete war it occurred for few months unlike any big wars like first world war . Another principle is that the breaking in the efficiency of the war without fragmenting the enemys resistance and without fighting. This thing did not occur in the War of Crete because both the parties tried to break other parties by fighting and breaking the resistance of both the parties.[6] Another important thing is though the war of Crete occurred as one of the single war of the second world war. So, already the Germans were exhausted in the terms of their material resources and human resources.[7] Hence, the Germans out of their aim to harass the Allied powers and to control the territory island of the Greece attacked on the Crete island. There was no real purpose of the Axis power especially the Germans to invade the Crete island. Though both the Germans inclusive of the Axis powers and the Greece which was protected by the Allied powers had sufficient amount of airborne troops. But in this case , due to the strategies of the Germany and Italy who were mainly based on the fascist ideology. The leadership here is good in terms of winning the war. But in reality it does not have much significance because it was not motivated by any proper positive goal.[8] This type of behaviour was not at all supported by media at all. There is no positive outcome of this war because none of the parties were benefitted due to this war. If one comes to the defensive tactic and offensive tactic. The New Zealand and the other participants of the allied powers follow the defensive tactics and applied various strategies to safeguard them from the Germans and other Axis powers. Whereas offensive tactics is adopted by the Germans and Italy to defeat and acquire the Crete island. Another fact is that there was also elements of surprise in the war which means implementing new techniques, intelligence and counter-intelligence. These was there in the Crete war because both the parties implemented intelligence, and counter intelligence while attacking each other. Both the parties whether may be Axis power or Allied powers both of them were fighting at war. According to the opinion of Field Marshall Kesselring that the airborne operation must be always a s surprise one, though it is little bit tough but can be executed. In terms of s security it can be concluded that the air condition went favourable to the Germans because on the 22nd May of 1941. Thus, at that juncture the Germans became ahead of the opponent team. Again both of the parties kept secret about their information. More or less both the parties were efficient in maintaining these principles.[9] Operational fires were very superior in moderating the battlefield in support of the operational technique and at the end German air superiority was unrestrained. The initial naval protection set out for Crete, under the cover of the German air force, to strengthen the airborne forces.[10] Though initially it was successful but later due to the unsuccessful weather, the naval convoy did not become successful. Lessons Learned Contribution to success or failure The United States has engaged airborne forces to launch entry operations in several other major operations to include the territory of Grenada and Panama. It can be said that the capability to found the pillar of bases of operations in the distant area. These things would be gradually become tough in the future that is to establish airborne forces in the distant area[11]. So, from the strength and weakness of the Operation Mercury of Germany, it can be considered that there are certain things which are to be known about the future operational techniques and the execution process of the airborne forces.[12] Relevancy to the military in current operating environment In todays day, forced entry of airborne operations will need more synchronization. The meaning of the word synchronizing means the operation of two or more things at a same time but decisively. Another important thing is the necessity of all military operations along with the military tactic of seizing objectives in the enemys area with the achievement of destroying or capturing specific territory of the opposition. This also needs proper synchronization of the military people and they also have to be very efficient and swift to reach the area in proper time and space to get through the proper target. On the other hand the one party should be aware of the risks which are carrying while attacking the other party. It can be said that the forced entry operations is more complicated because it has to be done in distant areas. The other specific fact is that in present time, operation mercury are much difficult to synchronize though there is much improvement in the communication system., superior operational commander and staffs. Then the next step comes to develop a centralizing plans and synchronizing at different category. Then the plan has to be decentralized at different areas and reasonable diplomacy has to be utilized so that the total operation and execution goes in a proper way.[13] The right method of synchronizing is much important in that operation of airborne forces. The unity among the commanders and other staffs is very urgent because if there is no unity among them, then they will not get any success in the application of the airborne forces. The disorder among them will create shift forces in time and space. Operational intelligence is much necessary for victory in the airborne forces. The reason behind this is accurate operational intelligence is much important to fight back against the numerically and technically superior enemy. The precise intelligence focused on enemy strength, weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of the enemy party.[14] Operational leaders and staffs must able to assess in a healthy manner to achieve their own aims. [15] There is a diplomatic technique which aims to isolate the enemy and its forces by the application of effective fires. Then operational commander can do this, while executing the vertical envelopment by the application of air, land and sea based fires against the opponent team which influences the operational scheme of attacking party. In the end, it can analyze that the operational commander must be aware of the Principle of War.[16] The Principle of war includes surprise and mass, critical analysis of vertical envelopment as a correct technique of vertical envelopment. The main aim of surprise attack n enables the enemy to not prepare for the attack, it deduces the risk of losing the battle for the enemy . The only method s of attaining airborne operational surprise always needs a s proper well-planned scheme for the war. An airborne attack without surprise leads to airborne assault. This delivers the scope to focus on forces, which is followed by a comparatively unopposed 26 airborne assault, s so that it can enable to target the goal of mass prior to attacking the enemy flank. In this case, the prime target of the mass is to concentrate the effects of combat power at the place and time to gain a correct decisive outcome. Hence the denial of proper operational art and technique can pave the way for the mixed results in the war. The Operational Mercury is the example of this. There are various strategic problems in the Operational Mercury.[17] It all depends on the operational commander and the operational staffs by deduction in s the expense and risk s of the lives and resources of both the sides.[18] Conclusion In the end, it can be said that the airborne operation or seaborne operation, it can be inferred that the motive of the operation of Germany was useful. The root of the second world s war mainly occurred due to the disorder and anarchy after the post first world war. This operation did not have any actual motive and only destructive effect which distorted the world peace. Accordingly, Hitlers nazist ideology , the aim of its party focused mainly on expanding the boundary of the continent. This thinking s totally hampered the resources of the world, both in terms of human being and in economic and material resource. So, better if Germany and Italy both have took have a decisive action then the Crete of War have not occur and may be if both of the countries have little bit farsightedness , then it has not paved the way to the second world war. A war is necessary when the other party tries to attack the one country have to take initiatives to combat back against the other country. The m ost interesting fact is that the Germany did not gain anything by invading Crete island and it was not also included under the plan of the Germany , so it was a waste of money, energy and time. References Allbaugh, Leland G.Crete. Princeton University Press, 2015. Ansel, Walter.Hitler and the Middle Sea. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1972. Bellou, Fotini.Greece in the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2013. Boone, Donald M.Goliath Falls Again: Soviet Failure to Exercise Operational Art in the Afghanistan War. NAVAL WAR COLL NEWPORT RI, 1997. Brown, Martyn. "After Crete-consistency and contradiction in the use of the New Zealand military in Greek matters."Thetis (Wiesbaden)21 (2015): 192-208. Corrado, Giovanni.Instilling Combat Effectiveness during the Italian Campaign (1943-1945): The Allied Experience with Folgore and Friuli Combat Groups. ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE FORT LEAVENWORTH KS, 2014. Davin, D.M. Crete. London: Oxford University Press, 1953. Downing, Taylor.Night Raid: The True Story of the First Victorious British Para Raid of WWII. Hachette UK, 2013. Ferris, John, and Evan Mawdsley, eds.The Cambridge History of the Second World War: Volume 1, Fighting the War. Cambridge University Press, 2015. Flanagan, E.M. The German Airborne Invasion of Crete, Army, Vol. 40, No. 3, (March 1990): 48-54 Galland, Adolf.The Luftwaffe Fighter Force: The View from the Cockpit. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2016. Greune, Matthias.Operations Mercury and Husky: Contemporary Art of Operations and their Relevance for Operational Art. US Army School for Advanced Military Studies Fort Leavenworth United States, 2016. Kagiadaki, Maria. "15 Crete."Heritage and Memory of War: Responses from Small Islands9 (2015): 274. Kiriakopoulos, G.C. Ten Days to Destiny: The Battle for Crete. New York: Franklin Watts, 1985. Mason, C. (2014).Falling From Grace: The German Airborne in World War II. Pickle Partners Brewer, David.Greece, the Decade of War: Occupation, Resistance and Civil War. IB Tauris, 2016.Publishing. Playfair, S.O. The Mediterranean and the Middle East, Vol. II, the Germans Come to the Help of their Ally (1941). London: Her Majestys Stationery Office, 1956. Powell, Dilys.Remember Greece. Read Books Ltd, 2013. Richter, Heinz. "Operation mercury, the invasion of Crete."The Journal of New Zealand Studies16 (2013). Spencer, John H. Battle for Crete. London: White Lion Publishers Ltd., 1976. Tourkochoriti, Ioanna. "Challenging Historical Facts and National Truths: An Analysis of Cases from France and Greece." (2017). Weeks, John.Assault From the Sky: The History of Airborne Warfare 1939? 1980s. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013 Leland G.Allbaugh ,Crete. Princeton University Press, 2015. John Ferris and Mawdsley Evan eds.The Cambridge History of the Second World War: Volume 1, Fighting the War. Cambridge University Press, 2015. Martyn Brown, "After Crete-consistency and contradiction in the use of the New Zealand military in Greek matters."Thetis (Wiesbaden)21 (2015): 192-208 ,Adolf Galland,The Luftwaffe Fighter Force: The View from the Cockpit. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2016 John H Spencer, Battle for Crete. London: White Lion Publishers Ltd., 1976 E.M. Flanagan, The German Airborne Invasion of Crete, Army, Vol. 40, No. 3, (March 1990): 48-5 Boone, Donald M.Goliath Falls Again: Soviet Failure to Exercise Operational Art in the Afghanistan War. NAVAL WAR COLL NEWPORT RI, 1997.Ioanna Tourkochoriti, "Challenging Historical Facts and National Truths: An Analysis of Cases from France and Greece." (2017). S.O Playfair, The Mediterranean and the Middle East, Vol. II, the Germans Come to the Help of their Ally (1941). London: Her Majestys Stationery Office, 1956. G.C Kiriakopoulos, Ten Days to Destiny: The Battle for Crete. New York: Franklin Watts, 1985.Dilys Powells, Remember Greece. Read Books Ltd, 2013. C Mason ,(2014).Falling From Grace: The German Airborne in World War II. Pickle Partners Brewer, David.Greece, the Decade of War: Occupation, Resistance and Civil War. IB Tauris, 2016.Publishing. Taylor Downing, Night Raid: The True Story of the First Victorious British Para Raid of WWII. Hachette UK, 2013. Giovanni Corrado, Instilling Combat Effectiveness during the Italian Campaign (1943-1945): The Allied Experience with Folgore and Friuli Combat Groups. ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE FORT LEAVENWORTH KS, 2014. John Ferris and Mawdsley Evan, eds.The Cambridge History of the Second World War: Volume 1, Fighting the War. Cambridge University Press, 2015. Maria Kagiadaki, "15 Crete."Heritage and Memory of War: Responses from Small Islands9 (2015): 274. Heinz Richter, "Operation mercury, the invasion of Crete."The Journal of New Zealand Studies16 (2013). John Weeks,. Assault From the Sky: The History of Airborne Warfare 1939? 1980s. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013.