Footsteps of WWII · Malta & Crete
Galatas, Crete: the battle for the village
Battlefield · 20–25 May 1941
The story
Galatas, a hill village south-west of Chania, anchored the line held by Colonel Howard Kippenberger's 10th Brigade and later by 4th New Zealand Brigade. On 25 May 1941 German mountain and parachute troops attacked after heavy bombing. A covering force on Pink Hill held out until overrun, and Brigadier Inglis threw in 23rd Battalion and improvised troops, including bandsmen and the Kiwi Concert Party. The Germans entered Galatas. That evening Kippenberger sent two companies of 23rd Battalion and the remnants of 18th Battalion in behind two light tanks of 3rd Hussars under Lieutenant Roy Farran. They charged into the square and drove the Germans out, but were too weak to stay and withdrew that night.
What to look for
The village square where the bayonet charge ended, the Allied memorial on the edge of the village and views to Pink Hill and the former 'Prison Valley' to the south. A small local museum covers the battle. Annual commemorations are held here each May.
Plan your visit
Free to walk the village. A small Battle of Galatas museum is nearby but its opening hours could not be confirmed; check locally before you go. Galatas is about 6 km south-west of Chania.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
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