THE PURPOSE OF CRETE
The Mediterranean island of Crete was of vast strategic importance in World War II. The island itself stretches over 250km (160mi) through the centre of the Mediterranean, in reach of several countries that were later brought into the war. Crete is a perfect island for defence, a mountainous spine running through the centre, reaching a maximum height of approximately 2400m (8000 ft), ideal for warding off attacks from below. The majority of the lower slopes of the island, where the majority of the Battle for Crete was fought, has very little foliage to hide from fire from above. The importance of Crete has been recognised throughout history, and with advancements to the harbour at Suda Bay and Maleme Airfield, Crete was a sought after asset in World War II. Due to the shape and layout of the island, Crete could easily be defended for any prepared force. Due to the lacking form of natural defence on the Northern edge of the island, the German offensive was particularly effective. When the island was under control by the Germans, the Allies faced a difficult task in retaking the island due to the natural mountain ranges on the Southern side of the island, and for that reason, Crete was abandoned by the Allies.
Crete gave vast opportunities for both the Allies and the Axis, serving as a vital launchpad to attack all the nations bordering the Mediterranean. The Allies saw the opportunity to strike deep into the Balkans early on in the war, removing the Rumanian Oilfields buried deep in the Balkans. This was not the only possibility for the Allies, as it granted the potential to launch attacks throughout all of Southern Europe. Crete also presented the opportunity for the Allies to cement their hold at the northern end of the Suez Canal. With the reinforcements beginning to gather on the Northern tip of Africa (Egypt), Crete served as the first line of defence for these forces. Strangely, with all that Crete provided, the Allies gave themselves a poor chance of holding Crete from the grasp of the Axis by sending a severely under-manned and ill prepared division. The Royal Air Force (RAF) had no help in this, leaving the full Luftwaffe dispositions to be held off by the shambles that resembled the Allied defence.
The Axis recognised the fact that Crete would be an invaluable asset to have in their campaign, and immediately sought to take it from Allied control. The possibilities of launching attacks across the Mediterranean was very appealing for the Germans, with the new found Allied set up in Egypt vulnerable to any attack by the Luftwaffe. For the Italians, Crete was another stepping stone to establishing their own empire in Southern Europe to consolidate the Reich rapidly forming throughout the rest of Europe. Given the Allied current status in holding the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Germans saw Crete as a possibility to disrupt the British use of the Suez. With the imminent attack of Northern Africa looming, Crete could be seen as a useful stopping ground for forces headed to the North African theatre of war.
Due to the delays from the Germans in launching a second assault on Britain, Crete was looked at as a 'second-best' to Britain, stressing Crete's strategic importance in the future of the War to the Germans, but also served as a practice run for the second assault on Britain. As both raids had an emphasis on airborne strategies, Crete gave the Germans a chance to improve on their offensive strategy prior to commencing the second full scale British assault.
Image Source - http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/balkan/maps/6.jpg
Crete gave vast opportunities for both the Allies and the Axis, serving as a vital launchpad to attack all the nations bordering the Mediterranean. The Allies saw the opportunity to strike deep into the Balkans early on in the war, removing the Rumanian Oilfields buried deep in the Balkans. This was not the only possibility for the Allies, as it granted the potential to launch attacks throughout all of Southern Europe. Crete also presented the opportunity for the Allies to cement their hold at the northern end of the Suez Canal. With the reinforcements beginning to gather on the Northern tip of Africa (Egypt), Crete served as the first line of defence for these forces. Strangely, with all that Crete provided, the Allies gave themselves a poor chance of holding Crete from the grasp of the Axis by sending a severely under-manned and ill prepared division. The Royal Air Force (RAF) had no help in this, leaving the full Luftwaffe dispositions to be held off by the shambles that resembled the Allied defence.
The Axis recognised the fact that Crete would be an invaluable asset to have in their campaign, and immediately sought to take it from Allied control. The possibilities of launching attacks across the Mediterranean was very appealing for the Germans, with the new found Allied set up in Egypt vulnerable to any attack by the Luftwaffe. For the Italians, Crete was another stepping stone to establishing their own empire in Southern Europe to consolidate the Reich rapidly forming throughout the rest of Europe. Given the Allied current status in holding the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Germans saw Crete as a possibility to disrupt the British use of the Suez. With the imminent attack of Northern Africa looming, Crete could be seen as a useful stopping ground for forces headed to the North African theatre of war.
Due to the delays from the Germans in launching a second assault on Britain, Crete was looked at as a 'second-best' to Britain, stressing Crete's strategic importance in the future of the War to the Germans, but also served as a practice run for the second assault on Britain. As both raids had an emphasis on airborne strategies, Crete gave the Germans a chance to improve on their offensive strategy prior to commencing the second full scale British assault.
Image Source - http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/balkan/maps/6.jpg