EPIC GALLANTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 153, 31 May 1941, Page 7

EPIC GALLANTRY

IMMENSE ODDS. PRAISE FOR MAORIS. LONDON, May 30. The gallant resistance of our troops in Crete to the pressure of the overwhelming' German forces has been described by men arriving back in Egypt. All said we would have been able to retain our hold in Crete and would have beaten the Germans had air support been available. It was a man-sized job to get the machines into the air to save them, said one officer, who told how they were overwhelmed by enemy planes once they left the ground. One Hurricane was seen with 20 Messer.sell mitts on its tail. In another case u man who had never before flown a Hurricane took otic aloft in order to help defeat the Nazis and lie had accounted for five Messerschmitts before ho lost his life.

! Even though air support was absent jour soldiers were prepared to take on enemy forces of a strength of 20 fo j one. The Navy played a sterling part jin rescuing scores of men from the water. A tribute is paid to the fight pul

up by the Maoris from New Zea-

land. “They had their chance this time, and they fought magnificently and in the best of spirits,” declared J one officer.

Reports to-night indicate that fierce fighting is still going on despite the increased German pressure. Both German and Italian spokesmen say that Crete is nol an end in itself. Signor Gavda, the Italian publicist, says this is only an incident in the large-scale Mediterranean operations.

iSoldiers returning toll of the German disregard for their men’s lives, saying Hitler is determined to gain possession of Crete at any price.