Führer Directive 28 meets a different Crete

Führer Directive 28 set the central requirements for Operation Mercury: Luftwaffe airborne forces would lead, the army would supply reinforcements, and the Kriegsmarine would coordinate sea communications with Italy. The 22nd Division was to join the assembly, while lorries, anti-aircraft units, replacement troops, and captured guns were assigned without delaying Operation Barbarossa. The order also expected the airborne force to be released quickly for later tasks. Germany historically won Crete only after wrecking much of its airborne arm. A fortified island with coastal artillery changes the mission into a heavier amphibious undertaking, exposing the tension between taking Crete and preserving resources for the Soviet invasion.