Designer Notes

Introduction

Map

The playing surface consisted of four tables, representing the following areas: Maleme; Galatas-Suda Bay; Retimo; and, Heraklion. Each table was 9'x6' except for Galatas-Suda Bay, which was 12'x6'. I settled on a ground scale of 1 cm = 50 yards because of the large area represented (approximately 175 square miles!). Refer to the Tactical Maps section for plans of the table layouts.

Figures & Basing

Approximately 2,000 miniatures were used to represent both the forces historically engaged on Crete and those that could have reasonably made an appearance. Crete is a footslogger's battle and a Panzer-pusher's nightmare, as only a handful of vehicles and guns are available to the Allies; the Germans had no vehicles but a small number of 10cm mortars, 75mm recoilless rifles, 20mm Flak guns, 75mm infantry guns and a few 37mm anti-tank guns. A Panzer company is available as a seaborne reinforcement but, as historically, the Germans shouldn't hold their breath in anticipation of its safe arrival. Finally, no Crete game is complete without a unit of mechanically unreliable Matilda IIs.

I used the basing scheme and base size recommended by Command Decision III. Combined with the ground scale, this had the effect of increasing a unit's frontage by a factor of 2-3. The effect seemed reasonable because, historically, the defenders were very dispersed and platoons were responsible for covering company frontages. The paradropping Germans would be similarly dispersed. Since most artillery batteries in the battle consisted of only 2-3 tubes, I deviated from the plan and dispensed with double stands, mounting artillery crews the same as their comrades.

Special Rules

I introduced several rules which I hoped would reflect the unique nature of the battle:

Air Interdiction

The Luftwaffe enjoyed complete air superiority over Crete throughout the battle. Prowling German fighters almost totally suppressed Allied movement by daylight. If we used standard CDIII mechanisms to resolve air attacks, the game would quickly degenerate into an endless series of strafing runs, so a simplification was in order.

I introduced a new interdiction-type air mission, cleverly named "Interdiction." The Germans had available a number of Bf-109s and Me-110s which they could place at any point on the board at the END of the command phase. The movement rate of any Allied unit within a 20cm radius of an interdictor was halved for the turn. Halving is cumulative for successive interdictors, e.g., two aircraft would halve movement, then halve it again, etc. A unit required to fall back through an interdicted area in the open as a result of combat or morale checks suffers an extra hit.

Air-to-Ground Attack Restrictions

In contrast to its considerable success in squelching Allied movement, the Luftwaffe was seldom able to execute successful attacks on point targets with Stukas or Me-110s because of the difficulty in distinguishing friendly from enemy ground forces and unreliable wireless communications. The target ID dilemma was exacerbated by the fact that New Zealand troops often marked their positions with German air ID panels taken from captured drop cannisters. But how can you have a WWII game on this scale without Stuka attacks? You can't! So I gave the Germans two Stukas per sector for Direct Support. A spotting command stand, however, had only a 10% chance to successfully call in a mission.

Cretan Irregulars

The 5th Cretan division had been surrounded and captured during the fighting on the mainland in April, 1941. Thus, the only Greek forces available on Crete were several ill-armed and untried regular army regiments, local gendarmes and militia in some of the larger towns, partisan bands trained and often officered by the British, the cadets of an officers training academy and the civilian population, bereft of males of military age. The latter, it was assumed by the German high command, would rise up and welcome the Germans as liberators because of Cretan hatred for the Metaxas regime in Greece.

This simplistic analysis on the part of German intelligence ignored the historical Cretan tradition of resistance to foreign invasion. German self-deception would come home to roost as soon as the first wave of Merkur hit the ground in Maleme sector. Civilians, including women and children, some armed with pistols and shotguns and some with only farm implements and clubs, fell upon the encumbered Fallschirmjä with a fury. The later discovery of butchered and maimed paratroopers would contribute in large part to the vicious reprisals the Cretan populace would be subject to under German occupation.

Meanwhile, the better-armed and led partisan bands roamed the countryside, especially at night, and were a severe menace to small, isolated groups of Germans. In one instance, the sudden appearance and energetic attack of a group of partisans and civilians routed a German unit in the Galatas sector.

Operational Movement and Naval Warfare

Night Actions

Campaign Options