Galatas: Counter Attack at Galatas

Nick Hewitt, Interpretation Officer, IWM

Church at Galatas

The Galatas Heights form an arc of strategically vital high ground in front of the town of Canea. They run from Red Hill in the north, via Wheat Hill and Pink Hill to Cemetery Hill in the south. The village sits in the centre of the arc. Bisecting the arc is Ruin Ridge and its highest point, Ruin Hill, which dominates the area. Loss of the Heights would mean the inevitable loss of Canea and Suda Bay. The counterattack which took place at Galatas on the 25th of May showed what Commonwealth forces could achieve when they were led by commanders with initiative and determination. If the Battle of Galatas had been repeated across the island the Battle of Crete could have been an entirely different story.

Despite its strategic importance, at the beginning of the battle much of this sector was held by various composite formations of dismounted drivers, gunners and others, predominantly drawn from the New Zealand Division. They included the divisional Petrol Company, Russell Force (named after its commander), and the Composite Battalion. Nevertheless, in conjunction with Cretan forces these units had already delivered a bloody nose to the Germans on 20th May, the first day of the airborne landings, and the 'Petrol Company' in particular had achieved a reputation for dogged defence which belied its name.

On 23rd May strong German forces, both paratroops and elements of the 100th Mountain Regiment, started to form up to the west of Galatas at Signal Hill. Conscious of the low moral of the composite troops, the commander of 10th New Zealand Brigade, Colonel H K Kippenberger, withdrew the Composite Battalion during the night of 23/24th and replaced it with the 18th Battalion New Zealand Infantry.

Unfortunately, during this re-distribution of forces the forces on the key position, Ruin Hill, were withdrawn and not replaced. The Germans were quick to capitalise. Three companies of 1 Battalion 100th Mountain Regiment with a number of heavy mortars occupied Ruin Hill during the 24th, threatening Wheat Hill and Red Hill. A spirited defence by the 18th Battalion prevented a further advance that day but the situation was grim. More German troops moved up in the night and a patrol from the 18th Battalion identified no less than eighteen separate machine gun positions when it went out at 4am.

Throughout the 25th the 18th Battalion came under constant attack from aircraft, mortars and artillery, and German troops were spotted manoeuvring into attack positions throughout the day. The New Zealanders had little with which to retaliate, just a few captured Italian 75mm guns manned by C Troop 2/3 Field Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, and their own mortars which were desperately short of ammunition. At one point Lt Col Gray, the 18th Battalion commander, reported only ten mortar bombs remaining. Finally, late in the afternoon, Colonel Ramcke's paratroops and the 100th Mountain Regiment attacked, striking simultaneously at the 18th Battalion to the west, between Galatas and the sea, and Russell Force and the Petrol Company to the south of the village. They were supported by intensive fire from anti-tank guns, mortars and a number of captured Bofors anti-aircraft guns. Kippenberger deployed his last reserves, two companies from the 20th New Zealand Battalion, which stabilised the situation for a while, but at approximately 4:30, a strong force of Stukas arrived.

At about 6pm the 18th Battalion was overwhelmed. Wheat Hill fell and the two companies to the right and left were forced to withdraw. To the rear the shaky Composite Battalion, although not in the line, broke and fled in panic. Kippenberger ordered a general withdrawal and tried to reform his men in a new line based on the Daratsos Ridge. Scratch formations, including the 10th Brigade band and a concert party, were thrown into the line, which now ran in a triangular shape. The remains of the 18th Battalion were organised along the line of the Daratsos Ridge. The southern flank was defended by the 19th Battalion and Russell Force. The apex of the triangle, Pink Hill, was still held by the Petrol Company.

On the German side, the mountain troops and paratroops were exhausted but Colonel Utz, commander of the 100th Mountain Regiment, knew that the initiative lay with him if his men could summon up the energy for one last push. If he chose to delay, the New Zealanders would have time to recover and regroup. Accordingly, he launched another attack against Russell Force and the Petrol Company with overwhelming force. Pink Hill collapsed and the line disintegrated. German troops poured into Galatas village and Russell Force found itself cut off in the south west corner of the town.

By this stage Kippenberger had received his last reinforcements: two companies from the 23rd Battalion and two Mk VI light tanks of the 3rd Hussars, under Lieutenant Roy Farran. Most of the tanks involved in Crete were obsolete and battle weary, hastily despatched from repair workshops in Egypt, and these were no exception - both machines had already broken down during a previous counterattack on the 22nd. Nevertheless Kippenberger decided that the only way to stabilise the situation was to launch an immediate counterattack and re take the town.

When the tanks arrived Kippenberger sent them straight into the town to reconnoitre. They clattered off along the road. Almost immediately Kippenberger's men heard heavy firing, as the tanks sprayed the buildings on each side of the main street with their machine guns and the Germans returned fire. Farran's second tank was hit by an anti-tank rifle, and its commander and driver were wounded.

Remains of Farran's tank made into side gate

After fifteen minutes the tanks returned and Farran made his report in true 'Boy's Own paper' style: "The place is stiff with Jerries." Kippenberger asked if he would return in support of the infantry. Farran agreed, but asked if replacements could be found for his two injured men. Two New Zealanders, Private Lewis (a machine gunner) and Private Ferry (a driver) volunteered, and were taken off and given ten minutes of instruction. Said Ferry: "This one pipper bloke was a man of action, he gave us many words of instruction and few of encouragement, finishing up in a truly English manner 'of course you seldom come out of one of these things alive'"

In the meantime the two companies of the 23rd were given their orders, which were brief, to the point and very non-regulation: the following was Captain Harvey's order to 'D' Company. "D Company will be attacking on the left of the road and we have two tanks in support, but the whole show is stiff with Huns. It's going to be a bloody show but we've just got to succeed. Sandy you will be on the right, Tex on the left. Now for Christ's sake get cracking."

In the meantime Kippenberger sent a runner to Lt Col Gray of the 18th Battalion, warning him of the counterattack and telling him to join in. Captain Dawson, who accompanied the runner, recorded that Gray "no sooner grasped Kip's message than he fixed his own bayonet, and jumping out of the ditch, cried 'come on 18th boys, into the village.'"

As the light started to fail the attack moved off, slowly at first but gathering pace as it gained momentum. As the force advanced it increased, as stragglers from a variety of formations tuned round and joined in. The tanks surged ahead up the hill into the town, and behind them a group of Maori soldiers from the 28th New Zealand Battalion began a harka war chant, which was taken up by almost everyone. Gray reported that "I shall never forget the deep-throated wild beast noise of the yelling charging men as the 23rd swept up the road."

As the tanks entered Galatas once again there was uproar of gunfire. Farran's tank careered twice around the square firing wildly at the houses before it was hit and disabled by an anti-tank grenade. Farran, badly wounded, managed to escape. According to one account the amateur crew of the second tank panicked at this point and turned round, heading out of the village. The Official History more charitably records that the amateur driver, Private Lewis, simply lost control of his vehicle. Whatever the cause of its withdrawal, the tank encountered the advancing infantry, who encouraged the tank crew to turn round and head back towards the enemy.

The infantry advanced into the village, clearing the houses with grenades and bayonets. As they reached the square they found it was swept by fire from German troops in the houses on the other side. Rather than lose momentum. Lieutenant Thomas's platoon charged across the square, catching the German defenders in the act of forming up for a counter-attack. Thomas reported that "had our charge been delayed even minutes the position could easily have been reversed." Panicked, the Germans turned and fled. Thomas himself led from the front: by the end of the action his torso had been shredded by shrapnel from a hand grenade and he had a bullet wound in his thigh.

The fighting became more confused as Gray and the 18th Battalion survivors reached the square. Gradually, the New Zealanders cleared each building until only one strong point in the south west corner still held out.

By midnight the New Zealanders had retaken Galatas. The line was stabilised, and the New Zealanders had gained a vital breathing space although at a terrible cost - only four subalterns were left standing by the end of the action. Although a follow up was discussed, the idea was rejected. According to the Official History, "10 Brigade no longer existed as a formation" and Creforce HQ was unwilling to release further reserves.

The battle retains significance as a sad reminder of what might have been achieved, if the Commonwealth troops had been given the chance to show what they could really achieve on the day of the airborne landings at Maleme. Galatas had turned the tables, albeit only locally, and the Germans themselves had been fought to exhaustion. One German report stated that "we were fully convinced that this was much more than a local counter-attack; it was a general counter offensive along the whole line which we had been expecting for some days. The appearance of tanks confirmed this view and we were quite sure that the whole battle was turning against us. The men had reached the limits of their endurance. My commanding officer had just been killed. Our morale was very low. We were both amazed and relived that the counter-attack after clearing the town of Galatas advanced no further and that the enemy appeared to be retiring."