[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 21, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H2806-H2807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE SIXTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE HEROIC BATTLE OF CRETE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I too rise proudly to celebrate the 61st 
anniversary of the Battle of Crete, a World War II event that had a 
profound impact on the ultimate result of the war.
  Amidst the cataclysm that had engulfed the countries of Europe at the 
time, it seems now preposterous that a small island dared to stand up 
to such a powerful enemy. For the benefit of future generations, I will 
share a brief account of these events as they unfolded.
  In early April 1941, Greece was invaded by the German Army rushing to 
the aid of their defeated and humiliated ally, Italy. Following a 
valiant struggle against overwhelmingly superior German forces in and 
among the mountains to the north, Greek forces had been pushed entirely 
off the continent and were forced to take refuge on the Island of 
Crete.
  The German Army then looked across the sea to Crete because of the 
British airfields on the island, which could be used by the allies for 
air strikes against the oil fields of Romania, thereby denying this 
vital war commodity to Hitler's forces. If captured, it would also 
provide air and sea bases from which the Nazis could dominate the 
eastern Mediterranean and launch air attacks against Allied forces in 
northern Africa. In fact, the Nazi high command envisioned the capture 
of Crete to be the first of a series of assaults leading to the Suez 
Canal.
  Finally, as a result of the battle, Hitler's master plan to invade 
Russia before the coming of winter had to be postponed, thus directly 
resulting in the deaths of many of their troops as a consequence of not 
being properly prepared to survive the harsh Russian winter.
  On May 20, 1941, Crete became the theater of the largest German 
airborne operation of the war, code named Operation Mercury. On that 
day, more than 8,000 paratroopers were dropped on the island. They were 
met with ferocious resistance by the Allied troops waiting for them and 
by the Cretan population.
  Cretans fought bravely with whatever was at hand during the invasion. 
Even though the Allied forces had decided not to arm them, old men, 
women and children used whatever makeshift weapons they could find. 
They pointed their rusty guns at the descending German 
paratroopers. They used sticks, sickles and even their bare hands to 
fight those soldiers already on the ground. Most of them were 
illiterate villagers, but their intuition led them to fight with 
courage and bravery. ``Aim for the legs and you will get them in the 
heart'' was the popular motto that summarized their hastily acquired 
battle experience.

  Although a tactical victory for the Germans, the Battle of Crete 
proved to be rather costly to them in terms of casualties and loss of 
aircraft. Of the 8,100 paratroopers involved in this operation, close 
to 4,000 were killed and

[[Page H2807]]

1,600 were wounded. So injured were the German units in fact that they 
never again, never again, attempted an airborne assault of the 
magnitude of that launched at Crete.
  In retaliation for the losses they incurred, the Nazis spread 
punishment, terror and death on the innocent civilians of the island. 
More than 2,000 Cretans were executed during the first month alone, and 
thousands more the following 4 years. Despite these atrocities, the 
people of Crete put up a courageous guerrilla resistance.
  Mr. Speaker, there are historical reasons why we Americans are very 
appreciative of the sacrifices of the Cretan people in defending their 
island during the Battle of Crete. We have a history replete with 
similar heroic events, starting with our popular revolt that led to the 
birth of our Nation more than 2 centuries ago.
  We must always remember that as long as there are people willing to 
sacrifice their lives for the just cause of defending the integrity and 
freedom of their country, there is always hope for a better tomorrow. 
May we take inspiration from the shining example of the people of Crete 
in ensuring that this is indeed the case.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor this evening to 
commemorate the 61st anniversary of one of the most critical battles of 
the World War II--the Battle of Crete. I want to thank Congressman 
Bilirakis, co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, 
for organizing today's recognition of the resilience of the Cretan 
people in May 1941--a resilience that lasted long after the battle 
ended, and played an instrumental role in the downfall of Hitler and 
his Nazi regime.
  In October of 1940, Mussolini's Italy invaded Greece. Shortly 
thereafter, the British rushed to Greece's aid and quickly sent army 
and Royal Air Force units to the island of Crete. With Italian troops 
bogged down in Greece and delaying his brutal campaign of world 
domination, Hitler sent German troops into Greece and directed the Nazi 
war machine take control of Crete.
  On the morning of May 20, 1941 the Nazis began executing Hitler's 
directive and launched an airborne invasion on a scale unprecedented in 
history. The Germans dropped some 20,000 troops on the island by air. 
In addition, the Germans and Italians launched a land invasion, sending 
troops by sea from the Greek, mainland, which had fallen to the Nazis a 
few weeks earlier.
  The ensuing battle put up by the people of Crete and other allied 
forces against the superior Nazi war machine was one of the most 
significant of World War II. And though the Germans won the battle and 
took the island, they did so at the highest possible cost. Karl 
Student, the Nazi General in charge of the invasion, called the battle 
``the fiercest struggle any German formation had ever had to face.'' 
The German High Command would never again attempt an operation of its 
size again, and because of the loss of nearly 6,000 paratroopers, the 
Germans never used the parachute arm of their force again in large 
scale operations.
  The unanticipated heroism and ferocity with which the people of Crete 
fought delayed Hitler's planned invasion of Russia for three months. 
There were heavy losses on both sides. Strengthened by the knowledge 
that they were defending a concept--democracy--that had originated from 
their homeland, Cretan civilians, including women, children and the 
elderly, joined in the battle against the Nazis, wielding pitchforks 
and fashioning homemade weapons. By the Battle's end, the Cretans and 
the Royal Air Force had inflicted so much damage on Hitler's elite 7th 
Air Division that it was rendered useless to the Nazi effort to conquer 
the Middle East.
  The battle, moreover, continued long after the 11 days it took Hitler 
to finally take the Greek Island. The Cretans organized a resistance 
movement, which for the remaining four years of the war zealously 
fought the occupying Nazi force. They suffered horrendously for their 
resistance; the Germans executed thousands of civilians and randomly 
decimated entire towns, villages and communities. They did not, 
however, suffer in vein.
  The resistance the people of Crete mounted against the invasion 
forced the Germans to attempt to invade Russia during the oppressive 
Russian winter--a task that proved to be too much for the Nazis.
  We here in Congress should do our best to ensure Americans never 
forget the role the citizens of Crete played in defeating fascism.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to participate in the remembrance of a 
historical even as important as the Battle of Crete. As the sacrifices 
the Cretans made 55 years ago demonstrate, we are indebted to Greece 
not only for giving the world the system upon which our country was 
founded, but for shedding the blood of their sons and daughters to 
protect that system as well. I strongly encourage all Americans to join 
me in honoring Greek-Americans of Cretan decent, and our friends in 
Greece and Crete, for their contribution to one of the most important 
battles of the 20th Century.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the famed 
Battle of Crete which occurred at the beginning of World War II. I 
would like to thank my colleague from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis for 
helping to keep alive the memory of this important battle.
  Following the Allied loss of Greece, on May 20th, 1941, the Battle of 
Crete began in earnest. German forces were far better equipped than the 
Allied forces left on the island. Described by British Prime Minister 
Winston Churchill as ``A head-on collision with the very spearhead of 
the German lance'' the Battle of Crete displayed the early valiant 
efforts of Allied forces to stem the tide of the Nazi onslaught.
  The majority of the resistance fighters on Crete were natives of the 
island as well as forces from New Zealand, Australian, and British 
forces. Having fallen back from defeat in Greece, many of the soldiers 
came ready to defend the island with little more than small arms.
  As is now known, through the monitoring and decoding of German Enigma 
traffic, the British forces were well aware of the German intentions 
against Crete, and thus how to wreak havoc against the overwhelming 
number of paratroopers. Superior intelligence combated superior force 
numbers and provisions. Initially the Allied defenders had great 
success against the Nazi war machine--delaying the Axis foothold on the 
island.
  Despite the eventual loss of Crete to the Nazis due to the 
overwhelming number of oppressor soldiers and supplies streaming to the 
island, the nearly 4000 killed and missing German paratroopers from the 
assault served as a significant blow to the myth of German 
invincibility. After Crete the German parachute arm was never used 
again in large scale airborne operations.
  Aside from its military importance, the main reason we rise today to 
commemorate the Battle of Crete is to herald the brave stand that the 
many brave fighters from Crete and Allied forces made in the face of 
the Nazi onslaught. Rather than capitulate to Nazi tyrannical will, the 
defenders of Crete fought not only for their land and for their 
liberty, but for the world's freedom as well. Their sacrifice will 
never be forgotten.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to join my colleagues 
today in rendering a salute to the heroic men and women who fought 
tirelessly for the sake of freedom 61 years ago at the Battle of Crete.
  As we come upon this anniversary which marks an incredible turning 
point in what would become the Allied victory of World War II, we are 
once again reminded of the current and unabated commitment of our Greek 
allies to the defense of freedom, especially today as we wage a global 
campaign against terrorism.
  Sixty-one years ago, over a 10 day period, Nazi Germany committed a 
grave error: it underestimated the might and will to resist repression 
amongst the people of this quiet island nestled in the Mediterranean 
waters.
  Lured to Crete by its strategic amidst three continents, the Axis 
Powers believed this island, the temporary station of retreating Allied 
units and home to an unarmed local community, would be an easy victory. 
That was not the case.
  The battle Hitler thought would take a few hours took many days. Nazi 
Germany launched its first and most substantial airborne attack during 
the WWII at Crete.
  The outcome was a disastrous and shameful loss of strength for the 
Germans. Over 4,000 Axis Powers troops died.
  This loss rendered the German airborne division a faint tool in the 
War, never again to be used with the same intensity.
  The great blow suffered by the Germans at Crete prevent the Axis 
Powers ability to penetrate the Middle East, but most importantly 
delayed their invasion of Russia--a determining moment in the 
victorious end of WWII.
  Mr. Speaker, what makes the Battle of Crete such a remarkable moment 
in the history of our modern time, is that it epitomized the resilience 
of people when left with no other choice but to fight against 
repression.
  The people of Crete took on the fight for their homeland. Faced with 
a weak Allied presence and the mounting invasion of the Germans, the 
people of Crete--men and women, farmers, local police, townspeople--
armed with mere pistols pitchforks, hand grenades, knives their bare 
hands created a resistance against the Germans that began the Battle of 
Crete and lasted until the end of German occupation of Crete in 1945.
  Thus, Mr. Speaker, it is with solemn honor and respect that I stand 
here today to render this tribute to a people who fought with every bit 
of might and kept the spirit of freedom alive through their resistance.
  Their unwavering struggle represented to a world engaged in war hope 
in the face of despair and the promise of a more peaceful existence.




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