www.tinyurl.com/hmsfiji www.tinyurl.com/hmsfijiassociation _____________________________________________________________________________ \\\\\___H.M.S. FIJI ASSOCIATION___\"-._ /////~~~ we will remember them ~~~/.-' _____________________________________________________________________________ Order of Battle - The Battles for Crete - 14 May - 1 June 1941 _____________________________________________________________________________ 14 May - 1 June 1941 Contributed by Dan Muir 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 evacation of the island. 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 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 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 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 Hasty 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 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 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 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. 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 ____________________________________________________________________________ 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 Naval Forces Force D Rear Admiral I. G. Glennie CL Dido (F) CL Orion CL Ajax DD Janus DD Kimberley DD Hasty DD Hereward 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 * Sunk - Damaged (F) Denotes a Flagship ____________________________________________________________________________ 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 - Name of H.M.S. Griffin commanding officer supplied by J.A.J. Dennis (ex-First Lieutenant H.M.S. 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 in January 1940. _____________________________________________________________________________ FROM: http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Mediterranean/OOB_WWII_Crete.htm _____________________________________________________________________________ Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html Doctrine of International Copyright Law ____________________________________________________________________________