Editing Battle of Crete (section)

===Weapons and equipment===
{{more citations needed|section|date=May 2017}}

====German====
{{further|Fallschirmjäger (World War II)}}
[[File:Kreta Cuffband.jpg|thumb|[[Crete Cuff Title]] for [[Wehrmacht]] participants of the campaign]]
The Germans used the new [[7.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40|7.5&nbsp;cm ''Leichtgeschütz'' 40]] light gun (a [[recoilless rifle]]). At {{cvt|320|lb|kg}}, it weighed {{frac|1|10}} as much as a standard German 75&nbsp;mm [[field gun]], yet had {{frac|2|3}} of its range. It fired a {{cvt|13|lb|kg}} shell more than {{cvt|3|mi|km}}. A quarter of the German paratroops jumped with an [[MP 40]] [[submachine gun]], often carried with a [[bolt-action]] [[Karabiner 98k|''Karabiner'' 98k]] rifle and most German squads had an [[MG 34]] [[General purpose machine gun|machine gun]].<ref>{{harvnb|Antill|2005|p=25}}.</ref> The Germans used colour-coded parachutes to distinguish the canisters carrying rifles, ammunition, crew-served weapons and other supplies. Heavy equipment like the ''Leichtgeschütz 40'' were dropped with a special triple-parachute harness to bear the extra weight.

The troops also carried special strips of cloth to unfurl in patterns to signal to low-flying fighters, to co-ordinate air support and for supply drops. The German procedure was for individual weapons to be dropped in canisters, due to their practice of exiting the aircraft at low altitude. This was a flaw that left the paratroopers armed only with knives, pistols and grenades in the first few minutes after landing. Poor design of German parachutes compounded the problem; the standard German harness had only one riser to the [[Canopy (parachute)|canopy]] and could not be steered. Even the 25 percent of paratroops armed with sub-machine guns were at a disadvantage, given the weapon's limited range. Many ''Fallschirmjäger'' were shot before they reached weapons canisters.

====Greek====
Greek troops were armed with ''[[Mannlicher–Schönauer]]'' [[6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer|6.5&nbsp;mm]] mountain carbines or ex-Austrian 8x56R ''[[Steyr-Mannlicher M1895]]'' rifles, the latter a part of post-[[World War I reparations]]; about 1,000 Greeks carried antique ''[[Fusil Gras mle 1874]]'' rifles. The garrison had been stripped of its best [[crew-served weapon]]s, which were sent to the mainland; there were twelve obsolescent ''[[St. Étienne Mle 1907]]'' light machine-guns and forty miscellaneous LMGs. Many Greek soldiers had fewer than thirty rounds of ammunition but could not be supplied by the British, who had no stocks in the correct calibres. Those with insufficient ammunition were posted to the eastern sector of Crete, where the Germans were not expected in force. The 8th Greek Regiment was under strength and many soldiers were poorly trained and poorly equipped. The unit was attached to [[10th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand)|10th New Zealand Infantry Brigade]] ([[Brigadier]] [[Howard Kippenberger]]), who placed it in a defensive position around the village of [[Alikianos]] where, with local civilian volunteers, they held out against the German 7th Engineer Battalion.

Though Kippenberger had referred to them as "...nothing more than malaria-ridden little chaps...with only four weeks of service," the Greek troops repulsed German attacks until they ran out of ammunition, whereupon they began charging with fixed bayonets, overrunning German positions and capturing rifles and ammunition. The engineers had to be reinforced by two battalions of German paratroops, yet the 8th Regiment held on until 27 May, when the Germans made a [[combined arms]] assault by Luftwaffe aircraft and mountain troops. The Greek stand helped to protect the retreat of the Commonwealth forces, who were evacuated at [[Sfakia]]. Beevor and McDougal Stewart write that the defence of Alikianos gained at least 24 more hours for the completion of the final leg of the evacuation behind [[Layforce]]. The troops who were protected as they withdrew had begun the battle with more and better equipment than the 8th Greek Regiment.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

====British Commonwealth====
British and Commonwealth troops used the standard [[Lee–Enfield]] rifle, [[Bren light machine gun]] and [[Vickers machine gun|Vickers medium machine gun]]. The British had about 85 artillery pieces of various calibres, many of them captured Italian weapons without sights.<ref>{{harvnb|MacDonald|1995|p=153}}.</ref> [[Anti-aircraft warfare|Anti-aircraft]] defences consisted of one light anti-aircraft battery equipped with 20&nbsp;mm automatic cannon, split between the two airfields. The guns were camouflaged, often in nearby olive groves, and some were ordered to hold their fire during the initial assault to mask their positions from German fighters and [[dive-bomber]]s. The British had nine [[Matilda II]]A infantry tanks of "B" Squadron, [[7th Royal Tank Regiment]] (7th RTR) and sixteen [[Light Tank Mk VI|Light Tanks Mark VIB]] from "C" Squadron, [[3rd King's Own Hussars]].<ref name="Antill 2005 24">{{harvnb|Antill|2005|p=24}}.</ref>

The Matildas had 40&nbsp;mm [[Ordnance QF 2 pounder]] guns, which only fired [[armour-piercing round]]s – not effective anti-personnel weapons. (High explosive rounds in small calibres were considered impractical).<ref name="Antill 2005 24"/> The tanks were in poor mechanical condition, as the engines were worn and could not be overhauled on Crete. Most tanks were used as mobile [[Bunker#Pillbox|pillboxes]] to be brought up and dug in at strategic points. One Matilda had a damaged turret crank that allowed it to turn clockwise only. Many British tanks broke down in the rough terrain, not in combat. The British and their allies did not possess sufficient [[Universal Carrier]]s or trucks, which would have provided the mobility and firepower needed for rapid counter-attacks before the invaders could consolidate.<ref name="Antill 2005 24"/>