Nominal strength gives the defenders a large numerical advantage, but many formations are fragments of units without all their equipment. The German airborne force is understrength too and badly exposed during the assault. What matters is whether either side can move, communicate, and concentrate its available strength at the critical point. The order of battle records headcounts, but it does not show usable combat power.
Chapter · 0:34-3:18
Why the order of battle does not explain Crete
Incomplete units, uneven equipment, and losses during the airborne assault make a nominal force list a poor guide to what either side could actually do.