The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1941 The Battle Of Crete

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1941, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1941 The Battle Of Crete

NEW ZEALANDERS are awaiting anxiously, news of what Mr. Churchill has described as the strange, desperate and grim battle which is. being fought on the island of Crete. It is impossible to make a satisfying picture of the struggle, but enough is known to convince readers' that it is of a titanic character. The stakes are high, for the outcome of the battle will affect the whole course of the campaign .in the Mediterranean. That is recognised by both Britain and Germany :hence the ferocity of the fighting! ’ ' ' ’ The battle is indeed a strange one. It is being fought under conditions altogether different from those which have so far marked the war. Germany is mainly dependent upon the air as a medium for the transportation of troops to Crete. Troopcarrying planes are preceded and supported by dive-bombers, which in themselves constitute a fearsome challenge to' the British and Greeks, who are denied the protection of fighter planes, which would make short work-of the dive-bombers and troop carriers. The Germans, on the other hand, have little, if any, mechanised armament upon which to depend, whereas the defenders possess artillery and tanks, which, however, cannot be used freely owing to the nature of the terrain. The battle therefore has resolved itself into an effort on the part of the Germans to secure a footing in Crete, and, on the part of the British, an effort to destroy parachutists before they reach the ground or to overwhelm 1 those who may l , seize points of vantage. Just how long such a struggle can continue remains to be seen. It constitutes a return to the hand-to-hand fighting of olden days, save that modern weapons are employed. For this class of fighting the New Zealanders, to say nothing of the British and Greeks, are well fitted, and there need be little fear as to the result of the struggle, desperate though it undoubtedly is, for the British naval power may be relied upon to prevent a large scale landing of German guns or men. Already very cheering news in this respect has been received. It is reported that a convoy making for Crete was intercepted by British naval units, which sank two transports and a number of Greek boats, which probably contained troops intended for landing operations. The British ships also sank an enemy destroyer which was escorting the convoy. Later, another convoy, ’reported to have consisted of about 80 vessels, probably small as well as big, was attacked. The convoy tried to reach islands in the Aegean, but, although it was impossible for our ships to prevent some of them reaching port, there is reason to believe that the convoy fared badly. These incidents indicate the importance of sea power and the vital necessity of ensuring that the British Navy remains supreme in the Mediterranean, where it must not be allowed to become a prisoner, which is Germany’s plan. The battle of Crete and the struggle which is taking place in the areas of Tobruk and Solium are fraught with great consequences, and the German anxiety to triumph in these struggles is easily understood. Upon the result of them will depend in large measure whether the hoped-for assistance from France will be forthcoming. Already there are reports suggestive of a movement among the French in Syria to frustrate Vichy’s attempt to throw the French colonial empire against Britain. News on this point is not altogether convincing, but, on the principle that where there is smoke there is fire, it is not easy to disbelieve two stories, from widely separated sources, that at least one high placed French officer in Syria has gone to least one high placed French officer in Syria has crossed the frontier into Palestine with his troops in order to join the Free French force. It is encouraging to hear that all Frenchmen do not subscribe to the policy of Vichy. German failures at Crete and in Libya would obviously have repercussions in Syria and in the French colonial empire. It is therefore to be expected, as Mr. Churchill says, that the struggle will be fierce and prolonged in both theatres. The result may be awaited with confidence.