Crete's command disruption before the German assault

Was Freyberg given a bad hand at Crete, and how much blame does he deserve?

He inherited a difficult situation, but replacing the established local commander disrupted the defence; retaining that command and improving island transport would have helped.

Bernard Freyberg received a poor situation, but he should not have displaced the Royal Marines major general already responsible for the island in this assessment. The existing commander knew the terrain and had developed a defensive plan. Bringing in a new group of army officers above him fractured authority and left local knowledge confined to a smaller sector. The resulting command structure struggled because the people with overall power had only just arrived. The follow-on comment about a narrow-gauge railway reinforces that command and mobility problems combined: Crete needed a way to shift forces and supplies around the island as well as a coherent headquarters.