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Battle of Crete order of battle

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

Contents

Commonwealth & Allied Forces, Crete - "Creforce"

Headquarters Creforce - (Eastern Zone, east of Chania)
Major-General Bernard Freyberg, VC, Colonel Stewart
  • C Squadron, 3rd The King's Own Hussars (seven light tanks)
    • Major G.W.Peck10 Light Tank Mk VIs
  • B Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment
    • Lieutenant George SimpsonTwo Matilda tanks, crewed in part by two officers and five gunners of the 2/3rd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA).
  • 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment
    • Lieutenant Colonel A. Duncan, MC (Force Reserve)

    2nd New Zealand Division

    Headquarters New Zealand Division - Brigadier, Acting Major General Edward Puttick - (Western Zone, west of Chania)
  • 27th New Zealand Machine Gun Battalion (Lt. Col. FJ Gwilliam)
  • 5th New Zealand Field Artillery Regiment
  • 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. Lindsay Inglis) between Chania and Galatas
  • 18th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 19th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 20th New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 1st Light Troop, RA
  • 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. James Hargest) (Maleme and Platanias)
  • 21st New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 23rd New Zealand Infantry Battalion
  • 28th (Maori) Infantry Battalion
  • 7th Field Company New Zealand Engineers
  • 19th Army Field Corps Company
  • New Zealand Field Punishment Centre (FPC) Prisoners were released to fight the enemy.
  • 1st Greek Regiment (1,030 Officers and men), (Col. IP Papadimitropoulos)
  • Evelpidon Officers' Academy (17 Officers, 300 Cadets), (Lt. Col. Loukas Kitsos)
  • 10th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Lt. Col. Howard Kippenberger) (Galatas)
  • New Zealand Divisional Cavalry
  • New Zealand Composite Battalion (700 rifles). General Weston named this force the "Royal Perivolians" after they were supposedly involved in rescuing the King of Greece.
  • 6th Greek Regiment (1,389 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. M Grigoriou)
  • 8th Greek Regiment (840 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. Pan Karkoulas)

    • 14th Infantry Brigade

    Headquarters 14th Infantry Brigade - Brig. Brian Herbert Chappel - (Heraklion)
  • 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (Lt. Col. CHV Cox, DSO, MC) (637 Officers and men)
  • 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (Lt. Col. A Gilroy) (742 Officers and men)
  • 2nd Battalion, Black Watch (Major AA Pitcairn in temporary command) (867 Officers and men)
  • 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion (Lt. Col. Ivan Noel Dougherty) (550 Officers and men)
  • 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Lieut. Col. RCB Anderson, DSO, MC Tymbaki Sector)
  • 7th Medium Regiment, RA (Maj. R.J.B. Snook, DSO (wounded - 20 May 1941). No artillery equipment - armed as infantry. (450 Officers and men)
  • 3rd Greek Regiment (656 Officers and men), (Lt. Col Ant Betinakis)
  • 7th Greek Regiment (877 Officers and men), (Col. E Cheretis)
  • Greek Garrison Battalion (ex-Greek 5th "Crete" Division, left behind as a garrison when their division was summoned to defend the mainland; 830 Officers and men)

    • 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 (Royal Marines)
  • 1st Battalion, The Rangers, The King's Royal Rifle Corps - (later designated 9th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (The Rangers))
  • 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - no equipment, used as infantry
  • 106th (Lancashire Hussars) 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
  • 17th Australian Brigade Composite Battalion - 270 officers and men
    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
  • Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet - Admiral Sir Andrew B Cunningham

    • Forces A1

    Force A1 - Rear Admiral H B Rawlings (R.A., 7th Cruiser Squadron)
  • Queen Elizabeth-class battleships
  • HMS Warspite (03) - Captain DB Fisher - damaged
  • HMS Valiant (02) - Capt. CE Morgan - damaged
  • G and H-class destroyers
  • HMS Greyhound (H05) - Cmdr. WR Marshall-A'Deane, Sunk 22 May 1941
  • HMS Griffin (H31) - Lt. KRC Letts
  • HMS Havock (H43) - Lt. GRG Watkins
  • HMS Hero (H99) - Cmdr. HW Briggs
  • J-class destroyer
  • HMS Jaguar (F34) - Lt. Cmdr. JFW Hine

    • Force B

    Force B - Adml. Rawlings

  • Light cruisers
  • HMS Gloucester (62) - Capt. Henry A Rowley, sunk 22 May 1941 with the loss of 722 crew
  • HMS Fiji (58) - Capt. PBRW William-Powlett, sunk 22 May 1941
  • HMS Orion (85) - Capt. GRB Back - damaged
  • HMS Dido (37) - Capt. HWV McCall - damaged
  • Destroyers
  • HMS Decoy (H75) - Cmdr. EG McGregor
  • HMS Hereward (H93) - Lt. WJ Munn, sunk by enemy aircraft 29 May 1941.
  • HMS Hotspur (H01) - Lt.Cmdr. CPF Brown
  • HMS Imperial (D09) - Lt. Cmdr. CA De W Kitcat, sunk 29 May 1941 off Crete
  • HMS Jackal (F22) - Lt. Cmdr. MP Jonas
  • HMS Kimberley (F50) - Lt. Cmdr. JSM Richardson

    • Force E

    Force E - Captain JP Mack (CO 14th Destroyer Flotilla)
  • HMS Ilex (D61) - Capt. (D2) H St L Nicholson
  • HMS Jervis (F00) - Capt. (D14) P J Mack
  • HMAS Nizam (G38) - Lt. Cmdr. Max Joshua Clark
  • HMS Carlisle (D67) - Capt. TC Hampton - damaged

    • 5th Destroyer Flotilla

    5th Destroyer Flotilla - Captain Mountbatten

  • HMS Kelly (F01) - Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, Sunk 23 May 1941
  • HMS Kashmir (F12) - Cmdr. HA King, Sunk 23 May 1941
  • HMS Kelvin (F37) - Cmdr. JH Alison - damaged
  • HMS Jackal (F22) - Lt.Cmdr. MP Jonas
  • HMS Kipling (F91) - Cmdr. A St Clair-Ford

    • Evacuation Fleet

    Sphakia evacuation force - Rear-Admiral King

  • HMS Phoebe - Capt. G Grantham, light cruiser
  • HMAS Perth - Capt. Sir P.W. Bowyer-Smith, light cruiser - damaged
  • HMS Coventry - Capt. WP Carne, light cruiser
  • HMS Calcutta - Capt. DM Lees, Anti-aircraft cruiser, sunk 1 June 1941 with 255 survivors
  • HMS Glengyle - Capt. CH Petrie, Landing Ship, Infantry (Large)
  • HMAS Napier (G97) - Capt. Stephen Harry Tolson Arliss RN, N-class Flotilla Leader.
  • HMAS Nizam (G38) - Lt. Cmdr. Max Joshua Clark
  • HMS Kelvin (F37) - Cmdr. JH Alison
  • HMS Kandahar (F28) - Cmdr. WGA Robson

    • Air forces

  • Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Middle East - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore
  • No. 30 Squadron RAF (Squadron Leader RA Milward/Sqn. Ldr. Shannon) - Bristol Blenheim
  • No. 33 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. MT StJ Prattle/Sqn.Ldr. Edward Howell, OBE, DFC) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane
  • No. 80 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. EG Jones) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane
  • No. 112 Squadron RAF (Sqn. Ldr. LG Schwab) - Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane
  • No. 203 Squadron RAF - Bristol Blenheim

    • 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

    References

    Battle of Crete order of battle Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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