the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

166 THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL March
day, May 27. Detachments reached the district of Khania—
Suda Bay. The outflanking groups, pressing further ahead
through steep mountain terrain, were west of Stylos by
evening. The resistance of the English ended; beaten, they
withdrew to the southeast.
On May 28 a forward detachment was formed. On the
29th it pressed forward to Rhethymno in headlong pursuit
after battling enemy rearguards, captured the city, and
joined the parachute jaegers fighting there. Once again
enemy resistance had to be broken east of Rhethymno, then
the way was open so that Hierapetra could be occupied on
the evening of the 30th. The enemy detachments retreating
toward Khora Sphakion were pursued by a mountainjaeger
regiment, and on June 1 surrendered after a short
fight.
The battle of Crete was thereby in the main ended. The
mountain jaegers had gone through 12 days of heavy
fighting in difficult terrain and burning heat and with little
water, against an extremely stubborn enemy. Supported by
the Luftwaffe and accompanied by the parachute jaegers to
Khania, they carried their entire equipment together with
the heavy weapons on their backs over long stretches, and
won the victory in this short time.
Besides heavy losses in war materials of all kinds the foe
lost: in prisoners, 10,700 British officers and men, 5,000
Greek officers and men; in killed, about 5,000 British and
Greek officers and men, not counting those destroyed on
the sea.
2. THE OUTFLANKING OF MOUNTAIN-JAEGER REGIMENT
85 SOUTH OF KHANIA AGAINST THE ENGLISH LINE OF
RETREAT
The 1st Battalion emplaned from the regiment on May
22 and landed under strong artillery fire from the enemy on
the Maleme aerodrome. There it was given the task of
silencing the enemy artillery west of Hag. (Saint) Marina
and effect a junction with the parachute jaegers west of
Khania.
The battalion struck southwest of Hag. Marina at the
rear and flank of the enemy. By this bold attack the
enemy—which was superior in numbers—suffered
considerable losses in a stubbornly contested engagement
and was forced to retreat. The task of the battalion was
completed; the commanding heights of Hag. Marina, so
important for the defensive battle of the enemy west of
Khania, were taken; junction with the parachute jaegers
was effected.
For the protection of the right flank of a regiment of
mountain-jaegers attacking along the coast toward Khania
and of the parachute jaegers, the regiment now renewed the
attack in a southerly direction against stubborn enemies
and snipers. On May 23 in the evening it reached the area
north of Alikianou after successful individual encounters
with covering parties.
On May 24 the regiment staff and the 3rd Battalion of
mountain-jaeger regiment 85 were landed, then they
gathered south of Modion and in the region northeast of
Kouvos. At intervals on May 25th the 2nd Battalion and
the 16th Company arrived with 6 guns at the Maleme
aerodrome. These detachments were concentrated with the
regimental staff about 4.5 kilometers south of Platanias. In
the evening the regiment was ready, after reconnoitering
the enemy position at Alikianou, to attack in an easterly
direction over the mountain chain south of Khania and
press forward to Rhethymno to effect a junction with the
parachute jaegers landed there.
For the execution of its task the regiment had 3
mountain-jaeger battalions without baggage and artillery.
The 16th Company could be sent along only after the road
south of Khania in the direction of Stylos was cleared.
First of all the 3rd Battalion was to gain the highlands
east of Alikianou, then the 1st Battalion was to attack. By
great physical exertions the 3rd Battalion reached the
heights southwest of Barypetron after overcoming slight
enemy resistance above Alikianou.
While this enveloping movement was still in progress,
it happened that the enemy, which on the afternoon of
May 25 had been on the heights southwest of Alikianou
and south of Episcope, slipped away to the southeast
during the night 25/26. In order to lose no time and reach
as soon as possible the rear of the enemy who was
fighting stubbornly at and southwest of Khania, the 1st
Battalion was now sent to form the spearhead of the
regiment's attack in the direction of Malaxa; the 2nd
Battalion, which had gone into the region of Hagyia, was
sent directly behind.
As early as the evening of the 26th the 1st Battalion
broke stubborn enemy resistance and gained the height just
southeast of Pyrgos. One company of the battalion
captured height 542.12 after a difficult ascent and a hard
attack. The 2nd Battalion followed the 1st closely, while
the 3rd Battalion was entrusted with the protection of the
right flank.
At dawn on May 27 the attack was continued with the
object of pressing eastward in the direction of Stylos and
there meeting the English who might be retreating from
Khania.
In intense heat, over steep, rugged, and pathless
mountain terrain the 2nd Battalion (on the right) reached
height 507.50 at 1215; the 1st Battalion (on the left) after a
battle reached the northern termination of the pass 4
kilometers south of Khania.
By the utmost exertion of every individual man and the
complete personnel participation of all commanders and
subordinate commanders, the regiment captured by the
evening of May 28 the heights 444-284-610.40, which
were so important for the continuation of the attack.
Enemy resistance was quickly broken wherever it
appeared. Three hundred captives, English and Greek,
were taken. As a result, the regiment was deep within the
flank of the English fighting south of Khania. The
outflanking of the enemy was completed.
At dawn on May 28 the attack was continued in an
easterly direction. The 3rd Company—the left wing—on