The Grand Alliance (56 page)

Our Joint Intelligence Committee in London made an appreciation on April 28 of the scale and character of the hostile design against Crete in which they expressed their belief that simultaneous airborne and seaborne attack was imminent. They thought that the enemy could gather in the Balkans for all purposes 315 long-range bombers, 60 twin-The Grand Alliance

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engine fighters, 240 dive-bombers, and 270 single-engine fighters; that he might drop 3000 to 4000 parachutists or airborne troops in the first sortie, and that he might make two or three sorties per day from Greece and three or four from Rhodes, all with fighter escort. There would be heavy bombing attacks prior to the arrival of the airborne and seaborne troops, and no lack of troops or shipping for the seaborne attack.

This was immediately telegraphed to the Cairo headquarters, and I emphasised it the same day by a personal message to General Wavell.

Prime

Minister

to

28 April 41

General Wavell

It seems clear from our information that a heavy
airborne attack by German troops and bombers will
soon be made on Crete. Let me know what forces you
have in the island and what your plans are. It ought to
be a fine opportunity for killing the parachute troops.

The island must be stubbornly defended.

Although General Wavell did not at first wholly accept our view that Crete was the target, and thought that the Germans might be deliberately letting rumours circulate to cover their real plans, he acted at once with his customary energy and mobility and flew to the island. His answers show the situation.

General Wavell to

29 April 41

Prime Minister and C.

O.S.

Crete was warned of possibility of airborne attack on
April 18. Besides original permanent garrison of three
infantry battalions, two heavy A.A. batteries, three light
A.A. batteries, and coast defence artillery, Crete now
contains at least 30,000 personnel evacuated from
Greece. These are being organised for the defence of
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the vital places on the island: Suda Bay, Canea,
Retimo, and Heraklion. Morale reported good. Arms
mainly rifles, with low proportion light machine guns. In
addition certain units of Greek recruits have been
organised for defence of aerodromes and [guarding]

prisoners of war.

2. The Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation is
due to reach the island during first fortnight in May.

3. Propose visiting Crete tomorrow, and will report
on return.

4. It is just possible that plan for attack on Crete may
be cover for attack on Syria or Cyprus, and that real
plan will only be disclosed even to [their] own troops at
last moment. This would be consistent with German
practice.

I had suggested to the C.I.G.S. that General Freyberg should be placed in command of Crete, and he proposed this to Wavell, who had immediately agreed. Bernard Freyberg and I had been friends for many years. When as a young volunteer from New Zealand in the First World War he had made his way through many difficulties to England, he had an introduction to me, and met me one day in the Admiralty in September, 1914, and asked for a commission.

I was at that time forming the Royal Naval Division, and I soon made the necessary recommendations. In a few days he became a sub-lieutenant in the “Hood” Battalion. Here is no place to describe the long succession of glorious deeds of valour by which he rose in four years of front-line war to the command of a brigade, and in the crisis of the German summer offensive of 1918 was placed in command of all the troops, amounting almost to a corps, which held the gap in front of Bailleul. The Victoria Cross and the D.S.O. with two bars marked his unsurpassed service.

Freyberg, like his only equal, Carton de Wiart, deserved the title with which I acclaimed them of “Salamander.” Both thrived in the fire, and were literally shot to pieces without The Grand Alliance

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being affected physically or in spirit. One day in the nineteen-twenties, when I was staying at a country house with Bernard Freyberg, I asked him to show me his wounds. He stripped himself, and I counted twenty-seven separate scars and gashes. To these he was to add in the Second World War another three. But of course, as he explained, “You nearly always get two wounds for every bullet or splinter, because mostly they have to go out as well as go in.” At the outset of the new war no man was more fitted to command the New Zealand Division, for which he was eagerly chosen. In September, 1940, I had toyed with the idea of giving him a far greater scope. Now at length this decisive personal command had come to him.

Freyberg is so made that he will fight for King and Country with an unconquerable heart anywhere he is ordered, and with whatever forces he is given by superior authorities, and he imparts his own invincible firmness of mind to all around him.

At home we did our utmost to help our hard-pressed commanders and troops.

Prime

Minister

to

1 May 41

Admiral Cunningham

We are making extreme exertions to reinforce you
from the air. It has been decided to repeat as soon as
possible and on a much larger scale the recent operations [for air reinforcement]. Ark Royal, Argus, Furious,
and Victorious will all be used to carry up to 140 additional Hurricanes, as well as 18 Fulmars, with pilots. We
hope that 64 Hurricanes and 9 Fulmars will arrive in
Middle East by May 25. Meanwhile, 25 fighter pilots
leave May 23 for Takoradi to hasten ferrying of Hurricanes and Tomahawks. Capacity of route to Egypt via
Takoradi freed by above use of carriers will be employed to increase the flow of Tomahawks and Hurricanes. Greatest possible shipment of Blenheims will be

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made at the same time. I may have more to signal
about bomber reinforcements later.

2. I also congratulate you upon the brilliant and
highly successful manner in which the Navy have once
again succoured the Army and brought off four-fifths of
the entire force.

3. It is now necessary to fight hard for Crete, which
seems soon to be attacked heavily, and [also] for Malta
as a base for flotilla action against the enemy’s communications with Libya. Constantly improving attitude of
United States and their naval cooperation justifies risks
involved. Your plans for “Tiger” are excellent and give
good chances.

4. But above all we look to you to cut off seaborne
supplies from the Cyrenaican ports and to beat them up
to the utmost. It causes grief here whenever we learn of
the arrival of precious aviation spirit in one ship after
another. This great battle for Egypt is what the Duke of
Wellington called “a close-run thing,” but if we can
reinforce you and Wavell as proposed by Operations

“Tiger” and “Jaguar” [air reinforcements], and you can
cut off the tap of inflow, our immense armies in the
Middle East will soon resume their ascendancy. All
good wishes.

Freyberg and Wavell were under no illusions.

General Freyberg to

1 May 41

General Wavell

Forces at my disposal are totally inadequate to meet
attack envisaged. Unless fighter aircraft are greatly
increased and naval forces made available to deal with
seaborne attack, I cannot hope to hold out with land
forces alone, which as result of campaign in Greece are
now devoid of any artillery, have insufficient tools for
digging, very little transport, and inadequate war
reserves of equipment and ammunition. Force here can
and will fight, but without full support from Navy and air
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force cannot hope to repel invasion. If for other reasons
these cannot be made available at once, urge that
question of holding Crete should be reconsidered. I feel
that under terms of my charter it is my duty to inform
New Zealand Government of situation in which greater
part of my division is now placed.

He also informed his own Government:
1 May 41

Feel it is my duty to report military situation in Crete.

Decision taken in London that Crete must be held at all
costs. Have received appreciation scale of attack from
War Office. In my opinion Crete can only be held with
full support from Navy and air force. There is no evidence of naval forces capable of guaranteeing us
against seaborne invasion, and air forces in island
consist of six Hurricanes and seventeen obsolete
aircraft. Troops can and will fight, but as result of
campaign in Greece are devoid of any artillery and
have insufficient tools for digging, little transport, and
inadequate war reserves of equipment and ammunition.

Would strongly represent to your Government grave
situation in which bulk of New Zealand Division is
placed, and recommend you bring pressure to bear on
highest plane in London either to supply us with sufficient means to defend island or to review decision
Crete must be held. I have, of course, made my official
representation on this matter to C.-in-C. Middle East.

General Wavell to C.I.

2 May 41

G.S.

Defence of Crete will present difficult problem for all
three services, mainly on account of enemy air superiority. Ports and aerodromes, being in north of island,
involve greater exposure of aircraft and shipping. Only
good road in island (and that none too good) runs east
and west along north coast, and also exposed.

2. There are no good roads north and south or
harbours on south coast, though with time it may be
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possible to develop them. There is a great shortage of
transport in island.

3. Food for civil population will have to be imported
in considerable quantities. If towns heavily bombed and
we are unable to provide fighter protection we may be
faced with political problem.

4. To garrison island effectively at least three
brigade groups required and considerable number of A.

A. units. Present garrison three British Regular battalions, six New Zealand battalions, one Australian
battalion, and two composite battalions of details
evacuated from Greece. Those from Greece are weak
in numbers and equipment. There is no artillery. Scale
of A.A. defence inadequate, but is being reinforced.

5. As regards air force, there are at present no
modern aircraft in island.

6. Greek troops at present are mostly untrained and
unarmed.

7. Difficulties are being dealt with, and will be
overcome if we get time, but air defence will always be
difficult problem.

The Government of New Zealand were not unnaturally anxious about their division. I explained the position to them and to Mr. Fraser, their Prime Minister, who had just arrived in Cairo on his journey to England.

Prime

Minister

to

3 May 41

Prime Minister of New

Zealand

I am very glad that the exigencies of evacuation
should have carried the New Zealand Division, after its
brilliant fighting in Greece, in such good order to Crete.

Naturally, every effort will be made to re-equip them,
and in particular artillery, in which General Wavell is
already strong, is being sent. The successful defence of
Crete is one of the most important factors in the
defence of Egypt. I am very glad that General Wavell
has accepted my suggestion to put Freyberg in com-The Grand Alliance