Hold The Line!: Part Two Famous Last Stands of World War Two In this article, Chris takes a look at the Battle for Crete while James examines the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. Read part one here as Blake takes a look at the Warsaw Uprising while Casey examines the Siege of Leningrad...

Crete: May 1941 Diving Eagles by Chris Townley The Battle for Crete would see the elite, but numerically inferior, German Fallschirmjägers and Gebirgsjägers thrown against the battered and poorly equipped British, Australian, New Zealand, and Greek defenders that had been evacuated prior to the fall of Greece. Protected by the Royal Navy, these meager forces were now situated on an island that sat along the vital convoy routes between Rommel’s Afrikakorps in North Africa, and the vital oil fields in Romania. Codenamed Operation Merkur (Mercury), the assault on Crete would have to come from the one direction that the Royal Navy could not influence – the sky!

Whilst the Battle for Crete took twelve days, it is the actions in and around the airfield at Maleme that, with the benefit of hindsight, had the most overall affect on the final outcome of the entire battle. Early in the morning of May 20, the Luftlandesturmregiment landed first when the gliders of Sturmbataillon ‘Koch’ captured the bridge over the dry bed of the Tavronitis River and the anti-aircraft guns protecting the Maleme airfield beside it.

Once the gliders touched down and hit secured their objectives the first of the paratroopers started to land amongst the defending New Zealanders. Despite heavy casualties these small groups quickly formed up and began to conduct hit-and-run attacks as they gathered their strength (and weapons).

Above Maleme airfield on Hill 107 the 22nd New Zealand Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel L.W. Andrew, VC, began to feel the pressure of the attacking paratroopers. With too few men and a lot of ground to cover it was not long before the option of withdrawing and consolidating the lines was being considered. By the evening, a combination of poor communications and sustained pressure lead to the fateful decision to pull back from Hill 107. The following morning, with Maleme airfield open for business, the Fallschirmjägers received desperately needed supplies as six aircraft completed a test re-supply.

With the situation at Maleme deteriorating, General Freyberg, VC ordered a night attack to counter the German advances but due to a variety of reasons the attack did not move out on time, nor were there sufficient men to complete their objectives. By the afternoon of May 22 fresh Gebirgsjägers (mountain troops) were landing at the airfield at a rapid pace and the German advance began in earnest. Whilst the Battle for Crete would rage on for another 10 days, the tide had turned.

The Battle for Crete would have far reaching implications for both sides. For the Germans it would be the last time the Fallschirmjäger would be used in an airborne operation of this scale as the casualties in terms of both men and machines made victory bitter sweet. As for the Allies a large proportion of the defenders would be taken prisoner, despite the valiant efforts of the Royal Navy to evacuate as many troops as possible. In the years since the end of the war there has also been considerable “finger-pointing” by historians looking for someone to shoulder the blame for the fall of Crete and whilst it does not change the outcome it can make for some interesting reading. ~ Chris.

Prague: May 1942 The Assassination of Reingard Heydrich by James Brown One of the most ruthless and determined members of the Nazi elite, Heydrich rose rapidly through the ranks of the SS, eventually heading the security agencies of the Nazi State. Most notoriously, he was one of the main architects of the Holocaust. He chaired the Wannsee Conference in 1942, where senior Nazi leadership finalised their plans for the extermination of the Jewish population of Europe. In 1941 Heydrich was appointed acting Reichsprotektor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, because Hitler that the nominal Reichsprotetktor, Konstantin von Neurath, was too soft on the native Czech population. Heydrich’s brutal suppression of Czech resistance to German rule earned him the nickname, ‘the Butcher of Prague’.

The plot to assassinate Heydrich began in Britain in late 1941. The operation was given the code name ‘Anthropoid’. Two Czechoslovakian soldiers were selected by the Special Operations Executive to carry out the attack: Jozef Gabčík, a Slovak; and Jan Kubiš, a Czech. Gabčík and Kubiš parachuted into Czechoslovakia on December 28 1941 and, with the help of local resistance members, made preparations for the assassination attempt. The plan was to ambush Heydrich in Prague, during his daily commute in his open-topped Mercedes staff car. On the morning of May 27 1942, Gabčík and Kubiš at the tram stop on the curve near Bulovka Hospital.

As Heydrich’s car approached, Gabčík attempted to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich’s driver, SS-Oberscharführer Klein, stopped the car and he and Heydrich both fired their pistols at Gabčík. Kubiš then threw an anti-tank grenade at the rear of the car from close range, and Heydrich was wounded by shrapnel. Klein attempted to pursue the two soldiers, but was shot twice and wounded. After an intensive search, the Nazi authorities eventually found Gabčík and Kubiš hiding in Karel Bormoejsky Church, along with five other paratroopers. 700 SS soldiers laid siege to the church and a lengthy gun battle ensued. Eventually the surviving resistance fighters committed suicide, rather than face capture and interrogation. Although Heydrich’s injuries did not immediately appear to be mortal, his condition quickly deteriorated, and he died of septicaemia eight days after the attack – a fitting end to a truly disgusting individual.

As tempting as it might be to celebrate Operation Anthropoid as the daring and well-deserved execution of a Nazi thug, I would be remiss to ignore the tragic aftermath. The Czech government-in-exile, who authorised Heydrich’s assassination, wanted to stiffen the resolve of the anti-German resistance in their country – an aim which was certainly achieved. However, they probably could not have anticipated the viciousness of the Nazi reaction. Over 13,000 people were arrested in the investigation, and around 5000 Czechs were killed in vicious reprisals, including attackers’ families and the clergy of the church where they had sheltered. ~ James.