WILD CLAIMS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 138, 13 June 1941, Page 7

WILD CLAIMS

GERMANS AND CRETE

Frank Admission Of Material

Shortages

United Tress Association.—Copyright

Rec. 10.30 a.m. LONDON, June 12

A special German communique stater, that about 236 German planes were lost in Crete, 125 Luftwaffe officers and 1228 men killed, 106 officers and 2515 men missing, 117 officers and 1802 men wounded.

It claims that British and Greek losses were about 5000, in addition to 10,000 British and 5000 Greeks taken prisonei*. It is also claimed that Britain lost nearly 600 planes in the battle for Crete, and lost 30 warships between January 1 and May 30, including 23 around Crete. "Crete was captured on Hitler's personal order and proves that nothing is impossible for the German soldier," the communique declares. Must Extend Domination A frank admission of Germany's raw material shortages and of the methods adopted to make them good is made in the German newspaper "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung," says the British Official Wireless. The journal says; "Germany still has

some stocks of raw material. To keep them intact and enlarge them, Germany will be forced to extend her domination and power. It was vital for Germany to bring into her possession European reserves of all kinds, and for this purpose we jumped on Norway, the Low Countries, Brest and Salonika.

"Our ability to continue the war lies not only in the Continental reserves and in the production capacity of Europe, but also in Russia's natural possibilities of supply to us. We are already using our reserves, and must see to it that they are replaced and enlarged."

Regarding the labour situation in Germany, where the shortage of "leaders" has been the subject of comment, the "Deutsche Verwaltung gives illuminating figures of additional labour employed during the war.

It says that 3,200.000 additional workers have entered industry and trade since the war. They consist of 100 000 additionally mobilised male Germans, mainly men ot advanced age and Germans who have returned to the Reich from abroad 1,500,000 foreign labourers 300 000 women workers, soon to be greatly increased; and 1,300,000 prisoners of war who have been, absorbed into the German economic system. A Ivast number of prisoners .of war taken in the Balkan campaign will So mean a great contribution to the labour market.

The "Frankfurter Zeitung" points nut that women ar?®* girls actually constitute the only large German labour reserve which can still mobilised.