CRETE FORCES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20571, 3 June 1941, Page 5

CRETE FORCES

OVER HALF SAVED grimmest battle NAZI AIR SUPREMACY EVACUATION REASON (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. June 3, 10 a.m.) LONDON, June 2. Major-General B. C. Freyberg, the commander in Crete, took the decision to evacuate Crete on Thursday, says the Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain, because the apparent air supremacy would enable the Germans to land endless reinforcements and prevent the British from landing adequate reinforcements. and supplies.

Ten thousand troops left for Egypt by Saturday night, mainly British an'd Anzacs, but they also included some Greek and Cre;an soldiers and civilians. The Luftwaffe unceasinglyattacked streams of ships from Crete to Egypt.

Major-General Freyberg directed the last battle on Crete and the withdrawal from a cave, says the Cairo correspondent of the British United Press. Troops went to secret rendezvous, from where they embarked nightly.

The Associated Press of Great Britain quotes the spokesman in Cairo as saying that rather over half the British defenders of Crete have been saved

The Australian war correspondent reports that the Imperial casualties were unbelievably light in the actual fighting. High officers estimate that for every Imperial casualty in battle 15 to 20 Germans fell. The outstanding feature of the men’s arrival in Egypt was the fact that 95 per cent still carried their rifles or Bren guns. Grim blood-spattered troops, many with wounds hastily tied up as best they could, continue to fill in the picture of the most gruelling and most intense battle of the war.

Worse Than Dunkirk

One said: “Even Dunkirk and the battlefields of Greece were nothing com Pa red with this show.” The British had the upper hand in the fighting for the first six days. Those from Candia say that every German landing in their area was killed and, not knowing how serious the situation was in the Canea region. they were surprised when they were ordered to withdraw. Almost all the Candia force escaped. Those around Suda Bay were not so lucky, though many escaped by the coast to Candia and others climbed the mountains and reached the south coast.

A New Zealand officer said the Germans employed numerous tricks. “We fired on and thought we had killed one bunch of parachutists, but we found them to be dummies, while the real parachutists descended nearby. he added. “But we got the real ones and within five minutes. They were about as useful as the dummies to Herr Hitler.”

Germans Cry For Mercy

The officer added that the parachutists did not shout “Kamerad,” but learned enough English to cry for mercy and usually showed a diary to prove they were gentle Austrians or anti-Hitlerians. “Such diaries seem to be part of the parachutists’ regulation equipment,” he said. The Berlin radio stated that mopping-up operations are continuing in Crete according to plan. Remnants of British units under pressure of Italian and German troops are trying to leave the island by any available means. German troops operating on the south coast are witnessing dramatic scenes of British, Australian and New Zealand troops in their wild flight trying to get away in S small schooners, fishing boats, and rowing boats. Only a small number could be taken aboard the British warships,- which were forced to leave the waters around the island because of incessant bombing attacks. Numerous fishing boats carrying British soldiers had to return to Crete to give themselves up.