 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Kurwisa kwose paKreterakapiwa zita rekuti Operation Mercury uye raidzorwa ne12th Army raitungamirirwa naFeld Marshal Wilhelm List. The German 8th Air Corps yakapa pedyo mhepo rutsigiro; rakanga rakashongedzerwa 570 kurwa ndege. Mauto ehondo aiwanikwa pakurwisa kwacho aiva 7th Air Division yeGermany, neAir-landing Assault Regiment Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment yakabatanidzwa, uye 5th Mountain Division. Vakanga vaine varume 22 000 vakarongwa pasi pe11th Air Corps iyo yaitungamirirwa naLieutenant General Kurt Student uyo akanga ari mukushanda kwekushanda. Ju 52 dzinopfuura 500 dzakaunganidzwa kuti dzivatakure. Mudzidzi akaronga nhevedzano yezvikwata zvina zvema parachute kurwisa zvivakwa zveAllied pamhenderekedzo yekuchamhembe kweKrete ne7th Air Division, iyo yaizobva yasimbiswa ne5th Mountain Division, chikamu chakatakurwa nemhepo, uye chikamu negungwa; iyo yekupedzisira yaizotakurawo yakawanda yemidziyo inorema. 