on crete, puttick was promoted to temporary major general and, following freyberg's appointment as the commander of creforce, took over responsibility for the 2nd new zealand division. during the battle of crete his failure to pressure james hargest, one of his brigade commanders, to make a counterattack to support the defenders of maleme airfield resulted in its eventual loss to the germans. with reinforcements and supplies landed at the airfield the germans were able to consolidate the tenuous gains made in the opening days of the invasion. any meaningful chance of the allies successfully preventing the capture of the island was lost and the survivors of creforce were eventually evacuated to egypt.