Battle of Crete order of battle

This is the complete order of battle for the Battle of Crete and related operations in 1941.

Allied

Land forces

Commonwealth & Allied Forces, Crete - "Creforce"

Headquarters Creforce - (Eastern Zone, east of Chania): Major-General Bernard Freyberg, VC, Colonel Stewart^[1]

C Squadron, 3rd The King's Own Hussars (seven light tanks)^[1]

Major G.W.Peck

10 Light Tank Mk VIs

B Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment

Lieutenant George Simpson

Two Matilda tanks, crewed in part by two officers and five gunners of the 2/3rd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA).

1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel A. Duncan, MC (Force Reserve)

2nd New Zealand Division

Headquarters New Zealand Division - Brigadier, Acting Major General^[1] Edward Puttick - (Western Zone, west of Chania)

27th New Zealand Machine Gun Battalion (Lt. Col. FJ Gwilliam)
5th New Zealand Field Artillery Regiment
4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. Lindsay Inglis) between Chania and Galatas
- 18th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 19th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 20th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 1st Light Troop, RA
5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. James Hargest) (Maleme and Platanias)
- 21st New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 23rd New Zealand Infantry Battalion
- 28th (Maori) Infantry Battalion
- 7th Field Company New Zealand Engineers
- 19th Army Field Corps Company
- New Zealand Field Punishment Centre (FPC)^[2] Prisoners were released to fight the enemy.
- 1st Greek Regiment (1,030 Officers and men), (Col. IP Papadimitropoulos)
- Evelpidon Officers' Academy (17 Officers, 300 Cadets), (Lt. Col. Loukas Kitsos)
10th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Lt. Col. Howard Kippenberger) (Galatas)
- New Zealand Divisional Cavalry
- New Zealand Composite Battalion (700 rifles). General Weston named this force the "Royal Perivolians"^[3] after they were supposedly involved in rescuing the King of Greece.
- 6th Greek Regiment (1,389 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. M Grigoriou)
- 8th Greek Regiment (840 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. Pan Karkoulas)

14th Infantry Brigade

Headquarters 14th Infantry Brigade - Brig. Brian Herbert Chappel - (Heraklion)

- 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (Lt. Col. CHV Cox, DSO, MC) (637 Officers and men)
- 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (Lt. Col. A Gilroy) (742 Officers and men)
- 2nd Battalion, Black Watch (Major AA Pitcairn in temporary command^{[lower-alpha 1]}^{[lower-alpha 2]}) (867 Officers and men)
- 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion (Lt. Col. Ivan Noel Dougherty)^{[lower-alpha 3]} (550 Officers and men)
- 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Lieut. Col. RCB Anderson, DSO, MC Tymbaki Sector)
- 7th Medium Regiment, RA (Maj. R.J.B. Snook, DSO (wounded - 20 May 1941). No artillery equipment - armed as infantry. (450 Officers and men)
- 3rd Greek Regiment (656 Officers and men), (Lt. Col Ant Betinakis)
- 7th Greek Regiment (877 Officers and men), (Col. E Cheretis)
- Greek Garrison Battalion (ex-Greek 5th "Crete" Division, left behind as a garrison when their division was summoned to defend the mainland; 830 Officers and men)

19th Australian Infantry Brigade

Headquarters 19th Australian Infantry Brigade - Brig. George Vasey - Georgioupolis (Lt. Col. IR Campbell commanding at Rethymnon)
Unit	Commander	Remarks
2/3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RAA	Maj. IJ Bessell-Browne	No.6 Battery, consisting of 90 men armed with four captured Italian 100mm guns and 4 x 75mm guns
2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion	Lt. Col. Ian R Campbell	620 Officers and Men (Rethymnon)
2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion	Maj. Ray Sandover	650 Officers and Men (Rethymnon)
2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion	Lt. Col. Theo Walker
2/8th Australian Infantry Battalion	Lt. Col. John W Mitchell	?
4th Greek Regiment	Col. M Trifon	1,300 Officers and Men (Rethymnon)
5th Greek Regiment	Lt. Col. I Servos	1,200 Officers and Men (Rethymnon)
Gendarmerie Privates School	Col. Iak Chaniotis	916 Officers and Men (Rethymnon)

Mobile Base Defence Organization

Headquarters Mobile Base Defence Organization - Maj.-Gen. CE Weston-Souda Bay

15th Coast Regiment, RA^[4]
"S" Royal Marine Composite Battalion, Maj. R Garrett (Royal Marines)
1st Battalion, The Rangers, The King's Royal Rifle Corps - (later designated 9th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (The Rangers))^[5]
102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - no equipment, used as infantry^[6]^[7]
106th (Lancashire Hussars) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery^[8] - Lt. Col. AF Hely
16th Australian Brigade Composite Battalion - 350 officers and men
Formed from the under strength 2/2nd and 2/3rd Australian Infantry Battalions
17th Australian Brigade Composite Battalion - 270 officers and men
Formed from the understrength 2/5th and 2/6th Australian Infantry Battalions
2nd Greek Regiment - 930 Officers and Men
2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Marines

Naval forces

Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet - Admiral Sir Andrew B Cunningham

Forces A1

Force A1 - Rear Admiral H B Rawlings (R.A., 7th Cruiser Squadron)

Queen Elizabeth-class battleships
- HMS Warspite (03) - Captain DB Fisher - damaged^[9]
- HMS Valiant (02) - Capt. CE Morgan - damaged^[9]
G and H-class destroyers
- HMS Greyhound (H05) - Cmdr. WR Marshall-A'Deane, Sunk 22 May 1941
- HMS Griffin (H31) - Lt. KRC Letts
- HMS Havock (H43) - Lt. GRG Watkins
- HMS Hero (H99) - Cmdr. HW Briggs
J-class destroyer
- HMS Jaguar (F34) - Lt. Cmdr. JFW Hine

Force B

Force B - Adml. Rawlings

Light cruisers
- HMS Gloucester (62) - Capt. Henry A Rowley, sunk 22 May 1941 with the loss of 722 crew
- HMS Fiji (58) - Capt. PBRW William-Powlett, sunk 22 May 1941
- HMS Orion (85) - Capt. GRB Back - damaged^[9]
- HMS Dido (37) - Capt. HWV McCall - damaged^[9]
Destroyers
- HMS Decoy (H75) - Cmdr. EG McGregor
- HMS Hereward (H93) - Lt. WJ Munn, sunk by enemy aircraft 29 May 1941.
- HMS Hotspur (H01) - Lt.Cmdr. CPF Brown
- HMS Imperial (D09) - Lt. Cmdr. CA De W Kitcat, sunk 29 May 1941 off Crete
- HMS Jackal (F22) - Lt. Cmdr. MP Jonas
- HMS Kimberley (F50) - Lt. Cmdr. JSM Richardson

Force C

Force C - Admiral King (C.O. 15th Cruiser Squadron)
Ship	Commander	Armament	Tonnage	Remarks
HMS Naiad (93)	Capt. MHA Kelsey			Light cruiser - damaged^[9]
HMAS Perth (D29)	Capt. Sir PW Bowyer-Smyth	8x6 inch guns, 8x4 inch guns, 4x3 pdr guns, 8x21 inch torpedo tubes	6,830 tons	Damaged,^[9] but sunk 1 March 1942 Sunda Strait
HMS Kandahar (F28)	Cmdr. WGA Robson			Destroyer
HMS Nubian (F36)	Cmdr. RW Ravenhill			Destroyer - damaged^[9]
HMS Kingston (F64)	Lt. Cmdr. P Sommerville			Destroyer - damaged^[9]
HMS Juno (F46)	Cmdr. St John Tyrwhitt			Sunk 21 May 1941
HMS Calcutta (D82)	Capt. DM Lees			Anti-Aircraft cruiser Sunk 1 June 1941 within one hundred miles of Alexandria

Force D

Force D - Rear-Admiral I.G.Glennie Destruction of Lupo Convoy (21–22 May 1941)
Ship	Commander	Remarks
HMS Dido (37)	Capt. HW McCall	Light cruiser- damaged
HMS Orion (85)	Capt. PBRW William-Powlett	Light cruiser - damaged^[9]
HMS Ajax (22)	Capt. EDB McCarthy	Light cruiser - damaged
HMS Janus (F53)	Cmdr. JAW Tothill	Destroyer
HMS Hasty (H24)	Lt.Cmdr. LRK Tyrwhitt^[10]	Destroyer
HMS Hereward (H93)	Lt. WJ Munn	Destroyer - sunk by enemy aircraft 29 May 1941
HMS Kimberley	Lt. Cmdr. JSM Richardson	Destroyer

Force E

Force E - Captain JP Mack (CO 14th Destroyer Flotilla)

HMS Ilex (D61) - Capt. (D2) H St L Nicholson
HMS Jervis (F00) - Capt. (D14) P J Mack
HMAS Nizam (G38) - Lt. Cmdr. Max Joshua Clark
HMS Carlisle (D67) - Capt. TC Hampton - damaged

5th Destroyer Flotilla

5th Destroyer Flotilla - Captain Mountbatten

HMS Kelly (F01) - Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Sunk 23 May 1941
HMS Kashmir (F12) - Cmdr. HA King, Sunk 23 May 1941
HMS Kelvin (F37) - Cmdr. JH Alison - damaged^[9]
HMS Jackal (F22) - Lt.Cmdr. MP Jonas
HMS Kipling (F91) - Cmdr. A St Clair-Ford

Evacuation Fleet

Sphakia evacuation force - Rear-Admiral King

HMS Phoebe - Capt. G Grantham, light cruiser
HMAS Perth - Capt. Sir P.W. Bowyer-Smith, light cruiser - damaged^[9]
HMS Coventry - Capt. WP Carne, light cruiser
HMS Calcutta - Capt. DM Lees, Anti-aircraft cruiser, sunk 1 June 1941 with 255 survivors
HMS Glengyle - Capt. CH Petrie, Landing Ship, Infantry (Large)
HMAS Napier (G97) - Capt. Stephen Harry Tolson Arliss RN, N-class Flotilla Leader.
HMAS Nizam (G38) - Lt. Cmdr. Max Joshua Clark
HMS Kelvin (F37) - Cmdr. JH Alison
HMS Kandahar (F28) - Cmdr. WGA Robson

Air forces

Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Middle East - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore
- No. 30 Squadron RAF (Squadron Leader RA Milward/Sqn. Ldr. Shannon) - Bristol Blenheim
- No. 33 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. MT StJ Prattle/Sqn.Ldr. Edward Howell, OBE, DFC) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane
- No. 80 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. EG Jones) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane
- No. 112 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. LG Schwab) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane^{[lower-alpha 4]}
- No. 203 Squadron RAF - Bristol Blenheim

Axis forces

Land, Airborne and Air forces

Fliegerkorps XI

Headquarters *Fliegerkorps XI* - *Generalmajor* Kurt Student, with Brig. Schlemm (Chief of Staff), Col. Trettner (Ops) and Maj. Reinhardt (Int)^[11]
Unit	Commander	Equipment/Remarks
KGzbV 1	Oberst Fritz Morzik	Junkers Ju 52
KGzbV 2	Oberst Rüdiger von Heyking	Ju 52
KGzbV 3	Oberst U.Bucholz	Ju 52
22nd Luftlande Division	General Hans Graf von Sponeck	Force Reserve (in Romania)

Fliegerkorps VIII

Headquarters *VIII. Fliegerkorps* - *General der Flieger* Freiherr Wolfram von Richthofen
Unit	Commander	Equipment/Remarks
Kampfgeschwader 2	General-Major Herbert Rieckhoff	Do 17Z
Jadgeschwader 77	Major Bernhard Woldenga	Me 109E
Lehrgeschwader 1	Oberst F-K Knust	Ju 88A & He 111H
Sturzkampfgeschwader 1	Oberst-Leutnant W.Hagen	Ju 87R
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2	Oberst-Lt O.Dinort	Ju 87R
Sturzkampfgeschwader 77	Major Graf von Schonborn-Wiesentheid	Ju 87R
Zerstörergeschwader 26	Oberst Johann Schalk	Bf 110C & Bf 110D

Luftflotte IV

Headquarters *Luftflotte IV* - *General der Flieger* Alexander Löhr
Unit	Commander	Remarks
5th Panzer Division	Gustav Fehn
6th Gebirgs Division	Ferdinand Schörner

Luftlande Sturmregiment

*Headquarters Luftlande Sturmregiment* - Generalmajor Eugen Meindl**, then Col. Ramcke, Maj. Braun^[11]
Unit	Commander	Remarks
1st Battalion	Major Walter Koch	glider Battalion
2nd Battalion	Major Edgar Stentzler
3rd Battalion	Major Otto Scherber
4th Battalion	Hauptmann (Captain) Walter Gericke

Two glider companies were detached and seconded to 7th Flieger Division, below

7th Flieger Division

Headquarters, 7th *Flieger Division* - *Generalleutnant* Wilhelm Süssmann
Unit	Commander	Subunits	Remarks
7th Engineer Battalion	Major Liebach
7th Artillery Battalion	Major Bode
7th Machine Gun Battalion	Hauptmann Schulz
7th Anti-tank Battalion	Hauptmann Schmitz
1st Fallschirmjäger Regiment	Oberst Bruno Bräuer	1st Battalion (Major Erich Walther), 2nd Battalion (Hauptmann Burckhardt), 3rd Battalion (Major Karl-Lothar Schulz)	Heraklion
2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment	Oberst Alfred Sturm, Maj, Schulz, Captain Paul^[11]	1st Battalion (Major Kroh), 2nd Battalion (Hauptmann Erich Pietzonka, 3rd Battalion (Hauptmann Wiedemann)	Retimno
3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment	Oberst Richard Heidrich, Lt. Heckel^[12]	1st Battalion (Hauptmann Friedrich von der Heydte), 2nd Battalion (Major Derpa), 3rd Battalion (Major Ludwig Heilmann)	Hania

The 2nd Battalion of the 2nd FJ Rgt was used with the 1st FJ Rgt

5th Gebirgs Division

Headquarters, 5th *Gebirgs* Division - *Generalmajor* Julius Ringel, Maj. Haidlen, Capt. Ferchl^[12]
Unit	Commander	Sub units
95th Artillery Battalion	Oberstleutnant Wittmann
95th Anti-tank Battalion	Major Bindermann
95th Reconnaissance Battalion	Major Count Castell zu Castell
95th Engineer Battalion	Major Schaette
95th Signal Battalion	Major Nolte
85th Gebirgsjäger Regiment	Oberst August Krakau	1st Battalion - 2nd Battalion - 3rd Battalion
100th Gebirgsjäger Regiment	Oberst Willibald Utz	1st Battalion - 2nd Battalion - 3rd Battalion
141st Gebirgsjäger Regiment^{[lower-alpha 5]}	Oberst Maximilian Jais	1st Battalion - 2nd Battalion - 3rd Battalion

Notes

↑ Killed in Action - 20/21 November 1941 at Tobruk.
↑ Pitcairn was replacing Lt. Col. AK Hamilton, who was ill.
↑ All Australian units are prefixed "2/" to denote that they are part of the 2nd AIF, not Militia.
↑ Author Roald Dahl was flying with this squadron at the time.
↑ The 141st Gebirgsjäger Regiment was a reinforcement from the 6th Gebirgs Division.

References

1 2 3 Beevor 1991, p. 345
↑ New Zealand History Map of Maleme area, 20 May 1941 http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/map-maleme-area retrieved 20 Aug 2016
↑ Second World War Official Histories Volume II – Greece, Crete and Syria (1st edition, 1953) Chapter 11 – The Loss of Maleme Airfield available at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070149/
↑ Barton, Derek. "15 Coast Regiment RA". The Royal Artillery 1939-45. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
↑ "The Rangers 1860-1950 at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
↑ "Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division by Ian a Paterson". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
↑ "The Northumberland Hussars at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
↑ "Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry at regiments.org by T.F.Mills". Archived from the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Beevor 1991, p. 346
↑ "Lionel Rupert Knyvet Tyrwhitt DSO, DSC, RN". Allied Warship Commanders. uboat.net. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
1 2 3 Beevor 1991, p. 347
1 2 Beevor 1991, p. 348

Sources

Antill, Peter D. (2005). Crete 1941. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-844-8.
Beevor, Antony (1991). Crete: The Battle and the Resistance (pbk. ed.). Great Britain: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-6831-5.
Buckley, Christopher (1984) [1952]. Greece and Crete 1941 (Greek pbk edition (in English) ed.). London: P. Efstathiadis & Sons S.A. ISBN 960-226-041-6.
"Naval action against the German Flotillas". Battle of Crete. Archived from the original on 18 August 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2005.

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