PROUD ACHIEVEMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 128, 1 May 1941, Page 7

PROUD ACHIEVEMENT

DIFFICULT WITHDRAWAL. SETBACK TO ENEMY. LONDON, April SO. Air Churchill, iu his speech in the House of Commons, said our casualties were light compared with thoso inflicted on the enemy, who had sometimes been brought to a complete halt by our forces. “We have much to be thankful for and the Empire fprees have much to be proud of," said the Premier. .Since Mr Churchill’s speech, despatches from Cairo have given an eyewitness account of the fighting. A correspondent says the German divebombing attacks on the Plain of Thessaly had claimed very few casualties, but the main road running across the plain had been pock-marked by explosives. One bomb had caught a motor-cycle despatch rider, but half an hour later he had been dug out and had resumed his journey. Very little transport had been available to get our troops back to the shortened defence line, and 6ome ol them had to fight their way back on foot.

Observers in Cairo emphasise the fact that the Germans would have imposed their will on Greece and Yugoslavia much earlier had the Imperial iorcc not been despatched to meet them. Their plans have now been thrown out of action, especially in their desire to obtain supplies of minerals from both countries, which are .hampered by the damage to the road 6. Observers believe wo have gained as much as two months in time. This is most important at a stage when almost every day brings more supplies to our forces in the Middle East. The Greek mainland, excluding Crete, has been declared enemy territory by Britain for the purpose of operating the contraband control.