GERMAN BOMBING RAIDS

Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 5

GERMAN BOMBING RAIDS

Cretan Cities Suffer LONDON? May 25. The Germans carried out mass bombing raids on Canea, Rethymo and Candia from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. yesterday. They caused havoc comparable with that in Rotterdam when 30,000 persons were killed in two days in May of last year. Loss of life in Crete, however, was not so heavy as the populace was able to take refuge in underground caves.

The bitter hand-to-hand struggle between the Germans and the Imperial Forces in Crete continues. The Imperial Forces between Malemi and Canea were on Saturday the targets of heavy German dive-bombing. The Royal Air Force, too, has been active. Its heavy bombers have been devastating the German bases in Greece and its long distance fighters have been disrupting German communications. The number of troops which on Saturday the Germans were able to land in Crete was substantially smaller than the numbei landed in recent days. BRITISH COUNTER-ATTACK The latest official news concerning Crete is contained in this communique issued by British General Headquarters in Cairo: “On Saturday the Germans succeeded in landing further air-borne troops in Crete, but on a substantiallyreduced scale compared with the previous two days. The enemy’s concentrations near Heraklion and Rethymo were counter-attacked and the operations are continuing. Between Malemi and Canea sharp hand-to-hand fighting continued throughout Sunday. Intensive divebombing attacks were again made. As on the previous days the British forces in this area inflicted very heavy losses on the enemy, including the continued destruction by shell-fire of aircraft on the ground.” A Royal Air Force Middle East Command communique states:—

“Aircraft of the Royal Air Force continued to deliver heavy attacks on enemy positions and aircraft in Crete. During Friday night heavy bombers attacked the aerodrome at Malemi, destroyed one large aircraft and started a number of big fires. In a daylight raid on the same aerodrome our bombers destroyed at least one enemy aircraft and damaged a number of others. Yesterday Royal Air Force fighters attacked enemy transport aircraft which were landing troops in the Malemi area. One of our fighters was shot down during an engagement with escorting Messerschmitts.

“Yesterday Royal Air Force bombers carried out an attack on a number of German aircraft on the aerodrome at Aleppo, Syria. One was destroyed and many others damaged. A bomb which made a direct hit on a hangar caused a number of explosions. Royal Air Force air craft bombed insurgent positions at Qurmet Ali, Iraq, and obtained direct hits on roads and trenches. Rebel motor transport was attacked on the roads in the Habbaniyah area. Enemy aircraft machine-gunned the cantonment at Habbaniyah yesterday on two occasions. Only negligible damage was caused.”

AIRCRAFT LOSSES FOR WEEK

LONDON, May 25.

Axis aircraft losses during the week ending at dusk on Saturday totalled 72 machines, against 29 lost by the Royal Air Force. Over Britain and round the British coasts the Germans lost 11 machines, of which two were lost at night. Against this the Royal Air Force lost four planes. Over Germany and Germanoccupied territory the Germans lost six planes and the Royal Air Force 10, of which one was lost at night. In the Middle East the Axis lost 43 planes in the air and 10 on the ground, while the Royal Air Force lost 15 machines.

One enemy aircraft was destroyed by a merchant ship on May 19 and one by his Majesty’s ships on May 18.

The reduced losses over Britain reflect less German activity against the British Isles.