260: Crete Pt. 5 - Failed Counterattacks

The Royal Navy's success in turning back the German invasion convoys in the waters north of Crete on the night of May 21st removed the threat of a seaborne landing, but it could not undo the damage done by Commander Freyberg's obsession with that very threat. This episode examines how Freyberg's misreading of Ultra intelligence about the 5th Mountain Division led him to hoard troops along the coast and withhold artillery from targets plainly visible in front of them, all while the Germans steadily expanded their grip on Maleme airfield. The doomed Allied counter-attack of May 22nd — delayed until daylight, shattered by German fighters before it could reach the runway — marks the decisive turning point of the battle. With General Julius Ringel arriving to assume command and concentrate all German effort on driving east from Maleme, the British began their retreat toward Galatas, conceding any chance of recovering the airfield. Meanwhile, at Rethymno and Heraklion, Allied forces were holding on and even turning German supply drops to their own advantage — a stark contrast to the unraveling situation in the west that sets the stage for the final collapse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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261: Crete Pt. 6 - Stick It Out

The battle for Crete shifts toward evacuation as the Royal Navy absorbs severe losses while trying to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the island by sea. This episode follows the aftermath ...

11 Kesä 22min

Listener Questions Pt. 4

War Aims and Strategic Bombing History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about y...

31 Touko 24min

259: Crete Pt. 4 - Naval Victory, Naval Disaster

As the first day of the German invasion of Crete drew to a close on May 20th, 1941, neither side held the clear advantage they had hoped for — the Germans had failed to secure their primary objectives...

27 Touko 25min

258: Crete Pt. 3 - May 20th a Day of Failures

The first day of the German airborne invasion of Crete, May 20th, 1941, saw paratroopers drop not only around the critical airfield at Maleme but across three other sectors of the island. Near Chania,...

20 Touko 28min

257: Crete Pt. 2 - May 20th at Maleme

At dawn on May 20, 1941, the German airborne assault on Crete began — the largest parachute operation in history to that point. This episode covers the opening day of the battle at Maleme, where a com...

7 Touko 24min

256: Crete Pt. 1 - Preparations

Following the Allied defeat on the Greek mainland, thousands of British, Australian, and New Zealand troops were evacuated to the island of Crete in late April 1941, many arriving without their heavy ...

29 Huhti 36min

255: Greece Pt. 7 - The Invasion Ends

Just ten days after Germany launched Operation Marita, the decision was made to evacuate all British forces from Greece — and this episode covers the chaotic final weeks of the campaign as that decisi...

22 Huhti 23min