How The Battle of Crete Permanently Altered Hitler’s War Machine

The death of the Fallschirmjäger

(Public domain)

The Battle of Crete lasted just under two weeks, from May 20th until June 1st, 1941. In the grand scheme of World War II, the battle is largely glossed over. It took place just before the start of Operation Barbarossa, which still consumes most of the oxygen in the room. It also occurred at the tail end of the German invasion of Greece, another theater often ignored. Despite its seemingly minor status, the Battle of Crete profoundly impacted the rest of the war. The way the battle unfolded and the casualties inflicted on Germany’s airborne forces caused Hitler and his military planning staff to radically change how they saw the future of warfare.

The German invasion of Crete was called Operation Mercury. On its face, it was a stunning success. Using overwhelming airborne forces parachuting onto the island, the Germans were able to capture the key airfields and cut the island into sectors and capture it. Crete was a strategically crucial military target in the Aegean that was seized in a mere thirteen days.

But many in Berlin didn’t see it that way. The losses at Crete far exceeded expectations, and it changed the way the German high command viewed and subsequently used airborne forces. And that subsequently changed the way they…