Germans Cut Down in Swathes

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 97, 24 April 1941, Page 7

Germans Cut Down in Swathes

OFFICERS DRIVE MEN INTO MACHINEGUN FIRE LONDON, April 22. “The Germans have good reason to pay tribute to the Anzacs’ and Britons’ Stubborn resistance,” states a special correspondent after touring the shortened British line in Greece. “The Uer mans progressed at the cost of a sickening sacrifice of human life—a sacrifice not without protest. Many Prussians were *hot in the back by Austrians. “An Australian said that, during a German attempt to ford the River Parissa, German officers kept driving their infantry into the path of Bren gun fire until the river was running red. Here, as elsewhere, the Germans were mown down in swathes. “A New Zealander, when interviewed on a beach of the Aegean Sea, said that anti-tank units held their fire until the advancing tanks were within 1200 yards and then knocked them out one after another. “Dive-bombers at first harassed tho British withdrawal, but later the weather forced the bombers to abandon the attack.” R.A.F. Bombs Enemy Aerodromes. In the Balkans on Sunday night, says to-day's R.A.F. Middle East commvnique, R.A.F. bombers made heavy and continuous attacks on enemyoc ;upied aerodromes in Northcru G cere. Many fires broke out at the aero- «] orae at Bedes, where a number of aircraft were destroyed on the ground. At mother aerodrome, three large exp'o- ► .ons wc H « caused by bombs, and our bombers then machine-gunned aircraft, On the ground. Motor transport columns near Veria also were machinegunned. . Some damage was caused to R.A.F. aerodrome* yesterday by enemy air attacks. It is now confirmed that, in air com

bats on Sunday, 22 German aircraft were destroyed—2o by our fighters and two by ground defences —making an increase of six on those Claimed yesterday. All our aircraft returned safely.