May 20, 1941.
Air raid sirens across the island of Crete merge to create a hellish orchestra, for in the clear skies above, comes a huge swarm of German Junkers Ju 52 and their accompanying gliders. This attack is an ambitious one, and the Fuhrer has gambled on the ability of his Fallschirmjäger to single handily defeat the island’s defenders without the aid of heavy weapons or armoured support.
With the Royal Navy holding the water ways, German reinforcements by sea are not forthcoming. The Luftwaffe, though dominant in the sky, is a weak stand in for Germany’s reliance on mechanised and mobile warfare. If the Third Reich wishes to prevail here, then it will need to secure the island’s airfields in order to bring in sufficient reinforcements needed to overwhelm the defenders.
The Allies holding Crete, formed up of British, Australian, New Zealand and Greek units of varying states of operational capacity, knew this assault was coming in advance. Their anti-aircraft batteries are more than ready to receive, though many of them are antiquated.
The JU 52s, piloted by brave and skilled men of the Reich, are immediately hit with an awesome display of ground fire. Tracers riddle the sky, striking out at the cumbersome transports left and right; dozens plummet to the earth in a fiery blaze. As the defenders cheer, believing for a moment that they can beat this assault before it ever has a chance to really happen, the Fallschirmjäger jump from their craft. Suddenly, the air is no longer thick with hundreds of hulking aircraft, but with thousands of parachutes.
The Allies scramble to defend their positions. Some, especially the Commonwealth soldiers, are well armed and are experienced in matters of war. Others, like the Greek army and Crete’s inhabitants, rely on a wide range of almost laughably antiquated equipment; for a brief period in time, the musket makes a return to the battlefield.
This battle is just beginning, and yet, to some it seems it is already over.
The players of the RP assume the roles of soldiers operating in the Commonwealth and Greek military. Additionally, players may assume the roles of the Crete inhabitants, whom at the time were able to provide an arguable backbone to the Allied front. Regardless of nationality or equipment, they form a mish-mash platoon slammed together in the chaos of the assault. They are linked to the British 14th Infantry Brigade’s headquarters.
We’re to assume that there are around 30-40 NPC soldiers in the platoon, to make up background noise. NPCs may be ordered around, and man handled by players at will. The NPCs, like the players, will be a motley crew of Cretan, Greek and Commonwealth fighters.
The RP will start as the players arrive on the western edge of Heraklion, disembarking from a sputtering Breda-32. The scene will be one of chaos, as Allied soldiers run to and throe, shooting at the incoming paratroopers, and manning the anti-air batteries against the JU 52s, and fleets of gliders. This airborne assault is the second to hit the island (the first striking further west), and is happening some hours after the first.
Shortly after, the German Fallschirmjäger, having made it to the ground, will assemble and launch an attack against the players’ position. Historically, the Germans broke through the defensive perimeter, took the western parts of the town (including the Greek barracks) and the docks, before being repulsed by an Allied counter attack. In the RP however, things will go as the players decide.
The players’ objectives, therefore, are to prevent where possible a German advance into the town, and to join all counter-offensive operations ongoing in the area.
Historically, the Commonwealth lost the Battle of Crete in their customary early-war manner of failing to see the tactical situation unfold, and reacting to it in inappropriately.
The Germans took heavy losses on the first day, at both of their main landing points: (East side of the island) Heraklion and (west side of the island) Maleme. They failed to capture any of their objectives, although they did hold them briefly before the Commonwealth and the Greeks pushed them out.
On day two, the British commander saw fit to yield the airfield at Maieme to the Germans, believing their main assault would come from the sea. The Germans, being the smart bastards that they were, used the airfield to bring in reinforcements. The British commander, having a second opportunity to thwart his retardation, decided against counter attacking the airfield with significant forces. This further allowed the Germans to use their ... um... cunning, and deploy even more troops. This led to the rapid withdrawal of Commonwealth derp forces from the island.
In this RP, the British commander Bernard Freyberg may realise the implications of yielding Maieme airfield and order a desperate counter attack, meaning the players jump on whatever transport is available and high tail it to the opposite end of the island. But we'll get to that.
Additionally, the Germans may overrun Heraklion and a similar situation may emerge there. Players are given full power (within reason) to divert the cause of history in this respect. The battle does not have to end in an Allied defeat, is what I'm getting at.
Name:
Gender: (Females permitted for Cretans only)
Nationality: British, Australian, New Zealander, Greek or Cretan.
Age:
Physical Appearance:
Rank: Caps at Staff Sergeant
Weapon and Ammunition: i.e Lee Enfield MK3 | 25 x 303.
Brief Background: A paragraph or two will suffice. Just sum your guy/guyette’s life up prior to the battle.