#281 - Invasion of Crete - Mini-AAR (solo)

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This solo 8 turn AAR is from WOTSF scenario #281 - Invasion of Crete, here is the description:

Crete, May 20th 1941: In the desert, Tobruk was surrounded and Rommel stood on the Egyptian frontier facing the British, who, a few days previously, had halted Operation Brevity to relieve Tobruk. Operation Seelowe, the invasion of Britain, had been cancelled and all eyes were now looking east. Six weeks had passed since the Germans had invaded Yugoslavia and Greece to bail out their Italian partners. Now their attention was focused on the Soviet Union, where Hitler had massed his army on the Russian border for Operation Barbarossa. Thus, in the big picture, Crete was a small sideshow where the Allies clung by their fingernails to southern Europe, the Germans having far greater issues pressuring them. It was at this time, the Germans, at the pinnacle of their airborne power, decided to invade Crete using Generalmajor Kurt Student's crack force of Fallschirmjäger. There were several plans proposed, ranging from one major Drop Zone, to others where troops would arrive scattered in 7 locations. The final plan for "Operation Merkur", or "Mercury", represented a compromise imposed by Reichsmarshall Goering, calling for a morning assault in the Maleme\Canea sector, followed up with two afternoon drops in the vicinity of Rethymnon and Heraklion. Designer Note: To investigate alternative Axis Drop Zones, see scenario # 219.

Turn 1 - 1941/05/20

At start:


Note the Germans have a lot of air power and I attacked all the hexes I wanted to assault (primarly Heraklion and Retimo).

Landing the 7th Fallschirmjäger's:


Securing Retimo and Heraklion:


Total losses from the Air Assault:

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Turn 2 - 1941/05/22

Positions at turn start (also showing the Optional Rules I am using):


End of turn 2 with losses:

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Turn 3 - 1941/05/24

Positions at turn start:
I should not have moved out of Retimo, the Allies recaptured it!


End of turn 3 with losses:

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Turn 4 - 1941/05/26

Positions at turn start:


End of turn 4 with losses:

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On turn 4 captured Chania (15 VP)! Now to strike on both Kastelli and build up for Retimo (both those FS are Isolated).

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Turn 5 - 1941/05/28

Positions at turn start:


Nice attack!


End of turn 5 with losses:

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Errata....I had some reinforcements arrive.

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Turn 6 - 1941/05/30

Positions at turn start: Note: I bombed the highlighted hex out of existence.


End of turn 6 with losses:

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Turn 7 - 1941/06/1

Positions at turn start: Note: All VP have been captured


End of turn 7 with losses:

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Turn 8 - 1941/06/3

I believe this is the last turn.

Positions at turn start:


End of turn 8 with losses:


Victory Minor!


Thanks for reading.