Target Switched: Kreipe

While Leigh Fermor was on Crete awaiting the rest of his team, the German command structure changed unexpectedly. Around March 1, 1944, General Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller was replaced as commander of the 22nd Air Landing Division by Major General Heinrich Kreipe. Müller moved to become the overall commander of Fortress Crete in Chania. Upon learning this, Leigh Fermor decided, with SOE Cairo’s approval, to proceed with the abduction, targeting Kreipe instead, believing the capture of any general would achieve the mission’s morale objectives.