On May 20th, the German attack on Crete began with heavy bombing by Luftwaffe aircraft, followed by transport aircraft Junkers Ju 52 and gliders flooding the Chania-Maleme area and starting to carry out partial paratrooper drops and glider landings. The defenders in the Greek-British units fired at the Ju 52 aircraft with anti-aircraft guns, while other defenders struck the paratroopers in the air and on the ground with whatever means they had.
After intense battles, the Germans took control of Hill 107, a crucial strategic point, enabling them to easily oversee the wider area of the airport. As a result, the New Zealanders who assisted the Cretans in fighting the Germans abandoned the island, which affected the Battle of Crete, since the Germans could now use the airport at will.
The next day, only a few German planes landed near Maleme to transport military weapons and ammunition, while the paratroopers, with their aerial raid, managed to prevail, despite their losses, in the attack area. Subsequently, units of the 5th Mountain Division began landing at the airport.
The Germans, having now dominated the area, provided reinforcements and supplies to the occupation forces and overcame a counterattack to recapture the Maleme airport and Hill 107 during the night of May 23/24, significantly consolidating their control over the region.
On May 27th, the operation to evacuate the troops from Crete began and was completed on May 31st. The soldiers who remained on the island either surrendered to the Germans or took refuge in mountainous areas, aiming to escape to the Middle East. Thus, the occupation of the island was gradually completed with a total number of losses amounting to 18,000 men for the Commonwealth forces and even more for the Greeks.
