Sabotage at the Aerodrome

On the night of 9^th-10^th June 1942, the Greek submarine Triton sailed into Cretan coastal waters. Six men disembarked into rubber boats and rowed ashore. The team comprised four Frenchmen (Col. Georges Bergé, NCOs Jack Sibard and Jacques Mouhot, and Private Pierre Léostic), British Captain Lord Jellicoe and Greek Lieutenant Kostis Petrakis. Following an arduous march through the Cretan countryside, the group reached Heraklion aerodrome.

"Lying in a ditch, we accustomed ourselves to the various sounds and shadows coming from the base. A few metres further on, barbed wire stood between us and the aeroplanes. Though it was pitch dark, we could clearly make out the ends of their tails. We could hear footsteps and voices. Bergé whispered: "Don't these guys ever go to sleep?" Our watches showed midnight. It was eleven o' clock German time. "Come on! Off we go!"

(Jack L. Sibard, Mission en Crete, Society of Cretan Historical Studies - in French)

On the night of 13^th-14^th June, the saboteurs entered the aerodrome and used incendiary bombs to destroy approximately 20 Luftwaffe aircraft. Only two of them - Jellicoe and Petrakis - managed to escape. One of the Frenchmen was killed and the other three were arrested. The following day, on 14^th June, the occupation powers executed 50 residents of Heraklion and its environs in reprisal for the sabotage.