Historical Background:
The target of the 1.Fallschirmjäger Regiment, reinforced by the 2nd battalion of the 2.Fs Rgt, was to capture the city of Heraklion and its airfield. The 3rd battalion and the 2/2.Fs Rgt were dropped west of Heraklion while the 1st battalion was dropped near the airfield and the 2nd battalion in the Gournes area some kilometers in the east. The dropping of the regiment was in the afternoon with the second wave in scattered way and the German paratroopers were at once under the fire of the Scottish regiment "Black Watch" (14th Infantry Brigade), the 2/4 Australian Battalion and two battalions of the Hellenic army. In the east area, the 1st battalion suffered heavy losses (two companies dropped on the airfield were fully destroyed) before its reinforcement by the 2nd battalion coming from the Gournes area. In the mountains, some Cretan partisans were fighting against isolated paratroopers. At the end of the day, the target of the regiment was not acquired, Heraklion airfield stayed inaccessible.
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.

Briefing:
Axis player [Germany] : 5 command cards, you move first.
Allied player [United Kingdom/Greece] : 5 command cards.

Conditions of Victory:
6 medals. Heraklion airfield is a temporary medal objective for the Axis player.

Special Rules:
- All Axis units are paratroopers, use "Specialized Units" rules (Troop 2). Badges are not required.
- Use "BCF Command" rules (Nation 5) for the British troops only.
- Use "French Resistance" rules (Nation 1) for the two partisan units.
- Use "Fordable Streams" rules (Terrain 61) for the Kairatos river.
- Use "Blitz" rules (Action 15).
- Use "Paradrop" rules (Action 20). During the 1st turn of the Axis player, three infantry units are dropped on the battle star hexagon in the left section and four infantry units are dropped on the battle star hexagon in the central section. If one unit falls in an hexagon occupied by a friendly unit, place this unit in an free adjacent hex.
- Kampfgruppe : During the war, the German officers had the ability to mix some different units and isolated soldiers to form a "Kampfgruppe". In this scenario, once only, two Axis units which suffered some losses could mix and form a single unit if the number of figures doesn't exceed four (i e : 1+1, 2+1, 2+2, 3+1). The disbanding of one unit doesn't count for an Allied medal.
- Axis reinforcement : From the second turn, the Axis player can take in three infantry units on the hexagon "entrée" near Gournes by the activation of an appropriate command card. It symbolizes the arrival on foot of the battalion "Walther" landed far away in the east.
- "Air Power" card is not allowed to the Allied player. Discard it and take another.
- "Barrage" card is not allowed to the Axis player. Discard it and take another.

Scenario Bibliography:
- "La Crète, tombeau des paras allemands" - Jean Mabire.
- Magazine Troupes d'élite - Le dernier saut des paras du Reich.
- 39/45 Magazine hors-série n°3 - Opération Merkur, les paras allemands sautent sur la Crète.

Warning:
Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.