Part 19: Turn 15: 1900 21st May

Game Turn 15: 1900, 21st May

New reinforcements from Kampfgruppe Ramcke arrive east of the airfield, making a successful parachute landing. The Pioneers and the rest of Kg Ramcke block the road from Maleme to Canea, while the rest of the LLSR gives chase to the remnants of 5th Brigade. Night is falling fast and the Kiwis do have some fallback entrenchments as well. B Company, 22nd Battalion, which is still out of position, is spotted by the observation post on top of Hill 107 and shelled, slowing it down and causing light casualties on the retreating company. The rest of 7th Flieger Division, or at least what is left in Prison Valley and the Rethymnon/Heraklion sectors, is quiet for now.



B Company is not fast enough, and the scratch paratrooper company, composed of glider-troopers and various other company-less Fallschirmjager, catches up with them while they are still in column formation. The entire company is assaulted and is quickly forced to surrender. The rest of the Regiment gives chase, moving up their guns and support weapons as well. Partisans try to harass the LLSR artillery assets, but are driven off easily by the disciplined paratroopers.



5th Brigade forms a defensive line while 4th Brigade fully disengages from the Prison Valley engagement and heads west. Unfortunately, one of the Greek infantry units seems to get lost during the march, and ends the rest of the battle dispersed in the hills. (Random Event: Greek Rout)



More GJR 100 troops land on the strip, and the ones that landed earlier head south: they don't have any heavy equipment yet, but considering the lack of infantry that the LLSR, the sight of the Mountain troops is welcome.



Night finally descends. The fighting of the second has proved decisive for the Germans, and with more and more infantry coming in to the only airfield that they have managed to secure, the capture of Crete is within their grasp. The 5th New Zealand Brigade has suffered extremely heavy casualties, and are now caught between the vice of the newly-reinforced Germans: they will have to fight to get out of this predicament.