“Operation Mercury”
(May 20, 1941)
Hitler hoped to secure the southern flank of Eastern Europe in preparation
for his campaign in Russia by invading the island of Crete. On May 20,
1941, “Operation Mercury” commenced when German paratroopers
were dropped onto the island. They met fierce opposition by Greek, British,
and New Zealand troops who knew the attack was coming, thanks to the
deciphering of German messages.
Though the paratroopers initially suffered heavy casualties,
the tide of battle turned when German forces secured an airfield to
fly in reinforcements and offer a base to the Luftwaffe. Afterward,
the resistance crumbled. By the end of the month, the Allies were forced
to evacuate, suffering roughly 20,000 casualties compared to 4,000 dead
for the Germans. In contrast to the gentlemanly treatment of the Greeks
during the German occupation of Greece,
the Germans adopted a scorched earth policy in Crete, destroying almost
everything in their path and murdering Cretan civilians.
Despite taking the island, Hitler saw the battle as
a fiasco and lost faith in the paratroopers under General Kurt Student.
He never ordered another major airborne attack for the remainder of
the war. Of course, Hitler didn’t know that the paratroopers had
failed in part because the Germans lost the element of surprise after
the British intercepted their plans.
Sources: Bard, Mitchell G. The
Complete Idiot's Guide to World War II. 2nd Edition. NY: Alpha
Books, 2004. |