[viking4570]

This is a large scale map of Crete, with surrounding areas to encompass Axis air bases, including Scarpanto. I tried to make this map of Crete as accurate as I could within my abilities. On balance, I don't like flying great distances over blue water - so although all land masses are 1:1 scale and geographically accurate you'll note that Crete has been moved north, Scarpanto a bit west. Things are still far enough away for my taste to get a sense of scale, and it does include the sea areas where the Luftwaffe engaged the Royal Navy. Airfields are in correct locations with runway orientations as near to accurate as I could find, although the Santorini airfield is fictional.

Included are 27 custom textures with tree and BumpH files where appropriate.

Also included are a complete set of QMB+ missions, some loosely based on events from the battle. See the readme included with the missions for details including installation instructions.

VERSION 1.3
I've prepared an update for the Crete map -

v1.3 contains:

refined BumpH and tree files, a updated map_T which eliminates some texture anomalies, and best of all, indexed ed maps and texture files for faster load times and reduced HD space.

You can get v1.3 here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?d4iyzidqjw5

This download is half the size of the original.


Historical note:

As many if not all of you know, the Battle of Crete was a pretty lopsided affair in the air. On Crete, the Allies had around two dozen aircraft in May 1941, and maybe half were operational. They did try to send a few more into Iraklion after the Germans invaded, but it was too little too late. The only available carrier, the Formidable, had been badly damaged in the evacuation from Greece. It still did manage to launch a weak airstrike against the Scarpanto airfield, achieving total surprise. Otherwise, it was the Luftwaffe, all the time, pounding the RN. In the end the RN lost three cruisers and six destroyers. Many more ships, including two battleships and a cruiser, were badly damaged. Countless transports, freighters and other small craft were destroyed.

So why make the map? Well, If you're a ground pounder, there are plenty of historical missions available to you, on land and sea. This map cries out for a Stuka campaign. Likewise, just making the Formidable fully operational, not too far a historical stretch, opens up many more possibilities. I felt that such a historically significant air force operation warranted a large scale map, as never before or since has a navy with total superiority on the waves and sea room to maneuver been so completely and utterly defeated by air power alone. I don't believe the Germans had so much as a single destroyer operational during the battle, and, other than a few torpedo boats, the Italian Fleet refused to join the fight.

But mostly I made the map because my father's family is from Crete, and it is the only WWII battlefield I have seen and likely will ever spend any significant time upon. I've stood amidst the graves of the Fallschirmj