Battle of Rethymno

Battle of Rethymno
Part of the Battle of Crete
German paratroopers jumping over Crete
Date 20–29 May 1941 Location Rethymno, Crete 35°22′12″N 24°31′12″E / 35.37000°N 24.52000°E / 35.37000; 24.52000 Result German victory
Belligerents
Allies:  Australia  Greece	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Ian Campbell	Alfred Sturm
Strength
• 1,270 Australian infantry • Unknown number of support personnel • 3,100 Greek soldiers & armed police	• One parachute infantry regiment: c. 1,700
Casualties and losses
Unknown Almost all Commonwealth troops killed or captured	Unknown, but heavy
class=notpageimage| Location within Crete

The Battle of Rethymno^{[note 1]} was part of the Battle of Crete, fought during World War II on the Greek island of Crete between 20 and 29 May 1941. Australian and Greek forces commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Ian Campbell defended the town of Rethymno and the nearby airstrip against a German paratrooper attack by the 2nd Parachute Regiment of the 7th Air Division commanded by Colonel Alfred Sturm.^{[note 2]}

The attack on Rethymno was one of four airborne assaults on Crete on 20 May, and part of the second series, following on from German attacks against Maleme airfield and the main port of Chania in the west of Crete in the morning. The aircraft which had dropped the morning attackers were scheduled to drop the 2nd Regiment over Rethymno later the same day; confusion and delays at the airfields in mainland Greece meant the assault was launched without direct air support and spread over an extended period rather than simultaneously. Those German units dropping near the Allied positions suffered very high casualties, both from ground fire and upon landing.

The German overall commander, Lieutenant-general Kurt Student, concentrated all resources on the battle for Maleme airfield, 50 miles (80 km) to the west, which the Germans won. The Allied Commander-in-Chief Middle East, General Archibald Wavell, ordered an evacuation of Crete on 27 May, but the Allied commander on Crete, Major-general Bernard Freyberg, was unable to communicate this to Campbell. Faced by a superior force of Germans equipped with tanks and artillery, Campbell surrendered on 29 May. Some Australians retreated into the hills to the south and, aided by the Cretans, 52 eventually escaped to Egypt.

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