Operation Mercury - Battle of Crete part1 (1941)

Video Title :	Operation Mercury - Battle of Crete part1 (1941)
Description :	Combat footage. German Wartime newsreel (Die Deutsche Wochenschau). The Battle of Crete (German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. The battle began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur ("Operation Mercury"). Allied forces defended the island. After one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered appalling casualties and none of their objectives had been achieved. The next day, through miscommunication and the failure of Allied commanders to grasp the situation, Maleme airfield in western Crete fell to the Germans, enabling them to fly in reinforcements and overwhelm the Allied forces. The Battle of Crete was unique in three respects: it was the first-ever mainly airborne invasion; it was the first time the Allies made significant use of intelligence from the deciphered German Enigma code; and it was the first time invading German troops encountered mass resistance from a civilian population. In light of the heavy casualties suffered by the parachutists, Adolf Hitler forbade further large scale airborne operations. However, the Allies were impressed by the potential of paratroopers, and started to build their own airborne divisions.
Views :	5717
Rating :	5.00
Keywords, Tags :	ww2 footage army newsreel fallschirmjagers paratroopers ju-52 gebirgsjager battle combat attack junkers ju52
Video Length :	6 : 40

Comments :

damn, I don't speak Spanish, but I understood that. Not to worry, It's mostly propaganda speak;)

Wow, Am I the first to notice that they have scored the footage of the flight towards Crete with "Flight of the Valkyries" by Wagner? 35 years before Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now!:D

like operation market garden,where germans slaughtered angloamericans:)..btw,german commander from battle for crete lead germans in operation market garden

I thought General Student was on the Grecian mainland, or are you referring to General Meindl?

Crete=English Pigs get defeated by Germany and then the Barham disaster which I applaud,I laugh at the sailors dead aboard that ship

Historical justice forces me to admit that among all the enemies who stand against us,the GREEK soldier above all,fought with the most courage.he surrendered himself only when the continuation ofresistance was not possible any longer,and when he had no reason not to...However,he fought so bravely,that even his enemies can not deny their respect for him...Thus the GREEK prisoners of war were released immeditely,having in mind the heroic stance of these soldiers.ADOLPH HITLER,REICHSTAG, 4 MAY 1941

it's interesting how most of the nations who fought against Hitler have some strange desire to be recognised in the eyes of that same Hitler

"until now, we knew that greeks were fighting like heroes. from now on we shall say that heroes fight like greeks." winston churchhill,prime minister of britain-1940

cretans are the most clean greeks. they are greeks 100%

They are like the people we see on ancient vases. I'am proud to have friends among them and happy not to have enmies among them. Although the first implies often the latter on Crete.