NAVY’S LOSS SEVERE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20570, 2 June 1941, Page 7

NAVY’S LOSS SEVERE

PROTECTION OF CRETE FIRST LORD OPTIMISTIC (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, June 1 Stating that it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of .Jutland, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, in a speech at Edinburgh, said that after this encounter the German high sea fleet never came out again until it sailed into the Firth of Forth to surrender. The action just fought which had ended in the destruction of the Bismarck might be regarded as an augury of a similar course of events.

We were passing through very crucial months of the war for freedom. Once more in Crete our Imperial troops and Greek regiments had fought most gallantly with out any adequate air fighters’ protection against a tremendously powerful enemy who was reinforced and supplied by an air Armada working from close bases. In these circumstances it had fallen to the lot of the Royal Navy, also with very little air protection, to protect the Crete garrison and put in rcinforcemens under almost continuous dive-bombing attacks. The losses of ships and damage to ships had been very grievous and severe, but their service had been given loyally and at once, in the spirit that the navy could not let the army down.

Referring to American aid. Mr Alexander said that President Roosevelt’s recent declaration was backed by a speech which, he believed, clearly indicated that Herr Hitler will not be allowed to win, was of the greatest importance. Great strides were being made in the supply of materials from the United Slates and other large quantities were coming in from the Dominions, and if we all put every effort to maintain and increase our own war programme, he felt there could be no doubt of ultimate victory.