Battle of Crete order of battle


This is the complete order of battle for the Battle of Crete and related operations in 1941.

Allied

Land forces

Commonwealth & Allied forces, Crete - "Creforce"

;Headquarters Creforce -
;Headquarters New Zealand Division - Brigadier, Acting Major General Edward Puttick -
Attached to 14 Bde:
UnitCommanderRemarks
HQ 19 BrigadeBrig. George VaseyAt Georgioupolis
2/1st Australian Infantry BattalionLt. Col. Ian R. Campbell 620 personnel; Rethymno; Campbell commanded all Allied forces in the Rethymno area
2/11th Australian Infantry BattalionLt. Col. Ray Sandover650 personnel; Rethymno
2/7th Australian Infantry BattalionLt. Col. Theo Walker About 550 personnel. Based at Heraklion; redeployed to Maleme and saw action in the Souda-Chania area during the battle.
2/8th Australian Infantry BattalionLt. Col. John W. MitchellAbout 400 personnel. Based at Chania; reinforced British forces around Perivolia and Mournies, and saw action in the Souda-Chania area during the battle.
No. 5 Battery, 2/3rd Field Regiment
No. 6 Battery, 2/3rd Field RegimentMaj. I. J. Bessell-Browne90 personnel, equipped with captured Italian weapons: four 100 mm guns and four 75 mm guns.
4th Greek RegimentCol. M. Trifon1,300 personnel; Rethymno
5th Greek RegimentLt. Col. I Servos1,200 personnel; Rethymno
Gendarmerie Privates SchoolCol. Iak Chaniotis916 personnel; Rethymno

Mobile Base Defence Organization

;Headquarters Mobile Base Defence Organization - Maj.-Gen. CE Weston-Souda Bay
  • 15th Coast Regiment, RA
  • "S" Royal Marine Composite Battalion, Maj. R Garrett
  • 1st Battalion, the Rangers, the King's Royal Rifle Corps -
  • 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - no equipment, used as infantry
  • 106th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Lt. Col. AF Hely
  • 16th Australian Brigade Composite Battalion - 350 officers and men
Formed from the under strength 2/2nd and 2/3rd Australian infantry battalions
Formed from the understrength 2/5th and 2/6th Australian infantry battalions
  • 2nd Greek Regiment - 930 officers and men
  • 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Marines

    Naval forces

  • Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet - Admiral Sir Andrew B Cunningham

    Forces A1

;Force A1 - Rear Admiral H B Rawlings
  • Queen Elizabeth-class battleships
  • * HMS Warspite - Captain DB Fisher - damaged
  • * HMS Valiant - Captain CE Morgan - damaged
  • G and H-class destroyers
  • * - Cmdr. WR Marshall-A'Deane, sunk 22 May 1941
  • * - Lt. KRC Letts
  • * - Lt. GRG Watkins
  • * - Cmdr. HW Briggs
  • J-class destroyer
  • * - Lt. Cmdr. JFW Hine

    Force B

Force B - Capt. Henry A Rowley
  • Light cruisers
  • * HMS Gloucester - Capt. Henry A Rowley, sunk 22 May 1941 with the loss of 722 crew
  • * HMS Fiji - Capt. PBRW William-Powlett, sunk 22 May 1941
  • * HMS Orion - Capt. GRB Back - damaged
  • * HMS Dido - Capt. HWV McCall - damaged
  • Destroyers
  • * HMS Decoy - Cmdr. EG McGregor
  • * HMS Hereward - Lt. WJ Munn, sunk by enemy aircraft 29 May 1941
  • * HMS Hotspur - Lt.Cmdr. CPF Brown
  • * HMS Imperial - Lt. Cmdr. CA De W Kitcat, sunk 29 May 1941 off Crete
  • * HMS Jackal - Lt. Cmdr. MP Jonas
  • * HMS Kimberley - Lt. Cmdr. JSM Richardson

    Force C

Force D

Force E

;Force E - Captain JP Mack
  • - Capt. H St L Nicholson
  • - Capt. P J Mack
  • - Lt. Cmdr. Max Joshua Clark
  • - Capt. TC Hampton - damaged

    5th Destroyer Flotilla

5th Destroyer Flotilla - Captain Mountbatten
  • HMS Kelly - Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, sunk 23 May 1941
  • HMS Kashmir - Cmdr. HA King, sunk 23 May 1941
  • HMS Kelvin - Cmdr. JH Alison - damaged
  • HMS Jackal - Lt.Cmdr. MP Jonas
  • HMS Kipling - Cmdr. A St Clair-Ford

    Evacuation Fleet

  • HMS Ajax
Sphakia evacuation force - Rear-Admiral King

Land, airborne and air forces

''Fliegerkorps XI''

''Fliegerkorps VIII''

''Luftflotte IV''

''Luftlande Sturmregiment''

Two glider companies were detached and seconded to 7th Flieger Division, below

7th ''Flieger Division''

''The 2nd Battalion of the 2nd FJ Rgt was used with the 1st FJ Rgt in Heraklion''

5th ''Gebirgs'' Division