Razing of Kandanos
The Razing of Kandanos (Greek: Καταστροφή της Καντάνου) refers to the complete destruction of the village of Kandanos in Western Crete (Greece) and the killing of about 180 of its inhabitants on 3 June 1941 by German occupying forces during World War II.[1][2]
It was ordered by
Background
Local resistance
The Battle of Crete began on 20 May 1941 with a large-scale airborne invasion planned to capture the island's strategic locations. Kandanos is located on the road from
On the following day, the locals gathered in larger numbers and set an ambush for the advancing German troops of the 5th Gebirgsdivision (elements of the 55 motorcycle Battalion and the 95 anti-tank Battalion[3]), at Kandanos' gorge.[4][5]
Despite their strong resistance on 24 and 25 May and their limited casualties, the locals were vastly outnumbered and were thus eventually forced to retreat into the mountains, letting the Germans advance towards Paleochora.[6][7]
The repercussions of the resistance
During the Battle of Crete, the invading German forces had suffered heavy losses. Furthermore, the unprecedented resistance from the local population exasperated their
Such stories proved to be false later on, as more careful investigations could identify only a few cases of mutilation all over Crete, most of which had been inflicted after death.[6] Nevertheless, as a result of the above allegations and seeking to set an example, right after the surrender of Crete on 31 May, temporary commander General Kurt Student issued an order for launching a wave of brutal reprisals against the local population. The reprisals were to be carried out rapidly by the same units who had been confronted by the locals, omitting formalities.[6]
The razing
On 3 June 1941, a day after executing several civilians in Kondomari, German troops from the III Battalion of the 1st Air Landing Assault Regiment (most probably led by Oberleutnant Horst Trebes) reached Kandanos, following Student's order for reprisals. The Germans killed about 180 residents and slaughtered all livestock; all houses were torched and razed.[8]
Nearby villages such as Floria and Kakopetro met a similar fate. After its destruction, Kandanos was declared a 'dead zone' and its remaining population was forbidden to return to the village and rebuild it. Finally, inscriptions in German and Greek were erected on each entry of the village. One read: Here stood Kandanos, destroyed in retribution for the murder of 25 German soldiers, never to be rebuilt again.[9]
Aftermath
A memorial to the fallen soldiers of the 95 Battalion was erected by the 5. Gebirgs Division near Floria after the surrender of Crete.
After the surrender of Germany, General
Today, Kandanos has been rebuilt and is the seat of the
See also
- Viannos massacres
- Razing of Anogeia
- Oradour-sur-Glane massacre
- Lidice massacre
- War crimes of the Wehrmacht
References
- ISBN 0029196256.
- ISBN 0805083219.
- ^ Official History of New Zealand in the 2nd World War 1939–45. Crete – The fifth day: 24 May
- ISBN 1742230148.
- ^ Η μάχη στο φαράγγι της Καντάνου, Χανιώτικα Νέα onLine, 11 Ιουνίου 2008
- ^ a b c Beevor, Antony. Crete: The Battle and the Resistance, John Murray Ltd, 1991. Penguin Books, 1992.
- ISBN 0-275-95277-0.
- ISBN 1-86227-236-0.
- ISBN 978-1632861948.
- ISBN 978-1-84176-844-1.
- ^ Philip Chrysopoulos. "Crete Remembers the Razing of Kandanos by the Nazis on June 3, 1941". Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
External links
- Κάνδανος. 3 Ιουνίου 1941 Archived 2014-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, greekholocausts.gr. Archived copy
- Kandanos from historic.de (in German – translate)
- Floria monument from historic.de (in German – translate)