Venetian troops had held out in Heraklion, then called Candia, for 21 years in the 17th Century; Karl-Lothar Schulz did not intend to allow the Greeks to do the same. Having been repelled twice already, Schulz crafted a new plan, now aided by additional troops from his regiment’s 2nd Battalion. But balancing this accretion of strength, the Greeks had followed his men out of Heraklion and now barred his way back to the capital. Before the city could be attacked, this blocking force would have to be removed.

The morning found a Greek force consisting of regular army, gendarmes and pissed-off civilians advancing westward towards the iron bridge over the Giofyros River in an attempt to overrun Schultz’s headquarters on the other side. They managed to reach the Giofyros but were stopped short of crossing the iron bridge and had to content themselves with digging in on the east bank. While this was going on the German assault force reached Heraklion but could not breach the walls and instead milled about outside, picking off anyone exposing themselves above the parapet.