Kreta 41
A Disaster for Fallschirmjaegers...
Kreta 41 - small map in JPG format (101 kB)
Kreta 41 - large map in JPG format (606 kB)
| game no. | scenario | played as | outcome (-3 to +3) |
balance (-3 to +3) |
scenario rating (1-10) |
game rating (enjoyment) (1-10) |
| 1 | Kreta 41 | German | sig.def.(-2) | -2 British +2 |
2 | 4 |
For full explanation of table columns - see TOAW HQ home page.
Kreta 41 - prelude
This is perhaps the worst of all scenarios that came with the original game. Pity to start off this site with such a dog - but that's how it is, and I decided to put every game I played on this site, regardless of the outcome or quality of the scenario and/or game in question.
Germans have no chance at all here, against even half-witted British player. Now, see, I'm not one of those players obsessed with "historic" outcomes and such, but scenario in which the historic outcome is not only hard to get, but almost completely impossible - simply sucks! This, of course, does not imply that my opponnent didn't deserve to win. He did. He simply played routinely and won.
I knew how unrealistically and unhistorically hard this scenario is for Germans, and had they knew the same in '41. - they would have cancelled whole operation as suicide :o) Anyway, it was my first PBEM game and I wanted to play a quick scenario to try how things work in PBEM - this one is among the shortest - 8 turns. Now, learn from experience - if you wish to play a quick one, don't choose Kreta 41…
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German initial plan
The battle itself had (only) two distinct phases - initial paradrops, and slow and bloody advance from Maleme to the east. Knowing how weak Germans are, my initial plan was:
1.) To drop all FJs (Fallschirmjaegers - German paratroopers) near Maleme, the most important objective on the island and source for future reinforcements
2.) To capture Maleme airfield as soon as possible…
3.) …and to try, with massed forces made of FJs and 5. Gebirgs that arrives as reinforcements after capturing Maleme airfield, to advance to the east, capturing, hopefully, all the objectives up to Suda Bay, and maybe Suda Bay itself, and thus gaining (I hoped) a draw, or, with Suda Bay, maybe even a marginal victory.
Additionally, a small detachment of FJs was to be dropped west of Maleme, around Kissamos to capture this minor objective and to guard west side of my main forces atacking in eastern direction in Maleme area from possible surprise from west. All the other objectives I wrote off from the start.
Airforce is to be used extensively as combat support to my forces, throughout whole scenario, and up to a point of same air units supporting multiple attacks in the same turn. I had total air superiority, enemy had no air units, so this part of the battle was one sided.
1. phase
Initial phase went as planned, and Maleme and Maleme airfield were captured in turn two. My opponent didn't make any notable effort to hold Maleme, but was reinforcing his defences on other points of the island, probably expecting paradrops (that never came).
Detachment around Kissamos was having problems with strong Greek irregulars, but it was nothing I didn't count on.
Since all the objectives on the eastern part of the island (Heraklion, Retimo...) were written off by me, Italian and German air units from Rhodes were moved to Greek mainland in the very first turn. Yes, this could have signalised to my opponent that there would be no paradrops on the eastern part of the island, but I didn't care that much. His units on the eastern part were so far away, that he probably wouldn't move them anyway, even if I promise him in writing not to attack them :o)
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Later during phase 1, in turn 3, I dropped some FJs in enemy back (see picture above), east of Suda Bay. Purpose of this was threefolds: to try to capture Suda Bay by surprise, to distract and confuse my opponent, and maybe later on to link up those forces, and my main forces coming (hopefully, but it wasn't to be) from Maleme. This decision proved to be a mistake on my part, but read on...
On the extreme west of the island, my forces finally captured Kissamos, defended fiercely by Greek irregulars, around turns 3 and 4.
2. phase
In turn four German 5. Gebirgs (mountain) division started arriving on Maleme airfield, as planned, but in this scenario I had only 4 turns left to try to capture my objectives!
By now, British player realised that there will be no other paradrops, and that main German effort will be in the Maleme area, and to the east, and acted accordingly. Meaning - he moved some of the Retimo forces to the west, to destroy my unfortunate detachment of FJs, dropped in turn 3 (That was a clear mistake by me, but of a minor nature.)
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In the main area of the map, east of Maleme, Commonwealth-Greek forces were so strong, so numerous, and so well fortified, that German advance to the east, with rate of roughly one hex per turn, was stopped in turns 6-7, and they haven't even reached Galatas! By now, the miserable outcome of the campaign was clear to me, but I tried, with utmost, almost suicidal effort, to capture at least Galatas and Canea. Campaign lasted two turns more than expected - 10 turns in all - but I was unable to make any significant progress. I captured Galatas (5 points objective), but not Canea (20 points).
Final outcome was significant defeat for Germans, with captured objectives of Maleme, Kissamos and Galatas: 40 points for German against 105 for Commonwealth player. Losses: Germans 36, Commonwealth-Greek 32. Total result: -69, significant defeat.
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Analysis/Commentary
I don't mind losing, but this scenario sucks. It's so bad I don't know how it found its way into a game. Has anybody playtested this scenario before including it in a game box? No way any German High Command would have authorised such suicide action, as one depicted in this scenario. Even with all of the forces massed on small area around Maleme I had no chances of winning or getting a draw (against, it has to be said, experienced opponent) - so you can imagine what carnage would it be had I tried to capture all of the heavily guarded objectives with dispersed forces!
Can this scenario be "saved", and made playable at all? Scenario should have been longer (16 turns at least), to give Germans some chance of rest and maybe trying different strategies, if stuck with present one. With only 8 half-day turns, and actually 4 turns (2 days!!) with "full" forces (after 5. Gebirgs starts to arrive) - you don't have much options. German forces should have been given much higher proficiency levels than British. Greek irregulars should have been a lot weaker. Some Greek irregular units are among the strongest in the scenario, especially on defense! Putting a single Greek irregular "regiment" anywhere, and fortifying it, effectively stops any German advance in that direction, which is absurdly ahistorical.
Also - something must be wrong with the way 5. Gebirgs is modelled here. From all the accounts of the actual battle I read, the arrival of the 5. Gebirgs at Maleme airfield (historically - amidst the turmoil, and under direct fire from British) was key event in the whole campaign. British-Greek defenders stood no chance after it, and the battle was all but decided. Not so here... 5. Gebirgs is not only too weak to make a difference, but also arrives over few turns period, and has no time to do something really important (let alone capture such far objectives as, say, Heraklion or Retimo).
With proposed changes - maybe the scenario would be saved, but as it is… it sucks. It's unplayable. It's senseless. It's stupid. It's alogical, ahistorical and anti-historical. It doesn't belong to such a great game TOAW is.
Of course - I lost, and I deserved to lose. My opponent played very well. Congratulations to him :o)) I don't want to take anything from him with this ranting and I want it to be perfectly clear! He won, I lost.
As for the analysis of performance - I don't see any important mistakes I made (other than actually starting this operation, but it was Hitler's idea, not mine! :o)). Neither do I see significant mistakes on part of my opponent.
To be perfectly honest - I may admit making one mistake, but of the tactical nature, and not really important for the final outcome of the campaign. Dropping a detachment of paratroops east of Suda Bay was obviously wrong, as they couldn't be used as fighting force, and were trying to save their very lives for the rest of the scenario. Problem is - I don't quite see where those paratroops could have been used better in military sense.
Maybe my opponent could have been a bit more agressive in the second phase of the game, when my forces were tired. By counter attacking more agressivelly he could have caused some evaporations of my units, but at the end it didn't really matter. I doubt he could have retaken Maleme, and without it - final outcome will be the same - significant victory (for British).
Photos of Fallschirmjaegers on Crete and
"Kreta" armband taken from
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/4602/
All sorts of feedback are welcome. oleg@bug.hr
Copyright 1998-1999 Oleg Mastruko. Contents of Oleg's TOAW HQ may not be copied, reproduced, printed or published on the web or paper or wherever without my prior consent.