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Operation Albumen
Operation Albumen was the name of British Commando raids in June 1942 on German airfields in the Axis-occupied Greek island of Crete, to prevent them from being used in support of the Axis forces in the Western Desert Campaign in the Second World War. The operations were carried out with similar raids against Axis airfields at Benghazi, Derna and Barce in Libya and were among the first planned sabotage acts in occupied Europe. Background During the late spring of 1942, the airfields of Crete gained increased importance by becoming the main transit base for the ''Luftwaffe'' to fly supplies to the Axis forces in Egypt in their advance on the Nile Delta. ''Luftwaffe'' aircraft based on Crete flew photo-reconnaissance, bombing and convoy sorties covering the south-east Mediterranean. To disrupt these operations, the British command in Cairo sent three groups from the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and one from the Special Air Service (SAS) to Crete to sabotage the airfields of Hera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of The Mediterranean
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940 to 2 May 1945. For the most part, the campaign was fought between the Kingdom of Italy, Italian Regia Marina, Royal Navy (''Regia Marina''), supported by other Axis Powers, Axis naval and air forces, those of Nazi Germany and Vichy France, and the United Kingdom, British Royal Navy, supported by other Allies of World War II, Allied naval forces, such as those of Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Kingdom of Greece, Greece. American naval and air units joined the Allied side on 8 November 1942. The Vichy French Scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon, scuttled the bulk of their fleet on 27 November 1942, to prevent the Germans seizing it. As part of the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943, most of the Italian Navy became the Italian Co-belligerent Navy, and fought alongside the Allies. Each side had three overall objectives in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Royal Navy formed special forces with several name changes—Special Boat Company was adopted in 1951 and re-designated as the Special Boat Squadron in 1974—until on 28 July 1987 when the unit was renamed as the Special Boat Service after assuming responsibility for maritime counter-terrorism. Most of the operations conducted by the SBS are highly classified, and are rarely commented on by the British government or the Ministry of Defence, owing to their sensitive nature. The Special Boat Service is the naval special forces unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces and is described as the sister unit of the British Army 22 Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS), with both under the operational control of the Director Special Forces. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-596-0367-05A, Flugzeug Me 323 Gigant
The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (, lit. "Federal Archive") are the national archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Claudia Roth since 2021) under the German Chancellery, and before 1998, to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. On 6 December 2008, the Archives donated 100,000 photos to the public, by making them accessible via Wikimedia Commons. History The federal archive for institutions and authorities in Germany, the first precursor to the present-day Federal Archives, was established in Potsdam, Brandenburg in 1919, a later date than in other European countries. This national archive documented German government dating from the founding of the North German Confederation in 1867. It also included material from the older German Confederation and the Imperial Chamber Court. The oldest documents in this collection dated back to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cretan Resistance
The Cretan resistance (, ) was a resistance movement against the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy by the residents of the Greek island of Crete during World War II. Part of the larger Greek resistance, it lasted from 20 May 1941, when the German ''Wehrmacht'' invaded the island in the Battle of Crete, until the spring of 1945 when they surrendered to the British. For the first time during World War II, attacking German forces faced in Crete a substantial resistance from the local population. In the Battle of Crete, Cretan civilians picked off paratroopers or attacked them with knives, axes, scythes, or even bare hands. As a result, many casualties were inflicted upon the invading German paratroopers during the battle. For their resistance to the Germans, the Cretan people paid a heavy toll in the form of reprisals. Development The Cretan resistance movement was formed very soon after the Battle of Crete, with an initial planning meeting on 31 May 1941. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas James Dunbabin
Thomas James Dunbabin DSO (12 April 1911 – 31 March 1955), was an Australian classicist scholar and archaeologist of Tasmanian origin, as well as a renowned WWII soldier in Crete. Early life He was born in Hobart, Tasmania, on 12 April 1911. His father was Thomas Dunbabin (1883–1973), a distinguished journalist and a contributor to ''Walkabout''. He attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School where he won the Cooper Prize and was a school prefect. He shared the Burke Prize for highest general proficiency in his school in 1926 and in that year achieved first class honours in English, Latin and Greek. He studied at the University of Sydney and then moved to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. There, he won the Haigh prize and was eventually appointed Reader in Classical Archaeology and Fellow of All Souls College, specializing in the Greek colonization in Italy.Dunbabin, Thomas J. ''The Western Greeks : the history of Sicily and south Italy from the foundation of the Gre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the Bf 109 formed the backbone of the ''Luftwaffe's'' fighter force during the World War II. It was commonly called the Me 109 by Allied aircrew and some German aces/pilots, even though this was not the official model designation. The Bf 109 was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, who worked at BFW during the early to mid-1930s. It was conceived as an interceptor aircraft, interceptor. However, later models were developed to fulfill multiple tasks, serving as Escort fighter, bomber escort, fighter-bomber, day fighter, day-, night fighter, night-, all-weather fighter, ground-attack aircraft, and aerial reconnaissance aircraft. It was one of the most advanced fighters when the fighter first appeared, being furnished with an all-me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Junkers Ju 86
The Junkers Ju 86 is a monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed and produced by the Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Junkers. It was designed during the mid-1930s in response to a specification for a modern twin-engined aircraft suitable for use as both a high-speed airliner and a bomber. Junkers responded with a low-winged twin-engined all-metal monoplane; unusually, it was intended to be powered by Junkers Jumo 205 diesel engines instead of petrol engines for greater fuel efficiency. It also had a smooth metal skin instead of the company's traditional Corrugated galvanised iron, corrugated exterior. On bomber-configured aircraft, bombs were carried vertically in four fuselage cells behind the cockpit; these bomb cells were replaced by seating for up to ten passengers on the civil airliner version of the Ju 86. On 4 November 1934, the first prototype, powered by Siemens-Halske Sh 22, Siemens SAM 22 radial engines, made its maiden flight; on 4 April 1935, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the conflict. The Ju 88 originated from a ''Reichsluftfahrtministerium'' (RLM) requirement issued in 1934 for a new multipurpose aircraft. Junkers was one of several firms to respond, producing two separate design studies that produced both the Ju 85 and Ju 88. The design work was headed by Junkers' chief designer Ernst Zindel. The Ju 88 was envisioned to function as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would evade interception by enemy fighters of its era by flying at high speed. On 21 December 1936, the first prototype performed its maiden flight. The performance of the third prototype was highly favourable, resulting in the competing Henschel Hs 127 and Messerschmitt Bf 162 bein ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messerschmitt Me 323
The Messerschmitt Me 323 ''Gigant'' ("Giant") was a German military transport aircraft of World War II. It was a powered variant of the Messerschmitt Me 321, Me 321 military glider and was the largest land-based transport aircraft to fly during the war. In total, 213 were made, with 15 being converted from the Me 321. Development The Me 323 was the result of a 1940 German requirement for a large assault glider in preparation for Operation Sea Lion, the projected invasion of Great Britain. The DFS 230 light glider had already proven its worth in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium (the first ever assault by gliderborne troops), and would later be used in the Battle of Crete, invasion of Crete in 1941. However, in order to mount an invasion across the English Channel, the Germans would need to be able to airlift vehicles and other heavy equipment as part of an initial assault wave. Although Operation Sea Lion was cancelled, the requirement for a heavy air transport capabil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. First introduced during 1930 as a civilian airliner, it was adapted into a military transport aircraft by Germany's Nazi regime, who exercised power over the company for its war efforts, over the objections of the company's founder Hugo Junkers. Development of the Ju 52 commenced in the late 1920s, headed by German aeronautical engineer Ernst Zindel. The aircraft's design incorporated a corrugated duralumin metal skin as a strengthening measure, which was a material design pioneered by Junkers and used on many of their aircraft, including the popular Junkers F 13 1920s, the record-setting Junkers W 33, and Junkers W34. The corrugation was both a strength and a weakness; it provided increased structural strength but also increased aerodynamic drag. But more importantly it allowed the practical use of alum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maleme Airport
Maleme Airport () is an airport situated between Maleme and Tavronitis, Crete. It has two runways (13/31 and 03/21) with no lights. The airport has closed for commercial aviation, but the Chania Aeroclub continues to use it. The airport operated until 1959 as the main public airport of Chania. Up until 2012 the Hellenic Air Force made limited use of the facility. Originally known as Maleme Airfield, it was an RAF base in World War II until captured by German parachutists and mountain troops landing there in May 1941 as part of the Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May .... See also * List of airports in Crete References External links Maleme at Battlefield Review Airports in Greece Battle of Crete Buildings and structures in Chania (regiona ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tympaki Airport
Tympaki Airport () is a military airport in Tympaki, Crete, Greece and belongs to the Hellenic Air Force. The 138 Σ.Μ of H.A.F. operates at the airport. The airport also has a TACAN system for the aircraft. There are two runways at the airfield. One of them is now closed, the second, with asphalt pavement and a length of 2713 m, is sometimes used for car racing. Also, home base airport of H.A.T. (Heraklion Airclub Talos) for Gliders KA-7, KA-8 and Ultralight Tucano flights. Tympaki Air Base The airport is home to the 24th Guided Missile Squadron attached to 350th Guided Missile Wing of the Hellenic Air Force and operates MIM-104 Patriot The MIM-104 Patriot is a mobile interceptor missile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives it ... PAC-3 batteries. See also * List of airports in Crete References External linksAirports ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
