BRITISH LOSSES IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23323, 8 May 1941, Page 9

BRITISH LOSSES IN GREECE

“NOT IN EXCESS OF 11,500 ” STATEMENT BY LEADER OF HOUSE OF LORDS (8.0. W.) RUGBY, May 6. Lord Moyne, Leader of the House of Itards, said in the debate in the House of Lords on the war situation, that before the Imperial forces left Gfeece they had inflicted on the Germans losses much heavier than they had suffered at German hands, while in Africa General Wavell’s forces had taken 200,000 prisoners and had inflicted casualties totalling 380,000 on the Italians and their African levies. An advance into Egypt by the enemy would be more difficult than appeared from looking at a map. This had been proved by the garrison at Tobruk, which was a painful thorn in the enemy’s side. Lord Moyne revealed that the total loss of Imperial forces in Greece did not exceed 11,500 men, of which a large proportion were those cut off in re-embarkation. A greater quantity of war material had already arrived in the Red Sea than that which had been lost in Greece. ■ Condemning the intrigues of the present Iraqi administration, Lord Moyne said that the great majority of the Iraqi people had not forgotten that it was Britain who freed them, while the Italians had made no secret of their wish to dominate' all Mohammedan countries. With the help of the United States, supplies to the Middle East would be greatly increased. Especially was this necessary now that the Axis Powers were concentrating on the Middle East so much. Lord Galway said: "I can inform the House that rumours of a lack of consenting opinion regarding the Greek expedition between the New Zealand and British Governments are entirely without foundation.” Lord Galway assured the House that the New Zealand Government had been kept informed of everything required for the prosecution of the war and he said the British were proud of the action of the New Zealand troops in the Balkans campaign. The House of Lords has passed a vote of confidence in the Government. The vote in the House of Commons will not be taken till the end of the second day of the debate to-morrow. DESTRUCTION IN GREECE HAVOC WROUGHT BY AIR RAIDS NAVAL UNITS JOIN ALLIED FLEET LONDON, May 6. Terrible destruction was wrought in Greece by German air attacks. The Luftwaffe bombed Greek cities and ports absolutely indiscriminately and converted towns and villages into smoking heaps of wreckage. Women, children and aged people were ma-chine-gunned. The hospitals at Janina were destroyed, burying the patients, doctors, and nurses under the debris. More than 1000 civilians were killed at Larissa, where the German Air Force completed the work of the Italians and the earthquake. Two thousand out of a population of 18,000 were killed at Trlkkala which was razed. Lamia suffered similarly and many other towns and ports were bombed without the least discrimination, causing a heavy loss of life. All five Greek hospital ships were sunk, although they were unarmed, carried full lights at night and bore the regulation red cross marking. Survivors struggling in the sea were pitilessly machine-gunned. The sinking of the Hellenis was particularly flagrant because it carried women and children. Few survived. It is revealed that all the Greek submarines have joined the Allied naval forces in the Mediterranean together with seven destroyers and three torpedo boats. Three destroyers, 11 torpedo boats, and 30 or 40 auxiliary craft of the Greek Navy have been lost. SOVIET PRIME MINISTER POST RELINQUISHED BY M. MOLOTOV DUTIES TAKEN OVER BY M. STALIN LONDON, May 6. The Moscow radio announced tonight that at his own request M. Molotov has been relieved of his post as Prime Minister, which has been taken over by M. Stalin. M. Molotov is to carry on as Foreign Minister and will act in future as Vice-Premier, This is the first time M. Stalin has taken any Government post except

membership of the Soviet Parliament. Hitherto he has been content to be the power behind the Kremlin as general secretary of the Communist p ar ty. It was announced that M. Molotov had relinquished his position as Soviet Prime Minister because it conflicted with his duties as Foreign Minister. M Stalin, addressing Red Army graduates at the Kremlin, referred to the “profound changes” in the army Which, in the light of experience of modern warfare, had been reorganised considerably and rearmed. Lord Oort’s Dispatches.—“ The Government hopes to publish about the middle of June the dispatches of General Lord Gort governing the operations of May and Jurie of last year,” said the Secretary of State for War (Captain D. Margesson) in the House of Commons.—Rugby May 6.