SOLDIER PERSPECTIVES
Crete was a significant battle in New Zealand's war history. It was New Zealand's first major involvement in World War II, and set the bar high for the battles to come. Despite the overall loss of Crete for the Allies, it had been an overwhelming success in preparing soldiers for their future involvements in the war. Morale was high within the Allied force, even though thousands of fellow soldiers had fallen into the hands of the Germans. Retrospectively, with the supplies that the Allies had access to, and with their limited training and preparation, the role they played achieved a lot more than they had expected prior to the battle, so it is understandable that the minor loss of Crete had no weight on the Allied belief that war victory was still in their grasp.
Even thought the island of Crete fell into the hands of the Germans, it was through a Pyrrhic victory, as the Germans lost a devastating amount of troops and equipment that negated the effect of taking the island as a whole. Because of this, morale within the Allied forces was high, leaving the German morale beginning to deplete. The taking of Crete in a way was a hollow victory for the Germans, as they ended up losing significantly more than they made. Many of the Allies were forced to share eating utensils, supplied with little to no ammunition, yet still managed a heroic effort in defending the island.
During the Battle, New Zealand's forces were determined not to let mishaps from higher command have an affect on the outcome of the war. Due to this staunch attitude seen by the Allies, especially by the New Zealand regiment, they devised countless counter-attacks in attempt to claim back their lost territory. During the sixth day of the Battle, Galatas had been handed to the Germans. Later in that day, morale was still high, and against all odds, pushed in to the town with a disabled I-Tank and managed to get a foothold back in the town. Many of the New Zealand soldiers involved in this significant attack had guns without ammunition, charging at their fully supplied German counterparts with the butt's of their rifles and few bayonets. Despite all of this effort, Galatas was abandoned in the following day, once again due to mishaps within the Allied command.
Crete was given to the Germans, not due to the lack of efforts from the 'Creforce', but rather falling victim to the failures of their higher command. The Royal Air Force (RAF) made no effort in aiding the valiant effort posed by the Creforce, over 600 Luftwaffe aircraft raiding Crete with no aerial opposition. Yet, in spite of all of this, the men continued to fight a losing battle, showing the morale in the Allied defence force of Crete. In Angus Ross' 23rd Battalion, he outlines the Allied forces, in particular, New Zealand forces as optimistic. "The men quickly looked ahead to the future with confidence. The conviction, born in Greece, that when they were supplied with adequate equipment... now grew in intensity."
On the whole, soldiers who had made it out of Crete alive were happy with their efforts in the battle. With the non existent backup for the valiant defence of Crete, the soldiers were right to feel satisfied, as the island was only a minor setback in the Allied campaign, but cost Germany a remarkable amount to secure an island defended by an undermanned, under-prepared Allied force. Upon the conclusion of the campaign at Crete, Private L. A. Diamond wrote "I long for the day we can match the Germans in the sky, 'plane for 'plane. When that day dawns, Germany is beaten." This essentially summed up the overall feeling within the Allied force looking into the future.
Image Source - http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/styles/fullsize/public/images/stories/crete/crete-030.jpg
Even thought the island of Crete fell into the hands of the Germans, it was through a Pyrrhic victory, as the Germans lost a devastating amount of troops and equipment that negated the effect of taking the island as a whole. Because of this, morale within the Allied forces was high, leaving the German morale beginning to deplete. The taking of Crete in a way was a hollow victory for the Germans, as they ended up losing significantly more than they made. Many of the Allies were forced to share eating utensils, supplied with little to no ammunition, yet still managed a heroic effort in defending the island.
During the Battle, New Zealand's forces were determined not to let mishaps from higher command have an affect on the outcome of the war. Due to this staunch attitude seen by the Allies, especially by the New Zealand regiment, they devised countless counter-attacks in attempt to claim back their lost territory. During the sixth day of the Battle, Galatas had been handed to the Germans. Later in that day, morale was still high, and against all odds, pushed in to the town with a disabled I-Tank and managed to get a foothold back in the town. Many of the New Zealand soldiers involved in this significant attack had guns without ammunition, charging at their fully supplied German counterparts with the butt's of their rifles and few bayonets. Despite all of this effort, Galatas was abandoned in the following day, once again due to mishaps within the Allied command.
Crete was given to the Germans, not due to the lack of efforts from the 'Creforce', but rather falling victim to the failures of their higher command. The Royal Air Force (RAF) made no effort in aiding the valiant effort posed by the Creforce, over 600 Luftwaffe aircraft raiding Crete with no aerial opposition. Yet, in spite of all of this, the men continued to fight a losing battle, showing the morale in the Allied defence force of Crete. In Angus Ross' 23rd Battalion, he outlines the Allied forces, in particular, New Zealand forces as optimistic. "The men quickly looked ahead to the future with confidence. The conviction, born in Greece, that when they were supplied with adequate equipment... now grew in intensity."
On the whole, soldiers who had made it out of Crete alive were happy with their efforts in the battle. With the non existent backup for the valiant defence of Crete, the soldiers were right to feel satisfied, as the island was only a minor setback in the Allied campaign, but cost Germany a remarkable amount to secure an island defended by an undermanned, under-prepared Allied force. Upon the conclusion of the campaign at Crete, Private L. A. Diamond wrote "I long for the day we can match the Germans in the sky, 'plane for 'plane. When that day dawns, Germany is beaten." This essentially summed up the overall feeling within the Allied force looking into the future.
Image Source - http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/styles/fullsize/public/images/stories/crete/crete-030.jpg