HAND-TO-HAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 6

HAND-TO-HAND

FIGHT IN CRETE GERMAN PRESSURE HEAVILY REINFORCED CHECK IN LIBYA (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.)

Reed. 1.40 p.m. RIJGfiY, May 29. Heavy German reinforcements and severe hand-to-hand fighting in Crete is reported in a communique issued by the British General Headquarters in Cairo.

“In the face of further attacks by German forces which have agaiii bc-en heavily reinforced our troops in Crete have withdrawn to positions east of Such Bay,” states the communique. "Dive bopbing again con,linued .on an 'e'xterisiye 'scale. In hand-to-hand fighting .yesterday both the enemy and our forces suffered heavily.

“In Libya during the night of May 27-28 our troops in Tobruk made a small advance to improved positions and inflicted casualties on the enemy without loss to themselves. In' the Solium area our patrols continue to vigorously harass the enemy who have not attempted to make any further advance from the positions covering Halfaya.” It is authoritatively stated in London that reports from Ankara that a stream of British' reinforcements is reaching Crete is misleading'. -There is no justification for the use of the word “stream.”

It is stated that if the defenders have lost Canea the position is more serious. If they have lost Suda aßv, it is even more critical. The Berlin news agency claims that Germans occupied the town, harbour and aerodrome of Candia and caplured "several hundred" British.

A Berlin communique claims that German aeroplane troops reached Armyro Bay, taking a large number of prisoners, and ‘that the enemy has been “cleared from Suda Bay.” A communique announced that Italian troops landed in Crete yesterday. Signor Gayda sdid the Italian marines and infantry landed in eastern Crete, creating a new front against the British, while the German pressure was increasing from the west.