The Battle of Crete 1941-1945
On May 20, 1941 one of the most preposterous episodes from World War II started. It would continue however until 1945.
A tremendous battle of preservation of life was fought for by many Allied Powers, consisting of among others New Zealanders, British, Australian and not to forget the Cretan resistance, the so called Partisans.
This battle, especially against the Partisans, has caused the Germans a lot of trouble. Hitler won the Battle of Crete, but due to this victory, he lost the overall war. Due to the rebellious behavior of the Partisans in particular, he was only able to attack Russia 5 month after planning. What happened there, we all know.
The story of the Battle of Crete is such a historical event that should not be forgotten. Many of the fighters of that time lost their life for justice, freedom and democracy. Share the knowledge we were able to collect. During this tour you will be informed by experts in this field and of course by our tour leader, who knows Crete in and out.
Day 1
After breakfast in the hotel in Heraklion, we will attend a private tour to the Museum for the Battle of Crete and National Resistance in Heraklion. After lunch we travel to Chania. In Chania and especially the area of Souda Bay everything started. On a Sunday morning of May 20, 1941, a total of 8100 German elite parachutists were dropped. 4000 were killed immediately; something the Cretan people had to pay for dearly.
After checking-in in the hotel in Chania, the rest of the day untill dinnertime is at your own disposal.
During dinner an expert will join us in order to give us a lecture about the battle of Crete. This expert will also accompany us the next morning.
Day 2
After breakfast we prepare ourselves for an impressive day. First we go to the Maritime Museum of Chania. Our next stop will be the allied cemetery of Souda Bay. Here a total of 1527 foreign soldiers are buried. Most of these perished in the first days of the Battle of Crete: 862 British, 5 Canadians, 197 Australians, 446 New Zealanders, 9 South Africans and 8 soldiers from other countries.
After lunch we will go to The Allied Battle of Crete Monument in Galatas. In Galatas many New Zealanders were killed. This monument was erected in memory of many that died in this "Hell of Crete". The inscription is as follows: "NEW ZEALAND
IN MEMORY OF THE NEW ZEALAND SERVICEMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM ON CRETE 1941 - 1945".
After this visit we will go to the German cemetery in Malene, 4465 German soldiers are buried here. Following these impressive visits we return to our hotel in Chania. Before our mutual dinner we will visit the monument in honour of the German paratroopers in Chania.
Day 3
After breakfast we will travel from Chania to Ierapetra, the southernmost town in Europe. Arrival in Ierapetra will be around noon. You will have the possibility to explore this nice town with her African influences. The rest of the day is at your own disposal.
Day 4
After breakfast we will visit the battlefields of Kato Simi. Like everywhere on Crete, complete villages were massacred as revenge. Nowadays you can still find villages, which consist mainly of old woman. All men and boys were coolheaded massacred at that time. Also in the vicinities of Kato Simi massive executions have taken place. In Kato Simi (a small villeage) 357 people were executed on one day.
After that we go to Mithi and then we continue our way to Males. Here we stop at an impressive monument of a partisan, resting with his right foot on a German helmet.
After lunch we travel on to Kalamafka and we will return to Ierapetra travelling through an impressive scenery.
We will enjoy our mutual dinner in a traditional tavern, with life music and dance. The traditional ballads and dances are mainly resistance songs. Most of those songs were composed during the Turkish occupation. But also during the Battle of Crete, many of those were sung or danced as a sign of solidarity and resistance. For sure the theme of this tour will be the talk of the day for the local people. In this tavern they would gladly share their experiences of those terrible experiences on Crete with you.
Day 5
After breakfast we will get ready for our return to the hotel in Heraklion. On our way we will make a stop at a cave in Agios Nikolaos. Like so many caves of the island, also this one was intensive used by the partisans. The names of those who died are engraved on the walls.
After our final lunch we pay a visit to the monastery of Selinari. Many monasteries were a refuge for the brave fighters in the Battle of Crete. In the hotel in Heraklion we will say goodbye to each other.
