Battle of Crete - Suda Bay

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Dannemois, Feb 12, 2009.

  1. Dannemois

    Dannemois Member

    Pte 3959703 Thomas Henry Ferguson, 1st Bn, Welsh Regiment, was killed in action 27 May 1941. I would like to learn what part the Welsh played in the battle and where the 1st Bn was on the day Pte Ferguson died.

    Appreciated help or advise

    Regards
    Roy
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  3. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Allied forces at Suda Bay during the battle of Crete.

    -Suda Bay Sector under Major General C E Weston, of the Royal Marines and the HQ Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation (MNBDO) with: numerous AA units including 151st Heavy AA Bty, 129th Light AA Bty, RA, 156th Light AA Bty, RA, 23rd Light AA Bty, RM and the 2nd Heavy AA Regt, RM; 1/Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 1/Rangers (9/KRRC); Northumberland Hussars (acting as infantry); 106th RHA (acting as infantry); 2/2 Australian Field Regt (acting as infantry); a detachment from the 2/3 Australian Field Regt (acting as infantry); 16th Australian Infantry Bde Composite Btn; 17th Australian Infantry Bde Composite Btn; 1st Royal Perivolians (composite unit); 2nd Greek Regt; and numerous service support units such as 231st Motor Transport Coy, 5th Ind Bde workshop, 4th Lt Field Ambulance, RAMC, 168th Field Ambulance, RAMC and 606th Palestine Pioneer Corps.


    Regards
    Peter
     
  4. spider

    spider Very Senior Member

    From the Australian in the War of 1939-1945 - volume 2 Greece, Crete and Syria

    Page 250

    When the 5th and 19th brigades withdrew Colonel Hely ordered the withdrawal of his Suda Brigade (“S” Battalion of the Royal Marines, 2/2nd Field Artillery, “Royal Perivolians” and the 106th RHA) from Mournies where it had been in reserve. Meanwhile the Composite Brigade (the 1/Welch, 1/Rangers and Northumberland Hussars) was carrying out its orders to advance and occupy a position about a mile west of Canea. It’s acting commander. Lieut-Colonel Duncan of the Welch, did not know that the Suda Brigade had retired and there was no support on his left.

    Later on page 251

    About 1am (27 May 1941) Weston (Lt-Gen WESTON commander Mobile Naval Base Defence organisation MNBDO) realised the danger of the Welch’s position sent orders to Colonel Duncan to withdraw. The order appears to have reached him too late, if at all. The Welch were forward with the depleted Rangers and Northumberland Hussars supporting the left flank.

    A German attack opened at dawn. By 9am one of the two forward companies was surrounded and the other lost heavily; Duncan decided to withdraw to the Kladhisos Creek, and as the enemy was encircling his flank, he ordered the two rear companies under Major Gibson (1/Welch) to move west of Suda to cover the withdrawal of the remainder. As they did so, they could hear heavy fighting at 42nd Street (where the Australian and NZ bayonet charged advancing Germans) five miles to the rear of their original positions.

    Gibson and his men reached Suda, however, a gallant handful of the Welch held out on the coast until the morning of the 28th, when the Germans discovered that they had been delayed for more than eighteen hours by a small party under a sergeant.

    Hope this helps.

    Spider
     

    Attached Files:

  5. Dannemois

    Dannemois Member

    Hello Andy, Spider and Peter

    many thanks for the info, plenty there to work on

    regards
    roy
     
  6. spider

    spider Very Senior Member

    The 1/Welch casualties in Crete were 115 killed, 2 wounded and 453 prisoners.

    Spider
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I've just been watching a really good programme about the German use of German Paratroopers to invade Crete.

    Some possibly known interesting facts from the programme:

    Some 300 Germans drowned after dropping into the sea instead of the DZ on Maleme.

    They jumped with only pistols and some hand grenades. Their main weapons being in containers.

    Due to a lack comms the New Zealanders pulled off hill 107 thus giving the high ground over Maleme airfield to the Germans which allowed reinforcements to arrive.

    Natives of the island fought the Germans after getting German weapons from their containers (One old chap still has a MP40 and ammo-Much to the delight of one of the researchers after he let him fire a few rounds)

    5,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were ordered to surrender.

    1,700 Allied soldiers died in the 11 days of fighting

    Source of info:
    Hitler, Churchill and the Paratroopers
     
  8. spider

    spider Very Senior Member

  9. spider

    spider Very Senior Member

    Made these comments in a previous thread re: Maleme

    The loss of Hill 107 and the airfield at Maleme held by the 22 Batt NZEF was the turning point in the battle of Crete.

    The airfield was shrouded in dust after the bombing and the gliders and paratroops landed soon after partially screened by the dust and smoke.

    The Germans landed on the airfield as well as it surrounds and once the German Mountain troops and supplies were landed from transports the airfields fate was sealed.

    For the Germans to land aircraft on a held airfield is extraordinary and the troops straight into battle.

    There were also major problems with communication within the defending forces which caused a break down in communications and the disposition and reinforcing of troops.

    The 2/7 Aust Batt (a battle tried and tested battalion with almost full strength) was available and poised to move however was delayed by communications

    The defending forces were also running out of supplies and the defended areas were isolated disrupting supply.

    The Germans on the other hand quickly concentrated there efforts once the airfield at Maleme was open to transports, although still very dangerous to do, and landed reinforcements and supplies and then consolidated and advanced.

    Once the foothold was made they exploited it to there advantage very quickly.

    If effective communications was available prehaps a different outcome as the Germans were on the brink of abandoning the offensive due to the heavy troop and aircraft losses.

    A sea assault was not an option as it was tried and failed earlier.

    Communication were the key to the battle and captured german radio were used by Crete Force.If they had effective signals they probably wouldn't have evacuated the such a large number of signallers before the battle. Spider
     

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