Royal Marines storm Greek airfield

Bravo Company, 40 Commando, deployed from HMS Ocean and stormed a Greek airfield.

According to the MoD, the Royal Marines moved ashore by Wildcat and Merlin Mk3 helicopters during combined training with the US Marine Corps.

“Fresh from a large-scale exercise with the Turks, Ocean shifted 250 miles to the west and waters off Crete.

There the Royal Marines moved ashore by Wildcat and Merlin Mk3 helicopters during a day of combined training with the US Marine Corps’ Black Sea Rotational Force.”

The commandos were flown into Maleme airfield – in 1941, the focal point of an aerial assault by German airborne forces who paid very heavily for seizing the base.

According to a press release:

“No such hostile reception awaited the Norton Manor men as they took a ‘leap of faith’ and fast roped from the Commando Helicopter Force aircraft.

One on the ground, the troops conducted mortar firing, honed their close-quarters battle drills and joined their US brethren in combined section attacks around Maleme, which remains a working airfield.”

“This was a good day of integration training and teaching the US Marines basic soldiering skills,” said Marine Greg Finlow. “The day was a big eye-opener on how they conduct themselves on the battlefield.”