UNDER the piercing eastern Mediterranean sun, sailors from HMS Sutherland salute the fallen of the short – but brutal – struggle for Crete at 70th anniversary commemorations of ‘the lost battle’.
The ten-day struggle for the island was among the most ferocious fought in World War 2 – and claimed a particularly heavy toll of the Royal Navy.
The Mediterranean Fleet was stretched to breaking point in its efforts trying to stop the Germans reinforce their paratroopers landed on Crete using the sea lanes from Greek mainland.
Those efforts by the Royal Navy were largely successful – but the Luftwaffe sank or badly damaged 30 warships at a cost of more than 2,200 lives.
