Guest Michael emrys Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 Originally posted by Sirocco: I'm wondering why 22nd Air-Landing Division went to Ploesti while 5th Mountain Division went to Crete. Was it more suited to the terrain, more elite, or..? I'm going to step out onto some thin ice here, but... AIR, the 5th. was part of the Greek garrison and so was already in the neighborhood when Student convinced Hitler to do the Crete thing, whereas the 22nd. was already earmarked for Barbarossa. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Babra Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 The assault troops on Crete for Operation Mercury consisted of the Luftlande-Sturmregiment (Generalmajor Meindl); the 7. Flieger-Division (Generalleutnant Süssmann), and the 5. Gebirgs-Division (Generalmajor Ringel), which had been bought in to replace the 22. Infanterie-Division which could not be transferred in time from Romania, where it guarded the Ploesti oil fields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirocco Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 Originally posted by Forever Babra: the 5. Gebirgs-Division (Generalmajor Ringel), which had been bought in to replace the 22. Infanterie-Division which could not be transferred in time from Romania, where it guarded the Ploesti oil fields. That makes sense. When I read an account of the operation that was just mentioned in passing by the author, without going into detail as to why it happened. I suppose it shows the enthusiasm for airborne operations that an air-landing division was basically tied down on garrison duty. ------------------ "He belongs to a race which has coloured the map red, and all he wants are the green fields of England..." - Joe Illingworth, Yorkshire Post War Correspondent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Babra Posted February 26, 2001 Share Posted February 26, 2001 Well, Mercury was put together on very short notice. There were no transport planes available to lift the 22nd from Romania to Greece, since they were already marshalling for the attack on Crete. It's no good wearing out hundreds of aircraft before you need them for an assault. With Barbarossa only a month away, the rather flimsy rail net in the area was probably maxed out moving the divisions involved in the local conquest either home for refit or to their jump-off positions in the east, as well as carrying supplies and munitions to the forward areas for the coming storm in Russia. If it was practical to have brought in the 22nd in time for Mercury, they would have done it, I'm sure. [This message has been edited by Forever Babra (edited 02-25-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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