WITHDRAWAL TOLL

Evening Star, Issue 23907, 10 June 1941, Page 5

WITHDRAWAL TOLL

THE DAVY'S LOSSES CRUISER AND TWO DESTROYERS LONG DAY VOYAGES UNDER FIRE (British Official Wireless.) (Rcc. noon.) RUGBY, June 0. Tlio .Navy was responsible for_ the successful evacuation of over 17,000 British and Imperial forces from Crete during the recent operations. These operations, which naturally have not been conducted without loss, are well described an an Admiralty communique announcing the loss of the anti-aircraft cruiser Calcutta and the destroyers Hereward and Imperial. The communique says: “ Hereward was last seen heading towards the coast after having been damaged by an enemy air attack. The Italian High Command has announced that 229 survivors from Hereward were landed and were prisoners of war. Imperial had to be sunk by our forces after being damaged by enemy air attack. “ The withdrawal of the troops from Crete had to be carried out from places with inadequate port facilities, which were within easy reach of the enemy forces. The necessity for carrying out the embarkations by night meant that each load of men had to be taken 360 miles to Egypt during the whole 14 hours of daylight. These voyages were carried out in the face of extremely heavy enemy air attack. In the circumstances it is impossible to assess with accuracy the damage inflicted on enemy aircraft by anti-aircraft gunfire, but it is known that many were destroyed arid others damaged. “ Naval aircraft during the operations also shot down four enemy planes and probably destroyed one other and damaged three. “ During the withdrawal from Suda Bay Royal Marines formed the rearguard. These men-, who had been carrying out various duties as well as manning the defences, were hastily formed into an infantry brigade under Majorgeneral C. Weston, of the .Royal Marines. They fought with great gallantry and proved themselves worthy of the highest tradition of the corps. It is known that a number of this brigade had to be left on Crete.”

CRETE REARGUARD ACTION SIR ARCHIBALD WAVELL’S MESSAGE (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.5 a.m. RUGBY, June 9. The following message was sent from General Sir Archibald Wavell to General Weston on the night of May 31;— i‘ You know the heroic effort the Royal Navy has made to rescue yon. I hope you will be able to get away most of those who remain, but this is the last night the Navy can come. Please tell those that have to be left that the fight .put up'against snch odds has won. the admiration of ns all, and that every effort to bring them back is being made.- General Frey berg has told me how magnificently your marines have fought, and of your own grand work. I have also heard of the heroic fight of the young Greek soldiers. I send you all my grateful thanks.” IMPORTANCE OF OIL NAZIS FEELING THE PINCH (Rec. 11.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Juno 9. The United Press correspondent quotes one of the navy’s highest rankers as saying he believed the war’s outcome would bo determined by oil supplies. He said recent developments indicated that the Luftwaffe was feeling the pinch of dwindling oil. The Nazi machine is expected to make a supreme effort to grab the rich Iran and Iraq oilfields.

The naval officer believed that the United States Atlantic patrol, plus the transfer of more tankers to Britain, would gain for Britain an overwhelming share of the world’s oil.

ARRIVAL IN BRITAIN FRENCH PILOTS STEAL NAZI PLANE LONDON, June 9. Two Frenchmen landed in Britain in a German plane stolen from the commander of an enemy airfield in North France. German anti-aircraft guns on the French coast fired on them but missed, and they escaped British antiaircraft defences, by flying low and displaying a large white flag from the plane. PETROL IN AUSTRALIA FURTHER RESTRICTIONS IMMINENT SYDNEY, June 9. Federal Ministers to-day strongly hinted that further petrol restrictions were imminent throughout Australia. Senator M'Bride, Minister of Supply, declared that patrol stocks had fallen considerably since December, in spite of rationing. He appealed to private car owners to use their cars sparingly and make greater use of public transport facilities. FIRE SERVICE COUNCIL NEW ORGANISATION IN BRITAIN (British Official*Wireless.) (Rec. 12.50 p.m.) RUGBY, June 9. Britain’s fire-fighting organisation is to be reconstituted and centralised under a new Ministry of Home Security scheme. A fire service council is to be set up of which Mr Herbert Morrison will be chairman. Commander A. N. G. Firebrace, chief officer of the London Fire Brigade, will be chief of the fire staff and inspector-in-chief of the fire services. A staff college for training senior officers will be established. In place of the existing f,400 local fire brigades there will be 32 fire forces in England and Wales, pins others to lie settled in the London region.