Footsteps of WWII · Malta & Crete
Maleme German War Cemetery and Hill 107, Crete
Cemetery · 20–22 May 1941
The story
Hill 107 overlooks Maleme airfield, the key objective of the German airborne invasion of Crete. On 20 May 1941 German glider and parachute troops attacked the airfield and the hill, held by the New Zealand 22nd Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Andrew. Out of contact with two of his companies and refused reinforcements by Brigadier Hargest, Andrew withdrew from the hill that night. On 21 May the Germans took the airfield and Ju 52 transports began flying in the 5th Mountain Division. The Allied counter-attack on the night of 21/22 May started late and failed in daylight. This decided the battle. The German cemetery on the hilltop was consecrated on 6 October 1974.
What to look for
Terraced graves with flat stones and small groups of crosses on the hilltop. From the edge you look straight down onto the old Maleme airfield runway and along the coast towards Chania, the ground the 22nd Battalion held. Small visitor building with information.
Plan your visit
Free. Greek war-tourism portal lists it as always accessible and wheelchair-accessible, but the Volksbund page gives no hours, so check before you go. About 17 km west of Chania, signposted from the coast road at Maleme.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
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