The kidnap of Heinrich Kreipe was a Second World War operation executed jointly by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Cretan resistance. The operation was launched on 6 February 1944, when SOE agent Patrick Leigh Fermor landed in Crete with the intention of abducting notorious war criminal and commander Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller. By the time of the arrival of the remaining abduction team, Müller had been succeeded by General Heinrich Kreipe, who was chosen as the new target.
On the night of 26 April, Kreipe's car was ambushed while en route from his residence to the Divisional H.Q. Kreipe was tied and forced into the back seat while Leigh Fermor and William Stanley Moss impersonated him and his driver respectively. Kreipe's notorious impatience at roadblocks enabled the car to successfully pass 22 checkpoints before being abandoned at the hamlet of Heliana. The abductors continued on foot, evading thousands of Axis soldiers sent to stop them. Covering over 80 miles with the help of guides from the local resistance. On 14 May, the team was picked up by a British motorboat and safely transported to British-held Egypt.
The abduction of General Heinrich Kreipe was a triumph for the British Special Operations Executive. From mountain tops to golden sandy beaches, are you tough enough to follow in their footsteps?
