2020-05-28 19:35:26
A few days ago we reminded of the next anniversary of the Battle of Crete , which was the beginning of the German occupation of the island. After several days of fierce fighting, on May 26-28, 1941, the German army defeated the defenders of Chania and Souda and occupied both cities. Overcoming the mountains, the Allies from the Chania region reached the area of Chora Sfakion on the southern coast of Crete, from where they were evacuated by sea between 28 May and 1 June. In this way over 11,000 soldiers left the island. Heraklion and Rethymno resisted the longest. However, the British troops defending the capital of Crete were also evacuated on the night of May 28-29, without informing the Greek forces.
Sick Sfakion: a place commemorating the evacuation of the Allies
Therefore, on Thursday, May 29, 1941, when the Germans entered Heraklion, they found an abandoned city that no one was defending anymore. Taking control of Rethymno was a matter of hours. Greek soldiers along with some of the Allies left positions around the city and retreated to the mountains. The city surrendered on May 30, which marked the end of the eleven-day battle for Crete. At the same time, Italian troops landed in Sitia, thus occupying the prefecture of Lassithi. From that moment, the entire island was already under the control of the Axis countries.
Germany entering Heraklion. The photo comes from the website www.candiadoc.gr
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