In January 1941 , Student was named commanding general of the '' XI . Fliegerkorps '' , the newly formed command for the expanding German airborne forces . In this capacity , Student directed Operation Mercury ( '' Unternehmen Merkur '' ) , the airborne invasion of the island of Crete in May 1941 . Crete was taken , but the high casualties caused Hitler to forbid future airborne operations . Acting as the temporary commander of the island , immediately after the surrender of Crete on 31 May 1941 , on Göring 's order Student issued an order for a launching of a wave of brutal reprisals against the local population with the Massacre of Kondomari and the Razing of Kandanos being typical examples . His actual order read : In 1943 , Student ordered Major Harald Mors to plan Operation Oak ( '' Unternehmen Eiche '' ) , the successful raid conducted by a special '' Fallschirmjäger '' unit to free Italian dictator Benito Mussolini . They landed with gliders and STOL aircraft on a hilltop . Student received the Oak Leaves to the Knight 's Cross of the Iron Cross for his role in the operation
Massacre of Kondomari
Massacre of Kondomari
Kurt Student