In May 1941, German forces invaded the Greek island of Crete. This marks the largest air invasion since the beginning of air warfare and air assaults. Winston Churchill was later quoted as saying, "To lose Crete because we did not have sufficient forces would be a crime." to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 4 June 1940. Death and destruction became the norm for the Axis Power, Allied forces and even civilians during a ten-day battle following an air assault conducted by the Germans. By winning the battle, the Germans managed to force thousands of people to flee to Egypt by sea. Some say that the fall of Crete could have easily been avoided. Although the Germans and Adolf Hitler won the battle, it was a battle that forced them to reevaluate their tactics. Although the Germans made mistakes, the Allied forces had larger deficiencies and mistakes that ultimately led them to lose the battle. History“As a base for the air war against Great Britain in the eastern Mediterranean, we must prepare to occupy the island of Crete. For planning purposes it will be assumed that the whole of mainland Greece, including the Peloponnese, is in the hands of the Axis powers.” This quote is a direct reflection of the growing need and concern for having land to support future operations in the Mediterranean area made by Adolf Hitler in Directive no. 28. By 1941, it had become clear that the Mediterranean area was becoming an extremely decisive area for both sides to influence the future of the Second World War. The Germans understood that the capture of Crete would prevent British forces from hindering the operation in the Balkans which would further influence their attack on the Soviet Union planned for the summer of 194... middle of paper... Works CitedAntill, Peter . Crete 1941: lightning-fast air assault by Germany. Osprey Publishing, 2005 Buckley, Christopher. Greece and Crete 1941. Second World War, 1939-1945; a popular military history. London: HM Stationery Off.Holms, Richard. The Oxford Companion to Military History Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004Spencer, Randolph and Gilbert, Martin. Winston S. Churchill: His Finest Hour, 1939-1941. Houghton Mifflin, 1983. Schreiber, Gerhard; Bernd Stegemann; Detlef Vogel. "Germany and the Second World War: The Mediterranean, Southeastern Europe and North Africa, 1939-1941, Volume III". Oxford University Press, 1995 Führer Directive 28, World War II Database, http://ww2db.com/doc.php?q=326, 2012. “Overview – The Battle for Crete,” URL: http://www. nzhistory. net.nz/war/the-battle-for-crete/overview, (Ministry of Culture and Heritage) updated 20 December-2012