Plans Gone Astray MTO (id:#56698)

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(Revision: CH: Scroungin' ASL News23)

Akrotiri Peninsula, Crete 1941-05-20 (48 others)

Overview:

Since the invasion of Crete was to be an airborne operation primarily, eliminating the threat posed by enemy A-A guns along the flight paths to the drop zones was of critical importance. Aerial reconnaissance revealed a battery of guns were located on the Akrotiri Peninsula north of the vital port of Suda. Cat. Gustav Altmann's 2nd Company of the Parachute Assault Regiment was assigned to attack this important target. Upon landing, Altmann's men discovered the A-A 'guns' were logs set up as a decoy. The fallschirmjagers immediately set out on their assigned secondary mission, an attack on the HQ of the commander of the Commonwealth forces on Crete. As they moved on Freyberg's HQ, the Germans were attacked by men from the Northumberland Hussars, supported by Bren carriers, fortuitously positioned near the enemy landing site.

Defender: German (No. 2 Kompanie, Battalion I, Fallschirmjaeger Sturmregiment, Fliegerkorps XI)  

Errata (source)