The idea seemed outlandish; a full-fledged aerial invasion of an entire region had never been attempted before. Hitler’s high command was against what they considered an unfeasible and needless scheme that diverted precious troops and training time from preparations for the incoming invasion of the Soviet Union. But the Fuhrer was determined; he would seize the island of Crete, the last Allied stronghold in Europe, at any cost.
The Wehrmacht had already captured the Balkans and mainland Greece. Still, while Crete remained in Allied possession, it would pose a massive threat to the Axis powers as it was within the bomber range of key Axis targets, including the Romanian oilfields at Ploiesti.
With the Royal Navy commanding dominance of the Mediterranean seas, the only way to strike the island was through an unprecedented and massive airborne invasion. Hitler was confident that the island’s defenders were weakened and ill-supplied to counter the sky-darkening invasion codenamed Operation Mercury.
Unbeknownst to Germany, the Allies had cracked its precious Enigma code, and they knew every detail about the incoming invasion. The small Allied garrison and the Greek population of the island prepared and braced for what was coming. If Hitler wanted Crete, it would cost him...
