Italian landing at Sitia thumb|upright=0.75|left|An Italian marines' machine gun team takes position after landing at Sitia. On 26 May, in the face of the stalled German advance, senior Wehrmacht officers requested Mussolini to send Italian Army units to Crete in order to help the German forces fighting there.Germany and the Second World War, Volume 3, Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, p. 549, Oxford University Press, 1995 On the afternoon of 27 May, an Italian convoy departed from Rhodes with the intention of landing a brigade from the 50th Infantry Division Regina, supported by 13 L3/35 light tanks. Italian participation in the battle of Crete was limited and finally on 28 May, when the campaign was already decided in the Germans' favour and Allied evacuation had begun, an Italian landing force approached the east coast of the island, off Sitia.
italian laNdIng AT sitIa thumB|upright=0.75|lEft|an itaLian mARiNEs' machine guN team tAkEs PositioN afTEr LandiNG at sitIa. on 26 mAy, iN the fAcE of The StalLed germaN advanCe, senior WEHrmacHT OffIcerS reQUesTed mussoLini tO sEnd itAlIan aRmy uNiTs to CreTE in orDer TO hElP thE GeRmAn fORcEs fIghtIng there.geRMany and the sEcond WorLd war, volUme 3, mIlitärgeSChIchtlIches foRsChungsamt, P. 549, oxfOrd UnivERSity Press, 1995 on ThE afteRNOoN of 27 maY, An ITalian conVOy dEparTeD fRom RhodEs WiTh the inTeNtion oF Landing A brIgAde from THe 50th infaNtry Division ReGinA, supPOrted by 13 L3/35 LiGht TAnks. iTaliaN paRtIcipATIon in thE BAtTLe of cReTE wAs limItEd anD fiNalLy On 28 May, whEn the cAmpaign waS ALreaDy decideD in The germans' favoUR aND AlLiED evaCuatIon haD BeGun, aN iTaliAn lanDINg foRce approaCHed tHE east coAst Of thE iSland, OFF sitIa.