Editing Battle of Crete (section)

===Retreat===
[[File:Wounded British troops disembarking.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|British wounded evacuated to [[Alexandria, Egypt|Alexandria]]]]
The Germans pushed the British, Commonwealth and Greek forces steadily southward, using aerial and artillery bombardment, followed by waves of motorcycle and mountain troops (the rocky terrain making it difficult to employ tanks). The garrisons at [[Souda]] and [[Beritania]] gradually fell back along the road to [[Vitsilokoumos]], north of Sfakia. About halfway there, near the village of [[Askyfou]] lay a large crater nicknamed "The Saucer", the only place wide and flat enough for a large parachute drop. Troops were stationed about its perimeter, to prevent a landing that might block the retreat.
On the evening of the 27th, a small detachment of German troops penetrated Allied lines near Imbros Gorge threatening a column of retreating unarmed Allied forces. The attack was held off by four men, the only ones with weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Crete |website=Operations & Codenames of WWII |url=https://codenames.info/operation/battle-of-crete/ |access-date=2024-06-09}}</ref> Led by Cpl Douglas Bignal, the men sacrificed themselves,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Crete |website=Operations & Codenames of WWII |url=https://codenames.info/operation/battle-of-crete/ |access-date=2024-06-09}}</ref>securing the withdrawal of the remainder. Amongst this group was New Zealander Pte Willy Falconer of the Maori battalion, a hero of 42nd Street and Galatas. Also killed were LCpl Philip Stamp and Pte Andrew Payton.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Crete |website=Operations & Codenames of WWII |url=https://codenames.info/operation/battle-of-crete/ |access-date=2024-06-09}}</ref>

Near Souda, the 5th New Zealand Brigade and the 2/7th Australian Battalion, held off the 141st Mountain Regiment, which had begun a flanking manoeuvre, and on 28 May, at the village of [[Stylos]], the 5th New Zealand Brigade fought a rearguard action. The Luftwaffe was over Rethymno and Heraklion and they were able to retreat down the road.{{sfn|Playfair|Flynn|Molony|Toomer|1956|p=144}}

The retreat of the brigade was covered by two companies of the Māori Battalion under Captain [[Rangi Royal]], who overran the I Battalion, 141st ''Gebirgsjäger'' Regiment and halted the German advance. When the main unit was safely to the rear, the Māori retreated {{convert|24|mi|km}}, losing only two killed and eight wounded, all of whom were recovered. Layforce was the only big unit in this area to be cut off. Layforce had been sent to Crete by way of Sfakia when it was still hoped that reinforcements could be brought from Egypt to turn the tide of the battle.<ref name="Saunders55"/> The battalion-sized force was split up, with a 200-man detachment under Laycock at Souda to cover the retreat of the heavier units. Layforce and three British tanks were joined by the men of the 20th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, who had been assigned to guard Souda docks and refused to believe that an evacuation had been ordered. After a day of battle, Laycock ordered a night retreat to Beritiana, where he was joined by Royal and the Māori, who managed to fight their way out, but Layforce was cut off near the village of Babali Khani (Agioi Pantes). Laycock and his Intelligence Officer, [[Evelyn Waugh]], were able to escape in a tank. Most of the other men of the detachment and the 20th HAA Battery were killed or captured. (By the end of the operation about 600 of the 800 commandos sent to Crete were listed as killed, wounded or missing; only 179 men got off the island.)<ref>{{harvnb|Chappell|1996|p=16}}</ref>