Chapter 749： Battle of Crete (5)

Admiral Tsoraglu’s worries were soon ignored. The artillery fleet did not only bombard Heraklion, but Chania and Rethymnon were bombarded.

Instead of waiting for them to guess what the Romanians' intentions are, on the third day, a large number of ships appeared in the open sea. These ships are loaded with the Marine Corps responsible for landing, as well as some landing equipment.

And this scene naturally made him, Admiral Papagos, and Major General White all attracted by this situation. It seems that the Romanian landing is just around the corner. And when the target was the beach on the left side of Heraklion, they planned to use it to land and then seize the port city.

They were correct. A large number of Romanian soldiers descended the rope ladder to the landing boat below. Among them, a ship with a square head and brain is very attractive. This is Romania's new landing craft, and it is also the first professional ship built for landing in Romania.

This ship is specifically responsible for landing, Romania named it HDL type landing craft. The boat has a total length of 13.8 meters, a width of 4.3 meters, and a full load displacement of 28.1 tons. The boat is equipped with two 120-horsepower 6-cylinder diesel engines with dual-shaft propulsion and a range of up to 81 nautical miles at a speed of 7.5 knots.

The boat can carry both soldiers and armored vehicles (an HR10 amphibious tank), which is also specifically required when it was designed.

Such a landing craft was designed and 54 ships were procured by the Navy. And now these landing craft are now all appearing in the Crete waters. They were carried by other ships and released when they were to be used.

When the landing force was preparing, the navy and air forces were also not idle. In addition to the three battleships of the navy’s artillery fleet, six heavy cruisers are now also joining them. Although the 203mm caliber main gun it is equipped with cannot be compared with battleships, it does not damage the defenders at all.

And more importantly, the Greek-British coalition forces did not have many coastal defense fortifications on the island of Crete. Because Romania did not give them much time, from the beginning of the Greek campaign in Romania, only one and a half months. And from the time Athens was captured by it, it was only a month.

How can you build any strong fortifications in a month? They are all hasty civil works. Besides, when the Greek government retreated, it didn't carry much material. Although the treasury brought something from the treasury, there is nowhere to buy it now. As for British transportation, weapons, ammunition, and personnel equipment are naturally the first priority. The building materials are not even enough for the British army in Egypt.

Therefore, the guards of the guard stall are in difficulty. While they endured the attack from the naval guns on the sea, they also endured the blow from the air. In order to cover the smooth progress of the landing operation, the Air Force has prepared 2,000 fighter missions today.

Therefore, these defenders, officers and soldiers, before the enemy landed, they first encountered a double blow.

"boom!"

A violent explosion made a bunker-like fortification vanish.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The defenders on the ground were constantly hit by the sea and the air, and their morale was declining. Although many officers and soldiers hid in the anti-cannon tunnels, many fortifications were destroyed in it.

Although the raid attack made the defenders somewhat unable to lift their heads, the Romanian landing force took a ship to the beach.

"The Romanians are coming."

Following the report from the observation post, the defending soldiers who had been avoiding the attack ran out from various hiding places under the command of the officers and soldiers. They needed to block the Romanian offensive. Fortunately, this is a landing battle, and Romania's dominant armored fighting vehicle cannot be used under this tactic at all.

With the emergence of a large number of defenders, the attack from the air and the sea became more fierce, and even fighters began to fire at low altitudes.

This made the defenders even more uncomfortable. They were helpless in the face of threats from sea and air. The multi-day battle has exhausted its air defense and fighters, and the defending Greek and British troops can only bear it with human lives.

Fortunately, the Romanian army that had landed had already appeared before them. They could shoot them with their weapons, and shoot the anger in their hearts against the incoming Romanian army with their weapons.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

"Da, da, da~"

Facing the Romanian Marines landing by boat, the defensive Greek defenders immediately gave a warm attitude, and the sound of machine guns and artillery reverberated across the beach. From time to time, a landing vessel was hit, turning the entire landing vessel into a Shura field.

"Da, da, da~"

The landing troops on board were not without counterattacks. The 12.7mm machine gun they were equipped with kept counterattacking.

Facing the continuous rain of bullets from both sides, all the officers and soldiers who landed hunched their heads in the ship. The ship's armor plate was beaten and rattled, constantly reminding them of the danger outside.

"Ready to log in!"

Following the command of the captain of the landing craft in the operating direction, all the marines huddled together clenched their weapons.

"Gah~"

As the front door opened, everyone rushed into the waist-deep water. Because everyone knows that only by leaving the landing ship as soon as possible can you get out of this huge dangerous place. The enemy's firepower will never let go of this good opportunity to shoot them.

"what!"

Several soldiers who ran slow were shot by the defending army's machine gun and immediately fell into the landing craft. The blood filled the cabin with blood.

The glass in the captain's observation room was also broken. Fortunately, the captain was quick-sighted and got down for the first time.

Now, regardless of whether there was anyone in the boat, he immediately began to reverse the boat, and the strong horsepower made the landing craft quickly leave this dangerous beach.

The Marine Corps officers and soldiers who disembarked did not care about the departure of the landing craft. They were wading towards the beach. Within this unavoidable distance of only more than ten meters, the Marine Corps officers and soldiers suffered no small blows. Because of the wading, its movements can't be fast at all, so it can withstand the enemy's damage abruptly, and many officers and soldiers fall here.

But somehow let the first wave of Romanian officers and soldiers board the beach. After getting on the beach, the soldiers of the Marine Corps quickly rushed upwards. They are the first to establish a position in the stall, waiting for the arrival of follow-up reinforcements.

The second wave of reinforcements on the side of the fleet came quickly. This reinforcement has changed a lot from the first time. This time, a battalion of HR10 amphibious tanks have been transported and are on their way.

The battle on the beach naturally attracted the attention of the three commanders, and intelligence was sent to them one by one.

"The enemy is attacking the beach, and our division has entered the battlefield to hold on."

"The enemy landed ashore. Our division is suppressing its firepower. The current situation is still in our expectation. The enemy is pressed on the beachhead and is not allowed to advance."

"The enemy's second batch of reinforcements has come up. The enemy has transported dozens of tanks. Now we request the reinforcement of anti-tank weapons!"

Actually, the three commanders can see the situation of the stalls with binoculars without the troops defending the beaches They are located in a small mountain bag called Gurnes outside the city. This is It happens to include the beach.

I saw a new batch of landing ships arrived on the beach. The number of reinforcements in this batch was not too large, but they brought in tanks and vehicles urgently needed by the landing troops. So with the support of the second wave of landing troops, the landing troops launched an attack on the defending troops on the front line.

Defenders lacking anti-armor forces are faltering in the face of this offensive. The only few anti-tank guns in his hand, after destroying several enemy tanks, were immediately destroyed by the opponent's blow.

In the face of this situation, the three commanders would naturally not let it go. They saw the Greek troops of one division heading for reinforcements against the air strikes.

In the face of this reinforcement force, Romania would naturally not allow it to accomplish its goal comfortably. The artillery fire from the navy was immediately transferred to it. With the help of the artillery school, the division lost a lot of money. Faced with the taste of being double-struck by the enemy, the division commander immediately ordered, "All units will be dispersed and reinforcements at the company level."

The previously maintained reinforcements scattered into groups have become more dispersed under his orders, and they are moving to the position to reinforce them.