Caiques: Smile When You Say That...

Every account of the Battle of Crete describes the Germans assembling a fleet of caiques for the seaborne arm of their invasion. The word "caique" comes via French from the Turkish qayik for boat. It seems to mean any small craft of the Eastern Mediterranean, but for our purposes refers to assorted motorized sailboats. The craft in the movie The Guns of Navarone comes to mind. In the unlikely event that, at your next cocktail party, you get trapped into a verbal discussion of small craft of the Aegean, we feel you should be prepared.

The word is pronounced: kah-EEK

So resist the temptation to say "cake" and really impress your friends. Maybe.

The city of Khania is pronounced: kahn- YAH in its Europa spelling. When it is spelled the way you see it in most English language histories, Canea, its pronunciation changes to the way it looks: cah-NEE-ah.

Airdrop on Crete: May, 1941 Scenario

The Invasion of Crete
Orders of Battle: Axis and Allies
Detailed Naval OOB
Smile: Pronounciation Guide
Europa as History: Step by Step Invasion
Improving the Crete Scenario