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The German war cemetery in Maleme |
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The tourist resort of Maleme lies about 16 kilometres west of Chania. It was at the airfield in Maleme that the Battle of Crete began on May 20, 1941 when the Germans landed thousands of soldiers with parachutes.
The German war cemetery in Maleme west of Chania.
Hill 107 near the airfield played an important role in the battle and today this is the setting for the German war cemetery. It is a very beautiful and peaceful place, beautiful even though it is a cemetery. 4,465 German soldiers are buried here, most were young boys when they died.
The German war cemetery at Maleme west of Chania.
The airport in Maleme where the Battle of Crete began on May 20, 1941. |
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Some of the aircraft that survived the war.
This is what the tombstones look like in the German cemetery in Maleme.
This is what the tombstones look like in the Allied cemetery in Souda. |
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Outside the cemetery lies a cafe that also serves as a small war museum. Among other things, there is a Swedish Bofors cannon. A Minoan tomb, discovered as late as in 1966, is located near the German war cemetery. It's not much to see, so you can skip it.
The cafe and museum outside the German cemetery.
The Swedish Bofors cannon outside the German cemetery.
The Minoan tomb near the German cemetery in Maleme. |
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The Greeks were buried in cemeteries in their hometowns. There are also two other "Allied Cemeteries," one on Leros and one in Rhodes. The Allies have their own cemetery located near Souda east of Chania.
Read about the Allied war cemetery in Souda here » |
