Order of Battle

The Battle for Crete

14 May - 1 June 1941

                  A listing of the major antagonists assets deployed during the seaborne actions at the  The Battle for Crete  

This section is based upon material created by Dan Muir.

* Ship sunk
‡ Ship damaged

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ROYAL NAVY

Admiral Sir Andrew B. Cunningham (C in C Mediterranean)

The following is a listing of the ships used by the Royal Navy to defend Crete from invasion and during the eventual evacuation of the island.

BATTLESHIPS
BB Queen Elizabeth Captain C. B. Berry
BB Warspite ‡ Captain D. B. Fisher
BB Barham‡ Captain G. C. Cooke
BB Valiant‡ Captain C. E. Morgan

AIRCRAFT CARRIER
CV Formidable Rear Admiral (Air) D. W. Boyd Captain A. W. LaT. Bisset
No. 803 Squadron - 6 Fulmars Lt. K. M. Bruen
No. 806 Squadron - 6 Fulmars Lt. Commander C. L. G. Evans
No. 826 Squadron - 6 Albacores Lt. Commander W. H. G. Saunt
No. 829 Squadron - 4 Albacores Lt. W. B. Whitworth

CRUISERS
CL Gloucester* Captain H. A. Rowley
CL Fiji* Captain P. B. R. W. William-Powlett
CL Orion‡ Captain G. R. B. Back
CL Ajax‡ Captain E. D. B. McCarthy
CL Perth, RAN‡ Captain Sir P. W. Bowyer-Smith
CL Dido‡ Captain H. W. V. McCall
CL Naiad‡ Captain M. H. A. Kelsey
CL Phoebe Captain G. Grantham
CL Calcutta* Captain D. M. Lees
CL Carlisle‡ Captain T. C. Hampton
CL Coventry Captain W. P. Carne
CM Abdiel Captain Hon. E. Pleydell-Bouverie

10th DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD Vampire, RAN Commander J. A. Walsh
DD Vendetta, RAN Lt. Commander R. Rhoades
DD Voyager, RAN Commander J. C. Morrow
DD Waterhen, RAN Lt. Commander J. H. Swain
DD Stuart, RAN (F) Captain H. M. L. Waller
DD Decoy Commander E. G. McGregor
DD Defender Lt. Commander G. L. Farnfield
(F) Denotes Flagship

14th DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD Greyhound* Commander W. R. Marshall-A’Deane
DD Griffin Lt. Commander J. Lee-Barber (see Note #1)
2nd Destroyer Flotilla
DD Lt. Commander L. R. K. Tyrwhitt
DD Hereward* Lt. W. J. Munn
DD Havock‡ Lt. G. R. G. Watkins
DD Hotspur Lt. Commander P. F. Brown
DD Hero Commander H. W. Biggs
DD Ilex* (F) Captain H. ST. L. Nicholson
DD Isis Commander C. S. B. Swinley
DD Imperial* Lt. Commander C. A. De W. Kitcat
(F) Denotes Flagship

14th DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD Nubian‡ Commander R. W. Ravenhill
DD Jervis (F) Captain P. J. Mack
DD Janus Commander J. A. W. Tothill
DD Jaguar Lt. Commander J. F. W. Hine
DD Juno* Comander ST. J. R. J. Tyrwhitt
DD Kandahar Commander W. G. A. Robson
DD Kimberley Lt. Commander J. S. M. Richardson
DD Kingston‡ Lt. Commander P. Sommerville

5th DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD Kelly* (F) Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten
DD Jackal Lt. Commander M. P. Jonas
DD Kelvin‡ Commander J. H. Alison
DD Kashmir Commander H. A. King
DD Kipling Commander A. StClair-Ford

7th DESTROYER FLOTILLA
DD Napier‡ (F) Captain S. H. T. Arliss
DD Nizam‡ Lt. Commander M. J. Clark
SS Rorqual Commander R. H. Dewhurst
Sloop Grimsby Commander K. J. D’Arcy
Sloop Auckland Commander J. G. Hewitt
Sloop Flamingo Commander J. H. Huntley
Corv. Salvia Lt. Commander J. I. Miller
LSL Glenroy Captain Sir James Paget, Bart
LSL Glengyle Captain C. H. Petrie
MS Widnes* Lt. Commander R. B. Chandler
MS Derby Lt. F. C. V. Brightham
PC KOS 21 Lt. Commander I. H. Wilson
PC KOS 22* Lt. H. D. Foxon
PC KOS 23* Lt. Commander J. J. Reid
PC Syvern Lt. Commander R. E. Clarke
PC Moonstone Lt. Commander P. G. Britten
PC Lanner Skipper W. Stewart
M ML1011* Lt. A. H. Blake
M ML1030* Lt. W. M. O. Cooksey
M ML1032 Lt. E. N. Rose
(F) Denotes a Flagship

10th MTB FLOTILLA
MTB 67*
MTB 213* Lt. G. L. Cotten
MTB 314*
MTB 216* Lt. C. L. Coles
MTB 217*

ROYAL AIR FORCE
Fighters based on Crete

Air Marshall Sir Arthur Longmore

24 Hurricanes, Gladiators, Fulmars

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ITALIAN NAVY

Warships used for the invasion of Crete

TB Lupo‡ Commander Francesco Minabelli
TB Saggitario Lt. Guiseppe Cigala Fulgosi
SS Tricheco
SS Uarsciek
SS Fisalia
SS Topazio
SS Adua
SS Dessie
SS Malachite
SS Squalo
SS Smeraldo
SS Sirens
SS Nereide

ITALIAN AIR FORCE

50th Italian Bomb Group
? Cant Z.1007bis

Several other Italian air units were involved but listed references do not denote units or numbers of particular aircraft types used.

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GERMAN AIR FORCE 

General Alexander Lohr (commander of German air assault)

Fliegerkorps X

? He-111 Bombers
40-50 Ju-87 Dive Bombers

Fliegerkorps XI

? Ju-52 Transports - General Kurt Student (Airborne troop commander)

Fliegerkorps VIII

280 Ju-88 (LG-1), He-111(KG-26), Do-17 (KG-2) Bombers
I/LG1 commander Captain Cuno Hoffmann
II/LG1 commander Captain Kollewe
KG2 commander Colonel Rieckhoff
90 Me-110 (ZG-26), Me-109 (JG-77) Fighters (note: Me-109’s fitted w/bomb racks)
III/JG77 commander Major v Winterfeldt
150 Ju-87 (StG2) Dive Bombers
I/StG2 commander Captain Hitschhold
II/StG2 commander Major Ennerccerus
III/StG2 commander Captain Heinrich Brucker
StG2 commander Lt.-Colonel Dinort

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The following is a listing ships used during the surface battles fought between the Royal Navy & Italian Navy during the Battle for Crete.

DESTRUCTION OF THE LUPO CONVOY

21-22 May 1941

ITALIAN NAVAL FORCES

TB Lupo
1st Caique Squadron - Lt. Oesterlin (German)
20 small coastal vessels carrying 2,331 troops - reportedly at least half (10) were sunk

ROYAL NAVY FORCES

Force D Rear Admiral I. G. Glennie

CL Dido (F)
CL Orion
CL Ajax
DD Janus
DD Kimberley
DD Hasty
DD Hereward
(F) Denotes Flagship

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ATTACK ON THE SAGITTARIO CONVOY

22 May 1941

ITALIAN NAVAL FORCES

TB Sagittario
2nd Caique Squadron
at least (30) small coastal vessels w/4000 troops - only 2 vessels are lost

ROYAL NAVAL FORCES

Force C - Rear Admiral E. L. S. King

CL Naiad (F)
CL Perth
CL Calcutta
CL Carlisle
DD Kandahar
DD Kingston
DD Nubian
(F) Denotes Flagship

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Sources:

1. The Battles for Crete by S. W. C. Pack
2. Sea Battles in Close-Up, World War 2; Vol. 2 by E. Grove
3. The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943 by J. Greene & A. Massignani
4. The Italian Navy in World War II by M. A. Bragadin
5. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945 by J. Rohwer & G. Hummelchen

Note #1 (Dan Muir) - Name of HMS Griffin commanding officer supplied by J.A.J. Dennis (ex-First Lieutenant HMS Griffin). The CO's name is incorrectly shown as Lt. Kenneth R. C. Letts in several reference books. According to Mr. Dennis, Lt. Letts was never CO and was invalided off the Griffin