The regiment's third battery, 129 LAA Bty, went to Crete under Maj W.H. Cain in February 1941, where it was deployed with 11 Bofors guns in 'M Group' in the Suda–Canea Sector under RHQ 52nd (East Lancashire) LAA Rgt. The German invasion of Crete began in May 1941. The bases had been regularly dive-bombed in March and April, and heavy losses had been caused to the ships unloading at Suda Bay until AA guns were concentrated round the harbour. Then the "Luftwaffe" began attacking the AA sites directly: 129 LAA Bty at Suda was attacked all day on 17 May, with Junkers Ju 88s and Messerschmitt Bf 109s trying to knock out individual guns. The prolonged action caused worn out barrels and broken parts, for which there were no spares, and eventually the battery had three of its guns out of action. When the German airborne assault began on 20 May, the AA sites were bombed for 30 minutes and some of the paratroopers were specifically tasked with knocking them out. Although German casualties in men and aircraft were heavy, German troop transports were able to use the captured airfield at Maleme, followed by landings from the sea. By 26 May, after continuous German attack from the air and by airborne troops, the defences round Canea finally collapsed and Suda had to be abandoned. The remaining AA units were ordered to destroy their equipment and move to Sfakia on the south coast. Parties of 129 LAA Bty began a march over the hills under air attack and while waiting for evacuation on the beach at Sfakia lost another 9 killed and 20 wounded to air attack. The Royal Navy evacuated as many as possible to Egypt, but thousands of British and Commonwealth troops were taken prisoner.