The Struggle for Crete, 20 May - 1 June 1941
The Struggle for Crete, 20 May - 1 June 1941

Author: I. McD. G. Stewart

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 556

ISBN-13:

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Providing an account of the struggle for Crete during World War II, this book contains some of the author's own experiences as a Medical Officer at the time of the battle. The author describes the leadership, the geography, the communications problems and the delayed counter-attack.

New Zealand Infantryman vs German Motorcycle Soldier
New Zealand Infantryman vs German Motorcycle Soldier

Author: David Greentree

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-02-23

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 1472817117

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In April 1941, as Churchill strove to counter the German threat to the Balkans, New Zealand troops were hastily committed to combat in the wake of the German invasion of Greece where they would face off against the German Kradschützen – motorcycle troops. Examining three major encounters in detail with the help of maps and contemporary photographs, this lively study shows how the New Zealanders used all their courage and ingenuity to counter the mobile and well-trained motorcycle forces opposing them in the mountains and plains of Greece and Crete. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon first-hand accounts, this exciting account pits New Zealand's infantrymen against Germany's motorcycle troops at the height of World War II in the Mediterranean theatre, assessing the origins, doctrine and combat performance of both sides.

Crete 1941
Crete 1941

Author: Peter Antill

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2012-11-20

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 1782007105

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Operation Mercury, the German airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941, was the first strategic use of airborne forces in history. The assault began on 20 May, with landings near the island's key airports, and reinforcements the next day allowed the German forces to capture one end of the runway at Maleme. By 24 May, the Germans were being reinforced by air on a huge scale and on 1 June Crete surrendered. This book describes how desperately close the battle had been and explains how German losses so shocked the Führer that he never again authorised a major airborne operation.