Editing Battle of Crete (section)

====Axis forces====
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 141-0816, Kreta, Lastensegler DFS 230, Fallschirmjäger.jpg|thumb|A ''[[Fallschirmjäger]]'' and a [[DFS 230]] glider in Crete]]

On 25 April, Hitler signed Directive 28, ordering the invasion of Crete. The Royal Navy retained control of the waters around Crete, so an [[amphibious assault]] would have been a risky proposition. With German air superiority assured, an airborne invasion was chosen. This was to be the first big airborne invasion, although the Germans had made smaller parachute and [[military glider|glider]]-borne assaults in the invasions of [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|Denmark]] and [[Norwegian Campaign|Norway]], [[Battle of Belgium|Belgium]], [[Battle of the Netherlands|the Netherlands]], [[Battle of France|France]] and mainland [[Battle of Greece|Greece]]. In Greece, {{lang|de|Fallschirmjäger}} had been dispatched to capture the bridge over the [[Corinth Canal]], which was being readied for demolition by the [[Royal Engineers]]. German engineers landed near the bridge in gliders, while parachute infantry attacked the perimeter defence. The bridge was damaged in the fighting, which slowed the German advance and gave the Allies time to evacuate 18,000 troops to Crete and 23,000 to Egypt, albeit with the loss of most of their heavy equipment.<ref>{{harvnb|Antill|2005|p=13}}.</ref>

[[File:German troops board a Junkers 52 for Crete.jpg|thumb|upright|left|German [[mountain troops]] board a Junkers Ju 52 for Crete, 20 May 1941.]]
In May, [[Fliegerkorps XI|''Fliegerkorps'' XI]] moved from Germany to the Athens area, but the destruction wrought during the invasion of Greece forced a postponement of the attack to 20 May. New airfields were built, and 280 long-range bombers, {{nowrap|150 dive-bombers,}} {{nowrap|90 Bf 109s,}} {{nowrap|90 Bf 110s}} and 40 reconnaissance aircraft of [[8th Air Corps (Germany)|''Fliegerkorps'' VIII]] were assembled, along with {{nowrap|530 Ju 52}} transport aircraft and 100 gliders. The {{nobr|Bf 109s}} and ''Stuka'' dive-bombers were based on forward airfields at Molaoi, Melos and Karpathos (then Scarpanto), with Corinth and Argos as base airfields. The {{nobr|Bf 110s}} were based at airfields near Athens, Argos and Corinth, all within {{cvt|200|mi|km}} of Crete, and the bomber or reconnaissance machines were accommodated at Athens, Salonica and a detachment on Rhodes, along with bases in Bulgaria at Sofia and Plovdiv, ten of the airfields being all-weather and {{convert|200|–|250|mi|km}} from Crete. The transport aircraft flew from bases near Athens and southern Greece, including Eleusis, Tatoi, Megara and Corinth. British night bombers attacked the areas in the last few nights before the invasion, and Luftwaffe aircraft eliminated the British aircraft on Crete.{{sfn|Air|2001 |p=124}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L19017, Gebirgsjäger vor dem Start nach Kreta.jpg|thumb|German Mountain troops before their transfer to Crete.]]
The Germans planned to use {{lang|de|Fallschirmjäger}} to capture important points on the island, including airfields that could then be used to fly in supplies and reinforcements. ''Fliegerkorps'' XI was to co-ordinate the attack by the [[German 7th Air Division|7th ''Flieger'' Division]], which would land by parachute and glider, followed by the [[22nd Air Landing Division (Wehrmacht)|22nd Air Landing Division]] once the airfields were secure. The operation was scheduled for 16 May 1941, but was postponed to 20 May, with the [[5th Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)|5th Mountain Division]] replacing the 22nd Air Landing Division. To support the German attack on Crete, eleven Italian submarines took post off Crete or the British bases of Sollum and Alexandria in Egypt.<ref name="Bertke, Smith 2012, p. 505">{{harvnb|Bertke|Smith|Kindell|2012|p=505}}.</ref>{{ref label|Note|d|d}}