CRETE DEFENDERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 5

CRETE DEFENDERS

GUERRILLA UNITS HIGHLY-TRAINED MEN REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE RISING R.A.F. TEMPO (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 30, 9 a.m.) LONDON, May 29. British units comprising the most highly-trained guerrilla lighters in the Middle East iiave been landed in Crete. Despite constantly-increasing odds against them, they are cutting their way to Major-General B. C. Freyberg’s garrison, now locked ’in a crucial battle around the ruins of Canea. The Royal Air Force raiding of Malemi in the last 48 hours has been on a rising tempo in fine weather. Some of the latest and fastest aircraft sent to the Middle East are now swinging to Crete in an endless chain throughout the night.

At sea Yugoslav and Greek naval units Much recently joined the British are making up for the losses inflicted on Admiral Cunningham’s fleet last week. Thus far no German convoy of any importance has managed to land by sea.

Slogging Match

Germans are continually arriving in Crete. They are pushing back our troops, who are holding a line of more or less continuous positions. Isolated fighting is taking place around Retimo and Candia,/ but is unimportant compared with the Malemi battle, where our troops are engaged in a stand-up slogging match. They are mostly New Zealanders and Australians.

The Cairo correspondent of The Times describes as an exaggeration Turkish estimates that the Germans landed 29,000 men in Crete, but the original airborne divisions have been far exceeded. Parachuting and gliding have now virtually ceased, because men are landing from troop-carriers at Malemi. A spokesman in Cairo declared: “It simply remains to be seen how long the Germans can go on pumping in men.” The Ankara radio says that a most important new development in Crete is the continuous stream of British reinforcements reaching the island. The German planes apparently are unable to prevent British ships reaching Crete with men, material and food. It must be remembered that a small ship of 2000 or 3000 tons carries considerably more men or material than large numbers of planes. Crete Food Limited The food question obviously is one of the most decisive factors in the present struggle. Therefore the arrival of food is of the greatest importance. Crete’s food supplies, which are always limited, must be partly destroyed or partly inaccessible to the fighting forces: The Germans succeeded in landing some tanks in Crete. The Cairo correspondent of The Times says that no one in Cairo pretends that the British measures are a complete answer to the Germans, who are reaching the crest of their strength. "Our measures simply mean that the German losses are going to mount far higher,” states the correspondent. “We are making good Mr. Churchill’s pledge that Crete would be defended to the death.” The Berlin news agency claims that Suda Bay is firmly in German hands.