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The German war cemetery at 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 at 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 Swedish Bofors gun outside the cemetery.
Outside the cemetery lies a cafe that also serves as a small war museum. Among other things, there is a Swedish Bofors gun. 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 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 here » If you want to become absorbed in the subject, there is an excellent book about Crete during the World War II, the book is called Crete: The Battle and the Resistance, written by Antony Beevor (who also wrote the books "Berlin: the Downfall 1945" and "Stalingrad"). I highly recommend the book.
The German war cemetery at Maleme west of Chania.
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