About the time Plessen’s gliders were touching down, Major Braun’s nine gliders landed in the Tavronitis riverbed just south of the bridge. Miraculously no one was lost during the landing, despite the less than favorable terrain. Again, surprise and speed carried the day as Braun’s men quickly exited their gliders, rushed the bridge, and overcame the startled guard force stationed there. Thanks to Plessen’s successful attack, the New Zealanders were unable to turn the anti-aircraft guns against Braun’s force. Once the bridge was secured, Braun wasted no time reorganizing his men to continue their attack toward Hill 107. This final objective, however, proved a tougher nut to crack.

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As Major Koch’s 15 gliders approached Hill 107, heavy ground fire from its New Zealand defenders immediately took a toll on the attackers. Several gliders were hit while others had to take evasive action that steered them away from their planned landing zones. The surviving gliders were scattered along the base and slopes of Hill 107, and Koch himself suffered a head wound that kept him out of combat for several days. Even with the support of Braun’s men and some additional elements of other German units, Koch’s company was unable to launch a concentrated attack to dislodge the hill’s defenders. Hill 107 remained firmly in enemy hands until late that night when the New Zealanders withdrew. Even then, the defenders kept the Maleme airfield under artillery fire, causing German reinforcements either to dodge the artillery rounds or to delay their landing altogether.

Late on May 21 the Germans were at last able to land substantial reinforcements at the Maleme airfield. The 15,000 gebirgsjaegers (mountain troops) and heavy weapons that they brought into the battle over the next several days allowed them to capture Crete’s three airfields and steadily push back Freyberg’s defenders to the island’s southern coast.

On May 27 officials in London finally agreed to Freyberg’s call for the Royal Navy to evacuate Crete’s remaining defenders. Thus another “mini-Dunkirk” ensued from May 28-31. Fewer than half of the defending troops were evacuated to Egypt while 17,000 were captured on Crete.

The invasion of Crete was successful, but at an appalling cost of nearly 400 planes and 7,000 German casualties – over 4,000 of those dead. Hitler never again attempted a large-scale airborne assault, although fallschirmjaegers fought throughout the rest of the war as elite ground combat units.

Ironically, the Crete invasion did produce at least one benefit for the British: The glider attack on Tavronitis Bridge was the inspiration behind the June 5-6, 1944, British glider assault on Pegasus Bridge (Caen Canal Bridge), a key action in support of the Normandy invasion.

AFTER ACTION REPORT
KEY POINTS FOR A GLIDER ASSAULT

PLANNING

• Collect and analyze all available intelligence about the enemy and terrain.
• Conduct realistic rehearsals so everyone understands his role and mission.
• Remember that glider landings are “controlled crashes”; account for inevitable casualties by cross-training all participants.
• Plan primary and alternate landing zones so adjustments can be made to fit the actual combat situation.

EXECUTION

• Fly routes that avoid enemy anti-aircraft, as gliders are extremely vulnerable to ground fire.
• Use “flying artillery” – bombers and fighters – for close fire support.
• Capitalize on surprise, speed and violent execution to overcome any firepower disadvantage.
• Prepare the way for more heavily armed reinforcements to help consolidate the objective.

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